Her eyes widened. “But only because I really don’t think it’s relevant. I explained that.”
Russ’s hand drifted to rest on his sidearm as if he felt a need to remind her of his legal standing or he thought she might take off. “Consider it from where I’m standing. You don’t want to be here. Wally gave you an out. A way to leave in a matter of days instead of years. You seem to hate it here. Why wouldn’t you try to use the clause?”
She sat forward in her chair and put Bandit down, her firm expression preparing Ryan for an argument.
“My goal here is to honor Uncle Wally’s wishes above everything else,” she said. “According to his lawyer, he only added that clause in case of a natural disaster. So barring a tornado destroying the property or something like that, I won’t be leaving. Besides, I was at the rec center when these shots were fired.”
Russ tilted his head, the stubborn expression Ryan had seen for years tightening his brother’s face. “Again, you could hire someone. Maybe the same guy who set fire to the barn.”
“I would need to have cash to pay this guy off. You can check my bank accounts to see I haven’t withdrawn money other than to pay the Veritas Center.”
“We are. But until we can get a full picture of your finances, I can’t take your word for this. You could say that you don’t plan to use the clause just to encourage me to stop investigating you. How can I be sure you’re not setting this all up to give you a reason to leave?”
She gripped the rocker’s wide arms. “I get that you have to consider me, but please don’t focus on me and neglect other potential suspects.”
Russ relaxed the hand on his holster. “You must mean your dad and David because we have zero other suspects.”
“What about the man who set the fire?” She jutted out her chin, reminding Ryan of times they’d argued in the past.
“Sure, he’s a suspect,” Russ said. “But since we don’t know who he is yet, we can’t determine if he’s acting on his own or at someone else’s request.” Russ dropped his foot from the porch to the top step. “We’ll just have to keep going in the same direction and hope we get the lead we need from forensics.”
Ryan appreciated Russ’s apology for overstepping and his willingness to try to be more openminded. He was a man of honor, and when he was wrong, he said he was wrong. But what if he was right about her father or David, and neither were involved in the incidents? That left some crazy stranger as the prime suspect.
Someone who’d proved he was an expert shooter and was targeting Mia. Someone Ryan had no idea how to find, let alone stop before he took Mia out.
16
Mia breathed in deeply and let air whoosh out as she set Bandit on the grass and held firm to his leash. She hoped letting him run off his residual fear from the shooting would help relax him. She wished that would work with her too, but a simple walk wouldn’t calm her down.
How could it after seeing the target pierced by bullet holes? Sharp, life-threatening shots. This threat wasn’t a vague warning like the others. Not at all. The bullets in the target could kill and were a direct threat to her life.
How did she go on from here? Could she act like nothing had happened and resume her life? She’d put up a good front for Ryan and Russ so far, but she couldn’t continue for much longer. At least not without any positive movement in finding the perpetrator. If she had any hope of moving forward, she needed to use this walk with Bandit to gain control of and reorder her thoughts. Find her center again like she taught the teens she counseled.
And she had to stay near the area that Russ and his deputies had cleared to remain under the watchful eye of Russ and Ryan. Not that the shooter was likely anywhere nearby at the moment. Not with the law enforcement presence. But what about later? When they’d gone? Then what?
She shivered even in the eighty-degree day filled with brilliant sunshine and traipsed behind Bandit, leaving Ryan and Russ to set up a perimeter around the lodge with crime scene tape.
An army green utility vehicle came up the drive, sending gravel spitting and dust flying. She probably should be concerned, but their suspect wasn’t going to drive up to them in broad daylight with law enforcement present. The vehicle came closer and parked.
A large guy dressed in cargo pants and a green polo shirt with the Shadow Lake Survival logo on his broad chest stepped down, a thick file folder in his hand.
Must be Colin.
Bandit started yipping, and she picked him up to save the guy from an overly eager greeting.
He offered his hand. “Colin Graham. I’m the guy digging into your suspects.”
“Thank you for that.” She shook his hand and set Bandit back down.
“It’s what neighbors are for, right?” He smiled, broadening his narrow face.
Footsteps came from behind, and Ryan and Russ joined them.
“You have something for us, Colin?” Ryan asked.
“A few things.” He held up his folder. “Starting with the caretaker, Nico.”
“What about him?” Mia asked, doubting they could find anything on sweet old Nico.
