Here to Stay (44 page)

“They have to look at every possibility, son. They can’t just take her word for it. It’ll all come out in the wash.”

Zach raked a hand through his hair. “I never should have touched that slab.”

“Don’t panic,” Frank said firmly. “She’s innocent. They’ll find no evidence to prove otherwise. Her father is in prison for trying to kill her. It stands to reason that he’ll be the prime suspect. As for a lawyer, I’ll have to make a couple of calls.”

Despite what his father said, Zach did feel panicky. “How long will it take you to find a top-notch attorney?”

“Well, son, that’s a good question. Let me get back to you.”

“I’ll be at the station.”

Frank replied, “As soon as I can, I’ll meet you there.”

Zach cut the connection and dialed Luke, who picked it up on the fifth ring.

“Luke? Listen up; we don’t have much time. We found your mom. Mandy’s at the police station for questioning, and they’ll probably come get you, too, so be ready. Bring Rosebud; she’ll be fine. I’m heading to the station right now.”

Once he reached the station, Zach paced before a bank of metal-framed, green plastic chairs for more than an hour before he saw Luke and Rosebud, escorted by two cops, come in through the revolving front door. He got up at once and went over to Luke, who was pale and sweating but composed. “Hey, Luke.”

“Oh ... hi, Zach. They just want to ask me some questions. And they say it’s okay for Rosebud to stay with me.”

Zach patted him on the shoulder. “Okay. I’ll be right here.”

Zach paced and stewed and second-guessed himself for another forty-five minutes before his father finally arrived. Even dressed in ranch-issue chambray and denim with a dusty Stetson tipped low over his eyes, Frank Harrigan emanated power and authority as he strode across the gleaming tile floor.

“Thanks for coming, Dad,” Zach said as he hugged his father. “I’m worried sick. Nobody’ll tell me anything, and they won’t let me see her. They hauled Luke in, too.”

“Of course I came, and stop worrying. I won’t let them lock up my future daughter-in-law or her brother.”

“I never said—”

“You didn’t need to. I heard it in your voice on the phone, and it’s written all over your face now. You’re in love with her.”

Zach sank onto a chair, feeling as if all the starch had drained from his legs. Frank sat beside him. “The attorney is on his way. Fellow named Payne.”

“Pain? What kind of name is that for a criminal lawyer?”

“Not that kind of pain.” Frank’s weathered brown face crinkled in a grin. “Calm down. He’s the best. He’ll have her out of here lickety-split.”

Zach could only hope. His heart sank when the blond lawyer showed up in a red polo shirt, wrinkled Dockers, and mud-streaked golf shoes. As the man shook hands with Frank and Zach, he said, “Sorry. First round of the season. I was at the nineteenth hole having a couple of beers with my buddies when I got your call.”

Frank clapped the man on the shoulder. “We appreciate your showin’ up so fast. No apology necessary.”

The attorney hefted his briefcase and smiled. “I’m not wearing my power suit, but I’ll give it my best shot.” He turned and headed for the front desk.

“The clothes don’t make the man,” Frank observed.

Zach wanted the guy to go home and suit up. Didn’t his father understand the seriousness of the situation? “Dad, that guy may be good but he looks more like a golf instructor than a criminal attorney,” he said. “You sure he’s the best?”

“Son,” said Frank, the corners of his keen eyes creasing the way they always did when he was amused and trying not to show it, “you’re a frigging mess. You’re covered with dirt and you need a shower bad. Right now I’d say you look more like a construction laborer than a world-class horse trainer. Point made.”

Frank sat down and tugged on Zach’s shirtsleeve. “Take a load off. This is his bivouac. Let him do his stuff.”

Zach flopped back down onto a chair. “I wish now that I’d left Sharyn Pajeck under that damned slab.”

“You don’t wish that. The woman was murdered. Someone has to pay for that.”

“What if that someone is Mandy?”

“It won’t be. Have a little faith.”

By the time Mandy was released, she was so exhausted she could barely walk. Her legs had fallen asleep from sitting so long, and it was all she could do to move in a straight line. When she reached the front of the station, she saw Zach and Luke sitting side by side, with Rosebud pressed against Luke’s knees. Zach leaped up from the chair and strode toward her. She’d never been so glad to see anyone in her life. She yearned to throw herself into his arms and beg him never to let go.

“They think I did it,” she told him. “Nobody came right out and said so, but I could tell they suspect me.”

Zach’s father materialized, seemingly from out of nowhere. He rested a strong hand on Mandy’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. The attorney says that’s par for the course in any murder investigation. They suspect everybody.” Frank smiled at her. “He’s a good lawyer. Your father’s past record stands to implicate him. Payne will handle it.”

“How much does he charge? I can’t afford a lawyer.”

She felt Zach’s arm encircle her shoulders. “I’ve got you covered.”

“But—”

“No buts. Consider it a loan. You can pay me back in installments.” He gave her a jostle. “Come on, let’s get out of here. Police stations give me the creeps.”

Mandy hated the idea of depending on Zach to get her through the evening, but he didn’t give her a choice, and she couldn’t help but be glad. It had been a trying day that had gone from really bad to horrible. The police suspected her of murder. Every time she thought about it, her stomach clenched and she broke out in a sweat. The evidence at the grave site had been compromised over time. What if forensic science couldn’t prove her father had committed the crime? She was just thankful that Detective Randolph had made it clear that they didn’t suspect her brother.

“Don’t even go there,” Zach said as he drove her and Luke home. “The evidence may be old, but they should still be able to determine the cause of death, and I’m guessing it was violent in nature. Chances are, once they determine the cause, they’ll conclude that a small thirteen-year-old girl wouldn’t have had the strength to do it.”

That comforted Mandy. Darkness had descended, and only brief flashes of light from street lamps and other vehicles illuminated the interior of the car. Luke sat in back, shoulders forward so he could attend the conversation. Mandy worried that he wasn’t wearing a seat belt, but before the thought could take root, others bounced in. She settled a grateful gaze on Zach’s sharp profile, which was washed with a green glow from the dash. She wasn’t sure when it had happened, but he had become her rock.

“I’m terrible. Mama was murdered, and all I can think about is what may happen to me.”

“You aren’t terrible. Your mom’s been gone for fifteen years. You still have a life to live. When the cops start asking questions, leading you to think you’re a suspect, it’s normal to feel alarmed. It’s all just routine, though. It’s their job to suspect everyone.”

Mandy sighed. “I am so tired, but my brain won’t shut down.”

Zach squeezed her hand. “I’m here. No worries. Let me handle everything. Okay?”

Mandy groaned. She felt too exhausted to move. All she wanted was to get home and rest. Luke answered for both of them. “Okay, Zach. Thanks.”

Once at Mandy’s place, Zach sat with them at the kitchen table. Mandy looked ready to fall off her chair and do a face-plant on the floor. In the yellowish glow of the ceiling light, Luke looked young and vulnerable, his expression going from incredulous to stricken. But he was a tough kid, and he rallied quickly.

“It doesn’t surprise me that he killed her,” Luke said. “He almost killed you once, Mandy.” He groped for his sister’s hand. “I’m so sorry, sis. This has to be rough for you. I can’t really remember Mom very well. You can look at pictures of her and stuff. I think that probably helps to keep her fresh in your mind. For me, it isn’t that way.”

“I have precious few pictures of her,” Mandy informed him. “I had time to grab only one family album when they removed us from the house that day.”

Zach glanced worriedly at Rosebud. He’d brought her only enough food for the morning and afternoon, and she’d been at the station for hours. He needed to take her home.
Problem
. He wasn’t about to leave Mandy. She’d weathered the first storm, but now the reality of it was going to start sinking in. Unless he missed his guess, she’d fall apart again before the night was over, and if she did, he wanted to be with her.

“He’s going to pay,” Luke said angrily. “I hope the old bastard rots in prison for the rest of his life.”

Zach could well understand Luke’s rage, but before the young man went off on a long rant, Zach wanted to campaign for a change of venue. “We have the rest of the evening to talk,” he said. “I’m thinking we should all go to my place. Mandy hasn’t eaten a bite today, and Rosebud has no more food here. I’ll throw together some dinner. You two can crash at the ranch tonight.”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s necessary,” Mandy protested. “I’m really not that hungry, and—”

“Mands,” Luke broke in, “for once in your life, shut up and go with the flow. You’re upset. Zach is nervous about leaving you. Right, Zach?”

Zach could have hugged the kid. “I just don’t think this is a good night for the two of you to be alone. At times like this, it’s good to have friends around.”

“I vote that we go to the ranch,” Luke told his sister. “Zach can bring us home tomorrow. What harm can it do?”

“We’d have to pack overnight cases. I’m exhausted. I’d rather just stay here.”

“Mandy,” Zach inserted, “you’ve eaten absolutely nothing all day and very little yesterday. If I leave you here, you won’t make a sandwich. You’ll just do without and possibly make yourself sick.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Luke pushed up from his chair and made for his bedroom. “I’m packing.” At the door, he stopped. Not turning around to address his sister, he said, “If you don’t gather some stuff, I’ll do it for you. If you want to go out there with holey underwear, liniment instead of toothpaste, and the wrong nightclothes, fine, but we’re going with Zach.”

“That isn’t for you to decide,” Mandy objected.

“Yeah, well, I’m making the decision anyway,” Luke retorted. “Neither of us should be alone tonight, especially not you.”

Rosebud followed Luke into the bedroom. At any other time, the mini’s unswerving devotion to her new human friend would have made Zach smile. He settled a concerned gaze on Mandy’s pale face instead.

“If you’re bent on staying here, I’ll take Rosebud home and come back,” he told her.

“I’m not helpless. Today has been rough. I admit it. But I’ll be fine here with Luke.”

“Luke wants to go with me.”

She huffed under her breath and pushed to her feet, weaving like a drunk until she caught her balance. Zach almost shot up from his chair to grab her arm.

“All right, fine. I’ll pack some things,” she said over her shoulder. “But I think it’s silly for us to go out there when we’d be perfectly okay staying right here.”

She was about to collapse. If she wanted to call that “perfectly okay,” he wouldn’t argue as long as she went with him to the ranch so he could keep an eye on her. Zach knew a breakdown was coming. As strong as she was, she’d been through hell, and a dozen different emotions were going to start pummeling her. Grief, guilt, and what-ifs always reared their ugly heads after the first shock wore off. And did she really think tomorrow would be easier?

As Mandy tossed stuff into a satchel she’d set on the bed, she struggled to keep her thoughts straight. She ended up with two nightshirts, had to return to the bathroom for her toothbrush and moisturizer, which she’d set out on the vanity, and then stood over the bag, trying to think what she should take to wear in the morning.

Zach appeared and rifled through the bag. “You’ll need fresh underwear.”

He began opening her drawers. Mandy didn’t have the energy to object. He returned with a pair of her panties in one fist and a pair of jeans and a knit top tucked under his other arm. “You want a fresh bra? You worked up a sweat today.”

A bra?
Were they really having this conversation? She’d never discussed her undergarments with a man, and she didn’t want to start now. Zach tossed what he’d collected into the satchel and began fishing through her underwear again. She kept everything in neat piles. He was scooping and dropping garments like a man sorting through beans to find rocks.

He turned, dangling a lacy bra from his forefinger. “You like this one?”

Mandy tried to focus. What was to like or not like about a bra?

“Sam has favorites and standbys. You want this one or another one?”

“That one will be fine.”

He returned to the bed and shoved the bra inside her satchel. Mandy noticed that her knees came even with the top edge of the mattress and his were several inches higher. Why her brain got stuck on that, she didn’t know, but suddenly his knees became her only focus.

He caught her staring. “What?” He glanced down and checked to make sure his fly was zipped. “Is something wrong?”

Everything was wrong. She’d just found out her mom had been brutally murdered, and all she could think about were Zach’s knees. “It’s nothing.” She forced her gaze up and found herself staring with the same intensity at a button on his shirt. Her brain felt as if someone had zapped it with a hot wire. “I just don’t seem to be tracking very well.”

He closed the bag, lifted it in one hand, and grasped her arm. “That’s why I’m here, honey, to do the tracking for you.”

Luke was waiting for them in the kitchen. A bag similar to Mandy’s sat on the floor near his feet. Rosebud stood at his side. “I’m ready,” he said.

The next thing Mandy knew, Zach was helping her into her parka. Her arms felt like overcooked fettuccini, limp and unresponsive. She tried to stick one into a jacket sleeve, missed the hole, and aimed again. Zach finally took over, got her into the coat, and zipped it up. Then she was in the SUV with no memory of having walked there. Luke sat in back so he could reach over the seat to pet Rosebud, who rode in the cargo area.