She rose from the floor and folded the towel. “Maybe I should go to the news? I hate the idea of going public, but it would put some pressure on the chief and maybe someone from the surrounding counties will recognize her.”
Going public was a bad idea. Janet had already reported the attack, and Todd feared if she kicked up a fuss, the assailant might decide letting her go had been a huge mistake.
“Do you have a copy of the sketch?” he asked.
She nodded. “I took a photo with my cell at the police station yesterday.”
“Send it to me. An army buddy I served with opened her own private investigation firm. Charlie’s incredible and has lots of connections in Texas. Maybe she can find out who the woman is.”
Her whole face lit up right before she wrapped her arms around him. “That would be amazing.”
The hug was meant to be friendly, but Todd’s heart sputtered like his old truck’s engine. Janet smelled like a field of wildflowers and the soft strands of her hair tickled his cheek. Alarm bells clanged in his head, and he gently extracted himself under the guise of sending his friend Charlie a text.
Yesterday’s events had shaken him, as had the depth of his feelings. He never should have stayed in town so long, and now with Janet in danger, he couldn’t leave until it was certain she was safe.
“You know, we can also go and chat with Mrs. Bertrand ourselves,” he suggested, once he’d sent the message to Charlie. “Maybe she didn’t see anything last night, but the chief may not have questioned her thoroughly. She might know something without realizing it.”
“Good idea. I’ll take some cinnamon rolls with me. She loves them.”
His stomach rumbled. “Got one for me?”
“Of course.”
He followed her into the renovated kitchen. He snagged a cinnamon roll for himself and guzzled another cup of coffee while she prepared a plate for the neighbor. A few minutes later, they were back outside, sans Callie, who watched with mournful brown eyes from the window as they went down the driveway.
“You did a great job on the kitchen, by the way,” Janet said, as they crossed into the neighbor’s property. “With everything going on, I didn’t have a chance to tell you.”
“Thanks. The bathroom’s next, so—”
The unmistakable sound of a shotgun being pumped cut him off. Todd whirled, guarding Janet with his body. An overweight man with a tangled beard stepped out from behind a tree and hefted the weapon to his meaty shoulder.
Todd raised his hands. “Hold on—”
“You’re on my property.”
“Buck?” Janet poked her head around from behind him. “What are you doing?”
Mrs. Bertrand’s son. Todd had never met him, but Buck had been in and out of trouble with the law for years and suffered from mental health issues.
“I’m guarding my land. You’re trespassing.” He glared. “Who are you?”
“He’s my friend and a new neighbor, Todd Duncan.” Janet edged out from behind his back. “He’s helped your mom out a couple of times by fixing things around the property.”
“Todd, huh? You repaired the fence on the west end.”
“I did.”
The burly man grunted and then lowered his shotgun until the barrel was pointing at the ground. Todd’s stomach muscles relaxed, but he kept on alert, unwilling to give Buck the benefit of the doubt.
“I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to startle you.” Janet lifted the plate in her hand. “We came to give your mother some pastries.”
“She’s sleeping. She hasn’t been feeling well, but I can take them up to the house for you.”
“I’m sorry to hear your mom’s sick. I was hoping to talk to her. Do you think I could stop by later?”
“You wanna discuss the incident from last night, huh? The chief was already over here.” He scratched his unruly beard with a dirty hand. “Did you get hurt?”
“No, but I’m worried about the woman who disappeared.”
“Sorry, I can’t help you out. Mom and I didn’t see anything.”
The Bertrand property was thick with trees, the road hidden from view almost as soon as someone wandered off the driveway. Since the attack happened at night, and during a thunderstorm, it wasn’t unreasonable to believe it’d gone unnoticed.
“When did you get into town?” Todd asked.
“Last week.”
From the way Janet’s mouth tightened, the information was news to her. He also hadn’t heard about Buck being back. Sweetgrass wasn’t tiny, but neighbors kept an eye on each other. Had the man been hiding out? Could he be responsible for the attack on Janet? Possibly.
“Where were you last night?”
The other man’s shoulders stiffened under his overalls. “Here. Taking care of my mother. We were tucked in the house, watching TV.”
“Have you seen anything strange since coming back home?” His gaze dropped to the shotgun. “Any people wandering the property that shouldn’t have been?”
“Just you two.” He gestured to Janet for the plate and she obliged by handing it over. “I’ll let my mom know you stopped by.”
“If you see anything, Buck, please call the police.” Janet bit her lip. “I’m worried about the missing woman.”
He grunted but said nothing. Todd placed a hand on the small of Janet’s back and led her back down the drive, keeping his body between hers and the shotgun.
He felt the weight of Buck’s stare boring into him until they turned the corner.
Five
“Are you sure about this?” Todd asked, as they weaved their way through the pet expo in downtown Houston’s convention center two days later. “The woman in the sketch might not be Valerie Coons. Charlie said the family never filed a missing persons report.”
“I know.” Janet scanned the faces around them, fear nipping at her heels as she moved farther into the crowd. “But it looks close enough to be her twin. I’d like to see what a member of the family thinks.”
A large stage
