But Pescoli was already around the Jeep and behind the wheel.

Alvarez slid into the pa.s.senger seat. "Let's go," she said in an out-of-character display of disobeying her commanding officer.

"What?" Hattie Grayson dropped the jar of jam she'd been holding. The small container shattered on her kitchen floor, shards of gla.s.s flying, sticky strawberry jam spraying in thick clumps. "No. Not Dan. Not Dan!"

She stared into the tortured gaze of Dan's brother Cade, who had just driven over to give her the news that cracked her world in two. Disregarding the spilled jam and shards of gla.s.s, she fell into his arms. Tears welled and she felt as if they'd started in the center of her soul. She'd known Dan all her life, been married to Bart, one of his brothers, and had half-fancied herself in love with him before reuniting with Cade. The Grayson brothers-all four of them, including Big Zed-had been the center of her universe.

Now two of the brothers were gone. Bart's death had been ruled a suicide, though she was certain that he'd been killed. Dan had been murdered by a maniac as well, someone he should never have trusted.

"I don't want to believe it."

"Me neither."

"The b.a.s.t.a.r.d who did this-"

"Will pay."

That much was true. Dan's a.s.sailant was already captured and behind bars, fighting his own injuries.

Still, the rage at the man who'd s.n.a.t.c.hed Dan's life away burned deep. "I hope he rots in h.e.l.l."

Cade's strong arms folded her tight against him. "I know."

Thank G.o.d he didn't say "it will be all right" or any other plat.i.tude, because deep in Hattie's heart, she knew that it would never be. With Dan Grayson's easygoing strides no longer walking the earth, the planet would be an emptier, colder place. He'd been so good to her, to her twin daughters, to everyone in Grizzly Falls. At least she had time to pull herself together before she told her girls. Mallory and McKenzie would be as devastated as she was. A coldness settled over her and she shivered in Cade's embrace.

"First Bart, now Dan," she whispered, drinking in the smell of the man holding her so close. The scents of leather and horses clung to him and filled her nostrils. "I don't want to believe this, Cade. I just . . . I just can't. There's got to be a mistake."

"I wish, darlin'," he said, his own voice rough, his warm breath ruffling her hair. His jaw was scratchy with beard-stubble, his eyes a deep, somber gray, all of the carefree, bad-boy att.i.tude gone. He squeezed her a little more tightly and his voice cracked as he said, "G.o.d, don't I wish."

The hospital was remarkably calm, Alvarez thought, almost as if the whole world surrounding Grizzly Falls hadn't changed drastically with the pa.s.sing of Sheriff Dan Grayson. Yes, there was a news camera crew outside. Nia Del Ray, a reporter for KMJC, was standing near the sign at the entrance of Northern General Hospital, snow catching on her short black hair as she was probably reporting on Grayson's demise, unless some other story had trumped his, which Alvarez doubted.

Inside the wide hallways, the floors gleamed under bright lights, conversation hummed, and people went about their work as if nothing monumental had just gone down within the hospital's walls. Near a placard that listed those who had donated to the hospital, she and Pescoli stepped around a woman with a cast on her leg, being wheeled down the hallway by the orderly, after which they nearly ran into an elderly man who had suddenly stopped for no apparent reason.

"Sorry," he apologized, blinking as if he'd been in a daze.

They moved past him to the elevators. "You know what this means, don't you?" Pescoli said, slapping the call b.u.t.ton just as the doors to one of the cars opened and a group of three women emerged.

"Tell me." Alvarez walked into the car.

Once they were inside and the elevator doors had whispered shut, Pescoli pounded her fist on the b.u.t.ton for the second floor. "That the son of a b.i.t.c.h who took down Grayson just lost his GET OUT OF JAIL card forever. No more attempted in the charge. He's going down for murder."

The doors opened and they stepped into the wide hallway, again brightly lit and complete with alcoves, benches and chairs, and a wide nurse's station at the center of it all.

They walked up to the desk and a woman seated at a computer looked up. Pescoli showed her badge and said, "Detective Regan Pescoli, Pinewood County Sheriff's Department. This is my partner Detective Alvarez. We have some questions about . . . about the sheriff . . . Dan Grayson . . . and what happened to him. We'd like to talk to the supervisor of the floor and his doctor, whoever was in charge of his care."

Alvarez's gaze shifted to Pescoli, whose green eyes shifted in hue with the light.

Under the glare of the hospital's illumination they were a light jade color and hard as stone. Athletic and tall, with sharp features and a penetrating gaze, she was intimidating. An ex-basketball player, Pescoli wasn't afraid to get into anyone's face and bore more than her share of battle scars as a no-nonsense police officer and single mother. She was glaring at the small, nervous-looking nurse behind the desk as if the poor woman was a hardened criminal.

"I'll get Rinalda, uh, Mrs. Dash. She's in charge," the girl behind the desk said.

Before either of the detectives could thank her, a booming female voice carried up the hall. "Is there a problem, Stephanie?"

In her peripheral vision, Alvarez caught a glimpse of a slim woman quickly approaching. Tall, African-American with close-cropped hair and an expression that was as stern as Pescoli's, she stopped at the desk. "I'm Rinalda Dash." With her height, she actually looked down at Pescoli. "What can I help you with?"

Again, Pescoli flashed her badge and introduced them both. "We're here about Dan Grayson, who was your patient. We'd like to know what happened."

"We all would," Nurse Dash said solemnly. "And we're looking into it as we do with all unexpected deaths. There's a place where we can talk more privately," she said, indicating a small niche near a bank of windows. Complete with a square of carpet, a coffee table, bench, fake ficus tree, and two side chairs, the spot offered little privacy, but it would have to do.

To the nurse behind the desk, the supervisor said, "Stephanie, page Dr. Zingler, please. See if he's still in the building. I'm sure the detectives would like to speak to him, as well." She gave Pescoli a patient but firm smile as she led them into the alcove. "Believe me, we will find out what exactly caused the sheriff's death."

Blackwater held a meeting in the conference room, which not only opened from the hallway but from his office as well. Everyone who worked for the department and currently not on the road was required to attend. One person in each department was to man the phones and he expected the meeting to be short, but he owed it to the officers, those who had worked under Dan Grayson, to explain the situation as best he knew it. He stood before the deputies, secretaries, volunteers, detectives, and various officers and met all of their solemn gazes with his own.

"This is a bleak day for the Pinewood County Sheriff's Department," he began at the podium. "A difficult time for all of us, most of you more than me, as you had the honor of working with Sheriff Dan Grayson much longer than I did. We all respected him. He was a man who walked tall among men, a fair and just man, a man with a steely determination balanced by his compa.s.sion and quick wit. He would want, no, he would expect, all of us to continue working here for the good of Pinewood County, to protect and serve its citizens, and so we shall.

"That doesn't mean that I, as the acting sheriff, will not expend every effort to find out what happened at the hospital, and if there were extenuating circ.u.mstances regarding his death. I promise each and every one of you that the person responsible for sending Dan Grayson to Northern General Hospital will be tried and convicted for his crimes. The district attorney is already updating the charges against the suspect." He glanced around the room, letting his words settle, then added, "The best way we can honor Dan Grayson's memory and years of service is to continue with our jobs as officers of the law. Sheriff Grayson would have expected as much, and so do I. We have cases that require our immediate and undivided attention and I expect each and every one of you to give a hundred percent in ferreting out those responsible for the crimes under our jurisdiction and bringing them to justice."

He paused for effect. "For an as yet undetermined amount of time, I'm lowering all of the building's flags to half mast. Everyone, please, keep the sheriff's memory alive by continuing to provide the citizens of Pinewood County with your best service. Thank you."

He thought about saying more, even including a quick prayer, but decided short and to the point was all that was necessary. Each officer would grieve on his or her own terms. Hopefully, the meeting would provide some closure until a funeral could be arranged and business could go on as usual.

It wasn't that he was just a hard-a.s.s. He believed that the work of the department couldn't be interrupted for anything, even a commander's death. He would back off a bit, allow a few tears and conversations, let those who were closest to Grayson have a few days to grab hold of their emotions, but he had a department to run and a sicko on the horizon, if the body discovered on the O'Halleran ranch was any indication.

That case bothered him in its brutality, but he knew that it would also raise the community's awareness of him as the sheriff. It was an opportunity to show that he was up to the task, and was also a test of his mettle and skills. The Jane Doe whose body had been found in that near-frozen creek could be his ticket to the kind of fame he needed to be elected sheriff.

As he strode to his office, the one so recently occupied by Grayson, he considered that there could be an outside chance that a perfectly sound explanation existed as to why a healthy-looking thirtyish woman had ended up dead in a near-frozen pool of a creek, her ring finger recently severed. Not much of a chance, he thought, but one that had to be explored.

Walking into his office, he ignored the feeling that he was stepping into another man's boots. More than one, if he were honest with himself. Yes, Grayson had worked here. Yes, he was beloved by the staff and citizens, but he wasn't the first exalted leader, nor would he be the last. The long row of eight-by-ten photos in the lobby proved the point of how many had gone before Dan Grayson. The empty wall invited those who would follow.

Blackwater settled into a chair that was too big for him in more ways than he wanted to consider. He only hoped that he could finish out Grayson's term and be elected to sheriff on his own merit, so that one day his own picture would grace the wall of the lobby.

Of course, in order for that to happen, he had to prove himself. Show the citizens of Pinewood County that he was the logical choice for sheriff.

He thought about the detectives on his staff and wondered how long he'd be able to deceive them. Alvarez with her master's degree in psychology. A beautiful Hispanic woman with jet-black hair, full lips, and dark, suspicious eyes, she did little to enhance her looks, but she took her job seriously. She was dedicated, he'd give her that. A natural Type-A who worked out in the gym, she kept her body tight and her mind sharp, and usually reined in her emotions. Called an "ice princess" or "b.i.t.c.h with a heart of stone" behind her back, she was harder on herself than anyone else was.

Blackwater related to her, knew she was a good cop, and that she played by the rules. With the news about Grayson, she'd fallen completely out of character, though he supposed it was understandable given her staunch belief in him and her loyalty. But she'd defied his orders to join her partner.

That one. Pescoli. She was as out of control as her partner was in. Married a couple times, with kids who gave her fits, she was a wild card. A good cop, yes, but she relied on gut instinct and adrenaline, more than Blackwater liked. He had little doubt that she'd take him on if given half a chance. Wearing one's emotions on one's sleeve was never a good idea in his opinion, and for a cop, it was worse.

She was a rogue. Period. Didn't respect the rules one iota.

He leaned back in his chair and glanced through the door he'd left ajar. Pescoli's office was just down the hall, which was perfect.

Because he planned to watch her like a hawk.

Chapter 6.

"Sheriff Grayson is dead? He . . . he . . . pa.s.sed away?" Jessica repeated, stunned as she loaded the order for table five-three coffees and a tea-onto her tray in the kitchen of the Midway Diner.

"That's what everyone's saying." Misty, a tall, leggy redhead, frowned down at the platters warming under the lights on the counter ready for pickup. She was at least five foot ten. With her hair twisted into a knot on the top of her head, she probably brushed six feet. "Hey! Armando!" she shouted at the cook manning the grill where burgers and strips of bacon were sizzling. Her lips, colored the exact shade of her hair and fingernails, were pursed in disgust. "I said, 'no onions' on one of these burgers."

"S," he said, pointing to the middle platter. "No onions."

Misty picked up the top half of the bun and surveyed the patty. "Okay. Sorry. My bad."

"S. Next time, maybe you check first," Armando grumbled as he plucked one of the dual baskets from the deep fryer and gave the pale French fries within a quick shake before letting the basket descend into the boiling grease again.

Satisfied that her order was complete, Misty picked up the three platters and, as if they'd never been interrupted, went on with her gossiping. "I had two deputies in from the sheriff's department at table nine earlier today and they were talking all about it. How some of the people on the force are really upset and speculating about what will happen to the department." She headed for the swinging doors complete with portholes that separated the kitchen from the dining area but kept talking. "Sounded to me that n.o.body really likes the new guy, but he was promoted from the higher-ups, or something. I couldn't really hear everything. It was busy and the woman at table eleven was a real piece of work, complaining about every darned thing. Anyway, what I got out of it is that Grayson died. Maybe a heart attack. Maybe not. No one knows." She pushed the doors open with her shoulder and spun around as she entered the dining area.

Misty was a gossip, one of those people who practically licked her lips when she heard something "juicy" about someone else, and she had no qualms about embellishing that bit of information and pa.s.sing it quickly along. Jessica had figured that out from the moment she walked through the back door, tied on an ap.r.o.n, introduced herself, and said she was ready to work. She thought back to that first day.

"I'm Misty," the older woman introduced herself. Smelling of a recent cigarette, she was sorting coffee cups and gla.s.sware that had been left in the dishwasher. "You'll be sorry you ever decided to take a job here, let me tell you. The boss, Nell, is a real piece of work, always thinks the employees are stealing her blind, got her nose in the d.a.m.n till every hour or so. And Armando can't cook his way out of a paper bag."

"I heard that." The sour-faced cook was slicing onions, working quickly and efficiently with a butcher's knife not six feet away from where Misty had been complaining.

Jessica, as always, felt her stomach curdle as she caught a glimpse of the long blade glinting under the harsh overhead lights.

"Good. You should hear it. You know it's true," Misty said, unrepentant.

"Perra," he muttered, his knife making a quick tattoo with the rapid-fire motion.

Jessica said, "You know, I make it a policy not to insult anyone with a weapon in his hands."

"Meh." Unconcerned, Misty lifted a shoulder.

"Idiota!" Flashing Misty a condemning look, Armando turned so that his back was to her, effectively shunning her as he concentrated on his work and muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

Undaunted by the cook's disregard for her, Misty continued with her litany of complaints. "Marlon. He's the busboy? Always late. Considers himself some kind of Romeo and is out tomcatting, so he can never get here on time. A real pain in the a.s.s, let me tell you." To emphasize the fact, she rattled the silverware tray, then started wrapping table knives, forks, and spoons into paper napkins, creating individual settings and stacking them neatly near the gla.s.sware. "Besides all that, the tips are lousy and this"-she pointed to the dishware she'd carefully prepared-"is not my job." With a glance over her shoulder to the back door, where a boy who looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed was striding through, she pasted on a false smile and said, "Good morning, Casanova."

"What's good about it?" he countered.

"Well, now that I think about it, nothing. But you owe me half an hour's wages!" She quit stacking the silverware to glare at him, one hand on a hip.

"So I owe you. Sue me." The kid, like Armando, seemed inured to Misty's barbs and went about rummaging in the linen closet near the back door, where he found a clean ap.r.o.n and began cinching it over his black jeans and once-white shirt. His hair, a bristly brown, had been gelled into unruly stiff peaks, his face clean shaven, his build that of a middleweight wrestler, not an ounce of fat on him.

"Yeah, you owe me all right," Misty agreed. "The way I figure it, you're up to about a year's salary, but I won't hold my breath. You can finish with the silverware and you'd better hop to. We're opening the doors in fifteen and you know the regulars, they don't like to wait."

"Yeah, yeah." He dismissed her, but had taken over the duties of organizing the flatware and dishes.

Satisfied, Misty whispered to Jessica, "He's hopeless," then pushed through the swinging doors to the dining area where tables were scattered between a long L-shaped counter and the windows. Behind the counter was a walkway with a scarred floor covered with rubber mats. Along one wall was a narrow ledge that housed the coffee and milkshake machines, the soda dispenser, tubs for dishes, and rows of condiments like soldiers beside them.

Misty's waitressing lessons began then. "Okay, so let's start with the coffee since the customers that are already driving here will expect it to be ready. Fresh every day. Every hour. You think you can handle that?" She was teasing. Sort of, but she thought she was the only person capable of running the diner. "We need two pots of regular brewed and ready to go by the time we open the doors, oops, in less than twelve minutes." She eyed the big schoolhouse clock positioned near the door. "I always have a pot of decaf ready, too, for the wimps who want to start their day with 'unleaded,' for whatever reason. Then I check the pots every fifteen minutes during the rush. Marlon is supposed to be on top of it, but I don't trust him. He's too busy flirting with the customers or checking his cell phone for his next hot date. If Nell gets here and finds the coffeepots empty, there will be h.e.l.l to pay, but Marlon doesn't care. 'Cause he's Nell's nephew. Doesn't think he'll ever be fired. Punk kid. Once the crush is over, like I said, every hour."

Jessica watched Misty measure coffee into the pots.

"Gotta be careful here. Don't put too much in, y'know. We're famous for our weak coffee, but if I make it any stronger, Nell's all over me. Cuts into profits, y'know."

"I think I can handle this." Jessica started filling the basket for the decaf. "But if it's so miserable, why do you stay?"

"Good question." Misty took an empty gla.s.s pot and carried it to a nearby sink for a refill. As she shut off the water, she pretended to think for a second. "Must be because I'm a m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t."

As she carried her tray into the dining area, Jessica couldn't help but think about Dan Grayson and the fact that he'd died. She'd been prepared to talk to him, to confess, and when she'd discovered that he was hospitalized, she'd decided that she'd have to deal with Cade instead because she couldn't spill her guts to just anyone. It was more imperative than ever that she ask Cade for direction. A once-upon-a-time lover, Cade Grayson was one of the few people in the world she could trust. Well, at least she hoped so. Truth to tell, she and he hadn't parted on the best of terms.

Cade would be deep into mourning and, if she bared her soul to him, she would take a chance that he wouldn't believe her, wouldn't trust her, or give her the benefit of the doubt.

But who else?

At least Cade was a person who could understand deception, even twisting the law a bit.

He was her last chance.

That is, if she decided to stay in Grizzly Falls.

But what else could she do?

Run, she supposed as she pinned a smile on her face and started distributing the coffee and tea to her customers seated at table five. "Your orders should be up in a minute," she told them.

"Oh, could I please get a little honey for my tea?" the round-faced woman at the table asked.

"Sure. No problem." Jessica turned back to the counter where the packets of condiments were kept and vowed to herself that she was done running, that she was through looking over her shoulder and always having one foot out the door.

Finding the honey packets, she grabbed several and as she carried them back to the table, prayed she could keep that promise to herself.

"What happened?" Jeremy, who had been staring into the refrigerator, swung the door closed as Pescoli walked into her house and Cisco, her dog, went into his usual frenetic routine. The little terrier mix was dancing circles at her feet as she unzipped her jacket and left her boots on the patch of linoleum by the back door. From the living room, the television was tuned to a reality show.

"Bad day," she said, and bent down to pet the excited yapping dog. Cisco's tail was wagging in a blur, and he licked Pescoli's cheek as if he hadn't seen her in years rather than hours. Sturgis, Dan Grayson's black lab, climbed out of his bed and stood at her feet as well, his tail moving side to side, his dark eyes looking up at hers as if he understood. "I'm sorry," she said, scratching him behind his ears. "Oh, buddy." Her voice cracked. "I've got bad news." Sturgis's long tail slowed and he stared straight into her eyes as if he understood. Her heart fractured and she felt near to tears.

Hormones, she told herself... and grief. Sniffling, she straightened and found her son staring at her.

"Then it's true," Jeremy said. "About the sheriff?"

"Yeah, it's true." She cleared her throat. Willed her tears away. "He pa.s.sed today."

"s.h.i.t. I mean . . . d.a.m.n . . ."

She didn't bother saying anything about his language.

"I can't believe it!"

She nodded in silent understanding.