Present Danger

weapon they should be searching for.
Gramps stomped in from outside with a plate of steaks. “Oh, honey, what happened?”
“Nothing. Just a nick. Owen’s taking care of me.”
Owen entered the kitchen, opened the bandage, and pressed it over the cut. His bright demeanor when she’d first arrived had now diminished. She focused on finishing the salad.
“Forget the salad. I’m ready to eat,” Gramps said.
“No, there’s plenty. I’ll just toss it in a bowl.” She finished up and gathered extra bowls, then sat at the small kitchen table with her grandfather and Owen. Just like old times. Sort of. Owen had been deployed most of the time she had lived with her grandfather.
Gramps gave her a sympathetic look. “Any news about the murder?”
“I’m not part of that investigation unless they ask for assistance. A few rangers and forest service law enforcement are helping look for a murder weapon.”
“A needle in a haystack, that.” Gramps cut into his steak.
She agreed and closed her eyes as she took a bite of steak, savoring the flavor and relishing the company.
Staying here gave her more time to spend with Owen, who was home now for good. He seemed to be doing well, but he was a different person from the brother she’d known growing up. And how could he not be changed after what he experienced.
But he and Gramps were here with her now, and she would enjoy every precious moment.
Gramps finished his steak but hadn’t touched his salad.
Owen cleared his throat. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
His expression was somber, but she didn’t miss the excitement edging his tone.
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense.” She sipped on iced tea.
“Now that I’m back, and we all know I didn’t come back completely whole, I want to provide equestrian therapy for wounded warriors. Soldiers like me.”
Terra glanced at Gramps, apprehension knotting her stomach.
Owen must have read her thoughts. “He’s on board, Terra. I couldn’t do it without his ranch and his horses. Unless I could get a grant together and investors, but I need somewhere to start.”
“You have what you need right here.” Gramps spoke to Owen but winked at her.
“Gramps and I are going to a therapeutic riding center in Idaho tomorrow. We’ll be gone tomorrow night too.”
“Really?” Terra glanced between the two. “You guys have been busy.”
Owen rubbed the back of his neck. “I have a friend coming in a few days. Without him, I wouldn’t have made it out of there.” Owen hung his head. “I want to have my act together when Leif gets here.”
Terra shared a concerned look with Gramps. When Owen lifted his face, she saw the fear, but he quickly shuttered it away and put on a smile.
She rubbed his arm. “I look forward to meeting him.”
The doorbell rang and Gramps put his napkin on his plate, then scooted his chair out. “I’ll get it.”
Terra strained to hear who might be at the door, wishing she’d answered it herself. Gramps’s tone sounded anything but warm and friendly. She left Owen sitting at the table and found Gramps still standing at the door. He turned to her.
“You know this fella?” he asked.
Jack filled the space, amusement dancing in his eyes.
Terra pushed her grandfather down the hallway. “You. Go. Back to your dinner. Jack is here on official business.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure. Watch your back with that one.” Gramps stalked the rest of the way down the hall.
Terra stepped through the door and closed it behind her to stand on the porch with Jack. “I’d ask you inside, but—”
“It’s okay.”
Gramps would give him a hard time. Terra had been left in a puddle after Jack left. Gramps held on to grudges much too long.
“You could have called, you know.” She crossed her arms.
“I did. Look at your phone lately?”
Oops. She’d left it muted in her bag. “What’s up?”
“We found Jim’s vehicle.”
Terra absorbed the information. “And why are you telling me?”
He barely hitched a grin, as if he liked that she knew he had more. “I’m inviting you to the party, Terra.”
Her heart pounded. She’d wanted that, hadn’t she? “Why me? Why not Case Haymaker? He’s law enforcement.”
“Oh, he’s invited. We’re all working together to find a killer. But I’d especially like your help. Your specific skill sets.”
“Right. I’m forest service, and I know these woods. So do a lot of people.” Terra should stop talking because she did want to be involved in taking down Jim’s killer. She’d also have to confirm with her superior, ASAC—Assistant Special Agent in Charge—Daniel Murphy. But she was searching for the truth. Terra wanted to know if Jack had ulterior motives for bringing her into his investigation.
“Yes, you know the woods, and you’re experienced in complex investigations.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and peered at Stone Wolf Mountain, part of the Gallatin Range. “Jim could have come across an illegal marijuana garden worth millions and run by a drug-trafficking organization.”
That was something Terra would investigate. “But you don’t think that’s what happened.”
“Do you?”
“We will certainly search the area for anything he might have stumbled on that could have gotten him killed, but where did you find his vehicle?”
Jack crossed his arms. “In Lake Perot.”
“Wait. In the lake? Not near it?”
“Bottom of it, to be clear.”
“That’s twenty-five miles from where his body was found.” Could be drug traffickers, but she doubted they would go to that much trouble. She frowned. “Okay. You’ve piqued my interest. But how did you find his car to begin with?”
“We obtained the GPS data from his vehicle, and that led us to the lake. His smartphone could possibly provide additional information. We’re working on a warrant to get any data he backed up. The phone was at the bottom of the lake with his vehicle. I’ve since put someone on cross-referencing the homes of people Jim was actively targeting for sales against the data and activity on the days surrounding his murder.”
Admiration swelled inside. But then she would expect a former FBI agent to think outside