The Deputy's Redemption. Delores Fossen

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      “Nothing. He’s squeaky clean.”

      Colt would still put the man under the microscope. There was a reason someone had come after Elise, and he wanted to know who and why.

      “Really?” Elise said, looking at the last name on the list. “You suspect Joplin hired Martinelli?”

      Colt hadn’t just added it as an afterthought, he’d also underlined it. “He’s got motive. If he slings enough mud at my father, or at me and my brothers, then he could get a mistrial.”

      And Jewell could go free.

      Colt wouldn’t care about that as long as going free meant Jewell left town and that there were no charges or allegations made against the rest of his family.

      That wasn’t likely to happen, though.

      If Jewell was cleared, the blame for Whitt’s murder would almost certainly fall right on his father.

      “I called Joplin before I got in the shower,” Elise said after she had a long sip of coffee. “I told him to back off on arresting your dad.”

      Colt had to replay that in his head. “And?”

      She lifted her shoulder, sighed. “I don’t think it did any good. Joplin’s looking for a way to get the murder charges dropped against Jewell, and he thinks this is his best shot at making that happen.”

      “Yeah, by arresting an innocent man.”

      When Elise didn’t argue with his innocent declaration, Colt glanced at her. Hard to miss her expression since they were both right in front of the coffeepot and practically elbow to elbow. He moved away from her but not before his arm brushed against her, and he felt that blasted kick.

      Oh, man.

      Too bad he was in between relationships right now because he would have liked to have turned this bad fire in a different direction. As it was, it went straight to Elise.

      “Another scowl,” she mumbled.

      And he hoped she didn’t ask him what this particular one was about. Best not to remind her of an attraction that he was trying hard to forget.

      “Hey, I’m only testifying about what I saw,” she went on. “Your father coming out of the Braddock cabin around the time that Whitt Braddock went missing. I didn’t see Roy commit a murder or any other crime other than maybe trespassing. And that’s what I’ll say when I take the witness stand.”

      Colt just stared at her.

      “Oh.” Elise suddenly got interested in staring at her coffee. “That. I thought the scowl was for your father.”

      “It was.” Not a total lie. It mostly was. “And the that isn’t something we’re going to discuss. Old water, old bridge.”

      It sounded good, but judging from the way Elise quickly dodged his gaze, that water and the bridge weren’t quite as old as they wanted them to be.

      His phone buzzed, finally, giving him a timely distraction and hopefully some good news in the process. “Cooper,” he answered when he saw his brother’s name pop up on the screen.

      “The FBI will question Dad here in about an hour,” Cooper said, skipping any greeting.

      They weren’t wasting any time. “I’ll be there soon.”

      “With Elise?” Cooper immediately asked.

      Colt had to think about that a moment. Best not to leave her alone until she’d worked out some other arrangement or until he’d gotten someone else to watch her. “Unless you got a better idea.”

      “No. Bring her. I want to talk to her.”

      Oh, mercy. That wouldn’t be good for Elise or the investigation. And it might look as if the McKinnons were ganging up on her. Joplin would only use that to put the screws to their father.

      “She’s hurt and still in pain,” Colt added. “She’ll come with me, but I’d rather keep her out of this.”

      Cooper’s silence was long and unnerving in a way only an older brother/boss could have managed. “Bring her,” Cooper ordered and hung up.

      “I heard,” Elise said before Colt could fill her in. That put some steel in her cool blue eyes. “No matter what Cooper or anyone else says to me, I’m not changing my testimony.”

      “Good.” And he meant it. “Because despite what you think of us, we’re not into obstruction of justice or witness tampering.”

      She made a sound to indicate she didn’t fully buy that. “I’ll get my purse, and on the way to the sheriff’s office, I can make some calls and find a safe place to go.”

      Colt hoped that a safe place was possible for her. Still, it wasn’t his problem.

      Even if it felt as if it was.

      While she went back into the bedroom, he downed the rest of his coffee and reached for his coat. But reaching was as far as he got.

      Something caught his eye.

      Some movement out the window.

      He stepped back, his gaze combing over the grounds. And he finally saw something that he definitely didn’t want to see.

      “What’s wrong?” Elise asked the moment she came back into the room. She had obviously noticed his body language and that his attention was nailed to the barn.

      “Are you expecting any workers or ranch hands today who would have a reason to go into your barn?”

      “No,” she answered on a rise of breath. “Why?”

      “Because somebody’s in there.”

      Colt drew his gun and headed for the front door.

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