First, he called Malachi, who said he and Abby were still going through Marcus’s house, hoping to find something. Dustin told Malachi about the ghosts in Olivia’s parlor—and that he was going down to the station to question Sandra again.
Then he called Sloan at the Horse Farm and gave him the latest information.
Sloan asked him, “Can Olivia hear me right now?”
Dustin glanced at her. She couldn’t hear, he decided.
“No.”
“You may want to bring her here first. Drew suggested it. He’s called the vet because there’s something wrong with her horse.”
Dustin barely prevented himself from saying, “Shiloh?”
“Drew says it might be colic. He might have gotten hold of something bad for him out in the pasture.”
“All right, you two—”
“Stay on that horse like flies. I know, Dustin. Don’t worry. We’ll watch over her or die in the attempt. You know that.” He paused. “I guess you’d better tell her.”
“Yeah,” he said thickly.
Dustin ended the call and looked at Olivia. “Head over to the Horse Farm. I’m going to leave you there with Sloan and Jane.”
“Oh?”
“They’re getting the vet out. I’m afraid there’s something wrong with Shiloh.”
Her skin grew ashen but she concentrated on the road, carefully taking the next turn.
“People are dead,” she said, her voice heavy. “And still... I love that horse.”
“It’s okay to love your horse.”
They arrived at the ranch minutes later. Olivia had barely turned off the ignition when she was out of the car and racing for the stables. As he followed, he saw that Drew was there, coming toward her. Dustin heard Sloan call his name and turned to see him leaving the office.
Dustin slowed as he saw Drew give Olivia a hug and talk to her. Sloan reached Dustin’s side.
“The vet’s delayed. Apparently, there’s only one guy in the immediate area and he was called to a dairy farm some distance away,” Sloan explained. “Drew had just come to tell me this when you phoned. He gave me a few other numbers but it’ll be at least half an hour before anyone can get out here.”
“How bad is it? You know horses.”
Sloan kept his own horses at a farm in Virginia, close to their base. “Looks to me like it’s just a matter of very mild colic. Shiloh’s down right now, but I believe he’s going to be all right. Right after I talked to you, Drew and Sydney and I got a hose down his throat and did a decent job of pumping his stomach.”
“Thanks, Sloan,” Dustin said. He and Sloan hurried to the stables and over to Shiloh’s stall. Olivia was in with the horse. Shiloh lay on the ground, but his head was up.
“His eyes are brighter,” Drew remarked. “Sloan, you made the right call.”
“I hope so,” Sloan said.
“Thank you, Sloan,” Olivia was kneeling on the ground by her horse. She looked up at Dustin, and there was anger in her eyes now. “Go to the station,” she told him. “Go! I’m fine. I want you to find out who did this!”
“You...you think someone poisoned the horse?” Drew asked.
“I do—and I’ll find out who did it!” Olivia said. “Or, rather, we’ll find out.”
Dustin nodded. “All right. I’m on my way. Don’t make a move without Sloan or Jane, Olivia.”
“I won’t be making a move, period—not until the vet comes and we’re sure Shiloh’s okay,” Olivia said. “Go. Sandra knows something—and I want to know what!”
Dustin looked at Sloan and turned back to the car. He drove fast. If a deputy stopped him now, he’d just say he was on his way to see Frank Vine.
It was wrong, Olivia told herself, to feel such intense anger and fear over Shiloh when people were dead. But the general, who’d kept his horse haunting the hills with him for a century and a half, and Marcus, who had loved all living creatures, would understand. Aaron... Maybe he wouldn’t understand completely.
She was encouraged, though. Drew had described how the horse was at first—eyes rheumy, unable to stand, wobbling. Now, since they’d pumped his stomach, he seemed to be on the mend.
She hugged the horse’s neck, just sitting with him. He nudged her and gave a little whinny. She stroked his big, beautiful head and curled his forelock with her fingers.
“You’re going to be okay. It’s not a bad thing to have a cowboy around, huh?”
“Liv, I’ll go in and get you a cup of coffee,” Drew told her. “Sloan’s right here, and Sydney’s in his room, within shouting distance. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“That sounds great, Drew.” Olivia said gratefully. She glanced up. Sloan was on guard, smiling at her from the stall gate. “The horse is going to make it, Liv.”
She nodded. “Thanks to you.”
“It’s also thanks to Drew and Sydney. They run a good stable here.”
She nodded, but before Sloan could speak again, they heard a shout from the office.
“Hey!”
Sloan frowned and backed away from the stall, peering through the stable entrance to the office. Olivia jumped up to join him and together they started toward the office.
Drew was running in their direction.
“Jane! It’s Jane. I don’t know what the hell’s wrong with her. She’s down.”
“Down?” Sloan shouted. “Stay with me!” he ordered Olivia, and tore for the house.
Olivia did stay with him—right on his heels. Sloan burst into the office and she ran in behind him.
Jane Everett was on the sofa; she’d been there with her computer, a cup of coffee on the driftwood coffee table in front of her.
She had collapsed onto her side. Her computer lay haphazardly on the floor.
Sloan rushed to her.
“A dart! Look for a dart—a small dart somewhere!” Olivia told him. She fell onto her knees by Jane’s left side as Sloan took the right.
Olivia saw the tiny dart that had struck Jane; she reached for it. “Sloan! I’ve got the dart.”
But even as he turned to her, reaching for his gun, she heard a “zzzz” in the air.
The big cowboy fell onto his partner and beloved. Olivia ducked close to the couch, trying to see who was in the office shooting the darts.
She stared at the door, but the sunlight was streaming in. She couldn’t see the man’s face. And then...
“Drew!” she gasped.
“I just don’t know what you’re going to get out of the woman,” Frank Vine muttered to Dustin. “She has an answer for everything—and I don’t have a single thing to hold her on.”
They were in the observation room. Jimmy Callahan stood watching Sandra while Frank and Dustin talked.
“Hold her on suspicion of murder,” Dustin said.
“With what proof? We have nothing! No district attorney would be able to take this case to court!”
“I doubt if Sandra knows that. Just tell her she’s going to be booked for murder. Then I’ll go in.”
Dustin watched as Frank went to talk to Sandra. She immediately flew from her chair in a fury, telling him he was an idiot.
“Strange, huh, that they called her Mama Cheever? She’s a real virago. I guess she ran a tight ship, though. But it seems like she did love Aaron. You really think she might have killed him?” Callahan asked.
“She didn’t do the deed—but I think that, somehow or other, she was in on it.”
Frank returned to the observation area. “She’s all yours,” he said.
Dustin nodded and walked into the interrogation room. Sandra watched him suspiciously, radiating pure tension. “You,” she spat. “You are a despicable federal ass!”
“Sandra, you were the only one who had a key to Aaron’s house—besides Aaron.” Something in her manner changed slightly.