The dogs were closing in. He could hear them tearing through the underbrush behind him. A car engine sounded nearby. He was closer to the road than he realized. All he had to do was get to the tree line and find his vehicle.
The car skidded to a halt and a door slammed. Adam could hear muted voices through the trees, and for a moment, he thought about calling out to the newcomer. Surely, the shooter’s trigger finger would be a little less itchy in front of a witness. Adam held his position and listened. The woods seemed uncannily silent. Was it over now that a point had been made?
He wanted to believe the guy had given up and was headed back home with his dogs, but no such luck. A shouted command caused the canines to yelp in excitement. A car door slammed again. Adam could hear the low rev of the engine as the vehicle crept along the road, patrolling the edge of the woods.
Had someone else joined in the chase? If so, what was his next move? He was still on private property and that put him in a precarious legal position. He had no shield, no standing, and he was a long way from his jurisdiction. He doubted an unofficial arrangement with the coroner’s office would carry much weight.
So far, the man had only fired warning shots. Adam had to be careful here. Not only his career, but also the rest of his life could be at stake. The best thing he could do was to avoid confrontation. He had no choice but to turn back and follow the channel all the way out to the highway. He’d arrange to pick up his vehicle at a later time.
The dogs were closing in again. By the time he reached the sloping bank, they were nearly on him. They came at him fast. He didn’t have time to draw his weapon. He barely had time to throw up an arm to fend off the first attack. He tried to brace for impact, but he lost his footing and tumbled down the muddy incline to the water’s edge.
The dogs stood rigid at the top of the grade, hackles lifted along their sleek backs. Adam sprang to his feet and plunged into the stagnant water, trying not to think about the moccasins as he waded out chest-deep and dived.
He didn’t know if the dogs had followed him. He sank to the muddy bottom and waited as long as his lungs would allow. When he finally surfaced, he gulped air as he blinked water from his eyes. Once he had his breath, he swept his gaze over the surface of the channel and then upward to the embankment, where the dogs sat quietly at their master’s feet.
The man lifted the rifle to his shoulder, took aim over the water and pulled the trigger.
Chapter Twelve
Nikki was seated at the window, staring out at the pool, when Dessie came back into the kitchen several minutes later. She’d thought about slipping outside to call Adam, but she didn’t want to arouse Dessie’s suspicions. She settled for sending him a quick text, along with the photographs she’d snapped of the will and marriage license. Her thumbs hovered over the keypad as she waited for a response. When none was forthcoming, she slid the phone back into her bag and turned with a strained smile.
“Everything okay?” she asked Dessie.
“Yes. Sorry it took so long, but you know how Lila Wilkes is when she gets wound up. She doesn’t know how to take a hint.”
“It’s okay. I was just texting a friend.” Nikki nodded to the covered dish in Dessie’s hands. “She really did bring over another casserole.”
“Blackberry cobbler this time. Still warm from the oven.” Dessie removed the top and drew in the aroma. “Say what you will about the woman, but she knows her way around a kitchen.”
Questions swirled in Nikki’s head as she kept right on smiling.
Ask her about the marriage license. Ask her about the will. Tell her what you overheard the night before and see how she reacts.
Not yet, she decided. Better to play this out for a little while longer and see if Dessie let something slip.
Her hands were still trembling, Nikki realized. She clasped her fingers together in her lap. “That was Lila at the door? Did she come to badger you again about the funeral service?”
Dessie cocked her head in confusion. “Did I mention she’d been here before about the funeral?”
Too late, Nikki remembered she wasn’t supposed to know about Lila’s previous visits. The contents of that envelope had left her rattled and now she was the one who had let something slip. “She came by my house after work on Friday,” Nikki said with a shrug. “I assumed she’d been by here as well.”
“Three times already. She doesn’t know when to give up.”
“She is persistent,” Nikki agreed.
“Even so, it’d be a shame to let a perfectly good cobbler go to waste,” Dessie said. “Especially when I’ve got homemade vanilla ice cream in the freezer.”
Nikki’s first inclination was to decline. After seeing those documents, the last thing she wanted to do was sit at Dr. Nance’s breakfast table and make small talk with the woman who apparently stood to gain the most from his death. But she’d come over here to gather information and this was as opportune a time as she’d likely get to be alone with Dessie.
Just be casual. Pretend you never saw that marriage license. Pretend you don’t know that Dessie is planning a romantic Caribbean honeymoon with Dr. Nance’s attorney.
She summoned another smile. “That would be a shame. I’d love to dig into that cobbler, but only if you’re having some, too. And only if you’ll let me help.”
“You can get the ice cream from the freezer.” She returned Nikki’s
