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    Shandra Higheagle Mystery Books 7-9: Shandra Higheagle Mystery
    Shandra Higheagle Mystery Books 7-9: Shandra Higheagle Mystery
    Shandra Higheagle Mystery Books 7-9: Shandra Higheagle Mystery
    Ebook645 pages6 hours

    Shandra Higheagle Mystery Books 7-9: Shandra Higheagle Mystery

    By Paty Jager

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    About this ebook

    Books 7-9 in the Shandra Higheagle Mystery Series.

    Yuletide Slaying

    When potter Shandra Higheagle’s dog brings her a dead body in a sleigh full of presents, her world is turned upside down. Shandra’s dreams and Ryan’s fellow officers may not be enough to keep them alive to share Christmas.

    Fatal Fall

    When the doctor is a no-show for her appointment, potter Shandra Higheagle becomes wrapped up in another murder. The death of the doctor’s elderly aunt has everyone questioning what happened and who’s to blame. Shandra’s dreams soon tell her she’s on the right path, but also suggests her best friend could be in grave danger.

    Haunting Corpse

    A runaway bride, murder, and arson has potter Shandra Higheagle sleuthing again. Sorting through the debris of her best friend’s childhood, Shandra believes she must solve the murder before her friend becomes the next victim. 

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWindtree Press
    Release dateApr 7, 2018
    ISBN9781947983281
    Shandra Higheagle Mystery Books 7-9: Shandra Higheagle Mystery
    Author

    Paty Jager

    Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 51 novels, 8 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

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      Shandra Higheagle Mystery Books 7-9 - Paty Jager

      This is a work of fiction, Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

      SHANDRA HIGHEAGLE MYSTERY BOX SET 7-9

      Copyright © 2018 Patricia Jager

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or Windtree Press except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

      Contact Information: [email protected]

      Windtree Press

      http://windtreepress.com

      Cover Art by Christina Keerins

      Published in the United States of America

      ISBN 9781947983281

      Yuletide Slaying

      Book 7

      Shandra Higheagle Mystery

      Chapter One

      Shandra Higheagle stood beside Colleen Greer, her boyfriend’s mother, feeling like a proud parent. Sheba, her one hundred-twenty-pound mutt, was harnessed to the sleigh filled with presents to be given to the foster children attending the fundraiser parade this evening. The tri-colored Newfoundland/ Border Collie mix dog was lapping up the attention given her by the kids and the adults.

      I’m so happy you agreed to let Sheba pull the sleigh, Mrs. Greer said, waving a hand toward the dog and sled. The street was filling up with parade participants as the organizer lined them up on a side street off the main road through Huckleberry.

      I’m glad you asked. I’ve never seen Sheba so excited. And she didn’t even throw a fit when we put the harness on her. She was proud of her dog. They’d visited retirement homes and hospitals, but this was the first time her furry friend was doing something besides licking hands and being petted.

      Colleen glanced around. I wish Ryan could be here.

      The wistfulness in the older woman’s voice revealed she held her son in high esteem.

      Shandra had listened to his side of the conversation as he’d taken the call. His job takes him all over the county. I believe he was called to a home invasion this morning. While she understood his job as a detective for the Weippe County Sheriff’s Department, she still wished he didn’t have to be called out at odd hours and sometimes days at a time. She’d grown accustom to his feet on her coffee table, washing two sets of dishes after a meal, and having someone to snuggle with at night. Since meeting Ryan she’d turned a corner on her solitary life and enjoyed sharing it with him.

      You miss him as much as I do. The sparkle in the older woman’s eyes wasn’t lost on Shandra. Ryan’s mom had been trying to fix them up since the first time they’d met and he’d crossed her off his murder suspect list.

      I do miss him when he’s gone. I never know what kind of danger he might be in. She hooked her arm through the other woman’s. How did you manage your worry those years he was in the military and then with the police in Chicago? She led the woman over to where her daughters, Ryan’s two sisters, stood on the sidewalk next to a gingerbread man and a street light festooned with a big red ribbon and large silver star.

      I had to believe in my faith and prayed for him every day. Colleen slipped out of her arm and hugged Bridget, the younger daughter, and Cathleen, who worked at the county dispatch. I’m so glad you girls and your families could make it.

      The grandchildren hugged their grandmother and started tugging on their mothers’ coats.

      Shandra smiled at the two women whose eyes sparkled with the same speculation as their mother’s. I need to make sure Sheba is ready for the parade. She ducked away before the three women could start grilling her about when she and Ryan were going to get married. No dates had been planned nor an engagement announced. Ryan wouldn’t talk about a future until he knew his past wouldn’t catch up to him. A past he’d only recently shared with her, and one that kept them both up nights worrying and wondering.

      A vintage model car decked out in candy canes pulled into line in front of Sheba. She was to be the tail end of the parade. A man dressed in a Santa suit would walk beside her down the main street of Huckleberry. At the decorated tree in the school yard, they would hand out the gifts to the children. At the playground, various games and fun were keeping the locals and visitors busy until the parade started.

      One of Ryan’s nephews handed Sheba’s leash over to her.

      Thank you. Enjoy the parade, she said, as he trotted off to catch up to his mother, aunt, cousins, and grandmother. She stared at the happy Greer family as they headed down the sidewalk to find a place to watch the parade. All her life she’d wanted a large family and sisters. If she and Ryan married, that wish would be fulfilled. But she didn’t need to marry him to have a family. She was now fully involved with her father’s family, the Higheagles. She loved her aunt and uncle and all her cousins who lived on the reservation. They had opened their arms and their ways to her, helping her to fully discover herself.

      The parade starts in five minutes! shouted the man in charge of lining up the entries.

      When Colleen first asked Shandra to participate in the parade, she’d balked. Even though she loved Huckleberry and had made it her home, she preferred to live a hermit lifestyle on the mountain. She was happy to spend her days gathering clay, throwing vases that were works of art, and riding her horses. But the parade was for a charity Colleen chaired, and she couldn’t turn down Ryan’s mom. The charity had picked Huckleberry out of all of Weippe County as the perfect site for the parade. With the ski resort less than ten miles from the town, they’d made sure the event was well publicized at the lodge. Colleen had hopes of getting some of the tourists’ money at the winter carnival games.

      Shandra spotted the first entries moving down the street. Where’s your Santa? she asked Sheba, petting her big furry head.

      Santa stepped out of a store and hurried over. I didn’t want to stand out in the cold any longer than I had to, the elderly pastor of the nondenominational church in town said.

      I understand. She held the leash out to the man as the vintage car in front of them backfired.

      Sheba yelped and took off running down a side street. The sleigh bounced over the rutted snow as if like Santa’s sleigh it would take flight.

      Sheba! Sheba! Shandra ran after her, but lost sight of the dog as she turned down another street.

      She glanced back and caught the backside of Santa walking back to the street.

      What was Colleen going to think when her sleigh full of presents didn’t show up at the end of the parade? I have to find her.

      Shandra jogged down the street calling for her dog. Sheba! Sheba!

      She expected people to step out and wonder who she was calling but from the closed signs in the businesses, it seemed everyone was at the parade. Everyone but her.

      Sheba! She glanced right and left at each cross street. She didn’t see the dog, the red sleigh, or any presents. Where could her furry mutt have disappeared?

      She passed the police station and called. Sheba!

      Woof! Woof!

      Sheba, girl, where are you? she called back and headed down the side street where she’d heard the bark.

      Sheba walked out of an alley behind the clinic. She still wore the harness and the sleigh appeared.

      Air whooshed out of Shandra’s lungs.

      A pair of boots connected to legs hung over the edge of the sleigh.

      ––––––––

      Chapter Two

      Shandra grabbed the leash dragging beside her dog and glanced at the body in the sleigh. She didn’t know him but that didn’t mean anything. Her dealings in Huckleberry only brought a quarter of the population into her world. There was a darker red spot on his red winter coat.

      A quick glance up the street revealed the volunteers bustling about getting the carnival games ready at the school grounds. Not a good direction to lead a sleigh holding what appeared to be a dead man. Best to find out if he was still alive. She led Sheba down the street alongside the clinic and up to the emergency door. She pressed the buzzer and waited, scanning the area between the clinic and where she’d found Sheba. Whoever injured this man was out there somewhere. A chill chased up her back.

      The doors swished open. Relief washed through her at the sight of Chandler Treat, the emergency nurse. His brother was engaged to one of Shandra’s friends. And he’d tended to her before when someone had tried to run her down in the grocery store parking lot.

      Shandra, good to see you. He glanced at Sheba. This isn’t a vet clinic. He smiled and laughed at his own joke.

      I- She-. Words weren’t coming. She stepped aside and waved to the body in the sleigh.

      The nurse’s dark face lightened a shade. Where did you get that? He stepped by her and grabbed the body’s wrist, placing his fingers between the cuff of the winter coat and the thick mitten on the man’s hand.

      The wide-eyed look and slight shake of Chandler’s head told her the man wouldn’t see another Christmas.

      Where did you find him? He keyed in numbers and the emergency doors opened again. Lead that dog in here, so we can get the man out of the sleigh.

      Shouldn’t you call the police before you do that? Even though she didn’t want to be connected to another dead body, she knew the police needed to see the evidence before the body was moved.

      Good idea. Once they were all inside the clinic, Chandler picked up a phone and dialed.

      Shandra wrapped the leash around her hand and then unwound it. Sheba pressed against her, all playfulness gone as her large brown eyes with droopy lids stared at her.

      Yeah, you heard me right. I got a dead body, in a sleigh, in the emergency room. Chandler hung up the phone. There’s days I wonder about the people working on the Huckleberry Police force.

      She smiled slightly, remembering her first encounter with Officer Blane. He was a young, first-time officer who had cuffed her and planned on hauling her to the station as the murderer. Ryan’s knowledge had kept her out of handcuffs and out of jail.

      Where did you find him? Chandler asked, walking around the sleigh.

      Sheba found him. A car backfired in the parade line, and she took off. I ran down the street calling her name. I lost sight of her. She barked, and I followed the sound. Shandra waved a hand. And found this.

      Running feet stopped outside the glass emergency door.

      A moan crawled up her throat. Officer Blane.

      Chandler hit the button on the inside to open the door. The young man burst into the building. His gaze traveled from her to the body in the sleigh.

      You again! He started toward her with handcuffs in his hands.

      The big ER nurse stepped between her and the officer. She didn’t do it. She brought him here to see if he was still alive.

      Blane pulled out his phone. Chief, we have a body in a sleigh, just like he said. He listened. Yep. He listened some more. It’s that Higheagle woman and her dog. His head bobbed. Yes, sir. He closed the conversation and motioned to Shandra to step away from Sheba.

      I need to hold onto my dog. She wrapped her arms around Sheba’s neck.

      Let me take a photo, then you can unhitch the dog. Blane pulled out a small camera and took photos from all angles, including Sheba in the photos.

      Shandra released the furry neck and stood.

      What the— Blane stepped toward her with his hand out.

      She took a step back.

      Hold still, Shandra. Chandler walked up to her. Yep, that’s blood.

      A quick glance at the front of her tan coat showed a red smear.

      That wasn’t there when she came in, Chandler quickly stated.

      They all dropped their gaze to Sheba.

      Shandra lowered to her knees and felt the fur at her dog’s neck. One spot was sticky. Fear for Sheba started her heart racing. Had her furry friend tried to defend the man and been hurt in the process? Her fingers moved gently, parting the hair. She found a cut an inch long, oozing blood.

      It’s her blood. She’s been cut. Shandra ignored the blood on her hands and started to reach for her purse.

      Here. Chandler handed her a gauze.

      Thank you. She pressed the bandage against the wound with one hand and worked the buckles loose on the harness with the other.

      Sheba licked her cheek.

      She doesn’t appear to be in pain, Chandler said, stepping up and helping remove the harness.

      A muffled jazz tune came from her purse. She released the harness and dug for her phone.

      Colleen.

      She took a deep breath and swiped the screen.

      Hello, Colleen.

      Where are you? And the sleigh with presents? Everyone is headed to the school yard, and I don’t have gifts for the children. Her tone was scolding, edged with worry.

      It’s a long story. I’m at the emergency clinic.

      Oh my! Are you hurt? Not feeling well? Colleen’s concern for her well-being made her feel warm all over.

      No, I’m not hurt. It’s hard to explain. I need to get Sheba to the vet.

      I’ll send someone over for the gifts. Colleen shouted, Conor!

      No. I mean, I’m not sure the police... How did she tell the woman her gifts might now be part of a murder investigation?

      Police? What police?

      Did you say police? Conor’s voice was louder than his mother’s.

      She heard the phone exchanging hands.

      What is this about the gifts and police? Ryan’s older brother asked.

      I can’t really talk about it, she said, watching Blane miming for her to cut the conversation off.

      Where’s Ryan? Conor asked.

      I don’t know. I have to go. She hated hanging up on the lawyer, but Blane’s face was getting redder by the minute.

      Can I take Sheba to the vet? she asked the officer in charge.

      No. Not until the chief sends someone to investigate this. Blane sent her a crooked smile. Don’t worry. It won’t be your boyfriend. The chief knows you’re a suspect.

      She glared at the pimply-faced officer. It was getting old having him call her a suspect.

      Chandler grabbed her arm. Come on. Let’s take Sheba into an exam room. I’ll see if I can do anything for her cut.

      Thankful the nurse had a caring personality, she followed him into the closest exam room.

      Can you get her up on the table? he asked, digging in the drawers along one wall.

      She grabbed a chair and placed it beside the bed. Up, she commanded.

      Sheba put her front paws on the chair and used it like a step to jump up onto the bed.

      Voices and pounding came from the emergency lobby.

      I’ll be right back. Chandler left the room.

      Shandra took this time alone to sink onto the chair and wonder at how Sheba had caught a dead man in the sleigh. Did she see the crime? She must have with that cut in her neck. Had the man been stabbed? A mental flash to the dark spot on his coat. Had there been a slit?

      The noise out front quieted. Her phone jingled the jazz tune. Colleen.

      She heaved a sigh and answered. I’m sorry. I don’t know when—

      We know what happened. We’re outside the emergency room. That scrawny officer won’t let us in. I called Ryan.

      You shouldn’t have. He can’t even work on this case with me involved. Her heart thumped hard against her chest. She wished she and Sheba weren’t involved. She was getting tired of being a suspect in a murder investigation.

      Well, he can still get to you and give you support. We’ll be at the carnival when they let you go.

      Thank you.

      The phone went silent.

      Chandler returned. Chief Marlow is out there now. I think they’re calling in the state detectives. He picked up more gauze and walked up to Sheba. Where was that cut?

      She pointed to the spot on the neck where she’d found the cut.

      A tall, wide-bodied man walked into the room. I see you found another body, Miss Higheagle. Chief Marlow had a deep voice and a get down to business attitude for a chief of a six officer station.

      I didn’t find it. Sheba did. She retold her story to the chief.

      Which alley did she come from? he asked.

      The one behind the clinic. She patted her dog’s big foot that hung over the edge of the bed. I think she either tried to defend the man in the sleigh or startled the person who attacked him. She has a cut on her neck.

      The chief leaned in to see the cut Chandler was cleaning.

      It’s going to need a couple stitches, the nurse said.

      We’ll need photos of that before it’s stitched up. Chief Marlowe pointed at the wound. I’ll call Hazel in to take photos. Don’t touch it until she’s done.

      Chandler nodded. It’s not bleeding too much. We can wait.

      The chief nodded and left the room.

      Shandra’s phone played music again.

      You’re popular, Chandler said, washing his hands at the small sink.

      I wish I wasn’t, she said, noting Ryan was the caller.

      Hello? she answered.

      Are you okay? Were the first words he said.

      Tears burned the backs of her eyes.

      Yes. I feel so bad. The presents... she had let his mother down and in a sense him. They’d discussed whether or not her big goofball of a dog could stay focused long enough to pull the sleigh down the street and to the school yard.

      Forget about the presents. Were you or Sheba hurt? His caring had caught her heart over a year ago.

      I’m fine. We think whoever killed the man cut Sheba. Chandler is fixing her up as soon as they get photos of the cut. Sticking to the facts helped her keep the tears at bay.

      Was the man stabbed?

      I don’t know. Blane was ready to put cuffs on me, but Chandler stuck up for me. She flashed a smile at Chandler.

      He grinned back, his white teeth and white jacket shining like a fluorescent bulb against his dark skin.

      Chief Marlow already called the sheriff and told him to keep me off this case. I’m still working on the burglary, but I’ll be at your house tonight. Mom offered to stay with you until I get there.

      She heard the worry in his voice, but she had Lil at the ranch. I won’t be alone. Lil will be there until you arrive.

      You know my mom. She won’t take no for an answer.

      She heard the love and grin in his voice.

      Ok. Maybe, we’ll have a party. I’ll invite all of your family to my place. None of them have seen it.

      He laughed and gathered himself. You know what that would do to Lil’s blood pressure.

      She laughed. Ryan always knew how to get her mind off sadness. I’ll call and prepare her.

      Miss Higheagle?

      A state trooper she’d met before, walked into the exam room.

      I have to go. See you tonight. She hung up on Ryan and turned to Detective Stu Whorter. He’d been the detective who’d stepped in when her ex-lover had been found murdered on the ski slope last winter.

      Detective Whorter. I wish I could say it was good to see you. She extended her hand.

      It’s cliché but we have to stop meeting like this. He shook her hand.

      I agree. She turned to Sheba. I’m afraid it’s my dog who may be in trouble this time.

      Give me your side of this. He pulled out a notepad and jotted down her repeat of how she came across a body in the sleigh.

      I see. We’ve gone through the victim’s pockets and there wasn’t any identification on him. Officer Blane is looking for clues in the alley where you found your dog. He walked up to Sheba with his hand held out.

      Her big brown eyes watched him, and she sniffed his hand. Her long thick tail thumped on the bed.

      Good girl. I just want to see your wound. He stared at the cut and pulled out his phone. I’ll take some photos for myself. He clicked from different angles and put his phone away.

      You can go as soon as your dog is ready. He walked to the door and stopped. His gaze leveled with hers. Don’t leave the area, we may have more questions.

      Her gut squeezed. It was his way of saying she was still a suspect.

      Chapter Three

      Ryan felt like he’d been gone from Shandra for a week instead of sixteen hours. The home invasion had been burglary. Strange items had been taken. Winter survival equipment, food, and hunting equipment.

      Pulling up to Shandra’s log home after dark, he smiled. The Christmas lights they’d strung Thanksgiving weekend twinkled a warm welcome. The vehicles parked in front of her house filled him with happiness and dread. He loved his family and had kept his gathering with them limited due to the cloud of his undercover assignment in Chicago. He knew they all meant well, trying to get him and Shandra wed. But they would have to wait, and he’d have to dodge all their questions. Poor Shandra, she’d must have been dodging them all evening.

      He parked by the barn and smiled at the neatly plowed area. One thing he gave Lil, Shandra’s employee, credit for was her ability to keep the walking areas and the road to the house cleared of snow.

      Christmas music swallowed him up as he entered the back door. He shoved out of his boots and coat, hanging the coat next to Shandra’s and placing his boots next to hers. His heart warmed at the sight of their things hanging side by side. That’s the way he wanted to keep it for the rest of their lives.

      Uncle Ryan! shouted Darla, Bridget’s middle child. She ran down the hall and wrapped her arms and legs around him.

      Hello, squirt. He sniffed. The aroma of lasagna set his stomach growling.

      You sound like a bear, she said, sliding down his body and tugging on his hand. Shandra has a big dog. Come see.

      I’ve seen Sheba. I need some food. He slipped loose of the child’s grip and walked into the kitchen. The sight stirred happiness. Shandra and his mother were setting food on the kitchen island and chatting.

      He walked up behind Shandra and wrapped his arms around her. They had reserved this type of affection for only when they were alone, but his mom had a pretty good idea by now how he felt about the woman.

      Shandra patted his hands. Glad you could make it for dinner. Her tone was welcoming, but her body had stiffened slightly as his arms remained around her waist.

      He’s never been late for dinner a day in his life, Mom said, placing a basket of garlic bread on the island. I’ll go have the kids wash up.

      The minute his mom’s back was turned, he spun Shandra in his arms and peered into her eyes. Are you okay? He knew her well enough to see she wanted him to think so.

      I’m fine. Her arms wrapped around his middle and she hugged him.

      She wasn’t fine. He could feel it in the small tremors in her body. He hugged her close. I haven’t heard much, but we won’t talk about it until later. Enjoy the evening.

      We heard dinner was ready. Conor and his wife, Ryan’s ex-girlfriend, Lissa, entered the kitchen.

      Shandra spun out of his arms. Yes. Grab a plate, fill it, and find a seat at the dining room table. She busied herself with pouring drinks.

      Ryan didn’t like how she was denying her emotions, but now wasn’t the time to talk about it. He grabbed a plate, loaded it up, and picked a seat next to his brother at the table.

      You hear anything about what happened? he asked quietly.

      Not much. Something scared the dog and it took off. Shandra followed, lost her, and when she found the dog, the body was in the sleigh. Conor nudged him. This is a nice house. But a little far from your work isn’t it?

      He frowned at his brother. What are you getting at?

      When you two tie the knot, this will be a long commute to work. Any chance she’ll move?

      I’m doing just fine commuting right now and as far as tying the knot. It’s on the table, but we’re both not ready. Quit pushing. He dug into the food on his plate, only stopping long enough to say hi to his sisters and their husbands. By keeping his head down and eating, he hoped to avoid similar conversations with the rest of his family.

      Shandra finally walked out of the kitchen with a plate. His family had left the seat next to him open. She sat down, smiled, and received many compliments on the meal.

      Thank you, but you should thank Lil. She’s the one who pulled the lasagna out of the freezer and put it in the oven.

      But this isn’t store bought. I saw the dish, Cathleen said, forking a bite into her mouth.

      No. When I’m in between projects, I tend to make things and put them in the freezer. That way I have food that can be placed in the oven and ready without preparation.

      When she’s working on a project, she puts in long hours in her studio. Ryan smiled, thinking of the nights he’d go to bed and she’d still be out in the studio working. If he didn’t bring her food, she’d go without eating.

      You’ll have to show us your studio before we leave, his mom said.

      He knew Shandra didn’t mind showing her studio to people, but she was in the middle of a project and didn’t like to show anyone the progress. Not even him. It’s better to get a tour when it’s light out.

      Mom frowned at him. There’s lights in the building isn’t there?

      Yes. But it’s...

      Shandra put a hand on his arm. It’s okay. I’d love to show your family my studio.

      But the piece you’re working on?

      Is covered. She glanced around the table. And I’m sure your family will respect my privacy and not ask me to remove the cover.

      We’d never dream of not respecting your privacy, Bridget said.

      I don’t believe that. Do you? he asked all the men present.

      They all started laughing. Everyone seated at the table knew how insistent and tenacious the Greer women could be when they wanted to know something.

      Cathleen crossed her heart with her pointer finger. We promise we won’t pry into your work. Now your love life... She glanced back and forth between him and Shandra.

      Shandra’s face reddened and his temper flared.

      When we have something to tell you, we’ll do it. For now, we’re both content with things the way they are. He grasped Shandra’s hand and squeezed.

      I’m sorry it bothers you that we aren’t jumping into marriage, but we both have our reasons for not making that commitment. She smiled at Ryan. And I agree that when we do decide, you will be the first to know. She laughed. Well, I’m guessing my family will be the first to know.

      He joined her laughter. His family stared at them as if they were crazy. He understood what she meant, having a cousin with sight and a grandmother who came to her dreams, it was very likely the Higheagles would know before Shandra did.

      Changing the subject, even though it meant bringing up Shandra’s bad day, he asked, What happened to the presents for the kids?

      Shandra knew by the way Ryan held her hand, he’d brought up the day’s event to take the marriage questions off of them. Thinking about the man in the sleigh, sent a chill up her spine.

      We salvaged the ones that didn’t have... Colleen scanned the young faces at the table. That we could...and handed them out. The others I promised would have gifts by Christmas.

      That’s only two weeks away. You sure you can raise the money to purchase more gifts? Ryan asked.

      I’ll help, Shandra said, feeling guilty for the gifts being ruined.

      That’s sweet of you, but don’t do it because you feel it was your fault. Colleen waved her fork around the table. These people can all work their magic to get more dollars for the gifts that need purchased.

      Her children and their spouses all groaned. Then collectively laughed.

      I have a feeling you get pulled into your mother’s charity work quite often, she said.

      We do, Bridget said. If we didn’t love her, we’d consider it torture.

      Everyone laughed, and the conversation moved to the kids and what they’d asked Santa to bring them for Christmas.

      As the evening wound down, Shandra took the interested family members out to the studio while Ryan entertained the rest.

      Cathleen’s older boys asked lots of questions. She herded the group back to the house and stopped at the back door, gazing out to the barn. The big lighted star she and Ryan had put on the end of the barn flickered. Power surges and outages were common this far out of town and up in the trees.

      After the trip to the studio, the families started leaving.

      She and Ryan stood at the front door waving as the car loads of Ryan’s family drove down the road.

      Whew! That was fun but exhausting, she said, returning to the warm living room.

      Ryan followed. He sat on the couch next to her. It was a good distraction. He put an arm around her shoulders and picked up her hand with his free one. Tell me what happened today.

      She repeated the events and answered his questions about what each of the law enforcement people said and did.

      Damn, I wish I could help with this. They have to know by now that you aren’t a suspect.

      She held his hand over her heart. I wish you were on this too, but it’s not going to happen. I think Stu Whorter will do a good job. She had confidence in him but hadn’t liked his partner. Is he still working with that Pete guy?

      No, I heard he moved. Ryan hugged her tight. Stu’s a good man. He’ll get this solved.

      Yes, he will. But how soon? She didn’t like being treated like a murder suspect.

      Chapter Four

      Shandra thrashed the whole night. Every dream involved Ryan. Ella, Grandmother, appeared in each one, peering down from a cloud, watching, as if on guard duty. What did that mean? Something was going to happen to Ryan?

      She woke with a jolt and reached out for him. He was there. Warm and solid. The red numbers on the clock read 4:45. The alarm would go off in fifteen minutes. That was one of the downsides of where she lived. Ryan had to get up at five to get to work on time from here.

      His warmth beckoned her. She snuggled up to him and dozed for fifteen more minutes dream free.

      The alarm shrieked annoyingly. He hit the clock and rolled toward her.

      Morning.

      Hi. She wanted to ask him what he was doing today without sounding paranoid.

      This is the best part of the day, he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.

      She curled into him, rubbing her cheek on the soft hair on his chest. I agree. She’d never had this level of intimacy with a man before. This was what she’d yearned for and hadn’t realized it existed. Are you working that burglary today?

      Yeah. Why? He tipped her chin up and peered into her eyes.

      Just wondering. Think you’ll learn anything about the guy from yesterday? She couldn’t bring herself to say body.

      Cathleen said she’d let me know what she hears through the dispatch office. He kissed her. That’s the best we can do until I hear there is forensic evidence. Then I’ll pull in some favors.

      Sounds good. I’ll be here working on my vase. She preferred not leaving the mountain after yesterday.

      I’ll be back tonight. He kissed her again and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

      Sheba whined at the door.

      I’ll feed her and let her out. You can keep sleeping. He walked out the bedroom door, shutting it behind him.

      She slipped out of bed and dressed. After the dream she’d had, she wasn’t going back to sleep.

      Ryan returned. I guess this means you’re getting an early start on work.

      Yes. I’ll fix your breakfast.

      ~*~

      Ryan sat at his desk at the Weippe Sheriff’s Office in Warner, typing up the statements he’d collected from the homeowners of the break-in the day before. He’d planned to type them up last night, but after Shandra and Sheba found the body, he’d decided going home on time was a better option.

      As he typed in the missing items, he wondered if there were any escaped convicts in the area. The list of stolen property sounded like someone going hunting or trying to stay out of sight. He finished the report and pulled up bulletins from the surrounding counties and states to see if someone was on the run.

      His cell phone rang. Cathleen.

      Hello.

      There’s talk around the office that the John Doe may have been a lawman. Her voice was quiet as she relayed the information.

      How did they come up with that?

      They found a rental car. The name matches a name on the Deputy U.S. Marshal list. They requested a photo of him. Should be coming through soon. She muffled the phone. Gotta go.

      The line went silent. A Deputy U.S. Marshal? What would a Deputy Marshal be doing in Huckleberry?

      He stared at the report for several minutes, not seeing the words, as his mind raced through all the reasons a Deputy Marshal would be in the area.

      You going to stare at that report all day, or send it to my desk? Sheriff Wayne Oldham asked.

      Ryan glanced up at his boss. Just about finished.

      Heard about your girlfriend. You need some time off? The sheriff had hopes of Ryan taking over his position when the man decided to retire. Because of that he tended to give him favors.

      No. She had nothing to do with what happened to the man. Just unfortunate that her dog ran into whatever was happening. Sheba seemed to have nothing wrong other than the cut. Which Chandler had stitched up nicely.

      Any leads on the theft at the Moulton’s? Oldham pulled up a chair and sat beside his desk.

      Not so far. I plan to check out campgrounds in the area.

      Why campgrounds?

      Because of what was stolen. Camping gear, food, a hunting knife, and rifles. He nodded to the computer. I’m also checking for fugitives. This feels like someone trying to keep a low profile.

      Sounds reasonable. Keep in contact with dispatch. If the person is hiding and has guns, best you don’t let him know you’re a cop. Sheriff Oldham stood. Send that along and get out there looking.

      Yes, sir. Ryan finished the last of his report, saved it, and sent it to Oldham.

      ~*~

      Ryan checked the two campgrounds between Warner and Huckleberry. They were heavily used in the summer but had few visitors in the winter. The first one didn’t have any tracks in the snow leading into the campground. The second had one set of tracks. A truck by the width of the tracks. He idled through the ten inches of snow, following the tracks. A Chevy with a trailer on the back was parked by the restrooms. A ramp off the trailer and snowmobile tracks revealed whoever drove here was out enjoying the wintery forest.

      He wrote down the license plate and hopped back in his SUV. The satellite signal was sketchy at this spot. He pulled out his phone and called dispatch.

      Dispatch, announced his sister’s voice.

      Greer. Cathleen, I need you to run down this plate. He rattled off the numbers and letters.

      The sound of keys on a keyboard echoed in the phone as she brought up the information.

      William Arnold Perry. Forty-five-sixteen Fox Grove Lane, Warner. No warrants or arrests.

      I’m at South Tucker Campground and came across this vehicle with a trailer. It appears Perry is out enjoying a day of snowmobiling. I’m heading to Dry Flat next.

      Copy.

      He swiped the screen on his phone and started up his pickup. Condensation had built up on the windshield from his conversation. Using his sleeve, he wiped at the inside of his window. A movement at the edge of the trees caught is attention.

      There it was again. A flutter of color near the ground. He turned the vehicle off and trudged through the snow to the tree line. A male body sprawled across the snow. He was dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. No boots. The wind picked up the tail end of the knit scarf around his neck, fluttering it in the air.

      Ryan knelt by the body and dug into the back pocket, finding a wallet. The picture of the man stared back at him from the driver’s license. William Arnold Perry. The body was frozen solid. The dark spot on his ribs was blood.

      He pulled out his phone and called dispatch as he walked to his vehicle to get his crime scene pack.

      Dispatch, answered his sister.

      Greer. Cathleen, I found Perry. He’s dead. Send search and rescue out here to follow the trail of his snowmobile. I’ll start processing the scene.

      Copy.

      At Perry’s truck, he tried the doors. They were all locked. Had the person who killed him only wanted the snowmobile or had he found the truck locked and took the next available vehicle?

      Back at his SUV, he grabbed the handle on his pack and trudged back over to the body. He was still taking photos when the ambulance arrived. A deputy arrived after the ambulance and the coroner finally rolled in.

      When will Search and Rescue get here? he asked Deputy Gerald Speaks.

      They should be about ten minutes behind me. Speaks scanned the area. What do you need them for?

      This man brought a snowmobile. It’s missing. He walked over to the tracks he’d photographed. There are three sets of prints. One when the victim rode into the forest, one when he came back, and a third when the killer drove off on the snowmobile. Ryan nodded to the forest. I want you and Search and Rescue to follow the tracks. See where they lead.

      I’ll get them on it when they arrive. Speaks strode along the now well-worn path in the snow back to the parking lot.

      Ryan walked over to the coroner. Any idea what killed him?

      It appears to be a stabbing. The ME will be able to tell you more. Dr. Ram stood up. As solid as he is, he must have been here overnight or longer.

      His name didn’t pop up as a missing person when I checked the license plate. It appeared he’d be asking the next of kin a few questions when he spoke with them.

      Can we take the body? the EMT asked.

      Yes. Send it to Coeur d’Alene right away. This could be the second fatal stabbing in the same amount of days. He didn’t like the idea of a maniac running around stabbing people.

      The Search and Rescue team arrived. Speaks had them lined out.

      Ryan climbed into his vehicle, started it, and blasted the heat onto his freezing feet. He pulled out his phone and called Stu Whorter.

      Whorter.

      Stu, this is Ryan Greer.

      I can’t tell you anything about the case involving Miss Higheagle. Stu’s tone said he wasn’t going to take any butting in.

      We may have to talk about that case. I just found a snowmobiler at a camp site, stabbed in the chest. Is that anything like the body Shandra found? He knew Stu was a stickler for protocol, but if their cases overlapped, he’d have to work with him.

      Yes. Where did you find the body?

      He told him about the body, the area, and that he had Search and Rescue following the snowmobile tracks.

      We’ll know more when forensics come back, Stu said.

      Have you found out more about your body?

      He is a Deputy U.S. Marshal. No one seems to know what he was doing in Huckleberry.

      Ryan had an idea. You might check out my victim, William Arnold Perry. He could have been in witness protection and the marshal was coming to move him because his identity had been compromised.

      We’ll look at all the angles. And I’ll let you know what I learn from forensics. Whorter hung up.

      Chapter Five

      Shandra spent the morning refining the design for her next vase and wedging the clay she would use.

      You had a big party last night, Lil said, from over by the kiln where she was putting coasters in to fire.

      It was Ryan’s family. I felt bad Sheba ran away with the presents when Mrs. Greer had put her reputation on the line for us. She’d had a good time last night visiting with Ryan’s family. Although every time one of the women had her to themselves they’d asked when she and Ryan were getting married. A subject she and Ryan planned to leave hanging for a while. They both had their reasons to remain single.

      He’s got a big family. You and him planning on tying the knot?

      She stared at Lil. It was the first time the woman had ever linked them and not had distrust in her voice. We’ve only briefly talked about it. What do you think? While Lil had come with the ranch as a stray and took eccentric to a new level, she valued the woman’s insights.

      I never had a chance to try the marriage thing. But me and Johnny were excited about the baby. She turned away.

      Shandra didn’t push her. The woman had been hiding the knowledge she’d lost a baby for decades. It wasn’t until finding her lover’s body in a clay bed that she’d learned the father of her baby hadn’t left her on purpose.

      Lil swiped her purple sleeved arm across her eyes and said, That detective ain’t my type, but he makes you happy. Bein’ happy your whole life is a good thing. She stomped out the back door and left Shandra wondering about her words.

      Pottery, Sheba, and her horses made her happy. Did she need a man? Memories of the last six months with Ryan in her life swamped her mind and her heart burst with happiness. She might be content with her art and animals but having Ryan in her life made her happy and complete. Once they knew he was safe from gang retaliation, she’d ask him to marry her.

      A grin tugged at her lips. That would surprise him. Her asking him. The idea settled warm in her chest. She continued wedging the clay, preparing it for her next vase. This one she planned to use a different technique than the others. The coil technique. She had plans to make it look like a pine needle basket.

      The jazz tune "Dream a little dream of me" jingled in her back pocket. She pulled out her phone and saw Ryan’s name.

      Hello! I was just thinking of you.

      Good thoughts or bad? he asked, his tone not as warm as usual.

      Good of course. What’s wrong?

      I found another body.

      Oh. That’s not good.

      I’ll be busy most of the day and night. Wondered if you wanted to meet me for dinner at Ruthie’s about five. I’ll need some cheering up after the day I’m going to have.

      I’d love to.

      Great. See you then. The line went silent.

      She slipped the phone in her pocket and went back to work. Another body. Was the victim killed the same way? A shiver slithered up her back.

      Her stomach growled, but she had too much work to do if she wanted to get cleaned up and meet Ryan at Ruthie’s. It would take her forty-five minutes to drive down the mountain and a half an hour to clean up.

      ~*~

      Ryan drove into Warner and found 4516 Fox Grove Lane. The small house had a large metal building behind it. Cathleen had dug up everything she could find on the victim. He lived alone and was self-employed. The reason no one had listed him as missing.

      He used the key he’d found in the man’s pockets to let himself into the house. It was neat and tidy for a bachelor. A couple of photos of him and what appeared to be his parents. No photos of him and a female friend. Nothing in his house indicated that he might be in witness protection. He had all the usual photos, mail piled on the end of a small counter in the kitchen, and personal belongings in the drawer of the night stand.

      If he wasn’t linked to the Deputy Marshal could this have been a random killing? Ryan walked out the back door of the house and followed the muddy path to the large building behind. He unlocked the door and inhaled the aroma of fresh wood. From the mix of scents, the man had used many different varieties of wood for his projects. The benches were littered with pieces of wood in various shapes and sizes. On the side by the large roll up door stood a small enclosed trailer alongside of it were marks the right distance apart to be the space he’d parked the trailer used to haul his snowmobile.

      There was nothing in the house or the shop that would have been a reason to kill the victim. He left the shop, locked it and the house, and climbed back into his SUV. While rummaging through the man’s things, he’d found the phone number of the man’s parents. This call was the one part of his job, he’d never get used to or like.

      ~*~

      Shandra stopped working at three and went in the house to change. She was anxious to learn what Ryan knew about the second victim. Her gut told her they were connected. She grabbed her purse and headed to the door.

      Sheba barked and loped over.

      Sorry girl, you should stay home and rest. When you get those stitches out you can ride shotgun.

      The dog dropped her head and lay down on the cool tiles in front of the dead fireplace.

      Her heart tugged at the dejected dog, but it was best for her to stay home. Especially, if the killer was still hanging around Huckleberry.

      She walked out the door and climbed into her warming copper-colored Jeep Wrangler. After having been run off the road and shoved into a tree on the reservation during the summer, she’d worried about having to buy a new

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