Claiming Her Innocence Read online

  “Okay,” she said, shrugging.

  “Go,” he said. “Make sure he stays alive, and my pictures aren’t a waste of film.”

  “All right.”

  She headed back to the motel room. Once she was back inside, he backed out of the lot and drove toward Sarepta.

  Now that he had the blackmail material, he was free to go about his night. And his night included a lot of booze… and a lot of pussy.

  He smiled to himself and gunned the engine.

  11

  Colt showed up to the veterinary clinic on Wednesday morning to find everything still and silent. He peered in the front window.

  Nothing. The lights weren’t on, and no dogs were pacing the floor, looking for a treat.

  He frowned, then looked at his watch. Nine a.m.

  Maybe she’s still at home?

  He drove the few blocks to her place, scowling when he saw that the windows were dark there, too. He walked up to the front door and heard the dogs bark a couple of times.

  She was almost definitely home.

  He raised his fist and knocked, whipping the dogs into a frenzy. He heard cursing come from inside, and then the dogs being scolded.

  After a minute, the door slid open a crack, the chain keeping it from opening further. Rose pressed a bloodshot eye to the gap. She was totally disheveled, hair wild from being slept on.

  “What.”

  Not a question, just a statement. An exhausted one, at that.

  “I came to see why you aren’t at the clinic. It’s Wednesday morning.”

  She looked at him blankly.

  “What?”

  “I thought we’d agreed to meet today.”

  She moved back, rubbed her face.

  “Yeah…” she sighed. “I can’t. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

  “You smell like wine,” he said skeptically.

  “Yeah, well. I still slept like shit.”

  His brows rose. “Is that it? ‘Come back tomorrow?’”

  “That’s all I’ve got,” she said. She started to close the door, then paused. “Sorry.”

  The door shut in his face. He turned around, prepared to storm off. Standing behind him was a kid not much older than Shiloh, with red hair and freckles.

  “Hey,” the kid said, nonchalant.

  “Hey,” Colt said.

  The kid shifted where he stood.

  “She’s sad, I think,” he said.

  “Oh yeah?” Colt said.

  “Yeah. I saw her sitting on her back patio last night, drinking smelly juice. When my mom drinks from one of those bottles, she gets sad.”

  The kid said all of it so matter of factly, it made Colt’s heart squeeze. He smiled, trying to appear less intimidating.

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Jack.”

  “That’s a cool name.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Listen, Jack. Rose is just tired,” he explained. “She’ll be fine later.”

  Jack shrugged. “Okay.”

  “Why don’t you go home?”

  Jack looked disappointed.

  “I was going to help her walk her dogs.”

  “I’ll bet she’s going to need help tomorrow.”

  Jack’s face lit up. “You think?”

  Colt nodded sagely.

  “Definitely,” he said. “She just needs to sleep for awhile.”

  “Okay. I guess I’ll go home and watch my mom clean.” He turned around and ran off toward the rental house next door to Rose’s.

  Colt rubbed a hand over his face, then headed for his truck. His brother Walker was supposed to be getting home shortly. Might as well go meet him at the house, since nothing was getting done here.

  He drove back home, and was pleased to see that Walker’s Escalade was parked out front of the main house.

  He stopped for a second to pet Missy. The pregnant cur wagged her tail as he scratched her ears. If only all women were so easy.

  Colt walked up the steps and caught Walker just coming out of the main house.

  It was like looking at a funhouse mirror, since Walker had the same dark hair and green eyes. The only difference was that Colt had been in a bar fight and had his nose broken, where Walker’s was straight as the arrow flies.

  “Hey,” Colt said, clapping his brother on the shoulder.

  “Hey,” Walker said. “Busy?”

  Walker was a man of few words, which Colt appreciated.

  “Nothing.”

  “Wanna ride with me?” Walker asked, pointing toward the barn.

  “Alright,” Colt said, shrugging.

  They went to the barn, Colt choosing a chestnut mare for the ride. Walker went with Noir, the midnight black horse he’d raised from a filly. Once they were saddled up, they rode out.

  Colt was silent, staring out at the quiet landscape. Most of this area was rolling green pastures, dotted here and there with some light forestation.

  “Anything new happen?” Walker asked.

  Colt looked over at him, then shrugged.

  “In the month since you’ve been gone?” he asked. “It’s hard to say. There’s a new vet in town.”

  “Sawyer told me about your punishment.”

  Colt couldn’t be sure, but he thought his brother’s lips were twitching.

  “He tell you that Remy’s the size of a house?” Colt said, changing the subject.

  “I gotta go say hi to her and Shiloh this evening.”

  “Oh, Shiloh learned how to do that deer call you were trying to teach him.” Dropping his reins, Colt clasped his hands and used them to blow a few low notes.

  “I bet Remy was excited about that.”

  “Not as unexcited as Shiloh’s teacher. That sound gets annoying real fast.”

  Walker chuckled. Colt looked into the distance, at the gradual slope of the land. Eventually it led downward to the creek, although they probably wouldn’t go so far today.

  “Looking for anything in particular?” Colt said at length.

  “Not really. Sawyer mentioned that Jonas Whittier was going through some family trouble, and thinking about getting out.”

  “Getting out? Like selling the land?”

  “Yeah. To a real estate developer.”

  “He didn’t say anything to me about it,” Colt said.

  “He probably forgot.”

  “Mmmm.” Colt was uncertain about that. “Developers are bad.”

  “Well, some developers are bad. This kind is pretty sketchy. They did Sarepta.”

  “No shit? I had no idea that Sarepta had been developed into anything.”

  “Yup.”

  The rode on in silence for a bit, coming near the line where their property bordered the Whittier property. There was a fence dividing the two properties neatly. Other than that, both properties looked identical.

  Historically, the Whittiers and the Romans had both owned the properties since anyone could remember. Both property owners had land usage rights that weren’t written down on paper.

  It was just a trust thing, one that went back generations.

  “We need to talk to Whittier,” said Walker.

  “I guarantee the developers wouldn’t be as easy going about their land usage rights.”

  “Especially not if they do like they did in Sarepta, and use a big tract of mostly flat land to build houses.”

  The idea of houses bordering the land where he grew up made Colt’s fists clench.

  “I’d hate that,” Colt said. “I can’t have that happen here.”

  Walker didn’t say anything, but Colt could see distaste on his face too. Eventually he turned his horse back toward the house, heading in.

  “So this veterinarian,” Walker said. “What’s her deal?”

  Colt ran his hand over his pants leg.

  “Uhhh… well, she’s supposed to be working on the clinic, getting things in order so that she can see patients there.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah, bu
t she was too hungover to work today,” Colt said. “Way to make a case for yourself, working in a small town.”

  “Is she good looking?”

  He took a minute to respond.

  “She’s alright.”

  Walker cracked a smile. Colt looked at him.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing my ass. You got something to say, then say it.”

  “Just… you know. Sounds like you got a little crush going, there.”

  “Fuck off.”

  “I’m just saying,” Walker said with a shrug. “It’s like you’re both in elementary school and you’re pulling her pigtails.”

  “Get out of here,” Colt said. “I’ll race you back to the barn.”

  He kicked his horse into a gallop, flying across the open range. All the while thinking, Walker must be wrong.

  He had to be wrong. She was unfriendly, didn’t like to be touched, and frankly didn’t seem to want Colt hanging around.

  Colt showed up to the veterinary clinic on Wednesday morning to find everything still and silent. He peered in the front window.

  Nothing. The lights weren’t on, and no dogs were pacing the floor, looking for a treat.

  He frowned, then looked at his watch. Nine a.m.

  Maybe she’s still at home?

  He drove the few blocks to her place, scowling when he saw that the windows were dark there, too. He walked up to the front door and heard the dogs bark a couple of times.

  She was almost definitely home.

  He raised his fist and knocked, whipping the dogs into a frenzy. He heard cursing come from inside, and then the dogs being scolded.

  After a minute, the door slid open a crack, the chain keeping it from opening further. Rose pressed a bloodshot eye to the gap. She was totally disheveled, hair wild from being slept on.

  “What.”

  Not a question, just a statement. An exhausted one, at that.

  “I came to see why you aren’t at the clinic. It’s Wednesday morning.”

  She looked at him blankly.

  “What?”

  “I thought we’d agreed to meet today.”

  She moved back, rubbed her face.

  “Yeah…” she sighed. “I can’t. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

  “You smell like wine,” he said skeptically.

  “Yeah, well. I still slept like shit.”

  His brows rose. “Is that it? ‘Come back tomorrow'?”

  “That’s all I’ve got,” she said. She started to close the door, then paused. “Sorry.”

  The door shut in his face. He turned around, prepared to storm off. Standing behind him was a kid not much older than Shiloh, with blond hair and freckles.

  “Hey,” the kid said, nonchalant.

  “Hey,” Colt said.

  The kid shifted where he stood.

  “She’s sad, I think,” he said.

  “Oh yeah?” Colt said.

  “Yeah. I saw her sitting on her back patio last night, drinking smelly juice. When my mom drinks from one of those bottles, she gets sad.”

  The kid said all of it so matter-of-factly, it made Colt’s heart squeeze. He smiled, trying to appear less intimidating.

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Jack.”

  “That’s a cool name.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Listen, Jack. Rose is just tired,” he explained. “She’ll be fine later.”

  Jack shrugged. “Okay.”

  “Why don’t you go home?”

  Jack looked disappointed.

  “I was going to help her walk her dogs.”

  “I’ll bet she’s going to need help tomorrow.”

  Jack’s face lit up. “You think?”

  Colt nodded sagely.

  “Definitely,” he said. “She just needs to sleep for awhile.”

  “Okay. I guess I’ll go home and watch my mom clean.” He turned around and ran off toward the rental house next door to Rose’s.

  Colt rubbed a hand over his face, then headed for his truck. His brother Walker was supposed to be getting home shortly. Might as well go meet him at the house, since nothing was getting done here.

  He drove back home, and was pleased to see that Walker’s Escalade was parked out front of the main house.

  He stopped for a second to pet Prissy. The pregnant cur wagged her tail as he scratched her ears. If only all women were so easy.

  Colt walked up the steps and caught Walker just coming out of the main house.

  It was like looking at a funhouse mirror, since Walker had the same dark hair and green eyes. The only difference was that Colt's bold nose had been broken in a bar fight, where Walker’s was straight as the arrow flies.

  “Hey,” Colt said, clapping his brother on the shoulder.

  “Hey,” Walker said. “Busy?”

  Walker was a man of few words, which Colt appreciated.

  “Nothing.”

  “Wanna ride with me?” Walker asked, pointing toward the barn.

  “All right,” Colt said, shrugging.

  They went to the barn, Colt choosing a chestnut mare for the ride. Walker went with Noir, the midnight black horse he’d raised from a filly. Once they were saddled up, they rode out.

  Colt was silent, staring out at the quiet landscape. Most of this area was rolling green pastures, dotted here and there with some light forestation.

  “Anything new happen?” Walker asked.

  Colt looked over at him, then shrugged.

  “In the month since you’ve been gone?” he asked. “It’s hard to say. There’s a new vet in town.”

  “Sawyer told me about your punishment.”

  Colt couldn’t be sure, but he thought his brother’s lips were twitching.

  “He tell you that Remy’s the size of a house?” Colt said, changing the subject.

  “I gotta go say hi to her and Shiloh this evening.”

  “Oh, Shiloh learned how to do that deer call you were trying to teach him.” Dropping his reins, Colt clasped his hands and used them to blow a few low notes.

  “I bet Remy was excited about that.”

  “Only slightly less than Shiloh’s teacher. That sound gets annoying real fast.”

  Walker chuckled. Colt looked into the distance, at the gradual slope of the land. Eventually it led down to the creek, though they probably wouldn’t go so far today.

  “Looking for anything in particular?” Colt said at length.

  “Not really. Sawyer mentioned that Jonas Whittier was going through some family trouble, and thinking about getting out.”

  “Getting out? Like selling the land?”

  “Yeah. To a real estate developer.”

  “He didn’t say anything to me about it,” Colt said.

  “He probably forgot.”

  “Mmm.” Colt was uncertain about that. “Developers are bad.”

  “Well, some developers are bad. This kind is pretty sketchy. They did Sarepta.”

  “No shit? I had no idea that Sarepta had been developed into anything.”

  “Yup.”

  They rode on in silence for a bit, coming near the line where their property bordered the Whittier property. There was a fence dividing the two properties neatly. Other than that, both properties looked identical.

  Historically, the Whittiers and the Romans had both owned the properties since anyone could remember. Both property owners had land usage rights that weren’t written down on paper.

  It was just a trust thing, one that went back generations.

  “We need to talk to Whittier,” said Walker.

  “I guarantee the developers wouldn’t be as easygoing about their land usage rights.”

  “Especially not if they do like they did in Sarepta, and use a big tract of mostly flat land to build houses.”

  The idea of houses bordering the land where he grew up made Colt’s fists clench.

  “I’d hate that,” Colt said. “I can’t
have that happen here.”

  Walker didn’t say anything, but Colt could see distaste on his face, too. Eventually he turned his horse back toward the house, heading in.

  “So this veterinarian,” Walker said. “What’s her deal?”

  Colt ran his hand over his pants leg.

  “Uhhh… well, she’s supposed to be working on the clinic, getting things in order so that she can see patients there...”

  “Yeah?”

  “But she was too hungover to work today,” Colt said. “Way to make a case for yourself, working in a small town, right?”

  “Is she good looking?”

  He took a minute to respond.

  “She’s all right.”

  Walker cracked a smile. Colt looked at him.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing my ass. You got something to say, then say it.”

  “Just… you know. Sounds like you got a little crush going, there.”

  “Fuck off.”

  “I’m just saying,” Walker said with a shrug. “It’s like you’re both in elementary school and you’re pulling her pigtails.”

  “Get out of here,” Colt said. “I’ll race you back to the barn.”

  He kicked his horse into a gallop, flying across the open range. All the while thinking, Walker must be wrong.

  He had to be wrong. She was unfriendly, didn’t like to be touched, and frankly didn’t seem to want Colt hanging around.

  Colt shook his head and leaned into the gallop.

  12

  Jared drove into Catahoula Creek, slowing down as he passed through the downtown strip. For a town, it was pathetic.

  A grocery slash pharmacy. Two small restaurants. A school made of three whole buildings. A gas station. A bar. Feed store slash hardware store. A few retail spaces.

  That was pretty much the whole of it, with houses dotted here and there.

  Jared stopped his cherry-red Chevy, turned around. He drove through town again, imagining how his business would take over.

  They’d buy every business owner out for cheap, blackmailing those that tried to say no. They’d flatten all the existing structures, save maybe the school. No money to be had there.

  They’d raise gleaming new buildings, all costing as little as possible. Then they’d get a farmer to sell them the land they needed to build houses. Prefabricated, of course.