The B Girls - By Cari Cole Page 0,42

you're the one who told one of your biggest clients to make a real estate deal in exchange for a few blow jobs."

Ranger Leonard's eyes bulged.

"From his wife, not from me," Jane said. "I was just trying to cut through the BS so Bambi could have her house near the governor's mansion and I could have my commission."

The ranger's shoulders lost their stiff set and the scowl lines disappeared from his face. He looked from Jane to Lucy and back again. "Hell, arresting you two and your friend out there in the minivan would be like clubbing baby seals."

Hope bloomed in Lucy's chest. "You're not going to arrest us?"

He shook his head. "I shouldn't have taken the tin to begin with, but I was hoping to keep you three out of trouble. I should have known better."

Jane's eyes blazed. "You what? You're not our keeper!"

Lucy wanted to smack her. Couldn't she leave well enough alone?

"I'm the one who'll have to lead the search party when you get your pretty suburban necks lost on my turf." The scowl was back on his face and he looked like he was reconsidering arresting them.

Jane's eyes blazed. "I don't see you leading a search party for Belle!"

Ranger Leonard bristled right back at Jane. "If there was any reason to suspect foul play every cop in the county would be out looking for her." He stared Jane down. "Is there any reason to suspect foul play?"

Lucy shook her head.

"Any evidence she's anywhere in Cohutta? Car abandoned in a parking lot? On the side of the road?"

Lucy and Jane both hung their heads and wobbled a no.

"So, there's not much I can do is there?"

"Jane's just a little upset that Belle would take off when I'm already upset." She put a hand on Jane's shoulder. "We should go now."

Jane nodded. "As soon as we get the tin and the map."

"Take it," he said. "If I catch you disturbing any archaeological sites in Cohutta, I will arrest you with pleasure. Keep it in mind if you decide to come back."

###

"Can you believe the nerve of that man?" Jane asked after she finished relating events to Mae.

"Him? What about you? You could have gotten us all arrested," Mae said.

Jane snorted. "He couldn't arrest us without admitting he took the map illegally."

"Do you still believe in Santa Clause too? He could have created any story he wanted to cover himself. We were the ones who broke into a US Government facility," Lucy said.

"And why didn't he?" Jane asked.

"Because, contrary to what you are determined to believe he's not a total dick?"

"Or maybe because he's the kidnapper and he doesn't want any other cops involved."

Lucy gave her a quelling look.

Jane threw up her hands in surrender. "What? I mean think about it. He admits to possibly being the last one to see Belle before she went missing and he knows this place better than anyone. Maybe Belle couldn't resist telling her big story to him. Maybe he's been letting us stumble around so he can find out things, like where exactly the homestead is or where your ancestor hid the cookie tin."

"Then why give us the map?" Lucy asked.

"Because he didn't want us going over his head, making waves."

"If he had the map, why call us and tell us to go find the Declaration? Why not just find it himself?"

Jane frowned in confusion. "I don't know. Maybe he hopes we'll kill ourselves in that cave."

"Or maybe, he was trying to keep us from doing just that. And why admit to seeing Belle at all? It doesn't make sense."

"Maybe," Jane said.

"It doesn't matter any way. We still have to get the damn thing. It's the only way to get Belle back."

"So, what next?" Mae, the ever-cheerful asked.

Jane looked like she wanted to continue the argument but after a few seconds she shrugged and waved for Lucy to go ahead.

"From the little I saw of the cave and the map, we're going to need some climbing equipment," Lucy said. She'd think more about what Jane said later but for now her brain could only manage one major problem--getting her hands on the Declaration.

"Do you know anything about rock climbing or caving or whatever?" Mae said.

"No. What about you Jane? Didn't you date some guy who took you climbing?"

"I did, but it was mostly stand still while I clip this safety thing on you then we'd climb up the equivalent of the bunny slope at a ski resort."

"Well we don't have time for