Wyoming True - Diana Palmer Page 0,44
be here in less than five minutes,” he added deliberately.
She let out a breath. “What will you do?”
“Keep him for a few days, just to monitor him and make sure he’s on the mend. Antibiotics, rest, careful diet, loving care,” his wife said, joining them. She smiled. “You can call any time you like to check on him.”
“Thanks,” Ida said huskily.
“We love animals, too,” the vet said gently.
Ida just smiled. She was worn out from worry and fear.
* * *
BUT AS THE chauffeur drove them back to Ida’s home, she had another fear, and that was what Bailey might do next. The horses and the cat had underlined the threat.
“Maybe if I just paid him off...” she began worriedly.
“And reward him for almost killing Butler?” Jake asked tersely. “Over my dead body!”
She looked at him with wide eyes.
“I want a word with your bodyguard. I think the sheriff may want more than I do.” He pulled out his cell phone and called Cody Banks.
The sheriff was waiting for them at Ida’s front porch.
“We need to talk to the bodyguard,” Jake said as he helped Ida up the steps.
“And chance would be a fine thing,” Cody returned. “I just talked with one of your part-timers. Ironically, Laredo had a death in the family and had to rush back to Texas just before you got home.”
“How convenient,” Jake said icily.
“Isn’t it?” Cody replied. “My new investigator started today. He’s doing a background check on Laredo with the agency that provided him.”
“At this hour?” Ida asked.
“Oh, he doesn’t mind getting people out of bed to answer questions,” Cody said with an amused grin.
“It might be a legitimate thing,” Ida began.
The sheriff’s phone rang with a dull beep. He answered it. His eyebrows arched under his Stetson. “You don’t say? Thanks, Dirk. Sure. Great work.” He hung up and turned to Ida and Jake. “The agency your attorneys contacted had a bodyguard en route. Someone called, giving your name, and told them not to send him.” He paused. “Apparently, your bodyguard was substituted.”
Ida’s lips fell open. “If I’d just checked...!” she said in anguish.
“If your attorneys had just checked,” Jake broke in, angry.
“He won’t quit, you know,” Ida said sadly. “He’ll just get somebody else.”
“In which case, we’ll both do a background check,” Jake replied.
“It’s all my fault,” Ida said. “My poor horses. My poor cat!”
“We’ll keep an eye out,” Cody promised. He smiled at her. “I’ve got a deputy recovering from a gunshot wound. I can send him over to stay with you...?”
She shivered. “Thank you. No.”
Cody and Jake exchanged a quiet glance.
“Pack a bag,” Jake said. “You’re coming home with me.”
“I will not!”
He noted her scarlet blush and chuckled. “I have an elderly couple living with me. He wrangles horses, and she cooks. I also have a housekeeper who comes daily. I can have one of them live in the house, while you’re in residence,” he added meaningfully.
“Go with him,” Cody said at once. “You’re not safe here. Not until we do some investigating. I need the name of your attorney and his phone number. We’ll arrange something between us.”
“You’re so kind,” she began.
“Crimes have been committed,” Cody replied. “And I’ll tell you again that any man who mistreats animals won’t hesitate to target a woman.”
She looked torn.
“We can explore some more restaurants,” Jake coaxed.
She hesitated.
“Restaurants?” Cody asked.
He nodded, grinning. “We’ve been to Galveston and St. Augustine, but I know lots more all over the country.”
Cody laughed. “Sounds like fun. I like food, too.” He moved toward the steps. “I’ll say good-night. If you hear anything from your ex-husband, I’d like to know,” he told Ida.
She nodded. “I’ll call you if I do. And thanks very much, Sheriff Banks.”
“Just Cody,” he said, and with a warm smile that made the hairs on Jake’s head stand up a little.
“Cody, then,” she agreed, smiling back.
* * *
THEY WATCHED THE sheriff drive away. Jake went inside with Ida and paced while she got a bag packed. The blood trail was still on the floor. He frowned, bending down to look. There were two trails, one smaller than the other and thicker. It was, he decided, a smear, as if whoever injured the cat might have gotten clawed in the process and left the smear when dropping the cat.
He pulled out his phone and called Cody again, informing him about the blood.
“I’m turning around right now,” Cody said. “I’ll bring my investigator with me. If you’re right, we can pull DNA from the blood smear.”
“It might