Harlequin Intrigue March 2017, Box Set 2 of 2 by Elle James

Author:Elle James
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488016028
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

BJ winced as night shadows plagued the roads. She couldn’t imagine the terror little Tyler was feeling. He needed to be home in his own bed with his mama reading him a story and tucking him in.

That would never happen again. Just as she would never tuck her own son into his bed.

Grief threatened to overwhelm her, but she tamped it back.

Cash parked in front of the low-income housing development, and they climbed out. Knowing Nix had moved from a hundred-acre spread to this tiny, tired-looking concrete block building roused her sympathy. On top of that, he’d lost his wife.

The units were connected, the only grassy area a small shared space in front of the building. No kids’ toys or bikes. A black, beat-up pickup was parked in front of Nix’s unit.

Cash strode to the door and knocked.

“Let me handle this, Cash,” BJ said.

He shot her an irritated look. She understood his frustration, but she didn’t want to see him locked up again. “Please, Cash. I’m not trying to clip your wings—I’m trying to keep you out of jail. Help me do my job.”

He nodded solemnly.

Footsteps echoed from the other side. A short, chubby man with a gray beard and wire-rimmed glasses answered the door. He reeked of whiskey.

BJ introduced herself and Cash, earning a deep-set frown from Nix. “What the hell do you want?” he asked.

“We need to talk to you about Lester Elmore,” BJ said. “You accused him of driving you into bankruptcy.”

Nix scratched his beard. “You here to help me get my farm back?”

BJ bit the inside of her cheek. She hated deceiving the man, but Tyler’s life depended on them finding the truth. “We’ll see if you have a case. Right now we need you to tell us about Elmore. When did you last see or talk to him?”

“Been months,” Nix said. “The day the bank foreclosed on me. He and the damn banker were buddies. Both damn vultures. Elmore was just waiting the days out. Picked up my place for next to nothing.”

“That must have made you angry,” BJ said.

“Damn right it did,” Nix said. “Wife was devastated over losing our house. We lived there for forty years. Raised our boys on that land.”

BJ’s heart squeezed. “I’m sorry. I’m sure that was difficult.”

“Broke her spirit. She had a heart attack the week we moved.”

“You hated Elmore, didn’t you?” Cash cut in. “You blamed him for her death.”

Nix narrowed his eyes at Cash. “Sure did. Elmore refused me water rights, made it impossible for me to keep up my land and herd. That’s why I couldn’t pay the bills.”

“Did you know his daughter, Sondra?” BJ asked.

Nix scowled. “I knew he had one, but I never met her. Heard in town he was mighty protective of her.”

“He was,” Cash said.

Suspicion flared in Nix’s eyes. “What is this really about?”

BJ debated on how to approach him, then decided to be direct. “Mr. Elmore’s daughter, Sondra, was murdered.”

Nix pulled a hand down his chin. “I heard about that.

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