Cardwell Ranch Trespasser - By B. J. Daniels Page 0,46
her,” Hilde cried. “Hud, you have to believe me.”
He grabbed her right hand, holding it up. “Hilde, her skin is still under your fingernails.”
“Hud, I know this sounds crazy, but that’s the problem. Dee, or whatever her name is, is crazy. She’s insane. She did all of that to herself.”
He shook his head looking as sad as she had ever seen him. “Are you telling me you didn’t attack her previously with a pair of scissors right here in your shop?”
Of course Dee would have told him about that, too. “No. I mean, yes, but—”
He began to read her rights to her. “Let’s go,” he said when he finished.
“You’re really arresting me?” She couldn’t believe any of this was happening. “You know me, Hud—”
“I thought I did. Dee Anna is pressing assault charges against you. Hilde, what is going on with you?”
She swallowed and shook her head. Even if she told him about the scissors incident, it wouldn’t help her. Nor help Colt. She just had to put her faith in Colt to find out the truth about the woman—and soon.
* * *
COLT TRIED TO reach Hilde the moment he got her message. Her phone went straight to voice mail. He called the shop, just in case she was working late. She did that a lot, especially since she’d recently taken over the space next to Needles and Pins and expanded the business.
She was buying a line of sewing machines and would be starting quilting lessons, now that she had the room. He loved her work ethic. Loved a lot of things about her, he thought, reminded of last night.
With growing concern when she didn’t answer at the shop, he realized he didn’t know whom else to call. Not that long ago, he could have called Dana. She would have known where Hilde was. Dana and Hilde had been that close.
But not now. Thanks to Dee.
He was holding his phone, trying to decide what to do, when it rang. It was one of the dispatchers, Annie Wagner, a cute twentysomething redhead who was dating a Bozeman police officer he knew.
“I thought you’d want to know,” Annie said in a hushed voice. “Hilde has been arrested.”
“What?” His mind whirled. Hilde?
“Dee Anna Justice came screaming into the office thirty minutes ago saying Hilde had attacked her.”
Colt groaned. He’d understood Hilde’s thinking with the scissors, but—
“Dee was a mess. She looked like she’d gotten into a cat fight. Black eye, scratched up, bleeding.”
He couldn’t imagine Hilde doing that to anyone even if she was provoked. But if she was defending herself— “Where is Hilde now?”
“Hud has her in his office. I just put through a call from Dee Anna Justice. Do you want me to call you if anything changes?”
“Thanks, Annie. I appreciate it. I’m on my way back from West Yellowstone. I should be there within the hour.”
What had happened? He couldn’t even imagine.
He’d told himself that Hud would see through Dee soon. Or Dee would give up once she realized Hud loved Dana and would never fall for her. He’d told himself that as long as Hilde stayed away from the ranch and Dee, this wouldn’t escalate.
He’d been wrong. He also realized that until that moment, he hadn’t really thought Dee had tried to kill Hilde. The scare at the falls had been just that. The incident under the raft? He thought Dee had probably pulled the same thing. Held Hilde under the raft then tried to save her, only this time Hilde had fought her off.
Now he was angry with himself for not truly believing what Hilde had known in her heart. Dee was capable of horrendous things. Even murder. Maybe she’d drugged Rick. What had she done to get Hilde arrested? Tried to kill her only to have Hilde fight back?
His heart was pounding as he switched on his lights and siren and raced toward Big Sky.
* * *
HILDE KNEW SHE was lucky that Hud hadn’t brought her into jail in handcuffs. She figured that might be Dana’s doing. Dana would go to bat for her even if she believed that her once best friend had attacked her cousin.
It still amazed her that anyone would believe Dee. But look at the extremes the woman would go to. She was insane. How else could Hilde explain it? Insane and desperate. This was a ploy to keep Hilde from getting her fingerprints run. Which had to mean that Dee really wasn’t Dee Anna Justice—just as the now deceased Rick had insinuated.
But