Deputies of Dos Brazos: A Boxset by Dee Bridgnorth

Author:Dee Bridgnorth [Bridgnorth, Dee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-10-27T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Rico was pretty sure that he’d just been blown off. Or something like that. He could not be totally certain because it had happened so quickly. Not the blowing off—the part where Sara had gone from friendly to frigid. What had he said? He had to have said something to make her angry. Something about her staff. Was that why she was so determined to believe that it was one of the minions? She didn’t want to think that her staff could be responsible for sabotaging the cookies?

The cookies. This entire case was ridiculous. Rico should have been writing it off. That’s what he should have done. He could finish his report. Call it a really bad prank. And then he could go back to pulling over tourists for moving violations, and forget that Piñon Rest even existed.

Except there was a niggling feeling in his gut that told him this was not just a prank. Someone had a real reason for putting ipecac syrup in the cookie filling, and it had little or nothing to do with trying to be funny. Rico honestly felt as though there were a far larger picture that he was missing right now.

“Oh, there you are.”

Elena seemed to pop out of nowhere. Where had she been? Rico felt as though he both needed to know and yet didn’t want to know. It was a tangled, twisted sort of feeling, and he didn’t find it at all pleasant.

“Elena, let’s talk about the staff here at Piñon Rest.”

“Sure.” She took his hand then. Or at least she reached for it. Rico wasn’t about to be led around like that. He managed to sidestep her attempts at capture and made a sweeping gesture with his arm to indicate that she should lead the way. Her lips pursed and she looked just a little miffed by the rebuff. “Join me in this little conversation area, won’t you? Mr. Villareal and his acolytes are in the big studio room having a discussion on the nature of art and creativity. I think they’ll be occupied for quite some time. He’s doing one of his Q and A sessions.”

“Q and A?” Rico pulled out his pad of paper and began scribbling notes. “Is that something that he does a lot?”

“Actually, no. He only does that sort of thing in what you might call this kind of atmosphere.” Elena sat carefully on a chaise lounge and crossed her legs. One foot bounced impatiently in midair as she examined her nails. “That is why so many people will apply for a chance to travel with him like this. It’s almost like applying for a spot at a prestigious art school. I mean, it’s serious stuff.”

Rico’s mind kept telling him that this was important. He just couldn’t decide why. “And I understand you were the one to bring Mr. Villareal here to Piñon Rest for this retreat?”

“That’s right!” She brightened as she looked up at him. Her lips twisted. A sultry look entered her eyes.

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