He made his way to Ellie’s bedroom. He figured, her being a woman, packing for a night on the town would take at least an hour. He rapped twice and opened the door, found her seated at the antique Victorian writing desk, her laptop open in front of her. Her suitcase was packed and waiting on the bed.

She was ready to leave. Another wrong assumption about her.

“We got a problem,” Kade said.

Ellie rose. “What is it?”

“Earl Dunstan just phoned. He says the guy who killed Frank Keller is trying to murder him, too. Apparently Dunstan knows too much. He wants enough money to get out of the country in exchange for information. He’s meeting me at midnight.”

She walked toward him. “Why doesn’t he call the sheriff?”

“I got the impression whoever is hunting him has enough power to go around the sheriff to get to him. Or at least that’s what Earl believes.”

Ellie went over to the bedside table, pulled open the top drawer, and took out her Glock 19, the gun the sheriff had just returned.

“You’re going to need backup,” she said, dropping the mag to check the load, then shoving it back in and holstering the weapon. “I’m going with you.”

Kade didn’t argue. He’d learned that Eleanor Bowman was a strong, capable woman who knew how to handle herself. He knew he could rely on her. “I thought about handing this over to Sheriff Fischer, but if things went sideways, Dunstan might disappear.”

“Or Earl could be right about Frank’s killer and end up dead.”

Kade nodded. “We need to find the guy and shut him down.”

“Dunstan didn’t give you any idea who it was?”

“No. Earl’s desperate. He’s not talking until he finds a way to get himself somewhere safe.”

“I guess we’ll find out at midnight,” Ellie said.

“I sure as hell hope so.” Maybe they could solve at least one murder and end any threat to the ranch.

Maybe. But Kade wasn’t so sure.

* * *

It was black as pitch, no stars, a layer of low-hanging clouds blocking the moon. Ellie sat tensely as Kade drove the pickup through Coffee Springs, heading north toward Phippsburg. Ellie gripped the seat as Kade swerved to dodge a deer that stepped into the road. A few minutes later, an owl swooped down in front of the windshield but made a safe escape.

“I’d forgotten how many animals live out in this kind of country,” Ellie said, breaking into the silence. “It was one of the things I liked best about living on our ranch.”

“All kinds of varmints out here,” Kade said. “With any luck, Earl Dunstan will give us one of the human variety.”

“Maybe Earl knows why the man who hired Frank wanted to cause you trouble.”

Kade’s features tightened. “I plan to ask him.”