Justice Divided (Cowboy Justice Association Book 10) Read online

  Aaron didn’t beat around the bush, coming directly to the point. “Wade doesn’t know yet.”

  Logan had assumed that a prison official would deliver the news, and then they’d put Wade into isolation for a few days so he didn’t act out and hurt anyone. If he even cared. He hadn’t exactly been communicative with the Bryson family since his arrest.

  “Are you planning to tell him?”

  Aaron had been staring at his shoes but he looked up at Logan to answer, their gazes clashing. “I was hoping you would go tell him.”

  That was…unexpected.

  Logan stretched out his long legs, crossing one over the other, determined not to show how disturbed he was by the request. “Why me?”

  “You’re the only one that Wade respects. He refuses to see me or Lyle. He only allows his lawyers in there to work on his appeals. I haven’t seen Wade since the sentencing.”

  This was the first Logan was hearing of this but then the Bryson family didn’t keep him up to date on current events, especially when he’d made it clear he didn’t want to be a Bryson.

  “Considering Wade tried to kill me I’m not sure that I’d call his feelings for me respect. If I remember it correctly – and I do – he wanted me to die a slow and painful death.”

  “You’re the only one he’ll see.”

  Maybe.

  “You don’t know that he’ll see me,” Logan argued. “If he’s not accepting visitors then he probably won’t want to talk to me either. I’m the one that put him in prison, remember?”

  Anger flashed in Aaron’s eyes, but just for a moment. Apparently, he hadn’t forgiven yet.

  “I think about that every goddamn day.”

  Straightening, Logan wanted an end to this conversation as quickly as possible.

  “I’m the bad guy. I’m the monster. Sure, your older brother was killing innocent people but somehow this is all my fault. I can see that.”

  Aaron sat back in the chair, steadily regarding Logan. Any friendship they may have shared long ago was gone. “Why did you have to be so good at your job? When you realized it was Wade, why didn’t you let it go?”

  Aaron didn’t have a fucking clue.

  “Because that’s the Bryson way?” Logan jeered. “Family first and fuck everybody else. How’s that working for you, buddy? Hell of a family motto to have. Embroider that shit on a pillow. I did my job and I put Wade where he belongs. If your business suffered or he spent too much money on his attorneys, then you need to talk to him about killing people. Shit, he shot your own damn father and uncle and here you sit, defending his ass.”

  “He’s my brother.”

  “He’s a cold-blooded killer,” Logan shot back. “And trust me when I say that he doesn’t give a shit about you. Or Lyle. Or anyone else. He’s a goddamn sociopath who lacks empathy and the ability to form emotional bonds with others. If you look back on his life, you’ll see that it’s true. He acted as society expected him to but deep down he’s only about Wade. He’d kill you if you were in his way and never have a guilty thought about it. You’re wasting your time blaming me but go ahead if it makes you feel better.”

  The silence stretched on, the only sound the rustling of leaves and the twittering of birds.

  “I’m just here for Lyle. I’m going to find his killer and then I’ll be gone. You won’t have to see me again.”

  “This won’t redeem you or anything.”

  Logan didn’t think he needed any redemption. He slept fine at night.

  “Didn’t even cross my mind. So let’s just get down to business. Do you know anyone that would have wanted to hurt Lyle? Anyone at all?”

  Aaron shook his head. “No way. Everyone loved Lyle. He was a good guy and a good brother.”

  Even good people had secrets and enemies.

  “What about husband? Was he a good one of those, too? Rumor has it that he and Mary had issues.”

  Rubbing his chin, a smile played around Aaron’s lips. “They fought. They had problems. Just like everyone.”

  “Did Lyle talk about divorce?”

  Aaron reluctantly nodded. “They did but I’m not sure he was serious about it.”

  “In any murder case, the spouse is under suspicion,” Logan informed him. “So the first thing I want to do is investigate Mary and get her cleared.”

  “You don’t think she did it?”

  If Logan wasn’t mistaken, Aaron sounded surprised. Interesting…

  “I don’t know…do you?”

  Aaron shrugged like he didn’t care one way or the other, which was bullshit.

  “I think she’s capable, but I don’t think she did it.”

  Quite the admission. So much for circling the wagons around the family. Aaron had pretty much just thrown his sister-in-law under the bus.

  “Many people are capable of murder but they don’t actually do it.”

  Logan himself was capable but it wasn’t something he aspired to. He bet Ava was capable too, if anyone threatened their children.

  “I’m going to go where this investigation takes me.” Just in case Aaron didn’t realize it, Logan wanted to warn him. “No one gets special treatment or kid gloves. If the goddamn mayor falls under suspicion I’ll question him, too. I want the truth for Lyle.”

  Aaron did smile this time but it wasn’t a happy one. This was a cynical, mocking smile that Logan hadn’t seen on his former friend before. Time had certainly changed the Brysons.

  “I never thought any different. Now…are you going to tell Wade?”

  What the hell? Wade probably wouldn’t see Logan anyway.

  “If he’ll talk to me.” Logan reached for the front door and then paused. He had one more thing to say. “This isn’t over. I’ll have more questions about Mary and Lyle. I’ll have questions about Lyle’s business dealings and his friends. Shit could get ugly so if you know something – anything – it’s better to say it now so I can deal with it as discreetly as possible. If Lyle had secrets they won’t stay that way for long.”

  Aaron simply stared back at Logan, a stony expression on his face.

  “I don’t know anything.”

  Inwardly chuckling, Logan went back into the house. It looked like it was going to be a rocky road ahead. Nobody wanted to talk and the truth was on a sliding scale. Just another day in Corville.

  Chapter Seven

  With nary a backward glance at their parents, Brianna and Colt skipped happily into their grandmother’s home, ready to spend the night. Carol had promised them cartoons, popcorn, and ice cream, so clearly junk food was far more important than Mom and Dad.

  “Seriously, don’t feed them too much sugar,” Ava warned, already missing her children. She’d only spent a few nights away from them their entire life. “They’ll sleep fine but then get you up in the middle of the night to puke. Especially Colt. He has a delicate tummy.”

  Logan’s reassuring hand settled on her shoulder. “They’ll be fine, honey. Your mom’s got this.”

  Carol gave Ava a gentle hug. “Trust me, okay? They’ve spent the night before and survived. You and Mary turned out pretty good as well.”

  Ava hadn’t meant to imply that her mother wasn’t up to the job. “Of course they’ll be fine, it’s just that I–”

  “Worry,” Carol finished for her. “That’s natural. You can call later and wish them good night if you like. By bedtime, they’ll probably be missing you.”

  Ava wasn’t so sure. The twins were at an age now where they were seeking ways to become more independent. Brianna wanted to choose her own clothing every day and Colt just wanted to boss Brianna around. That usually went over like the proverbial lead balloon. Brianna was no pushover.

  With one last glance at her mother’s home, Ava climbed into the car. They were heading to the park where Lyle was shot. The days in the summer were long and that meant that there was enough sun left to visit the crime scene.

  The park wasn’t far from her mother’s home and they parked as close as they cou
ld to the yellow tape surrounding the scene. A deputy sat in his cruiser guarding the area and keeping out the curious.

  Logan waved to the officer and the deputy exited his vehicle to shake hands. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Wright. You’re something of a legend in this town. I’m Deputy Henry Davenport.”

  Interesting. The one thing the townspeople couldn’t say was that Logan sucked at his job. This young man hadn’t worked for Logan and Ava had never seen him before. It appeared that the new recruits were getting younger or perhaps she was simply getting older.

  “Don’t believe half of what you hear,” Logan replied, his attention on the scene in front of them. “Drake said that he would keep the scene untouched until I got here. You’re taking down the tape after I leave?”

  The young man stood up straighter. “Yes, sir. That’s my orders, sir.”

  A smile playing on his lips, Logan nodded. “Thank you, Deputy. I’ll let you know if we need anything.”

  The officer didn’t get back into his cruiser, instead leaning a hip against the door and checking his phone. Logan and Ava ducked under the crime scene tape and stood back to survey the scene.

  Pulling a diagram from his breast pocket, Logan glanced at it and then pointed to the narrow path. “That’s where he was shot.”

  Shivering at the thought of Lyle dying here alone, Ava trailed after Logan to the exact spot. Standing there she did a three-sixty, looking all around for a likely place for the shooter to hide. In wait.

  Assuming of course that Lyle wasn’t a random kill. That the shooter had intended to murder Lyle and not just the next person who came along that path.

  “There are a few spots he might have hidden,” Ava said, studying a clump of trees about twenty yards away. “Maybe there.”

  “Possibly.”

  That’s what Logan always said when he didn’t agree with her but he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. Once the autopsy was complete they’d have a better idea of the angle of the shot but for now they were just conjecturing.

  “What are you thinking then?”

  Her husband was playing like the Sphinx and not saying much. His expression was blank which wasn’t that unusual when he was in thinking mode, but her natural impatience wouldn’t allow him to be quiet for long. He needed to talk about what was going on in his head.

  “If I were going to kill someone in this park in the early morning hours…”

  Logan’s voice trailed away, his gaze trained farther up the path.

  “If,” Ava prompted. “If you were going to do it…?”

  He didn’t respond, instead striding up the path with her following behind until he got to a scrub of bushes. Crouching down, Logan hid behind the greenery. “Here. I’d wait for Lyle here. I’d have a clear shot and a good view. Can you go back down the path a ways and see if you can spot me?”

  Jogging back to where Lyle was shot, Ava turned and tried to see her husband but couldn’t. She ran back as Logan was climbing out of his hiding place.

  “In any other season that spot wouldn’t have worked. It was all the leaves that covered you.” But she couldn’t resist pointing it out. “The other spot would work as well, though. He’d have a clear shot from there.”

  Now Logan was grinning. He loved debating with her.

  Who was she kidding? She loved it, too.

  “I don’t think so.” Logan shook his head. “He would have a clear shot but he wouldn’t have the best view while he was waiting. Up here he had both.”

  “But he could also possibly be seen from the road,” she pointed out. “Over there he’d be completely hidden.”

  “And have a terrible view of the path.”

  They both made good arguments. There was only one way to settle this.

  Peeking up at him from under her lashes, she waggled her brows. “Care to make it interesting?”

  Stroking his chin, Logan’s smile became downright evil. “Perhaps. What did you have in mind, good girl?”

  Her heart stuttered in her chest and she drew in a sharp breath. It brought back so many memories of when they were first together.

  Good memories. Hot, sweaty ones.

  She shrugged, pretending nonchalance. “I dunno. How about a thirty-minute backrub for whichever one of us is right?”

  “I’m going to need something better than that.”

  That had only been her opening salvo.

  “A thirty minute backrub…and, well…what do you want?”

  That I wouldn’t give you willingly and gleefully.

  That smile. No one smiled like Logan Wright.

  “The backrub and some of your famous lasagna and chocolate mousse.”

  To anyone listening in, that remark would have sounded completely innocent. Totally G-rated. But Ava knew better. Lasagna always led to a night where they put that chocolate mousse to good use, licking it off each other’s bodies.

  “Deal. Now what do I get if I win?”

  “Anything you want, baby,” Logan vowed. “You can name your price.”

  “So now we wait. In the meantime, have we learned anything here? Other than the shooter likely hid behind those trees.”

  Chuckling, Logan didn’t correct her. “Remember that the sun was barely up. With all this tree and leaf cover, it had to be pretty dark. The shooter either had to know his target or he didn’t care.”

  It was an intriguing hypothesis. “You think there’s a chance this could be random? If that’s the case, then things in this town could get very bad.”

  Ava distinctly remembered the D.C. Sniper attacks several years ago. Terror and fear had reigned until the father and son duo were caught.

  Logan was staring at the path again where Lyle was shot. “I have no evidence either way. All I have is Aaron swearing that everyone loved Lyle and that no one would have a motive to kill him. If that’s true, then it only leaves us with either a random shooting or a case of mistaken identity.”

  “We have to talk to the jogger who found him. She might be the target.”

  “She might be the shooter,” Logan replied, shoving the diagram back into his pocket. “I want to check her out and make sure she’s clean. She’s probably just a woman who had terrible luck, but we have to be thorough. No stone unturned.”

  Was that her husband’s way of warning her that he was going to investigate Mary? It hadn’t occurred to her that he wouldn’t.

  “Mary’s scared. She wants me to help clear her.”

  “Good. The spouse is always the first suspect. She’ll need all the help she can get, especially as I don’t think she’s telling us the truth about their marital issues. Her eyes went a little shifty and so did Aaron’s when I asked him about it.”

  “Mary is a total bitch but she’s not a killer.”

  “That’s what Aaron said,” Logan laughed. “She does have an interesting reputation. But I do want to clear her and get her off my suspects list. I’ll have Drake pull all the traffic camera footage around her house so that we can rule her out.”

  Logan seemed to forget they were in Corville, not Seattle.

  “Traffic cameras? Just how many of those do you think they have here?”

  “I saw one when we came into town. Let’s hope there are more. I’ve also requested Lyle and Mary’s phone records. We need to know who they were talking to these last few weeks or months. You can help me look through those, plus their business and financials.”

  Ava blew out a breath and rolled her eyes. “You always say you’ll help me and then you run off and do something else.”

  “Nobody combs through files better than you, darlin’. I just slow you down.”

  “Flattery will get you nowhere.”

  “I know how to get you sweet,” Logan declared with that smug grin. “Now let’s get home and get started. We have a lot of work to do.”

  Another mystery to solve here in Corville, and like the last one it hit close to home. Too close. So many questions and so few answers.

 
Who would want to kill Lyle Bryson?

  It simply couldn’t be Mary, and Ava would prove it.

  Chapter Eight

  Ava placed the last dish into the dishwasher and pressed the start button. Dinner and dishes were done and the sun was beginning to set low in the sky. Pink, orange, and a dash of purple. She dried her hands on a dishtowel and stepped outside to get a better look and possibly catch a glimpse of her husband. Logan had disappeared after dinner and she’d wanted to give him some time alone.

  Time’s up.

  She knew where he was. That was no secret. And he knew that she knew. He’d climbed into his treehouse to think about the case. And Lyle. And Mary. And the whole being back in Corville thing. He’d come home out of a sense of duty, not because he’d wanted to.

  Without conscious thought, Ava found herself walking across the green lawn and straight to the large oak tree. Looking up into the canopy of leaves and branches, she could make out the outline of the treehouse but she couldn’t see Logan. Hopefully he wasn’t up there with a bottle of tequila like the first time she’d followed him to his treehouse. Or had it been whiskey? She didn’t remember anymore, only that she’d been as sick as a dog the next day.

  This time, however, she didn’t have to shimmy up the tree and take her life into her hands. Logan had installed a very solid and safe spiral staircase that led to a much fancier treehouse than the one he’d had at the ranch. It even had a queen-sized bed that sat right under a skylight where they could lie there and look up at the starry night sky. Before the twins, they’d spent many a night doing just that.

  Logan was lying on that bed and staring up at the ceiling, his hands folded behind his head when she found him.

  “The sunset is pretty tonight.”

  She laid down next to him, not pushing him to talk but clearly letting him know she was there if he wanted to. He didn’t say anything but he did wrap an arm around her, pulling her closer so her head was resting on his chest. She could feel his heart beating solid and steady underneath her ear. He smelled good. How could one man smell so amazing? She’d never understand it. It was sort of like how he was becoming more handsome and sexy as he grew older. She was just…getting older. It wasn’t fair.