The carport next to the house was empty. The rain had washed everything clean, and heavy thunderclouds loomed in the distance. The reprieve from the storm was a short one. Cooper stood on the front porch.
“Wait here for a second, Emma,” Reed said. “I want to make sure everything is clear with Cooper before we start the search.”
She eyed the sky. “Sadie and I can work in the rain, but I’d rather not be out with lightning.”
“Understood. I’ll be quick.”
He left the engine running, so she and Sadie would have cool air. Cooper saw him coming and met him halfway.
“Looks like Joshua isn’t home,” he said in lieu of a greeting. “According to a ranch hand who works for him here and there, Joshua has had a trip planned for months to attend the cattle auction in Dallas.”
“Convenient.”
“The timing is suspicious. We still haven’t located Mike, so we need to take precautions. There’s a possibility he’s on the property. Everyone’s been instructed to assume Mike is armed and dangerous.”
“Emma’s wearing protection.” Reed glanced back at his vehicle. “I’d try to talk her out of searching again, but I already know she won’t listen.”
Austin came out of Joshua’s house. His expression was stern, but Reed saw the worry hidden in the depths of his cousin’s eyes. “Y’all should come inside. There’s something you need to see.”
The two men joined him inside the house. The living room was rustic, with mismatched furniture and wood paneling on the walls, but it was tidy. The kitchen had crooked wood cabinets and a scratched linoleum floor. The ancient fridge hummed. A mug sat in the sink. Several crime scene technicians were dusting for fingerprints.
Austin led them down a long hallway and they stepped into what Reed surmised was the master bedroom. His eyes widened. Unlike the rest of the house, this room was a wreck. The comforter was piled in a heap on the floor. A lamp, probably from the bedside table, was shattered into pieces. Blood covered some of the shards.
“It appears there was some kind of struggle,” Austin said. With a gloved hand, he pointed to the nightstand’s half-open drawer. “There’s a handgun inside.”
Cooper rocked back on his heels. “If Joshua was sleeping in bed, and an intruder startled him, he would go for the gun.”
“But the attacker beat him to it, smashing the lamp over his head, possibly knocking him out,” Reed finished. “But for what purpose? It doesn’t make any sense.”
Reed rested his hands on his belt. He wasn’t wearing gloves and didn’t want to touch anything. Through an opposite doorway, the bathroom was visible. He stepped inside, eyeing the sink and bathtub. “When did Joshua supposedly leave for Dallas?”
“This morning,” Cooper replied.
“The sink and bathtub are dry.” He eyed the towel hanging on the back of the door. “So is the towel. It doesn’t look like he used them.”
“But there are empty hangers in the closet. It appears a suitcase is missing. And his car is gone.”
Reed stepped back into the bedroom. A photograph overturned from the nightstand lay on the floor. Bonnie stood in a field of bluebonnets. One hand held a wide brimmed hat and the other was outstretched. She was caught mid-laugh, her eyes crinkled with happiness. The echo of Joshua’s words swirled in Reed’s mind. I loved her.
“Maybe Mike attacked him,” Cooper suggested.
“And what? Dragged Joshua out to his own vehicle, taking his suitcase for good measure? That makes no sense.”
“Criminals do weird stuff.”
Reed couldn’t argue with that. Sometimes people didn’t always react logically.
Austin frowned. “There could be another explanation. I’ve got an empty bottle of whiskey on this side of the bed. Maybe Joshua got drunk and knocked over the lamp, cutting himself in the process. He got up this morning and ran out of the house to get to the auction without cleaning up.”
Reed arched his brows. “That seems more reasonable. Is there a BOLO out for Joshua?”
Cooper nodded. “Yep, and I’ve got state troopers heading to the cattle auction to ask around for him.”
Thunder rolled. Reed glanced at the window. “The storm is coming in. If Emma and Sadie are going to search the property, we need to do it now.”
“I’ll come with you,” Austin said.
“Take a deputy with you,” Cooper added. “And be careful. Mike is still out there somewhere.”
Emma’s fingers shook slightly as she strapped on Sadie’s vest. The wind was picking up, adding to her anxiety. Every second counted. If Bonnie was somewhere on the property, Emma wanted to find her now.
“Are you okay?”
Reed’s question was low enough only Emma could hear. Concern darkened the blue of his eyes, and his mouth was set in a grim line. He had to be scared about what they would find on the property, as much as she was, yet he took the time to comfort her.
God, why did you bring him back into my life and then make things so hard? The kiss in Reed’s kitchen had been wonderful. It also scared her. She didn’t want to end up brokenhearted.
She squared her shoulders. “I’m fine. Let’s get started.”
She took Sadie to the outer edge of the woods, far away from any deputies searching the house, and gave the command. Her dog headed into the woods.
Emma followed, keeping Sadie in sight. Austin and Reed flanked her, and another deputy she didn’t recognize took the rear. The tall pine trees blocked out most of the late afternoon sunlight. Goose bumps broke out across her arms. They were heading toward the back road, the one separating Emma’s property from Joshua’s.
Sadie stopped and sniffed something. Hidden within the branches and bushes was a huge, lurking object.
“What is that?” Emma frowned. “Is that a car?”
“Yes,” Austin answered, his foot crushing a branch. “And by the looks of it, it’s been here a while.”
It was covered in pine needles and dust. Dead branches obscured the windows and the tires were buried in the bushes. Reed bypassed them both, his long strides covering the distance easily. He
