Her gun re-holstered, the color back in her face, Ellie examined the crime scene, studying the body from different angles and surveying the area around it. “That’s what it looks like.”

Kade frowned at the trace of doubt in her voice. “You don’t think so?”

“Keller didn’t strike me as the suicidal type.”

Kade mulled that over. “Maybe he figured the cops were closing in on him. He shot one of my men and rigged an IED that blew up a guy in a mine. He was going to prison. Maybe he couldn’t handle it.”

“Maybe. Either way, it puts an end to the trouble on the ranch.” She looked back at the body, down at the weapon on the floor. “Or maybe this isn’t what it seems.”

Kade’s frown returned. “You think it was staged to look like he killed himself?”

Ellie glanced around. “I don’t see a suicide note.”

Kade’s gaze followed hers, taking in the simply furnished living room with its brown shag carpet. The place wasn’t fancy, but it was neat and clean. “Not everybody leaves a note.”

“No, not everybody.”

“There’s no smell, so he hasn’t been dead that long,” Kade said.

“Maybe his cousin shot him, staged the scene, and ran.”

Kade looked back at the body. “Why would his cousin shoot him? Dunstan and Keller were family. That’s why Frank came to Phippsburg, the reason he came to Dunstan for help. Family counts for something out here.”

Ellie glanced toward the window. “The sheriff’s bound to show up soon. Why don’t we take a look around before he gets here?”

“Good idea.” Kade headed back down the hall, into the spare bedroom, where he figured Keller would have been staying. There was a canvas duffle on the bed and clothes strewn on the floor.

“We need to be careful not to contaminate the crime scene,” Ellie said, walking up beside him.

But Kade was already in motion, heading for the rifle propped against the wall in the corner. “It’s .308 Winchester bolt-action. Looks like a Leupold scope. Good hunting rifle, probably the gun he used to shoot Alejandro.”

“Don’t touch it,” Ellie warned.

“I don’t need to. I can see the bolt from here. This gun belongs to a left-handed man.”

Ellie’s gaze locked with his. “Frank Keller died from a bullet to his right temple. The pistol on the floor makes it look as if the gun was fired with his right hand.”

Kade’s expression went grim. “Keller didn’t kill himself.”

Ellie looked up at him with those big green eyes that had a way of unsettling him. “Not if that’s Keller’s rifle.”