At the Crossroads (Buckhorn, Montana #3)(70)

He’d armed her with a gun, even if it wasn’t loaded.

Because he’d known she was going to need it.

She ran her fingers over the cold steel and cupped the grip, her finger on the trigger for a moment. A Glock, if she wasn’t wrong. It would have an ammunition clip. She felt... There was a clip in it. Still, that didn’t mean it was loaded. But why else give it to her?

Then it hit her: so that when the sheriff shot her, he would be shooting an armed person of interest. But, she quickly told herself, he could just as easily plant a gun on her after the fact. She kept hearing Furu’s words. Keep your head down.

“Looks like a standoff,” Culhane said, his voice carrying across the expanse between them.

“You still haven’t shown me the necklace,” the sheriff said.

“Throw Alexis your car keys, and let her leave. This is between you and me, Garwood.”

The sheriff seemed to consider it for a moment. “First you show me the necklace.”

“I’m reaching into my left-hand pocket for the necklace,” Culhane said.

Alexis readied herself, worried that once he withdrew it, Garwood would go for his weapon. She kept her focus on the sheriff, but out of the corner of her eye she could see Culhane pull the necklace out and hold it up. The morning light caught on the allegedly faux jewels, making them shimmer and shine.

“Your turn,” Culhane said, still holding the necklace up with his left hand. His other hand was in his other pocket—just like Alexis’s was. “No one has to die here today. Less mess for you to clean up. Especially when you don’t know which side Furu is going to land on.”

The sheriff had seemed mesmerized by the necklace reflecting the light but appeared to shake himself out of it. “I know exactly which side my deputy will fall on, Culhane. But you’re right. Why shed more blood than necessary? You’re still wanted for murder, and your girlfriend is wanted for aiding and abetting. When it comes to a question of credibility—”

“That’s if Jana is really dead,” Culhane said. “Your keys, Garwood.”

The sheriff hesitated, then said, “I’m reaching into my pocket for my keys.”



CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR


“WAIT!” ALEXIS CRIED and began to walk toward Garwood. “Why don’t you just give me the keys? I saw you throw at the company-picnic baseball game last summer.”

“Alexis, no!” Culhane called, but she kept walking.

The sheriff looked surprised as she began to close the distance between them. “She’s right. What was I going to do? Throw them to her? I’m not that good, am I?”

Garwood sounded pleased. He was smiling as she neared. She could almost see the wheels in his head turning. The moment she got within his reach, he would grab her and use her as a shield before killing both Culhane and her—and getting away with the necklace.

But Alexis already knew what he planned. She stopped six feet from him. “You should be able to toss the keys from there,” she said.

The sheriff laughed. “Why don’t you let me hand them to you? If I miss and they drop in the sagebrush—” He lunged for her an instant before she brought the weapon out of her pocket. It didn’t matter, she realized, if the gun Deputy Furu had given her was loaded or not.

She grabbed the barrel and swung the moment his head was within her reach. He’d already latched onto her arm as the butt of the gun struck the side of his head. He let out a howl of pain. His fingers loosened but quickly found their grip again on her coat as he jerked her toward him.

“Where’d you get a gun?” Garwood said, looking confused.

“Your deputy thought I might need it.” There was that moment of stark fear in the sheriff’s gaze that she took satisfaction in before she tried to break his hold on her.

But off balance, she lost her footing even as she saw him reaching for the gun with his other hand. Seeing an opening, she kicked him in the crotch.

A loud oof escaped his lips, and he lost his grip on her arm. She swung the butt of the weapon again, but Garwood was already reaching for her. He blocked the blow with his arm and grabbed her, throwing her to the ground and knocking the weapon from her hand.

He was bent over, clearly in pain as he drew his own weapon and turned it on her. “You stupid bitch.”

THE MOMENT CULHANE saw what Alexis had planned, he took off at a dead run toward Garwood. The sheriff was having trouble keeping his focus on both of them. Alexis had purposely stepped where she was blocking Garwood’s view of him.

Alexis had to know what the sheriff would do—just as he did. When she pulled the gun, it surprised them both and gave her those extra few seconds to swing the butt at Garwood’s head.

With the sheriff momentarily distracted, Culhane sprinted, weapon drawn as he closed the distance between them. He saw her swing the weapon, catch the sheriff in the head. The blow had to have dazed Garwood, but he didn’t let it stop him. He grabbed Alexis and threw her to the ground.

Culhane watched in horror as the sheriff pulled his gun and turned it on Alexis.

After that, everything seemed to happen at high speed. The sound of a helicopter approaching was drowned out by the report of gunshots: Culhane fired as he rushed the sheriff, but Garwood had seen him coming and got off a shot before Culhane tackled him and knocked him to the ground.