Slade nodded. “That’s a good idea. I’ll check with the park service, see what they might be able to dig up for us. I’m sure they won’t mind helping out.”
It wasn’t much, but he’d take it. He pulled out a kitchen chair for Chelsey. “Please sit down. We’ll do our best to make this place safe.”
“I guess I shouldn’t have gone outside,” she murmured with a sigh. “And it’s better being stuck in here, then out on the side of the mountain without a place to stay.”
“I’m glad you’re focusing on the bright side.” Duncan took a moment to prioritize which windows needed to be covered. Those in the main cabin, including the large picture window overlooking the mountains, and the ones in Chelsey’s bedroom. He glanced at Slade. “We’ll need to take turns keeping watch if we have to stay the night.”
“Of course.” Slade didn’t argue. He pulled out his phone. “Give me a minute to contact the park rangers about plywood.”
Duncan sat beside Chelsey, thinking back to what she’d said about their honeymoon. “You mentioned Brett had a folder related to your honeymoon. You never saw what was inside?”
She slowly shook her head. “No, he wanted it to be a surprise.” Her expression turned resigned. “Apparently a really big surprise, like hey, just so you know I witnessed a murder and we’re now going into witness protection.”
He felt bad, but dwelling on Brett’s lies wasn’t going to help. “Think for a moment, Chelsey. If he carried that folder around with him, you must have glimpsed something. Like papers with writing on them? Or maybe pictures of the place you were going to be staying? Anything at all that you can remember?”
“Pictures,” she said without hesitation. “I remember they were large and glossy, but I only saw the edges, not the entire photographs.”
A buzz of adrenaline shot through him. “Photographs on heavy-duty paper? Or something he printed off the internet?”
“Yes, glossy like heavy-duty paper. Why does it matter?”
Duncan hesitated, wondering if he should confide in her. She must have noticed because she bristled.
“Don’t lie to me, Duncan. Not the way Brett did. Not about something as serious as this.”
“Okay, I won’t lie to you, Chelsey. Not now, not ever.” He took a deep breath. “I’m having doubts about Brett. He lied to you, and to me, who’s to say he didn’t lie to the US Marshals, too? And the local law enforcement?”
She paled. “What kind of lies? You think he made up the story about witnessing a murder?”
“No—after all, he was murdered for a reason. But what about the part of his story where he claimed to need time to get the evidence? That doesn’t ring true to me.”
“I see what you mean,” she admitted with a frown. “Yet it seems unbelievable that he would actually have evidence but not turn it over to the authorities right away.”
“Yeah. Just as irrational as marrying you without saying anything about going into witness protection,” he countered dryly. “It makes me wonder if Brett was trying to play this thing from both ends.”
“Both ends?” Chelsey’s voice was faint. “You mean, he told the bad guys he knew something about them as blackmail?”
“Hang on, Chels, I never said he was blackmailing anyone,” he hastened to reassure her. “I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear while I think out loud. Frankly, if Brett had done that, the bad guys would have taken him alive to find out where he hid the evidence.” The more he thought it through, the more he didn’t believe that Brett would be that reckless. “But I do wonder if he thought he should keep the evidence hidden from the local authorities.”
She stared at him as realization dawned. “Because he didn’t trust them?”
“Maybe.” Or because he wanted something to hold over their heads? He wasn’t sure what to think. “Any idea where Brett may have stashed the folder?”
“Most likely my office.”
“Your office?” That surprised him.
“Yes, my office. That’s where I kept all the other wedding plan files. It didn’t matter to me. I was too busy to peek at his honeymoon arrangements,” she said defensively.
“Okay, just checking.” Duncan glanced up as Slade walked over to join them. “We need to get into the Teton Valley Hotel to search Chelsey’s office.”
“For what?” Slade frowned.
“A file folder containing photographs that Brett carried around with him. I think there’s a possibility that Brett may have taken a picture of the murder.”
Slade’s green eyes widened. “He did mention needing time to get the evidence to us, but you think he had it all along?”
“Yeah, I do.” Duncan was just as frustrated with Brett’s actions as anyone. “But I’m starting to wonder if Brett knew more than he let on.”
“You really think he kept the evidence at the hotel?” Slade sounded skeptical.
“If Brett didn’t tell anyone about the evidence, including law enforcement and any potential leak there, then why not? Why not practically hide it in plain sight? It’s possible no one would consider Brett had photographs stashed in Chelsey’s office.”
“Okay, maybe,” Slade said, nodding slowly. “When Colt gets here, we’ll discuss this more. For now, the park rangers have agreed to help us out by delivering plywood within the hour.”
Duncan would be glad to have the plywood in place, but at the moment he would have rather had a set of wheels.
His instincts were screaming at him that Brett had in fact hidden evidence of the crime he’d witnessed. If not photographs, maybe something else. An audiotape would be nice. Anything pointing to Nettles being a killer.
If they could arrest the guy for murder, there was a chance that Chelsey wouldn’t have to go into witness protection.
And despite his determination to keep his heart isolated from being hurt a second time, he was forced to admit he liked the idea of having Chelsey nearby.
Very much.
Chelsey put a hand up to her temple, reassured to find she
