“Wait.” Cait snapped her fingers. “Mrs. Thornton gave Brian a very valuable antique fire truck in her will. It’s parked in a friend’s garage.”
“I can use that to build the argument of a special relationship or friendship. I’ll file for the paternity test.” Becca closed her notebook triumphantly.
“Great,” Cait said. “Now, let me call my family.”
“A few more questions.” The sheriff flattened both of his hands on the rustic wooden table. “When you and Brian decided to leave the cabin, who suggested the car exchange?”
Cait shrugged. “I don’t remember. It seemed like the logical thing to do.”
“Okay, so, describe what you were doing. You two were talking, then what?”
“We decided to go home. Brian took out the trash and shut off the propane tanks while I packed my bags.”
“This is important,” Todd said. He lowered his brows and stared at Cait. "Did you discuss who was driving which car before or after you went to pack?”
A cold chill rolled down Cait’s spine, and she felt the blood drain from her face. “We weren’t sure if Linx could take the dogs, so I suggested staying behind while he went back home.”
“How much time was Brian out of your sight?” Becca asked.
“I don’t know. He had a lot to do. Clean up and shut down the cabin…”
“Thirty or forty minutes?” Todd asked.
“Maybe. We weren’t in a rush.” Cait felt her heart scramble into the depths of her belly. “I had to find Linx and see if she’d take the dogs, so he left first.”
“Why didn’t he wait for you?” The question shot from the sheriff’s mouth like he’d been dying to ask from the get go.
“I don’t know.” Cait blinked back the worries tearing in her gut. “All I know is that after I dropped off Melia and Sierra, the black SUV chased me down the mountain and I crashed.”
“Whoa, wait.” The sheriff put his hand up. “Was it the same one that you said tailed you earlier?”
“I don’t know. It was raining really hard, and everyone thought I was driving too slowly, so they were passing me, but this truck or SUV had their high beams on and he kept on my tail.” Cait covered her face as shivers quaked inside of her. “I tried to slow down to let him pass and I couldn’t stop. I was going too fast. I couldn’t stop.”
She stiffened her body at the table, pushing her foot against the floor and her hands on the sides. Bam. Pow. A jumble of images and sounds exploded in her brain and she collapsed in a heap on the table.
Warm arms embraced her, and a dog licked her, but above them, Todd’s voice sounded the death knell. “This doesn’t look good for Mr. Wonder. The insurance inspector said there was no fluid left in one of the brake lines. Bec, are you sure you want to take the case? It’ll put the powerful senator against this tiny town.”
“I’m starting with the black SUV and filing for the DNA test.” Bec’s businesslike voice cut through the gloom and doom. “I’m going to go see my client now.”
“Let me go with you.” Cait raised herself from the kitchen table.
“It’s better if you go back to the cabin and wait,” Bec said. “There may be things Brian has to say to me that you wouldn’t want to hear.”
“She’s right.” Chad put a warm hand on Cait’s shoulder. “Let me drive you back.”
“Wait,” Linx said. “Cedar and I would like to go with you and keep you company. Why don’t you call your family while I pack?”
“Let me go to the store and make sure they have enough food to ride out the storm,” Chad said.
“Okay, I’m going back to the station. Thanks, Mrs. Wonder.” The sheriff begged off.
“We’ll get Brian out on bail as soon as we can,” Bec reassured.
“Yes, don’t worry about him, you poor thing. Let me pack.” Linx added, picking up a duffle bag.
“Woof, woof.” Cedar ran around the kitchen table in circles, sure that she was going for a walk.
Cait’s head spun and she couldn’t focus with all the Colsons talking at the same time and milling around like crazy bumblebees in a flower shop. This must be how Brian felt when surrounded by her busy family.
