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Authors: Marie Ferrarella
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amusing anecdote to be shared with friends on a warm night over a cold drink. This was something entirely different.
The town of Red Rock and its citizens had themselves a genuine, honest-to-goodness dead body. One courtesy of Lake Mondo, which had washed the body up onto the bank. According to the papers, the body had been in the lake for three days.
So far all they knew was that it wasnât one of the locals. No one was missing. The identity of the corpse was still a mystery. Who had killed him was a bigger one.
Without leads, both Gabe, whoâd been the first on the scene, and Andrea, who was the primary on the case, had struck up a temporary, albeit uneasy alliance. Gabe didnât like taking orders from women. Andrea didnât like men who thought themselves too good to take orders from women. It wasnât a match made in heaven.
Determined to get one up on the other, they had worked hard, dug deep, looking for some kind of link or starting point. Because of the unusual birthmark theyâd found on the body, they had temporarily connected thedead man to Vanessaâs father, a fact that made her furious. Everyone knew Ryan Fortune was a pillar of the community.
They had already dragged him out to the lake and fired questions at him, as if they could get him to admit to something by overwhelming him with inquiries.
Vanessa viewed both people on her doorstep with less than friendly regard. She held the door ajar, when normally she would have thrown it open and welcomed in at least Gabe, whom she knew better. Andrea had always been reserved, a woman with something to prove. Vanessa found she couldnât relate to her. They moved in different circles.
âHello, Gabe. Detective Matthews.â She nodded at both, her hand remaining on the door, barring both of them from entering.
Gabe looked slightly uncomfortable about the reason that had brought him and one of Red Rockâs top detectives there. The Fortunes were not people to come up against lightly, and that was just what he was doing. Confident in his abilities and determined to one day make the grade as a detective himself, the twenty-nine-year-old police officer had no trouble fitting into the world of the white man, as his grandfather still referred to anyone outside of their tribe.
Gabe glanced at the purse and keys in Vanessaâs hand. âGoing somewhere?â
âYes, as a matter-of-fact, I am.â She looked toward her car in the driveway. âAnd Iâm running late.â The last was a lie, but she didnât feel like having to put up with what she thought was ahead.
âWe wonât keep you long,â Andrea told her crisply. She looked over Vanessaâs shoulder into the house. âMind if we come in?â It wasnât really a question, Vanessa knew.
In so many words, Andrea was telling her she wanted them to be admitted.
Vanessa bit back the âyes, I do mindâ that was hovering on her lips, but she didnât bother suppressing a sigh as she stepped back and opened the door.
Andrea walked in first, followed by Gabe, who flashed an apologetic smile at her as he crossed the threshold.
By nature Vanessa was outgoing and cooperative. She was also extremely protective of those she loved, and this investigation, for some unfair reason, seemed to be targeting her father, a man who wouldnât have hurt a fly unless that fly was totting a six-shooter aimed directly at him. And even then heâd try to disarm the fly first.
Her eyes narrowed as she regarded the two interlopers, neither of whom had ever been inside her house before. âWhat can I do for you?â
Gabe got down to it. He didnât know any other way. âHas your father been acting strangely lately?â
Her first instinct was to voice a denial. The problem was, however, that Gabeâs question did have some merit. Her father had been acting strangely of late. Heâd been unusually closemouthed for a while
The town of Red Rock and its citizens had themselves a genuine, honest-to-goodness dead body. One courtesy of Lake Mondo, which had washed the body up onto the bank. According to the papers, the body had been in the lake for three days.
So far all they knew was that it wasnât one of the locals. No one was missing. The identity of the corpse was still a mystery. Who had killed him was a bigger one.
Without leads, both Gabe, whoâd been the first on the scene, and Andrea, who was the primary on the case, had struck up a temporary, albeit uneasy alliance. Gabe didnât like taking orders from women. Andrea didnât like men who thought themselves too good to take orders from women. It wasnât a match made in heaven.
Determined to get one up on the other, they had worked hard, dug deep, looking for some kind of link or starting point. Because of the unusual birthmark theyâd found on the body, they had temporarily connected thedead man to Vanessaâs father, a fact that made her furious. Everyone knew Ryan Fortune was a pillar of the community.
They had already dragged him out to the lake and fired questions at him, as if they could get him to admit to something by overwhelming him with inquiries.
Vanessa viewed both people on her doorstep with less than friendly regard. She held the door ajar, when normally she would have thrown it open and welcomed in at least Gabe, whom she knew better. Andrea had always been reserved, a woman with something to prove. Vanessa found she couldnât relate to her. They moved in different circles.
âHello, Gabe. Detective Matthews.â She nodded at both, her hand remaining on the door, barring both of them from entering.
Gabe looked slightly uncomfortable about the reason that had brought him and one of Red Rockâs top detectives there. The Fortunes were not people to come up against lightly, and that was just what he was doing. Confident in his abilities and determined to one day make the grade as a detective himself, the twenty-nine-year-old police officer had no trouble fitting into the world of the white man, as his grandfather still referred to anyone outside of their tribe.
Gabe glanced at the purse and keys in Vanessaâs hand. âGoing somewhere?â
âYes, as a matter-of-fact, I am.â She looked toward her car in the driveway. âAnd Iâm running late.â The last was a lie, but she didnât feel like having to put up with what she thought was ahead.
âWe wonât keep you long,â Andrea told her crisply. She looked over Vanessaâs shoulder into the house. âMind if we come in?â It wasnât really a question, Vanessa knew.
In so many words, Andrea was telling her she wanted them to be admitted.
Vanessa bit back the âyes, I do mindâ that was hovering on her lips, but she didnât bother suppressing a sigh as she stepped back and opened the door.
Andrea walked in first, followed by Gabe, who flashed an apologetic smile at her as he crossed the threshold.
By nature Vanessa was outgoing and cooperative. She was also extremely protective of those she loved, and this investigation, for some unfair reason, seemed to be targeting her father, a man who wouldnât have hurt a fly unless that fly was totting a six-shooter aimed directly at him. And even then heâd try to disarm the fly first.
Her eyes narrowed as she regarded the two interlopers, neither of whom had ever been inside her house before. âWhat can I do for you?â
Gabe got down to it. He didnât know any other way. âHas your father been acting strangely lately?â
Her first instinct was to voice a denial. The problem was, however, that Gabeâs question did have some merit. Her father had been acting strangely of late. Heâd been unusually closemouthed for a while
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