“Yeah, Storm was making out with some girl in the parking lot outside my motel room.” Lucky nodded at his friend. “You saw that woman attack me, didn’t you?”
“Sure did. The crazy bitch had been chasing after Lucky all night.” Storm moved inside the room and leaned against the saddle rack. “I tried to calm her down and told her I’d be happy to have both of them, but she spat at me and took off.” He grinned. “I mean, look at me, who wouldn’t love a night in Storm’s arms?”
Not me. “Can you describe her? How old was she? What color hair?”
“Older than you, maybe forty or so, hard to tell with all the makeup.” Lucky shrugged. “Blonde, the kind out of a bottle, black stilettos, nice tits. I’m guessing she was a hooker. She sure looked like one but I don’t need to pay for company and maybe that’s why she got pissed.” He smiled. “Shame you’re a cop. You look real nice. I’m afraid it seems to be the young ones or the hookers who chase after me. They want a cowboy to show them some lovin’. I’m starting to check their IDs.”
“But I’m not chasing after you, Mr. Briggs.”
“Really? I sure thought by the way you looked at me before you had a hankering for some prime cowboy— and call me Lucky.”
Giving him a dismissive snort, she narrowed her gaze. “I don’t think so, Mr. Briggs.”
“Sassy too.” Lucky’s gaze rested on her breasts then very slowly moved back to her face. He grinned at Storm. “Now I know why you like women in uniform.”
She ignored the inappropriate remarks and glared at him. “Do you want to make a formal complaint against this woman?”
“Nope.” Lucky rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t need any trouble.”
Storm ruffled his damp hair and moved a few steps closer. Jenna’s heart went into overdrive. Muscles tensed and ready to fight, she planned her moves. One kick to the knee would smash his patella, tear the tendons, and ruin Storm’s career, but it would startle Lucky, giving her the split second required to pivot and crack her heel into his jaw.
She took a step away from the wall to give herself room and rested her hand on her pistol. Storm had noticed the subtle movement and raised one fair eyebrow then moved between her and the door. Lifting her chin, she used her authoritative voice. “Okay, but before I go, can you tell me your whereabouts this morning between eight and ten?”
“Yeah, earlier I was helping old Joey move Lightning and the stupid animal threw a fit and slammed me into the side of the truck. I bruised my hip and we went to the rock pool in the forest over yonder so I could soak in the cold water. We go there a lot, as in all the guys on the circuit go there for a cold soak. It’s good for injuries.” Lucky unzipped his pants and pulled them down to exhibit a massive black bruise over one slim hip. “I have to compete with this injury this weekend. I had to get the swelling down. I’ll be back there again tomorrow and maybe later this afternoon.”
Before she could comment, Kane’s voice boomed out in a clipped tone from behind Storm.
“Cover up before I book you for indecent exposure.” Kane flashed her a look to stop time and his mouth flattened into a thin line. “Did you see or hear anyone else in the area while you were soaking your injury?”
Biting back a sigh of relief, Jenna took the opportunity to stroll to Kane’s side and waited for Lucky to reply.
“Yeah, a couple of kids on bikes waved to us on the way back to the car.” Lucky zipped up his pants and shrugged. “Didn’t hear anything unusual but the waterfall covers a lot of noise.”
“Why swim there and not further up in the clearing? There’s a beach there and it must have been difficult climbing out of the rock pool with an injury.” Kane glared at him.
“You kidding me?” Lucky snorted. “We went skinny-dipping and the rock pool is secluded. Kids hang out at the clearing. Adults usually go to the rock pool at the weekends and never that early. The water is damn near freezing.” His gaze narrowed. “Why the third degree?”
“Just routine questions following a complaint.” Kane slid his cold gaze over her. “Anything else you need to ask them, ma’am?”
Jenna understood Kane’s concerns for her welfare. She wet her lips and took out her notepad and pen. “I need your cellphone numbers and shoe size, and are you willing to submit to a DNA test?”
The men rattled off the information and she made notes. “I have DNA test kits at the sheriff’s office. It’s painless.”
“You already have our DNA on file.” Lucky shrugged. “The other sheriff took samples from most of the guys in town when a girl from Blackwater was raped four years back.”
“Yeah, we couldn’t leave town for weeks. The sheriff had to send the samples to Helena to be processed.” Storm shook his head slowly. “We lost a lot of money and our ratings that year. Everyone thought we were guilty. It turned out to be her boyfriend, and the girl didn’t want to rat him out.”
“Where can I find old Joey?” Kane turned an ice-cold stare on the two cowboys.
“Most likely in the cattle shed. The building by the main arena.” Lucky ignored Kane and smiled at her. “He’ll tell you what happened.”
“Okay, that’s all I need for now.” Jenna closed her notepad. “Thank you for your cooperation.”
“I’ll see you at the dance.” Storm gave her a meaningful smile. “Or maybe afterward?”
“That is so not going to happen.” Kane’s voice boomed out and he glared at him with such intensity, Jenna’s mouth went dry.
She headed for the door without a backward glance. When Kane fell into step beside her, she sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Thanks.”
“Thanks? Have you lost your ever-loving mind walking into a situation alone with two murder suspects again? Have you forgotten how close you came to being raped and tortured by a pair of psychopaths not three months ago?”
She gaped at him. He is becoming overprotective again. “Chill out, Kane. I’m hardly going to forget killing a man who used to be my friend, am I?”
“What is it with you and trusting cowboys?” Kane’s voice had dropped to a whisper. “Did you overdose on Roy Rogers when you were a kid or something?”
“Don’t use that tone with me, Deputy.” She ignored him and kept walking.
“Jenna, stop. Please. What use am I as your deputy if I’m not supposed to care about your safety?” He glared down at her, but despair etched his handsome features. “They had you surrounded with your back to the wall.”
“I was armed and could have taken them down before they made a move, and you know it.”
“Maybe it would have been nice if you’d told me where you were going. I turned my head for a few seconds and you’d vanished. You scared the crap out of me, Jenna. There are ten stable blocks on these fairgrounds. It was only by sheer luck I walked into the right one and heard your voice. If those cowboys were the killers, they would work together. One would get you turned around and the other would sneak up behind you. You know I’m right.” He stormed off toward the cattle shed.
I guess it’s nice to know he has my back. Jenna stared after him. With two ex-military deputies on staff, she had no excuse to investigate alone. He is right. I need to stop acting like I’m infallible and use him for backup.
Nine
Joanne Blunt strolled along Stanton Road enjoying the sun on her face and the smell of the pine forest laced with the fragrance of an abundance of wildflowers. Summer break had to be the best time of the year, and spending time with her cousins in Black Rock Falls during rodeo week would be heaven. No parents to report to, and during the day when her cousins were at work, she could roam around without a worry in the world.