Daniel stopped fighting. “You lied! You said you’d let me go.”
Skye scoffed. “Yes. Just like you lied to all those women you convinced to join your so-called church.”
Daniel fell silent. Ten minutes later, they drove up in front of the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office on Hartman Park Road. This late, the building was closed, but a pair of white-and-gold-striped sheriff’s SUVs waited in front. The doors on both vehicles opened at the same time, and four uniformed deputies climbed out.
Edge walked around to the rear passenger door of the pickup, hauled Daniel out, and dragged him toward the deputies. His wrists were still bound, his feet bare. Duct tape clung to the legs of his plaid pajama bottoms.
“I’m Edge Logan. I’m a PI at Nighthawk Security in Denver. I imagine you got a call from the DEA regarding this man, Daniel Henson.”
“I’m Sheriff Lassiter.” Tall, lean, gray-haired, and hard-mouthed. “I received a call from Supervisory Special Agent Derrick Cross. We’ve been instructed to take Henson into custody on an outstanding warrant and hold him until the DEA arrives to pick him up.”
Edge shoved Daniel forward. “He’s all yours, Sheriff.” Edge started back to the truck.
“I’m afraid we’re going to need a statement from you and the other people involved.”
Edge turned back and pulled a Nighthawk business card out of his wallet. He handed the card to the sheriff. “I was hoping the statement I gave Agent Cross would be enough for now. Agent Cross knows the details and where to find me.”
The sheriff looked at the card. It was late, it was dark, and the temperature was below freezing. Clearly, the sheriff had been dragged out of a nice warm bed to take Henson into custody.
Lassiter tipped his head toward the truck. “What about them?”
“Skye Delaney is also a PI at Nighthawk. Lila Ramirez is a civilian. She’s prepared to give a full statement, but only to Agent Cross.”
The sheriff released a slow breath. He was looking for a way to lessen his paperwork and get back to bed. “I suppose as long Agent Cross knows where to find you . . .”
Edge nodded. Skye had texted Cross the basic info, along with her home address in Denver, where Lila would be staying. “Thanks for the help, Sheriff.” He turned to the other men. “Deputies.”
* * *
Glad to be rid of their unwelcome cargo, they headed back to Denver, almost three hundred miles away. Ironically, Skye thought, by taking the route through Blancha Springs, they could shave off thirty minutes.
“Why don’t you let me drive for a while?” Skye suggested when Edge yawned for the third time since they’d left Pagosa Springs.
He glanced at her over his shoulder. “You sure?”
“Absolutely. You may have been raised on a ranch, but I’ve got a brother who taught me how to drive, and he owned a big Dodge truck. To say nothing of my time in the army.”
“Okay, great.”
Dawn was breaking when they reached the next convenience store to change places.
While Edge gassed the pickup, the women made a quick pit stop. Then Skye climbed in behind the wheel, Edge took the back seat, and Lila continued to ride up front. Within minutes, Edge was asleep. It was a handy soldier’s trick, one Skye had also learned. Both of them could fall asleep in minutes just about anywhere and still keep an ear cocked for danger.
As Skye drove the truck back toward the city, Lila’s voice drifted over from the passenger seat. “Thank you for coming to get me. I was waiting, praying for a chance to escape, but I was . . .” She swallowed. “I was beginning to lose hope. I will never be able to repay you for what you both have done.”
“Callie made you a promise. We’re just helping her keep it.”
Lila’s eyes welled with tears. “Stella’s dead. Riley Beeker killed her.”
Skye’s hands tightened around the steering wheel. “I know. It was on the news. His real name is Rolland Beekman. Most of the men in Blancha Springs were using aliases. Their marriages weren’t real.”
Lila sniffed and wiped away the wetness. “Mine was. Raul Ramirez is my husband’s real name. My real name. We were married in St. Mary’s Church two weeks before Daniel hired him. We were both excited about his new job.”
“Callie said Daniel told you Raul was dead.”
Lila gazed out the window. “To me, he is dead. Raul left me with Daniel and never came back. I was a fool to believe he loved me.”
“Maybe Daniel’s men killed him,” Skye said. “Maybe that’s why he never returned.”
