At the Crossroads (Buckhorn, Montana #3)(56)

“Jerome isn’t sure. But even if they did, they don’t know who the father is or who adopted the boy. Those records are conveniently not available. Jerome assured me they have no way of learning the truth. Not even Jana knows.”

Garwood tried to still the sick feeling inside him. “With everyone looking for him, why hasn’t Culhane been picked up by now?”

Furu shook his head. “Is there any way to reach out to Jana?”

The sheriff studied the deputy for a moment, again aware of the intellect behind those dark eyes of his. Furu was too good at his job. Once this was over, Furu was going to have to go. No firing this time. That was the mistake he’d made with Culhane.

“Are you suggesting we try to make a deal with her after the last deal I made with her went so well?” Garwood asked.

ALEXIS STOPPED AT a pharmacy and went in for what was needed to patch Culhane up. When she’d come back out, he’d insisted on taking care of it himself. He was right. The wooden sliver had only sliced through the flesh of his calf. He’d been lucky.

She tried not to think how close he’d come to getting killed. Wasn’t this what she’d feared? They weren’t planning to take him in alive. If the deputy had been a better shot...

“Do you have that list handy that Al gave you?” Culhane asked.

She knew what he was trying to do. Keep his mind off his injury. She pulled the sheets of paper from her bag. “What am I looking for?”

“I’m not sure,” he said. “Emeralds.”

“Emeralds.”

She began to go down the list, fighting to concentrate. He acted like this was just another job like so many other deputy jobs they’d worked on together. But it was hard to focus.

“The jewelry taken was expensive,” she said. “It would have taken a trained eye to know what to take. Or a list from the owner. Definitely an inside job.” Didn’t she remember another case a few years ago like this one?

Her head hurt, and her eyes blurred. She could tell Culhane was in pain as he disinfected the wound and began to bandage it. She could have done it so much more quickly and probably more neatly if he had let her.

Sighing, she looked at the list again. Sometimes they felt like an old married couple. Except for the passion that arced between them, making the air around them hum. She could feel it in the close confines of the pickup cab and knew he did, too.

The list. The words jumped out at her. “Here we go. An emerald-and-diamond necklace worth half a million was stolen almost two years ago.” She felt her heart bump in her chest. “Oh,” she said as realization hit her when she saw which house had been burglarized. “What if Bobby wasn’t saying water?”

“He was saying water,” Culhane said without looking at her.

“Or was he saying Atwater?” She saw him raise his head and shift his gaze to her. She had his full attention now. “Gilbert Atwater of Atwater Construction, Big Sky, Montana, was burglarized almost two years ago and again recently.” Even Alexis knew that the man was a powerful, wealthy builder who was active in politics. “Isn’t he one of Sheriff Garwood’s friends?”

She handed Culhane the list and heard him swear. “Atwater.”

“According to the list, the emerald-and-diamond necklace stolen the first time was never recovered,” she said. “Estimated value? A half mil. If they collected the insurance on it, it might be embarrassing if the thief stole it again.”

He shook his head. “It had to be insured for at least that. But we can’t prove any of this without the necklace. If Jana took it...”

“She probably wishes she hadn’t, if she did. Maybe that’s why she was at the motel this morning,” Alexis said. “You’re thinking she followed Al, huh?” He smiled. Like him, she loved it when they were on the same page. “So were Furu and Cline following Al or Jana?”

“Good question. But you’re right about Jana. She has to regret taking that necklace. It isn’t like she planned to pawn or sell it. She’d know that would be impossible and get her arrested—if not killed. But it wouldn’t surprise me if she thought she could use it to make a better deal with the sheriff.”

“Blackmail?” Alexis asked.

Culhane nodded. “If he agrees to it, she’ll be walking into a trap.”

His cell phone rang. He glanced at Alexis and then picked up.



CHAPTER TWENTY


THE MOMENT HE heard crying on the other end of the phone connection, he knew. “Jana.”

“I thought they killed you,” she said through her sobs.

“I’m fine. Let me help you. Trust me, you need my help.”

More tears, more sobs. “No one can help me. It’s too late.”

“No, it’s not.” She’d followed Al to the motel because she’d wanted Culhane’s help. Or she’d been put up to it. He hated that, with her, he had no idea what was the truth. But she was more than his proof that he wasn’t a murderer. He didn’t want to see her dead. “Wherever you are, I’ll come there. I’ll get you out of all of this.”

Her strangled laugh sounded more pained than her tears. “I never wanted to involve you. I swear. That’s why I lied about the baby. I know you went out to the ranch. You know, don’t you?”