Justice Inked (Cowboy Justice Association 7) Read online

  His sister could be incredibly dramatic.

  “That’s not true,” he protested. “I liked that one guy. What was his name? The one that brought you flowers and books. Gordon someone or other. He seemed like a decent guy.”

  Sophie rolled her eyes and groaned. “Gordon Shell? You think he’s a great guy because he brought me flowers and books? That’s your criteria? Let me tell you about Gordon, dear brother. Gordon likes to liquor up his dates, take naked pictures of himself with them, and post them on the Internet for strangers. He also thinks he’s smooth as butter with the ladies and that the word ‘no’ doesn’t apply to him. How’s that for decent?”

  It was hard to tell about some people. Now that he thought about it the kid had seemed kind of pervy. “That just proves my point that most men are scum and you should stay far away from them.”

  “I see you’re a fan of the crazy cat lady lifestyle. Too bad for you I’m not.” Sophie held up her hand and shook her head sadly. “I love you but you need to back off. I mean it, Dare. It’s my life and I’m going to live it as I see fit. You can have an opinion but that’s all it is. I’m not making my decisions based on votes. There is no democracy here. I’m the queen.”

  “I’m just trying to protect you.”

  His fingers flexed on the edge of the counter, sadness making his heart squeeze painfully. He was going to lose Sophie. Soon. She was talking about leaving Valley Station, and if she was anyone else’s sister he would say that was a good decision. But they’d grown closer this last year and he simply didn’t want to lose the last family he had.

  It made him hold on too tight.

  “I know you are and I love you for it.” Sophie laid her hand on his arm. “I trust you to run your own life. Can you trust me to run mine?”

  Every cell and molecule in his body screamed that she was way too young, but saying those words aloud were only going to get him in trouble. She didn’t want to hear about his fears of the future.

  “I’ll try,” he said grimly, pulling her into a hug. “Just be careful, dammit. There’s a lot of crazy people in this world that don’t give a damn about anybody else.”

  “I promise.”

  The sound of an engine outside had a smile on Sophie’s lips and a sigh on Dare’s.

  “That’s Tim. I’ve gotta go. Don’t wait up. In fact, maybe you should go out tonight too. Ask a woman on a date or something. Live a little.”

  It was a sad day when his eighteen-year-old sister had a better social life than he did. But a woman? He needed a female in his life like a hole in his head. They were nothing but trouble and he didn’t have the time or patience.

  He was fine on his own.

  Chapter Four

  Dr. James MacMillan was everything Misty and Jared had promised. Charming, intelligent, nice, plus handsome enough to be pleasing to the eye without being so good looking that women would be hanging all over him. He’d been divorced for about a year and spent his free time hiking, camping, and rock climbing.

  Dear heavens, an outdoorsman.

  Jared and Misty must have warned him because he didn’t bat an eyelash at her ink or purple streaked hair. She’d tried to dress as conservatively as possible for the evening in a sleeveless black dress with a scooped neckline and a flared skirt that ended about two inches above her knees. She pulled out her one expensive pair of shoes – black pumps with four inch heels – that made her feel taller, which wasn’t an easy feat. A silver simple necklace and earrings completed the ensemble. From the admiring gaze he gave her and the approving look from Misty, Rayne must have done something right.

  The restaurant was lovely but not too fancy. Valley Station wasn’t a mecca for foodies so they’d driven to Springwood, which was still a small town but large enough to have something that resembled fine dining. James ordered them all a bottle of wine, which Rayne had sipped as she ate her filet mignon with a parmesan crust and a twice-baked potato that melted in her mouth. Misty had been right. It was good to get out of the house once in a while.

  “So I’ll be hiking the Grand Canyon in the spring. Have you done much hiking?”

  Rayne fidgeted with the stem of her wine glass as the waiter whisked their dinner plates away. She had to give James credit. He was really trying but they didn’t have much in common.

  “Quite a bit actually. I…uh…I’m not a big fan of the great outdoors though. Every time I’ve tried something bad has happened.”

  His brows pulled down in a frown. “Bad? Like what?”

  Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, she glanced over at Misty and Jared who were deep in conversation. They weren’t going to come to her rescue.

  “That’s how I discovered I was allergic to bee stings. I was stung by a bee and had to be rushed to the hospital.”

  “That’s terrible, but you shouldn’t let it keep you from enjoying this beautiful land of ours. There’s so much to do and see.”

  He didn’t seem to get it.

  “I was chased by a gang of chickens. Or is it gaggle? Anyway, a bunch of chickens chased me.”

  “It’s a flock.”

  “I thought that was seagulls.”

  “That’s a band.”

  “Wait. What?” Rayne had lost track of the conversation.

  “You were chased by a flock of chickens,” James prompted. He was starting to get that look on his face that she knew so well. The one that people got when they thought she was crazy, or at the very least strange. “Did you get hurt?”

  “No. We were visiting a friend of my mother’s who owns a farm in Wisconsin. They had chickens. I went out to explore and they ended up chasing me back into the house. So I stayed there for the next three days.”

  Rayne’s father had tried everything he could to get her to go outside but she wouldn’t budge. Those chickens had ignored everyone else in the family and come after her like she owed them money. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. The next time she’d set foot out of the house had been to take the dozen or so steps to the car so they could get on the road and head home.

  James looked down at the table and then up at her, his smile hopeful. “How do you feel about puppies and kittens?”

  A topic they could agree on. “I love them. I think they’re the cutest things ever.”

  His smile widened. “You should come by my office. We’re fostering a litter of Golden Retriever puppies and their mother. The owners had to move and couldn’t take them along so I agreed to take her in. She gave birth about four weeks ago and they really are adorable.”

  Rayne couldn’t help but wonder how Spartacus would feel if she came home with a puppy one day. It probably wouldn’t be a happy sight.

  “Maybe I will,” she agreed, giving herself a silent lecture that she would look, cuddle, and kiss but not adopt. “Actually I already have a cat. Spartacus.”

  James burst into delighted laughter. “Spartacus? I don’t suppose there’s a story behind that name?”

  Like most things in Rayne’s life, it was a silly one.

  “He looks like Kirk Douglas.”

  His brows shot up and his mouth hung open. “Your cat looks like Kirk Douglas? I’ve seen hundreds, maybe thousands, of cats in my lifetime but I’ve never seen one that looks like Kirk Douglas. I don’t suppose you have a picture?”

  She was a doting pet parent; of course she had a picture. Her phone was filled with them. She dug it out of her purse and swiped at the screen only to see she had several missed calls and texts.

  “What the–”

  Quickly paging through them, she shook her head as her anger began to boil.

  “What’s going on?” Misty asked, leaning over to whisper in Rayne’s ear. “You’re making a face and not an attractive one.”

  “The alarm at the shop has gone off and the security company has been trying to call me. I need to get to the shop and see what’s going on.”

  Misty straightened in her chair and tossed her napkin on the table. “Then we’ll get the c
heck and leave right away. I hope it’s a false alarm. Do we need to call the sheriff?”

  Dare Turner. Rayne couldn’t catch a break and stay away from that guy. “No, the security company will have notified the police. I’m hoping they’ll get there before I do, honestly.”

  “Jared will go with you if you want,” Misty offered. “He’s hauled in a few burglars in his time.”

  “I’ll be fine. I just need to get there and see what happened.”

  Misty and Jared signaled for the check and Rayne murmured her apologies to James.

  So much for romance. Her life always came back to business.

  With any luck she’d still have one.

  * * * *

  Grumbling under his breath, Dare surveyed the damage to Rayne Dunn’s tattoo shop with dismay. She’d relocated to Valley Station after her shop in the nearby Fairfield had burned to the ground because some crazy bitch was trying to kill Misty. Now less than a year later her new shop had been burglarized and reduced to what appeared to be a fucking mess. The little lady was not going to be happy and neither was Dare.

  He might not get along with the sarcastic brunette, but she was a resident and business owner in this town and that meant she deserved the best from her law officers. This wasn’t Dare’s best. He took pride in his job and this didn’t reflect well on him. He was determined to bring whomever did this to justice.

  “Has anyone called Rayne?” Dare asked Deputy Billy. “Does she know yet?”

  “The alarm service that called us said they notified her. I’m guessing she’ll be here any minute.”

  And madder than a wet hen. Rayne could certainly get upset over little things so this big thing was liable to send her into orbit. He only hoped he could keep her calm so he could ask her some questions.

  “Keep an eye out for her arrival. I need to talk to her.”

  Everywhere Dare looked around the shop there was mayhem and destruction. Carts and equipment overturned, drawer contents tossed aside, and paperwork strewn as far as Dare could see. The backroom hadn’t fared any better, and if anything was worse. Every file cabinet had been pilfered and the lockbox in the desk had been broken open. If there was anything of value in this building it had been taken.

  “Oh my God. What the hell?”

  Dare heard Rayne before he saw her. She’d come in the front door and he had to step over the contents of a bookshelf to get to her. Pale and shaking, she was flanked by former sheriff Jared Monroe and his wife Misty. They each had a hold of one of her arms as if keeping her from crumpling on the messy floor.

  “Rayne, it’s not as bad as it looks.”

  Dare tried to sound reassuring, but the withering look she gave him said that she didn’t believe a word out of his mouth.

  “It looks bad. How did they even get in? Shit, is there anything not destroyed?”

  There was pain in Rayne’s voice but a deep strength as well as she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin as if waiting for another roundhouse punch. She took a few tentative steps forward, her arms wrapped around her torso as she took in the damage.

  “It looks like they broke in through the back door. Then they looked through the shop for any valuables such as cash or electronics. Things they could sell. Probably a meth head looking for a quick score. I’ll need you to tell us what’s missing.”

  Rayne turned to look at Dare, tears shimmering in her eyes. The tough little cookie that told him off without a thought didn’t look all that confident at the moment. Dare wished there was something he could say to comfort her but that wasn’t his forte. He had teddy bears in the trunk for small children but he didn’t think a stuffed animal was going to fix this. Whoever did this hit her where she lived.

  “It could take days of cleanup to figure that out.”

  “How can we help, Dare?” Jared asked, his own grim glance sweeping the room. “Lizzie is with my brother tonight so we can stay to help Rayne sift through this and see what’s been stolen.”

  Rayne’s hand was pressed to her cheek and she was looking around as if she didn’t even know where to begin. “You guys don’t need to stay. I’ll be fine. But I don’t know what they would have taken. I don’t keep cash on the premises and the only electronics are the television on the wall and the alarm system. The most valuable things are my tools and although thrown around, they’re still here.”

  “We’re not leaving you alone,” Misty replied, wrapping an arm around Rayne’s shoulders. “We can help you start cleaning this up once Dare is finished with the investigation.”

  “Maybe the robber got pissed when there wasn’t anything to steal so they busted the place up,” Jared suggested. “But of all the businesses on this block it seems strange they chose this one. There’s a cell phone store two doors down that might have been easier pickings.”

  Dare had been thinking the same thing. Rayne’s was the only store on this block that didn’t accept cash so it didn’t make much sense that she was broken into.

  “We checked the other businesses and it doesn’t look like they were hit.” Dare picked up a chair that was on its side and set it upright before guiding Rayne by the shoulders into it. Her skin was still pale and her hands still shaky. He didn’t need her passing out on him tonight on top of everything else. “Have you had a dispute with a customer lately by any chance? Anyone not satisfied with your work and not want to pay?”

  Smoothing down the skirt of her dress, Rayne shook her head. “The closest I’ve come to a dispute is when you and your sister argued here in the shop. It’s been busy but professional. Except for…you know…you.”

  Jared quirked an eyebrow at Dare. “Want to tell us about that?”

  Dare coughed a few times, heat rising in his face. Even at a moment like this, Rayne couldn’t leave it alone. He was here to help her and she was poking the bear. He could admit that he was in the wrong that day but he wasn’t going to admit it at this very moment.

  “No, I do not,” Dare retorted. “It’s not pertinent to this investigation. Well, as soon as we’re done getting fingerprints you can start your cleanup. It shouldn’t take much longer.”

  “Jared and I will help you clean up, sweetie. We’ll get this place ship shape before you know it.” Misty patted Rayne on the shoulder and grabbed her husband’s hand. “We can call in some help if you like. I bet Royce would help us.”

  Jared was already on his cell talking to someone in a low voice.

  “Caffeine.”

  Dare leaned down closer to Rayne, not sure he heard her correctly. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

  Rayne stood resolutely, her lips a mutinous line. “I said we’re going to need some caffeine. Lots of it. This will probably take most of the night and I’m hardly dressed for it. I think I have a change of clothes in the closet by the restroom.”

  “I’ll make a coffee run,” Jared offered as he hung up the phone. “Royce is on his way and everything is set for Lizzie. She’ll be fine. Now what does everyone want?”

  The sound of shuffling feet and the clearing of a throat pulled Dare’s attention from Rayne.

  “Uh…Sheriff.” Deputy Billy stood uncertainly in the doorway between the front and back rooms. “I have a situation here.”

  “What is it?” Dare had sent Billy outside to check the perimeter. The thief might have dropped a piece of evidence as they made their getaway. This strip of shops backed up to a wooded area that went all the way to the main road. A nice, easy drive away from Valley Station.

  Billy’s eyes were wide and he was fidgeting on his feet. “I kind of found something.”

  “Then kind of bag the evidence.”

  The deputy didn’t move from his place in the doorway.

  “Do you have a problem with that?”

  Billy had been a deputy when Dare had been hired and he was a good kid but a tad green. Little things tended to shake him up that wouldn’t faze a more seasoned officer.

  “It’s just…” Billy trailed off, staring at the floor be
fore trying again, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “It’s just that I can’t bag it up. I don’t think I should touch it, Sheriff.”

  Dare didn’t need this shit. It was okay to feel empathy for a victim, but Billy was taking it too far. Rayne hadn’t been attacked or anything. She’d been robbed of material things. They could be replaced.

  “Fine. Then tell me what and where it is and I’ll do it.”

  Billy pointed over his shoulder. “Outside just about twenty feet inside the woods. It’s–it’s a body, Sheriff. He’s dead. Or at least I think he is. I called for an ambulance.”

  Rayne gasped and fell back down into the chair and Misty’s hand had flown to her mouth in shock. Dare exchanged a glance with Jared, who had immediately put himself between the women and the door.

  Suddenly things looked a whole hell of a lot different than they had a few minutes ago.

  Chapter Five

  Rayne’s earlier numbness was beginning to wear off, and now she was fighting an overwhelming wave of emotion that was part rage, part horror, and a big dose of helplessness. The events of the evening had quickly spiraled out of control, and she was being forced to stay in her shop while Dare and his deputies made sure there wasn’t a killer roaming around outside waiting to pounce on her or any other citizen of Valley Station.

  There was a dead man outside her shop. She could only hope that he didn’t have anything to do with her robbery but it was probably a long shot. It seemed too much of a coincidence.

  “They’ve finished dusting for prints. We can start cleaning up this mess.” Jared placed his hand on her shoulder and she reached up to pat it, grateful for the support he and Misty had shown this evening. “Do you want to do the front room first?”

  She wanted to curl up in the fetal position and cry until morning. She was tired of the universe kicking her ass whenever things were getting too good. She’d been happy, and apparently that simply wasn’t acceptable.