“Yeah.” Following her to the rear of Meadow’s vehicle, he stood back while she investigated it. “How did he manage to start it in the first place?” Finn asked.

  Selena chuckled under her breath. “It looks like he helped himself to the key.”

  “Your K-9 buddies didn’t notice?”

  “Apparently not, although I suspect there was a high level of subterfuge involved. Somehow, he must have managed to slip the ignition key off her ring. That’s all I see in here.” She lifted the hatchback and opened a storage area in the floor. “Speaking of K-9s, we’ll save time if we let Scout follow his trail. There’s no bike in here, and I saw tracks in the dirt.”

  “I can’t decide whether to be surprised or upset or to admire his ingenuity. I don’t think I’d have been that savvy at his age.”

  “Video games,” Selena said. “Every generation gets more and more clever.”

  “You mean more sneaky.”

  “Semantics. Let’s hope and pray he’s smart enough to stay out of sight until we’ve had time to catch up to him.” She handed a dark-colored vest to Finn, then returned to her SUV and donned one of her own. His was small across the shoulders, but thankfully, his trim waist allowed him to pull the Velcro tight.

  Approving of his outfit with a stiff nod, Selena slipped a similarly protective vest on Scout and made sure it was secure. Then she fastened a long lead to his harness and gave him a command. “Seek.”

  In seconds they were off toward the main gate to the ranch. Selena didn’t have to look back to know that Finn was following. In the time they’d been together, his essence had so imprinted on her psyche that she knew he was there as surely as if she’d had him on a leash, too.

  That notion almost made her smile. If their mission had not been so filled with unknowns and potential dangers, she might have shared the amusing thought.

  Instead, she pulled Scout back and ducked behind a hedge to avoid being seen by an approaching feed truck. It rumbled steadily on toward the barn.

  “Must be Wednesday,” Finn whispered in her ear. “We got grain delivered every Wednesday.”

  “Okay, since you know that, where would you guess we’d find your uncle Edward?”

  “No telling.”

  “You’re a lot of help.”

  “Hey, give me a break. It’s been over three years since I worked here.”

  “Right. Sorry.” Eyeing her K-9, Selena pointed. “He wants to go that way. What’s over there?”

  “Staff housing. The bunkhouse.”

  “Any idea why Sean would go there?”

  “It has to be random,” Finn said flatly. “He never came out here with me. He won’t know where anything is.”

  “Unless he Googled it,” Selena said, making another face at him. “If you were Sean, would you go for the witness who lied or the guy we all suspect paid him?”

  “The witness,” Finn said. “Definitely the witness.”

  Checking to make sure the path was clear again, she gave Scout a command to proceed. Not knowing where to find Edward and wanting to stay as far away from the main house as possible, she was more than happy to follow her capable K-9 toward the workers’ quarters.

  What they would find when they got there was the only thing that worried her. In the best-case scenario, the place would be empty except for one very troublesome teen.

  Casting her gaze toward heaven, she sent up an instant prayer for that very result. “Please, Lord, please.

  “Amen to that.” The sound from behind her was hardly a whisper.

  * * *

  Adrenaline gave Finn almost superpowers, allowing him to cautiously follow Selena and also scan the buildings they were passing. Scout seemed positive of Sean’s destination, and the occasional print of a bicycle tire confirmed the dog’s skill.

  “There’s a rear entrance my brother might not look for,” Finn said quietly. As soon as Selena slowed and looked up at him, he pointed. “We can go around that way, through a hay storage barn, instead of being out in the open.”

  Clearly, she was torn between letting Scout take them all the way or listening to Finn’s suggestion. There was enough activity in and around the ranch outbuildings to make his idea best.

  “All right,” she said. “Scout can always pick up the trail again if he has to. Show me.”

  With his back to a wooden barn wall, Finn edged past a pile of rusty, discarded equipment, then led the way across a narrow field. Last year’s grass still stood in patches, tan and brown from the ravages of winter, while green shoots showed at ground level. Occasional clumps of wildflowers were beginning to bloom in sunny areas, reminding him of the tiny blossoms they’d encountered while on the run after the wreck.

  Holding up a hand, he stopped. “Before we go any farther, I’m sorry.”

  Selena looked frustrated. “What?”

  “I’m sorry. For everything. The wreck, causing you so much trouble, everything. Especially my little brother.”

  “What he’s doing isn’t your fault,” she said, scowling.

  “Being around me has caused you trouble on the job, too, hasn’t it?”

  “If that is true, and I’m not saying it is, that’s not the fault of either of us. I was pulled into this by following orders, and you were framed for something you didn’t do.”

  “You really believe me,” Finn said.

  The look she gave him reminded him of the way his mother used to scowl whenever he pulled a stunt like the ones Sean had been demonstrating.

  “Okay.” Taking a deep breath, Finn prepared to turn the corner. “I’ll be out in the open for a few seconds after I step around. Give me to the count of ten, and if you don’t hear anything, follow.”

  “Oh, no. I’m in charge here, mister. I go first.”

  “Without knowing where you’re going or which door is the one to Ned’s quarters? I thought you were smarter than that.”

  “Do I need to remind you that I’m the cop and you’re the fugitive?”

  “I’m not a fugitive unless I run off,” Finn argued. “My brother may be, but I’m just an innocent bystander.”

  “Okay, innocent bystander, we go together,” Selena said. “Just don’t get in my way or trip over Scout’s leash. And whatever you do, don’t try to be a hero like your little brother is doing. I don’t need two Donovans to babysit.”

  “I should take offense to that term.” Finn was only half kidding.

  “Well, don’t. I’m too busy to check my vocabulary to keep on your good side. I can’t believe I was assigned to watch you in the first place.”

  “Neither can I. My attorney says he’s never heard of such an arrangement before and doubts he will in the future. It’s not only highly irregular, it’s probably against a dozen laws.”

  “That’s pretty much what I said when the sheriff proposed it,” Selena replied. “A lot of good it did me.” She gathered up loops of the long leash in her free hand and placed the other palm on the butt of her gun. “You ready?”

  Finn was ready, all right. Ready to shove her behind him and bolt for the rear entrance to the foreman’s rooms. Every nerve in his body was screaming that he must protect Selena while the sensible part of his brain kept insisting that she was the one in charge, just as she’d said.

  She was, of course. He might be an old friend, but like it or not, he was the one in custody.

  And he didn’t like it. Not one bit. Still, he’d sit on his urges to play hero for as long as necessary. Anything to make up for all the trouble he’d caused Selena and for everything his brother was doing or about to do.

  Tensing, Finn mimicked her actions and rounded the corner with her and Scout.

  Quick observations proved no one was lying in wait for them. It also provided a solid clue he was loathe to see. His brother’s bike lay in the dirt behind the building as if Sean had been riding it and had been lassoed off, letting it fall. The door to Ned’s room stood open.

  Finn’s heart leaped. He hesitated a mere instant. That was long enough for Selena to forge ahead.

  Scout barked once. She drew her gun and pointed it at the open doorway. Finn couldn’t make out what she shouted, but he saw his brother dive out the door, stagger, recover and clear the single step in one leap.

  The instant Sean saw him, he made a mad dash, throwing himself into Finn’s arms and clinging to him.

  Up ahead, Selena had taken a shooter’s stance and was aiming into the room. When she called to him, “Over here,” he guided the teenager and kept him close with an arm around his shoulders. Ned Plumber stood inside, both hands raised, his face reddening, his jaw gaping.

  This was far from the covert operation Finn had hoped for. There was no way they could escape confrontation with Ned and perhaps with Edward as well.

  Slipping inside at Selena’s direction and angling out of her way, Finn kept hold of his trembling baby brother.

  Something told him things were about to get heated when she kicked the door shut behind them.

  Seventeen

  “Sit down. Over there,” Selena ordered.

  Her gun barrel barely twitched to indicate direction, but it was enough. Slowly, deliberately, the middle-aged cowboy scuffed his worn boots across the floor and sat in a wooden chair. She’d recognized Ned Plumber from the Donovan trial files and intended to establish control from the get-go. The man was big and burly, yes, but she had the gun. That and her badge made her the boss.

  A tilt of her head toward Finn was enough to direct him without taking her eyes off the ranch foreman when she added, “Stay behind me. And keep quiet.”

  “This is harassment,” Plumber said.

  Selena replied. “Not at all. I came to rescue you before you made another mistake.”

  “What mistake?” His grimy, meaty hands clenched the arms of the wooden chair, and he looked ready to jump up.

  Cautious, she took a step back and spoke aside to Scout. “Guard.”

  The bristling, growling Malinois stationed himself between her and the angry man, giving Selena plenty of confidence to continue. At this point she figured she had two options. One, she could back out with the Donovan brothers and escort them off the ranch property. Or, two, she could use this situation the way Finn’s attorney had initially planned. The only drawback to choice number two was the lack of official witnesses.

  Keeping her gun aimed at the perjury suspect, she pulled out her cell phone and set it to record before sliding it into her shirt pocket. Their conversation might not hold up in court, but it would do a lot to convince Sheriff Unger. “Do you know why we’re all here?” she began.

  “Where’s your search warrant?” Plumber growled.

  Selena feigned nonchalance. “Like I said, I came to rescue you from the young man over there. He seems to think you lied about his big brother.”

  The leer the ranch foreman sent at Finn affirmed the conclusion. Selena pretended to ignore it.

  “You see, here’s my problem,” she went on. “Finn’s lawyer has recorded depositions from people who heard you bragging about taking a bribe to say you saw him here when Zeb Yablonski was killed.”

  “Yeah, I saw him.”

  She drew a deep, steadying breath, pacing her statements for effect. Then she smiled slightly. “No, you didn’t.”

  “Yes, I did. I told the judge and everything.”

  “Unfortunately,” Selena said, making her voice smooth and reflecting assurance, “you did it under oath, and we can prove you lied. You know you did. And as soon as Finn Donovan’s retrial takes place and the court hears the testimonies of all those folks you bragged to about all the money you made by not telling the truth, you’ll be charged with perjury. That’s a very serious offense, Ned. You will go to jail.”

  To Selena’s delight, some of the ruddy color bled from the foreman’s face. Finally, he recovered enough to say, “No way.”

  Her smile spread. “Oh yeah? Think for a second. If Finn’s lawyer has solid proof, who’s going to be on your side? Edward? You know him. Do you really think he’ll stick his neck out for you if he thinks he’ll incriminate himself? For all we know, he killed Zeb. How can you possibly trust a man like that?”

  “He promised.”

  “Humph. That’s what you’re counting on? His integrity? Give me a break. Edward isn’t half as trustworthy as this K-9.”

  Noting how Ned was looking at Scout and apparently thinking, she waited. Behind her, she heard stirring. Finn shushed Sean.

  The eyes of the accused liar darted from the braced K-9 to each of the people in the room, ending with Finn. “Do you really have proof like she says?”

  “We do,” Finn answered.

  The deep rumble in his voice sent a shiver up Selena’s spine. She shook it off. “Perjury is a serious crime, Mr. Plumber. I’d think long and hard about sticking to that story you told about the day Zeb died.”

  “I—I did see him.” He pointed at Finn. “Him.”

  “In the morning?”

  “Yeah. He was up at the big house.”

  “Zeb’s house?”

  Ned nodded vigorously. “Yeah. That’s the truth.”

  “What about later and then again in the evening when the fatal shot was fired?”

  Plumber was shaking his head slowly, his eyes downcast. “Maybe not then.”

  “Maybe?” Her brows arched, her voice rising too.

  “Okay, okay. So I didn’t see him then. But the boss did. He told me so.”

  “And that’s why you testified you had seen Finn, too?”

  “Sure. That’s why.”

  Selena had one more detail to cover and made an effort to finesse it. “Makes perfect sense,” she said with make-believe concern. “You just thought you were doing the right thing.”

  Plumber looked relieved. His shoulders shrugged. “Uh-huh.”

  “I get it. And we thank you for your good citizenship, Ned. I’m sure Edward was likewise impressed. That much effort was certainly worth a bonus, wasn’t it?”

  “Right!” He cheered. “A bonus for my support. That’s what it was.”

  Putting one hand behind her back, Selena shooed Finn and Sean toward the door as she herself retreated. “Good to hear,” she said as calmly as possible given the circumstances. “I’ll be sure to tell the sheriff about our little chat. We’ll go and leave you in peace now. Sorry for the disturbance.”

  The exterior door opened with a squeak of hinges. Finn shoved his brother out, then followed. Selena recalled Scout, holstered her weapon and slipped through behind them.

  The last thing she saw before she turned away was Ned Plumber still sitting where she’d left him, staring at the doorway as if wondering what had just happened. Good. The longer it took him to react, the more chance they’d have of escaping before the cow manure hit the fan, as the sheriff liked to say.

  Finn had apparently allowed Sean to retrieve the bicycle because the teen was presently standing on the pedals and racing ahead of them. A few workers paused to look as they passed, but nobody spoke out or tried to stop them.

  Staying with the group, Selena brought Scout to heel and shouted, “My car, everybody. We’ll get the other one later.”

  Sean began, “I can—” and was quickly grabbed by his big brother.

  “No, you can’t. If anybody drives, it will be Selena or me.” As Finn spoke, he was tossing the mountain bike into the rear compartment and slamming the hatchback.

  “I’ve got this,” she told them. “Sean, in the back seat with Scout. Finn, in front with me.”

  She slid behind the wheel. Revved the engine. Then hit the Transmit button on the steering wheel as she accelerated in a cloud of dust.

  “Bearton County dispatch.”

  Selena did her best to speak calmly in spite of the racing of her heart and tremor in her fingers. “I have the missing juvenile in custody,” she said. “Relay the coordinates of the stolen vehicle to my teammates and tell them I’ll meet them back at my house.”

  “Affirmative,” the professional voice said. “All personnel are well and accounted for?”

  “Yes. All accounted for,” Selena replied before officially ending the radio transmission.

  Her gaze met Sean’s in the mirror. “You are very, very fortunate I’m an officer of the law and not your mama.”

  His Donovan blue eyes misted. Selena was almost moved to tears herself by the thought of what could have happened to the teen during his foray onto the ranch property. If Edward or Ned had decided to eliminate Sean, the wilds of backcountry Idaho might never have given up his body. Of course, he hadn’t reasoned it out that far, she realized. If he had, he’d never have ventured onto the Double Y by himself.

  “While you’re thinking about why you shouldn’t have tried to take matters into your own hands, you might want to thank Scout for tracking you down before it was too late.”

  A nod of Finn’s head was his only comment, and Selena clearly had the youth’s full attention, so she kept talking. “We’re dealing with real criminals here, Sean, not just kids who turn over an occasional trash can or smash a mailbox. Even if you aren’t thinking of yourself, have some respect for your brother. The more trouble you cause, the worse Finn’s chances of acquittal will be.”

  “Uh-uh.” It wasn’t loud or confident, but it proved his mind had not yet grasped her point.

  “Look. I need to get through to you before you make a bigger mess than you already have. Talking to a witness off the record is about the worst thing you can do. It taints their testimony when they’re under oath later and can be seen as coercion, whether you mean it that way or not. The fastest way to get Finn thrown back into jail is to have somebody claim he’s running around threatening people—or sending you to do it.”