Dodge the Bullet (22 page)

“I’m sick to death of all of you.” He waved
his arms around to encompass the whole restaurant. “I wasn’t the
father of that girl’s baby. I didn’t have anything to do with her
death and you people need to get over it.”

He turned and stormed out of the diner, all
but knocking Sarah out of the way in his haste to leave. She
followed him out. Although she thought he hadn’t noticed her
standing in the doorway, he stopped on the sidewalk and turned to
face her, pushed his finger in her face. “Not one word,” he said in
a voice she’d never heard him use. “Not one single word out of
you.”

“Tom
Thornton.” Tommy answered his phone late Friday afternoon. His
receptionist had left for the day at 3:00, as was their deal on
Fridays.

“Tommy?” said a voice he couldn’t place.
“It’s Kimberly Weston, Connie Weston’s daughter. Do you remember
me?”

It took a moment for Tommy to connect the
sexy voice with that of his young cousin, but he figured it’d been
a few years since he’d seen her. She’d obviously matured. “Yeah,
yeah, Kimmie. How’s it going?”

Kimberly chuckled into the phone. “It’s
Kimberly now. No one calls me Kimmie but my mom.”

Tommy felt old thinking of his cousin out in
the world known as Kimberly. It seemed too sophisticated for a
young farm girl from Bellingham. “Kimberly,” he said and tried not
to let the snotty undertones hang in the air. “What can I do for
you?”

“Well, I…I’m not sure how to begin.” She
cleared her throat. “I can be in Hailey within the hour and I’d
like to meet with you. It’s important, Tommy, or I wouldn’t ask on
such short notice.”

“Ok,” he said. He wondered just what his
cousin could sound so serious about. “Do you want to come here, to
my office?”

“No. There’s a place just outside of town, a
little bar called The Stand. It’s a hole in the wall near
the--”

“I know where it is.” Tommy interrupted. Was
she old enough to get in a bar?

“I’ll meet you there in one hour. And Tommy,
don’t tell anyone we’re meeting.” When Tommy didn’t respond, she
added, “Please Tommy, I promise I’ll explain.”

“Ok, Kimberly. I’ll see you in an hour.” He
hung up, gingerly placing the phone on its base, and sat back into
the leather chair. As he rocked back and forth he had to wonder
what the hell his little cousin Kimmie wanted to discuss with him
that was so secret they couldn’t talk on the phone or tell anyone
about their meeting. The world just kept getting stranger and
stranger.

###

Tommy hadn’t been to The Stand in years. He
didn’t have much use for bars, between working long hours and
keeping a watchful eye on his mother. The only thing he felt when
his dad finally passed had been relief. Ever since his death, he’d
made it a practice to visit his mother every other night.
Depression hung over her like a thunder cloud and threatened to
rain down on her when he spaced his visits out any more than had
become his routine. He figured his mother was as much the reason he
remained single as his receding hairline and expanding belly. But
he certainly didn’t feel as though visits to The Stand would
increase his chances of finding someone to love.

He parked in front of the dingy cinderblock
building and took a quick survey of the cars and trucks in the lot
early on a Friday evening. He recognized a few of the trucks, but
none of the cars as they typically belonged to women. He raised an
eyebrow at a sporty little convertible tucked between two Chevys
that could have competed in the world’s dirtiest pick-up
contest.

The sun had just settled between the
mountains when he slipped inside the gloomy bar and stood to give
his eyes time to adjust. The place looked exactly as he remembered,
dark and cheap, smelling of stale beer and cigarette smoke. Old
Stan Trippington still worked behind the bar, after all this time.
He’d just stepped to the bar to say a quick hello to Stan when a
gorgeous blonde walked out of the restroom. Every person in the
bar, man and woman, watched her amble with a feline grace straight
for Tommy. He almost fell over when he recognized his cousin, aged
like a fine wine to perfection.

“Uh…Kimberly?”

“Tommy, thanks for coming.”

Her voice sounded even sexier in person; her
breathy whisper spilled from the upturned lips of her porn star
mouth. Hell. His cousin was a knock out. He needed to remember she
they were cousins, blood relatives. He did recall a 20/20 special
on married cousins with normal kids… He shook his head to clear his
thoughts and followed her to a booth near the back, the most
secluded spot in the bar.

Candace Downing sauntered over to take their
order, curiosity written all over her sun scorched face. Kimberly
ordered a white wine, a risky choice for The Stand, while Tommy
went for the safe bet--bottled beer. Kimberly watched Candace walk
away before speaking. Her clandestine moves had Tommy’s interest
peaked almost as much as the rest of the bar, most of whom stared
from a distance.

“It’s been awhile,” Kimberly said and
nervously chewed her bottom lip. Tommy nodded and wondered how
they’d come from the same gene pool. Candace came back in a flash
with their drinks, hoping to overhear their conversation. She
drifted toward the closest table with a rag in hand and failed
miserably at trying not to appear to listen. Kimberly, on the QT
for eavesdroppers, lowered her voice.

“You probably don’t realize we’ve spoken
rather recently.” Her large eyes, the color of the sea, blinked at
an unusually fast rate.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m Senator Burwick’s personal assistant,”
she whispered. “I’m the one who asks you to hold for him on the
phone.”

While Tommy was surprised to hear she worked
for Burwick, he didn’t see the need for the whispering and
secrecy.

“Really?” he whispered back. Kimberly sat
up, her mouth crimped with annoyance. She could tell he was mocking
her.

“Look, Tommy…if you’re not going to be
serious then…”

“Hold on now, Kimberly. I just don’t
understand what all the mystery’s about. Are you going to ask me to
be a government witness? A spy maybe?”

“I’m putting myself on the line, coming here
like this and talking to you. Do you know what Senator Burwick
would do if he knew I was here?”

“I don’t have the foggiest idea what you’re
talking about.”

“Sarah Woodward. Senator Burwick promised
her water rights to a land developer named Fred Saxton for a
project he’s building in Cooper. I’m sure you’ve heard of this--the
locals have been fighting him tooth and nail.”

“Yes.” The acid in his stomach lurched up
his into chest. She had his full attention now.

“Saxton’s getting impatient. He’s given
Senator Burwick a few weeks to get the Woodward ranch under
contract before he cuts Benji out of the deal. Burwick’s frantic.”
She looked around, checked for eavesdroppers. “He’s made several
offers on Mrs. Woodward’s land, but she’s not interested. He needs
her land and he’s making plans to force her to sell.”

“What plans?”

“He’s already tried cutting the fence at her
place. Apparently that didn’t do much good.”

Tommy sat up in his seat and thought about
what Dodge had told him about the cut wire at Sarah’s. Dodge had
been so sure it was because of his past coming back to haunt him,
as usual. But this explanation was worse, and his gut churned with
the possibility of what Kimberly would say next.

“I overheard him on the phone a few days
ago. He’s trying something again with the Woodward place. He was
vague on the phone, and I could only hear one side of the
conversation, but from what I gathered he’s meeting someone at a
bar in Ft. Marland to finalize the plans.”

“You’re sure this is about the Woodward
place?”

“I’m positive.” She looked around again,
tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned closer. “He asked me,
last week in his office, if I knew anyone…shady…desperate…who’d be
willing to do anything for money. He called it pranks, simple
vandalism, but…” She shrugged. “He needs her ranch. And the
Senator’s not the smartest guy on the block, but he knows enough
not to make promises to Saxton he can’t deliver.”

“Jesus.” Tommy slid back in his seat. “When
is he meeting this person in Ft. Marland?”

“Tomorrow night at nine,” she said. “I won’t
be tagging along. But I thought someone should know. Mrs. Woodward
has kids and her husband died and it just seems like something bad
could happen. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if it
did.”

“You did the right thing, Kimberly, telling
me about this.” Tommy took the first sip of his beer, thought about
what to do. “Have you considered going to the police? Seems like
that might be a good idea.”

“I thought about it, but who would believe
me?” She crouched down, her hands gripping her untouched wine
glass. “I don’t have any proof of his involvement in the first
incident and nothing but bits and pieces of an overheard
conversation with whatever’s coming next. He’s a United States
Senator. I figure the cops would just laugh at me.” She watched him
as she took a sip. “What are you going to do?”

Tommy took a deep breath, let it out slowly.
“Well, first thing I’ve got to do is talk to Dodge.”

“Burwick can’t stand him,” Kimberly said,
her eyes huge. “Every time he tries to get to Mrs. Woodward, Dodge
is there getting in the way. Or at least that’s how he sees
it.”

Dodge stood in the way, all right. He’d set
up his whole cattle operation at the Woodward place and despite his
insistence nothing was going on between the two of them, Tommy
could tell Dodge had feelings for the beautiful widow and her sons.
The man was going to flip when he told him about Burwick.

###

“Damn it, Miguel,” Dodge muttered to
himself. Miguel hadn’t put the gas welder back where it belonged in
the barn. Sometimes Dodge felt like he spent more time looking for
things in the dusty space than he did actually doing things. He’d
nearly knocked the hitch off the trailer the last time he used it
and he needed the gas welder to rig it back together, but damn if
he could find it. He kicked the dirt floor in frustration.

“I see I’ve caught you in a good mood.”
Tommy stood in the doorway of the old cinderblock building.

Dodge frowned. “I can’t find the damn
welding machine. How does everything keep disappearing around
here?”

Tommy moved inside, glanced around. “I’ve
been looking all over for you. Your dad said you haven’t been home
in a few nights. I guess your non-involvement with the widow didn’t
work.”

“I’m staying with Miguel.” Dodge poked
through a storage locker. “It’s not what you think.” Ever since
Sarah discovered Burwick’s involvement with Fred Saxton and the
Cooper development, he’d decided to bunk on Miguel’s couch to keep
an eye on the ranch and do the nightly security rounds himself. If
Burwick was desperate enough to cut the wire on her fence and to
keep calling her to sell, he wasn’t done by a long shot. Dodge
wouldn’t let anything happen to Sarah and the boys. Whether she
liked it or not, he was there to protect her.

“I’ve got some information about the fence
incident.”

“What do you mean?” Dodge stopped rummaging
through the locker. He knew Tommy wouldn’t dangle bits and pieces
of information in front of him without having real truth to back it
up. “Do you know who cut the fence?”

Tommy slipped his hands in his front
pockets. “I know who’s responsible for the act, if that’s what
you’re asking.”

“Just tell me, Tommy.”

“It’s not about your past. It’s bigger than
anything you thought.”

Dodge moved to stand in front of Tommy, all
but abandoning his search for the welder. “You’re talking about
Burwick, aren’t you?”

Tommy’s brows rose in surprise. “You
know?”

“Sarah found out Burwick’s been working with
Saxton on the Cooper development. Gotta figure he needs this place
for the water. He’s trying to scare her into selling.” Dodge rubbed
the back of his neck when he felt it prickle. “He’s probably not
done.”

“I’d say not. And you’re right about the
water. He’s promised this place to Saxton. It’s time to pay the
piper.”

“How’d you know?”

“Turns out my cousin is Burwick’s personal
assistant. She called me this afternoon.” He rocked back and forth
on the heels of his work shoes. “Burwick’s getting desperate. He’s
meeting someone in Ft. Marland tomorrow night to make additional
plans.”

Damn. Damn, damn. He’d been sitting around
waiting for someone to make a move. He’d thought maybe Benji had
chickened out since he hadn’t seen or heard anything for a few
nights. “Do you know where they’re meeting and when?”

“Some dive bar on the outskirts. She gave me
the address. They’re supposed to meet at nine.”

“Where’s Ft. Marland?” Sarah asked from the
doorway.

Dodge whipped around at the sound of her
voice. “What are you doing here?”

“What kind of arrangements?” she asked
Tommy.

Tommy glanced at Dodge, raised his brows and
looked back at Sarah without answering.

“Somebody answer me,” she said and stomped
her foot. “This is my ranch and if Burwick is making threats, I
want to know.”

Dodge and Tommy stood where they were,
Tommy’s stare fixed on the floor. Dodge tried fruitlessly to scare
her away with a withering glare.

“You don’t need to be involved in this,”
Dodge said. “You don’t even know what we’re talking about.”

“I heard every word Tommy said. Burwick’s
meeting someone in Ft. Marland tomorrow night to make plans to do
something to the ranch, or to me and the boys. He’s trying to get
me to sell.” Her voice rose to a squeal. “I hate to disappoint you,
but I am involved.”