“I’m trying,” she said shakily. “And I know you’re right. She would n-never have blamed me. It’s just ...” Her voice trailed off.
He hugged her hard and let his lips graze the top of her head lightly, so she wouldn’t notice. “I know, honey. I know.”
When Mandy calmed down a bit more and regained some of her composure, Zach led her around the house to the front porch. Keeping one arm around her, he sat with her on the steps and grabbed his cell phone. “I need to call the cops,” he told her.
She nodded, her expression dazed, her tear-swollen eyes bleary and unfocused.
Zach made the call. It felt weird to be telling a dispatcher that he’d just exhumed the remains of a woman who’d been murdered by her husband fifteen years ago. At first the lady at the other end thought it was a prank call. She was about to disconnect when Zach gave her his full name.
“Zach Harrigan, the horse trainer?”
“Yes,” he replied. “And I’m not joking about the body. Don’t send a bunch of blue shirts. We need some detectives who know what they’re doing.”
The woman’s tone became brisk and businesslike. She asked for the address and told him she’d have someone there in five minutes. Zach was about to remind her that he didn’t want rookie cops near the crime scene, but she ended the call before he could get the words out. He frowned at his phone.
“What?” Mandy asked in a dull, muted voice.
“I’m just worried she’ll send yahoos who don’t know what the hell they’re doing.”
Mandy bent forward to rest her forehead on her knees. “I can’t believe it,” she whispered. “My father made me bury Dog only a few feet away from my mother. Was it his idea of a sick joke? His way of showing how little respect he had for her?”
“I don’t know, honey.” It was all Zach could think to say.
“My mother worked like a slave for him. He never appreciated anything she did. That’s why I’ll never get married. I know how horrible it can turn out for the woman.”
Zach said nothing. He just let her vent. His only hope was that learning the truth would eventually give her a sense of closure and set her free. Maybe in time, she would begin to realize that all marriages weren’t made in hell.
Until then, Zach’s life would be on hold. Mandy was the only woman in the world for him. He knew that for certain now. He would never feel this way about anyone else.
As promised, the police arrived in only a few minutes. Blue shirts. Zach didn’t want to leave Mandy alone on the porch, but he felt compelled to accompany the officers to the backyard to make sure they destroyed no evidence. The cops surprised him. They stood back from the shallow grave, perused the fleshless bones Zach had unearthed, unmistakably those of a human hand, and then cordoned off the area.
Confident that the crime scene would remain intact, Zach retraced his steps to the front of the house. Two more men in uniform had arrived and stood at the steps, questioning Mandy. One, a redhead who looked to be in his early twenties, took notes while the older officer, a stocky fellow of about forty, conducted the interrogation. One look at Mandy’s drawn expression had Zach shifting into fast gear. When he reached the porch, he sat beside her and looped an arm around her trembling shoulders.
“Go easy on her, Officer. That’s her mother out back. This has been hard for her.”
The older man acknowledged Zach’s request with a slight inclination of his head. Just then, a green sedan pulled into the driveway. Two guys in gray suits climbed out. They had homicide written all over them. Before they reached the steps, the coroner’s van pulled up at the curb behind Zach’s SUV and the two bubble-tops. Zach got a sick, sinking sensation in his stomach. He hadn’t envisioned all of this hoopla. It was going to turn into a media circus, and that was the last thing Mandy needed. Here came the mobile news unit of the local TV station, and he knew others would arrive shortly. A helicopter whirred overhead, zooming in low. Neighbors were starting to come out of their fancy homes, attracted by the commotion. Mandy was in no shape to field a bunch of questions, and he had a very bad feeling the police would probably grill her for hours. He almost wished he’d left this alone. Almost.
Before Zach knew it, Mandy was escorted to a police car for further questioning at the station. Zach wanted to go with her, but the redhead blocked his path.
“Sorry, sir. You can drive to the station and wait out front for her if you like, but you can’t be with her while she’s being questioned.”
“Why?” Zach couldn’t keep the edge of frustration out of his voice. “She’s hanging on by a thread. Can you imagine how shaken up she is? All this will be easier for her if I’m there.”
“Are you a relative?”
“I . . . No,” Zach admitted. “But I’m a good friend.”
“Not possible.” The young man’s blue eyes took on a determined glint. “Don’t push it, Mr. Harrigan. We have to follow procedure.”
Zach took that to mean he’d be cuffed and stuffed if he tried to get in the car. He’d been arrested a few times, and for Mandy he was willing to go through it again. But what good would that do? He’d end up cooling his heels in a cell, and she’d still have to go through the questioning alone.
“I don’t get it,” he told the cop. “It’s not as if she killed her mother. Why put her through all this?”
“We aren’t certain of that,” the redhead replied.
“You aren’t certain of what?” Zach snapped.
“That she’s innocent of any wrongdoing. She lived in the house at the time. Her story is that her father did it, but she wouldn’t be the first juvenile to kill a parent.”
Zach couldn’t believe his ears. What the frigging hell had this jerk been smoking? Shock coursed through him. As the redhead got into the police car, Zach stood there and stared in stunned disbelief as Mandy was driven away. His pulse started to slam. Those jackasses thought a thirteen-year-old girl had possibly killed her mother?
He swore under his breath and grabbed his cell phone. His dad answered on the second ring. Zach bypassed hello. “Dad, I need a lawyer, fast.”
Frank never missed a beat. “What kind of lawyer?”
“A criminal lawyer.” Zach spewed out the whole story, quickly bringing his dad up-to-date. “Those stupid cops think Mandy may have killed her mom. Jesus, help me. This is my fault. I’m afraid they’re going to charge her with murder. Can you believe it?”
“They have to look at every possibility, son. They can’t just take her word for it. It’ll all come out in the wash.”
Zach raked a hand through his hair. “I never should have touched that slab.”
“Don’t panic,” Frank said firmly. “She’s innocent. They’ll find no evidence to prove otherwise. Her father is in prison for trying to kill her. It stands to reason that he’ll be the prime suspect. As for a lawyer, I’ll have to make a couple of calls.”
Despite what his father said, Zach did feel panicky. “How long will it take you to find a top-notch attorney?”
“Well, son, that’s a good question. Let me get back to you.”
“I’ll be at the station.”
Frank replied, “As soon as I can, I’ll meet you there.”
Zach cut the connection and dialed Luke, who picked it up on the fifth ring.
“Luke? Listen up; we don’t have much time. We found your mom. Mandy’s at the police station for questioning, and they’ll probably come get you, too, so be ready. Bring Rosebud; she’ll be fine. I’m heading to the station right now.”
Once he reached the station, Zach paced before a bank of metal-framed, green plastic chairs for more than an hour before he saw Luke and Rosebud, escorted by two cops, come in through the revolving front door. He got up at once and went over to Luke, who was pale and sweating but composed. “Hey, Luke.”
“Oh ... hi, Zach. They just want to ask me some questions. And they say it’s okay for Rosebud to stay with me.”
Zach patted him on the shoulder. “Okay. I’ll
be right here.”
Zach paced and stewed and second-guessed himself for another forty-five minutes before his father finally arrived. Even dressed in ranch-issue chambray and denim with a dusty Stetson tipped low over his eyes, Frank Harrigan emanated power and authority as he strode across the gleaming tile floor.
“Thanks for coming, Dad,” Zach said as he hugged his father. “I’m worried sick. Nobody’ll tell me anything, and they won’t let me see her. They hauled Luke in, too.”
“Of course I came, and stop worrying. I won’t let them lock up my future daughter-in-law or her brother.”
“I never said—”
“You didn’t need to. I heard it in your voice on the phone, and it’s written all over your face now. You’re in love with her.”
Zach sank onto a chair, feeling as if all the starch had drained from his legs. Frank sat beside him. “The attorney is on his way. Fellow named Payne.”
“Pain? What kind of name is that for a criminal lawyer?”
“Not that kind of pain.” Frank’s weathered brown face crinkled in a grin. “Calm down. He’s the best. He’ll have her out of here lickety-split.”
Zach could only hope. His heart sank when the blond lawyer showed up in a red polo shirt, wrinkled Dockers, and mud-streaked golf shoes. As the man shook hands with Frank and Zach, he said, “Sorry. First round of the season. I was at the nineteenth hole having a couple of beers with my buddies when I got your call.”
Frank clapped the man on the shoulder. “We appreciate your showin’ up so fast. No apology necessary.”
The attorney hefted his briefcase and smiled. “I’m not wearing my power suit, but I’ll give it my best shot.” He turned and headed for the front desk.
“The clothes don’t make the man,” Frank observed.
Zach wanted the guy to go home and suit up. Didn’t his father understand the seriousness of the situation? “Dad, that guy may be good but he looks more like a golf instructor than a criminal attorney,” he said. “You sure he’s the best?”
“Son,” said Frank, the corners of his keen eyes creasing the way they always did when he was amused and trying not to show it, “you’re a frigging mess. You’re covered with dirt and you need a shower bad. Right now I’d say you look more like a construction laborer than a world-class horse trainer. Point made.”
Frank sat down and tugged on Zach’s shirtsleeve. “Take a load off. This is his bivouac. Let him do his stuff.”
Zach flopped back down onto a chair. “I wish now that I’d left Sharyn Pajeck under that damned slab.”
“You don’t wish that. The woman was murdered. Someone has to pay for that.”
“What if that someone is Mandy?”
“It won’t be. Have a little faith.”
By the time Mandy was released, she was so exhausted she could barely walk. Her legs had fallen asleep from sitting so long, and it was all she could do to move in a straight line. When she reached the front of the station, she saw Zach and Luke sitting side by side, with Rosebud pressed against Luke’s knees. Zach leaped up from the chair and strode toward her. She’d never been so glad to see anyone in her life. She yearned to throw herself into his arms and beg him never to let go.
“They think I did it,” she told him. “Nobody came right out and said so, but I could tell they suspect me.”
Zach’s father materialized, seemingly from out of nowhere. He rested a strong hand on Mandy’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. The attorney says that’s par for the course in any murder investigation. They suspect everybody.” Frank smiled at her. “He’s a good lawyer. Your father’s past record stands to implicate him. Payne will handle it.”
“How much does he charge? I can’t afford a lawyer.”
She felt Zach’s arm encircle her shoulders. “I’ve got you covered.”
“But—”
“No buts. Consider it a loan. You can pay me back in installments.” He gave her a jostle. “Come on, let’s get out of here. Police stations give me the creeps.”
Mandy hated the idea of depending on Zach to get her through the evening, but he didn’t give her a choice, and she couldn’t help but be glad. It had been a trying day that had gone from really bad to horrible. The police suspected her of murder. Every time she thought about it, her stomach clenched and she broke out in a sweat. The evidence at the grave site had been compromised over time. What if forensic science couldn’t prove her father had committed the crime? She was just thankful that Detective Randolph had made it clear that they didn’t suspect her brother.
“Don’t even go there,” Zach said as he drove her and Luke home. “The evidence may be old, but they should still be able to determine the cause of death, and I’m guessing it was violent in nature. Chances are, once they determine the cause, they’ll conclude that a small thirteen-year-old girl wouldn’t have had the strength to do it.”
That comforted Mandy. Darkness had descended, and only brief flashes of light from street lamps and other vehicles illuminated the interior of the car. Luke sat in back, shoulders forward so he could attend the conversation. Mandy worried that he wasn’t wearing a seat belt, but before the thought could take root, others bounced in. She settled a grateful gaze on Zach’s sharp profile, which was washed with a green glow from the dash. She wasn’t sure when it had happened, but he had become her rock.
“I’m terrible. Mama was murdered, and all I can think about is what may happen to me.”
“You aren’t terrible. Your mom’s been gone for fifteen years. You still have a life to live. When the cops start asking questions, leading you to think you’re a suspect, it’s normal to feel alarmed. It’s all just routine, though. It’s their job to suspect everyone.”
Mandy sighed. “I am so tired, but my brain won’t shut down.”
Zach squeezed her hand. “I’m here. No worries. Let me handle everything. Okay?”
Mandy groaned. She felt too exhausted to move. All she wanted was to get home and rest. Luke answered for both of them. “Okay, Zach. Thanks.”
Once at Mandy’s place, Zach sat with them at the kitchen table. Mandy looked ready to fall off her chair and do a face-plant on the floor. In the yellowish glow of the ceiling light, Luke looked young and vulnerable, his expression going from incredulous to stricken. But he was a tough kid, and he rallied quickly.
“It doesn’t surprise me that he killed her,” Luke said. “He almost killed you once, Mandy.” He groped for his sister’s hand. “I’m so sorry, sis. This has to be rough for you. I can’t really remember Mom very well. You can look at pictures of her and stuff. I think that probably helps to keep her fresh in your mind. For me, it isn’t that way.”
“I have precious few pictures of her,” Mandy informed him. “I had time to grab only one family album when they removed us from the house that day.”
Zach glanced worriedly at Rosebud. He’d brought her only enough food for the morning and afternoon, and she’d been at the station for hours. He needed to take her home. Problem. He wasn’t about to leave Mandy. She’d weathered the first storm, but now the reality of it was going to start sinking in. Unless he missed his guess, she’d fall apart again before the night was over, and if she did, he wanted to be with her.
“He’s going to pay,” Luke said angrily. “I hope the old bastard rots in prison for the rest of his life.”
Zach could well understand Luke’s rage, but before the young man went off on a long rant, Zach wanted to campaign for a change of venue. “We have the rest of the evening to talk,” he said. “I’m thinking we should all go to my place. Mandy hasn’t eaten a bite today, and Rosebud has no more food here. I’ll throw together some dinner. You two can crash at the ranch tonight.”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s necessary,” Mandy protested. “I’m really not that hungry, and—”
“Mands,” Luke broke in, “for once in your life, shut up and go with the flow. You’re upset. Zach is nervous about leaving you. Right, Zach?”
Z
ach could have hugged the kid. “I just don’t think this is a good night for the two of you to be alone. At times like this, it’s good to have friends around.”
“I vote that we go to the ranch,” Luke told his sister. “Zach can bring us home tomorrow. What harm can it do?”
“We’d have to pack overnight cases. I’m exhausted. I’d rather just stay here.”
“Mandy,” Zach inserted, “you’ve eaten absolutely nothing all day and very little yesterday. If I leave you here, you won’t make a sandwich. You’ll just do without and possibly make yourself sick.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Luke pushed up from his chair and made for his bedroom. “I’m packing.” At the door, he stopped. Not turning around to address his sister, he said, “If you don’t gather some stuff, I’ll do it for you. If you want to go out there with holey underwear, liniment instead of toothpaste, and the wrong nightclothes, fine, but we’re going with Zach.”
“That isn’t for you to decide,” Mandy objected.
“Yeah, well, I’m making the decision anyway,” Luke retorted. “Neither of us should be alone tonight, especially not you.”
Rosebud followed Luke into the bedroom. At any other time, the mini’s unswerving devotion to her new human friend would have made Zach smile. He settled a concerned gaze on Mandy’s pale face instead.
“If you’re bent on staying here, I’ll take Rosebud home and come back,” he told her.
“I’m not helpless. Today has been rough. I admit it. But I’ll be fine here with Luke.”