The Coltons of Red Ridge

The uncomfortable thought hit him. If she’d lie about this, then who knew what else she’d do? “Layla,” he asked gently. “Did you proposition and then threaten Mark Hatton? I know it can get lonely at the top.”

She recoiled, her expression aghast. “No. I most certainly did not. I swear to you on the lives of my family that I didn’t send those texts, emails or photos. I’m being set up.”

Unimpressed, he continued to study her. “Swear to me on your job, on Colton Energy.” In other words, what truly was the most important thing to her.

Hurt flashed across her face, but she lifted her chin and swore again, exactly how he’d asked.

He nodded, satisfied. “Now I know you’re telling the truth.”

“Why did you quit, Hunter?” she asked, surprising him. “You were well regarded and performed your job duties well. And we paid you an excellent salary. Yet you gave notice without even the prospect of another job offer. When we heard you’d signed up for the police academy, we were surprised, to say the least.”

How to tell someone that the life they’d chosen for herself was one he found abhorrent? Corporate greed and lies, constantly wondering if the things he was asked to do skirted the border of legality...

“Working in law enforcement had been a longtime dream of mine,” he said. Then, deciding the time had come to change the subject and wrap things up, he checked his watch. “Do you want to call someone, maybe your fiancé, to come and get you?”

“No. My engagement is currently on hold, like everyone else’s in this town,” she replied. She had a point. With some crazed serial killer going around murdering grooms right before their wedding day, just about every scheduled wedding had been postponed.

“And to tell you the truth,” she continued, “I’m afraid if Hamlin finds out about these charges, he’ll end the engagement for good.”

She looked so miserable at the prospect, his heart went out to her.

“Come on, then,” he said, making an instant decision. “Let me run you home. It’s on my way, so it won’t be any trouble.”

“What about the news vans?” She pointed toward the front of the police station. “Is there any way we can avoid them?”

Eyeing her, in her tailored suit and heels, he considered. “We’ll go out the back and take my squad car, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t have someone watching that exit, too. It’d be better if you had a disguise.”

“I don’t.”

“I might be able to come up with something,” he replied.

“Please tell me you’re not planning on raiding the police lost and found.” She shuddered. “No one knows where those things have been.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “I wasn’t, but that’s an idea. No, I keep a clean change of clothes here in case I have to spend the night. These uniforms aren’t the most comfortable to sleep in.”

To his astonishment, she blushed. “Oh. But I don’t think your clothes will fit me. At all.”

“We’ll figure out a way to make do. Come on, follow me.” He led the way down the hall, toward an area marked Employees Only. They went through the double doors and into a large room filled with lockers. From his locker, he retrieved a flannel shirt, a pair of sweatpants and socks. He’d even stuffed back a pair of old snow boots. “Here.” He handed everything to her. “The bathroom is right there. Put these on.”

Eyeing the folded bundle dubiously, nevertheless, she did as he asked. When she emerged a few moments later, he felt like he’d just been punched in the stomach. His plaid flannel shirt hung down to her knees. She’d gotten creative and rolled his sweatpants up so they didn’t drag on the floor. She’d gathered the excess waistband to one side and held it in her small hand. And she struggled to walk in snow boots that were clearly several sizes too large for her.

She looked like misfortune had guided her clothing choice, as if she were a homeless vagabond wearing whatever she could find in order to stay warm.

And she looked, he thought, while struggling to catch his breath, sexy as hell.

Dizzy with a sudden rush of desire, he tried to regain his equilibrium.

This Layla Colton spelled trouble. Not just for him, he figured, not wanting to make of it any more than he had to. Hell, the intriguing contrast between super-sleek, buttoned-up Layla the executive and this one would catch the attention of any man with a lick of sense. He couldn’t gather his scattered thoughts enough to speak a single coherent word. It took every ounce of his willpower to keep from focusing on her lush lips and how badly he wanted to kiss them.

Luckily, he wasn’t likely to ever see her looking like this ever again.

“Here.” He handed her a baseball cap and his down parka. “Put these on and we’ll head out. I don’t think anyone would recognize you now.”

He was right. If there were reporters stationed at the back of the building, he couldn’t tell. Which meant he could get her out of there without any undue attention. She got in his patrol car and they drove away unnoticed.

Chapter 2

Sinking down in the passenger seat, Layla started laughing as soon as they exited the police station parking lot. She couldn’t help it, even though she realized her inexplicable mirth bordered on hysteria.

She laughed until tears ran down her cheeks, until exhaustion made her catch her breath. As she wound down, Hunter handed her a box of tissues. “Here,” he said. “I keep them in the car just in case. You never know when you’ll need them.”

Grateful, she accepted. After wiping her eyes and what little mascara remained, she blew her nose and took a deep breath. “Sorry about that,” she told him, meaning it. “I really don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s okay.” He glanced sideways at her. “People do strange things when under stress.”

Grateful for his easy acceptance, she settled more comfortably in her seat as she rattled off her address. “Though I guess I should have you take me back to Colton Energy to get my car.”

“I think you’re too upset to drive,” he said.

After a moment, she agreed. “It’s been pretty crazy lately, even before this,” she admitted. “I mean, who would have thought our town would have a serial killer? And what a strange one, singling out men about to get married.”

“Yeah. It is bizarre. And in addition to the grim reality of murder, there’s damage to the local economy. With all the weddings that have been placed on hold, lots of our local small businesses are suffering. Your sister’s bridal salon is in danger of going out of business. I’ve heard that returns and outright cancellations have destroyed Bea’s cash flow. And of course the wedding planners and caterers, like Good Eats, are struggling to pay their bills.”

They reached the downtown area. Due to the hour, the streets were deserted. A light snow had fallen earlier, just enough to dust everything with white, so the sidewalks appeared pristine and untouched. When she’d been younger, Layla had loved to leave the first set of footprints in fresh snow. She knew even now, when they reached her town house, she’d take a private delight in walking from the parking lot to her front door.

“It would be a shame if all those mom-and-pop stores went under,” he continued. “They’re hardworking people, good folks, and I hate to see that happen to them.”

Again, her stomach twisted. Though she tried to keep everything bottled up inside, her stress level had her feeling as if something might blow at any moment. “It’s crazy,” she agreed. “We’re so close to Thanksgiving, and we’ve got some murderer running around killing off grooms. Everyone is scared.”

“Are you?”

Without hesitation, she nodded. “I am. Colton Energy is in trouble, too.” What had caused her to blurt this truth out, she wasn’t sure. But she felt better having actually said it out loud. “That’s why I agreed to marry Hamlin Harrington. He’s promised my father a fresh influx of money.”

“An arranged marriage?” He sounded so shocked.

“He’s wanted me for years.” As if that justified it. While she knew how it appeared, she didn’t see where she had a choice.

“Layla, he’s twice your age.”

With a nervous laugh, she discounted that statement. “Not really. He is quite a bit older, though. But it’ll be fine. I’ll do anything to save the family business. Marrying Hamlin will do that, as long as the wedding goes off without a hitch by the end of the year.”

He signaled a right turn onto her street and shot her a curious glance. “Why the time constraint?”

Taking a deep breath before answering, she considered swearing him to secrecy. If she told him the truth, she’d be letting him in on something only very few people knew. “Will you keep this between us?” she asked.

“Of course.”

For whatever reason, she trusted him to keep his word.

“If Colton Energy doesn’t get that cash by the end of the year, there’s no help for us. We’ll have to file bankruptcy and most likely close our doors.” She bit her lip before continuing. “Not only will many people be out of work, but we won’t be able to continue to help fund my pet project, the police K9 unit and training center.” All of her father’s wives had been strong supporters of the K9 unit and training center, including Layla’s late mother. Trusts had been left by her and her half sisters’ mothers to keep the unit and center going, and when those trusts ran out, Fenwick had stepped up. Now, unless her marriage to Hamlin went on, the K9 unit and training center would be in as much jeopardy as Colton Energy.

Her words hung there in the air between them as Hunter pulled into her parking lot and up next to the curb in front of her town house. Turning in his seat to face her, he scratched his head. “Layla, the K9 training center is now completely self-sufficient, thanks to K9 chief Finn Colton, who came up with a plan. Once the center started training dogs for police departments all over the country, they quickly got out of the red. A fully trained police dog goes for over ten thousand dollars.”

Stunned, she wasn’t sure how to respond. With the truth, she supposed. “I didn’t know. That entire thing is under my father’s control. He never told me about that.” In fact, he’d led her to believe the opposite. He talked about the K9 training center as if it was a money pit, draining Colton Energy dry. This made her wonder what else he might have misdirected her on.

“You were the VP of finance and accounting,” she said. “I know it’s been a while since you left, but what—in your opinion—was the biggest drain on Colton Energy’s finances?”

He only stared at her. “You should already know that. You’re executive VP of everything.”

Of course, he had no way of knowing how empty her title truly was. “Not really, though that’s a general misconception. While I am in charge of several departments, my primary duties are more in sales and marketing,” she said. “I oversee our sales force and step in when necessary to help get corporate contracts for companies that want to break away from traditional energy and do something more earth friendly and renewable.” She managed her normal professional smile as she recited the spiel she knew by heart. “I also oversee the payroll department and human resources. My father still oversees the accounting department and has the final say on any big decisions.”

“But you have access to the books, right?”

Put that way... “No,” she admitted. “I haven’t seen the books. I’m thinking I should take a look.”

His sideways glance was telling. “Since you’re head of HR, were you the one who hired Mark Hatton?”

Right to the gut, that question. Her smile slipped. “I was. I regretted that decision within a month. Mark cuts corners and makes sloppy deals, and I have to wonder at his ethics. I’d begun keeping a detailed accounting of his mistakes so I’d have backup when I fired him.”

“You really were going to let him go?”

“Yes. And I promise you, it had nothing to do with him refusing to go out with me.” Her stomach churned. “I don’t understand why he’s saying that.”

For one breathtaking second, as her gaze locked with Hunter’s, she thought he might kiss her. Her heart raced and she felt dizzy, but in the end, he looked away first.

Suddenly, she realized they’d been sitting in front of her town house for several minutes. “Thanks for the ride,” she said, her voice too bright. “I’ll have someone pick me up and take me into the office tomorrow.” Opening her door, she practically jumped out, sliding a little in the fresh snow.

Watching Layla rush into her town house, Colton tried to analyze what had almost just happened.

He’d almost kissed her. Layla Colton, the woman who epitomized everything he’d despised about the corporate world.

Except she didn’t.

He’d never really talked to her, one on one, until tonight. Her devotion to her job, to her father’s company, had always been legendary, and she clearly didn’t appear to see the irony of working her fingers to the bone for a man who barely acknowledged her existence.

Not his business, he reminded himself. The only situation he needed to concern himself with was the case against her. His gut told him she’d been charged with a crime she hadn’t committed.

Shaking his head at his own foolishness, he put the car in Drive and headed home. Unlike Layla, who lived in trendy North Red Ridge, his small house sat in an older part of town. Which suited him fine.

He loved his small frame house. He had a large, fenced yard and lots of trees. Pulling into his driveway, he hit the remote garage door opener and then parked in the garage.

As he stepped into his kitchen, Hunter immediately crouched down. Goose, his basset hound, launched herself at him as she always did, wiggling and doing her best to lick every inch of his face.

This was his absolute favorite part of the day.

He let Goose outside, standing on the back porch to watch her, a habit he’d continued from when she’d been a tiny puppy and he’d worried an eagle would swoop down and carry her off. Since she hated the cold, she took care of her business quickly and then rushed at him to be let back inside.

He’d stopped by earlier during his dinner break to feed her, so he only gave her a dog biscuit as a reward. “Such a good girl,” he crooned. As she gazed up at him, he could swear she grinned.

No one could tell it by looking at her, but Goose was only one of four dogs in the entire county trained for electronic storage detection.

When Hunter had brought in the young dog, who looked more like a mixed breed than a pure-bred basset hound, everyone had assumed he was joking when he’d announced his intention to train her in the highly specialized field. Then, as he’d begun working with her, their amusement had turned to incredulity. No one had ever seen a dog who could detect electronics. None of the other trainers had even known such a thing was possible. Hunter hadn’t, either, until he’d happened on an article about one of the dogs on the East Coast. He’d made it his mission to learn everything about it, even making a trip out to the training facility so he could learn in person how it was done.

As with any other kind of detection work, electronic storage detection training was done through scent. It turned out that thumb drives, micro-SD cards and external hard drives all contained two different chemical compounds, both of which dogs could be trained to locate.

Goose had proved an apt pupil. Even though Labrador retrievers were considered the best breed for this type of work, Hunter had known his Goose was a natural. As she grew, she looked less and less like a typical basset hound. She had longer legs and a leaner body, and she was slightly taller and more agile. In other words, as far as Hunter was concerned, she was just perfect.

Soon, she’d proved herself to all the other K9 officers in the unit. Goose and her nose had provided the crucial evidence to take down a large child pornography ring out of Sioux Falls. She’d been able to locate hidden computer evidence that might not otherwise have been found.

And she belonged to Hunter, not to the K9 department. She’d been his from the beginning and he’d trained her on his own time, without costing them a cent.

He adored her, and she him.

“Come on, girl,” he told her, heading into the bedroom to change out of his uniform. Goose followed, her toenails clicking on the wood floor. He hummed as he changed, even though exhaustion made him want silence. He hummed because Goose liked it and she’d been alone with the quiet since he’d popped in earlier.

Once he had on his comfortable sweatpants and a flannel shirt, he padded into the kitchen to make a quick snack. He turned on the TV, popped a beer and put together a bologna sandwich. The rest of the world might be sleeping, but this was the end of his workday and it would be several hours before he’d wind down enough to hit the sack.

To his chagrin, he couldn’t stop thinking about Layla Colton. He’d known her for years, distantly. Even so, he couldn’t understand how anyone could legitimately believe she’d done what Mark Hatton accused her of doing. True, as law enforcement officers, they were trained to look only at the evidence, but what evidence they had seemed sketchy. The video might have been doctored. No doubt a competent computer analyst could make that determination. He’d have thought there would have to be more in order for charges to be brought against her.

Clearly, she’d been stunned and shocked by it all. He’d been a cop long enough to know when someone was faking it. Layla’s bewilderment seemed all too real.

At this time of the night, he didn’t much care what he watched, though if he found himself still up at 5:00 a.m. he tried to catch the local morning news. Stifling a yawn, he realized it was doubtful he’d be awake then, so he let the DVR record it just in case they ran a story on Layla.

As often happened, he dozed off in his chair, Goose snuggled up next to him. When he opened his eyes again, the morning news program was in full swing. He started it over and wasn’t surprised to see news footage of the front of the Red Ridge police station. A perky reporter stood in front, bundled up in her parka, and laid out the charges that had been brought against one of the town’s wealthiest and most influential citizens, Layla Colton. Toward the end of the segment, she mentioned that they hoped to be able to interview others close to the case for later airing.

Shaking his head, Hunter clicked the TV off. He stretched, let Goose out once more and stood on the back patio until she came in. Though the cold air usually provided enough of a shock to his system to wake him, his weariness felt bone deep. Stifling another yawn, once Goose ran inside, he followed, extinguishing lights as he went.

When he climbed into his bed, Goose leaped up and curled at his feet. He covered her with her own soft blanket, scratched her behind her ears and then burrowed under his own covers.

The sound of his cell phone ringing woke him. Whether he’d slept hours or merely minutes, he wasn’t sure. He sat up, rubbed his bleary eyes and fumbled around on his nightstand, trying to locate his phone.

“Hello?” he rasped, wondering why he felt like he’d been run over by a truck.

“Sorry to wake you,” Chief Finn Colton said. “But I need to talk to you about Layla Colton’s case. Since news of her arrest was plastered all over the news, I’m going to play it safe and recuse myself from the investigation, since she’s not only family but the mayor’s daughter.”

“I understand.” Hunter struggled to clear his foggy head. Glancing at the nightstand clock, he saw it was nearly nine, which meant he’d been in his bed four hours. “Sorry, I got in late.”

“I understand, and I apologize for waking you. But we’ve got media up here wanting statements, the mayor demanding answers, of course, and Mark Hatton’s attorney threatening to sue if we release his client’s information. It’s a cluster.”

“Okay.” Though Hunter didn’t get what any of that had to do with him, he knew the chief would fill him in soon enough.

“I’m putting you on the case.”

“Me?” Flabbergasted, Hunter rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.

“Yes. All of the evidence in this is based on electronics—text messages, emails, etc. I think with Goose’s skill set, you might get to the bottom of this fairly quickly. While there apparently was enough evidence to bring charges, I took a look, and it’s on the light side. We need more. There must be hidden data storage drives or something.”

“I have my doubts,” Hunter confessed. “Remember, I worked at Colton Energy. While I can’t say that I know Layla Colton well, I can tell you she never acted in any way other than professional.”

“Good to hear,” Chief Colton said. “To be honest, I’m not buying Mark Hatton’s story, either. While I’m not sure of his motive, my gut tells me he’s lying.”

“I agree.”

“Pay him a visit and bring Goose. See what she can uncover.”

Of course after that, there was no way Hunter could go back to bed. After letting Goose out and feeding her, he took a hot shower. Once dressed, he grabbed a pod and made a cup of strong coffee to go with his instant oatmeal. Thus fortified, he checked the weather forecast on his phone and suited up in his uniform.

The instant he put that on, Goose started her happy, hopeful dance. She loved to work and didn’t understand why she didn’t get to every single day.

“That’s right, Goose girl,” he told her. “I need your help today.”

When she heard that, the little basset hound could barely contain her glee. She wiggled her entire body, swinging her head as she twirled and sending her long, floppy ears flying. She let out a low woo-woo-woo sound—her way of expressing her joy.

As he grabbed his car keys, she stuck so close to him that he almost tripped on her. She kept her liquid brown gaze fixed on him, not letting him out of her sight in case he managed to somehow leave without her.

Once he opened the door heading into the garage, he scooped her up and loaded her into his squad car. Even though her legs were significantly longer than a typical basset’s, she often had difficulty jumping into the back seat, even with a running start.

Turning into the police station parking lot, he grinned when Goose let out a low bark—she knew exactly where they were.

As soon as they entered the squad room, everyone rushed over to make a fuss over Goose. Panting and grinning, she accepted this as her due. While Red Ridge PD had a larger than usual K9 unit, Goose was the smallest dog on the force, and in Hunter’s opinion, the cutest. Of course, he knew he might be biased.

He glanced around, noting that none of the officers who’d been working graveyard last night were in yet. Hunter could sympathize. He was glad he rarely had to work nights.

Heading to his cubicle, he whistled for Goose. Immediately, she left her fan club and hurried after him, long ears flying as she ran. She caught up with him and they entered his work area together. Goose headed to the bed he kept for her in the corner, turning several circles before lying down with a contented huff.

Once he’d logged in to the computer, he accessed all the files they had on Layla Colton’s case. As he read through everything, he shook his head. The chief was right. This was an extremely sensitive case, and he hoped it wouldn’t stand up in court.

Next, Hunter decided to pay Mark Hatton a visit. He wanted to sound the guy out, see if he’d give anything away.

Stepping into the lobby at Colton Energy brought back conflicting emotions. Hunter remembered entering this very building the first day of his new job, how excited he’d been, how he’d felt positive that he’d take the world by storm. How he’d make a difference. He’d believed wholeheartedly in the work Colton Energy did. Sustainable, alternative energy. The first step in saving the earth.

It hadn’t taken long before he’d learned that his job had nothing to do with that. Lofty ideals and hopeful dreams had zero to do with corporate machinations and greed. Fenwick Colton was all about the profit, and he spent it as fast as it came in. Layla’s comment about the company being in trouble didn’t surprise Hunter. If anything, he wondered why it hadn’t happened sooner.