Wyoming Woman by Elizabeth Lane

Author:Elizabeth Lane
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2004-09-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Luke’s sinewy brown fingers gripped the rope, drawing it out inch by inch through the crumbling earth. For the first few seconds it came easily. Then it tightened as the pull met resistance from whatever was tied to the other end.

A chill went through Rachel as Luke began to dig in earnest. She watched him, sensing what he would find and fearing what it would mean. A moment ago she had been in his arms. Now she stood forgotten as he tunneled deeper, following the rope’s taut path. His expression darkened, and she saw that he had come to a knot and discovered what was attached to it. Seconds later, he had it free.

The lamb was dead, its small body still warm and limp. Its condition told Rachel it had likely been alive until the final collapse of earth. Now it lay where Luke had placed it, its lifeless eyes encrusted with dirt. The rope had been knotted harness-fashion around its neck and shoulders, giving it no chance to work loose and escape.

Luke flung the rope down in disgust. The face he turned toward Rachel was a mask of icy rage.

“Bait,” he muttered. “This was a trap. Damned clever trap at that—tunnel under the bank, shore up the roof of the hole, tie the lamb inside and set a trigger that a dog would touch off when it pushed past.”

Rachel gazed at him in mute anguish, knowing where Luke’s reason would lead him. She had opened the door herself, by coming here. Now there was little she could do or say.

His eyes drilled into her like lead-tipped bullets. “Who did this? You know, don’t you?”

She shook her head, wondering how the man who had just held her in his arms and set her on fire with his kisses could look at her with such cold fury.

“You knew Lem Carmody had a bounty on the dogs,” he said, rising to his feet. “But Carmody wouldn’t pull a stunt like this in person. He’s got too much to lose. What else do you know? Who would do this?”

Again Rachel shook her head. “Luke, I swear it on my life, I don’t know.”

“But you could find out.” His hands cupped her jaw, their touch no longer gentle. “Whoever it was, they had the gall to come onto my property. The fact that this wasn’t done on open range might give me some legal grounds—”

“Luke, no judge in the world is going to convict a man for killing a lamb and attempting to trap a dog, even if it was on private property.”

“I know,” he said impatiently. “But if I could get them into court, if I could see them, face them, it might give me a link to finding out who murdered Miguel.”

Releasing her, he turned away and stared down at the lamb’s smothered body. “The bastards would have to come at night to get so close. And they’d have to know we were shearing. They’d have to know when the dogs would be here—”

He spun back to face her.

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