Page 3 of The Risk

She wasn’t alone now.

3

The sheriffof Value finally arrived and called in a forensics team from Finley Creek. It was a bit awkward; the Fields’ long-lost granddaughter Charlotte, Charlie’s daughter, worked the mobile unit sometimes.

Gene hadn’t ever met her, but he’d heard her story.

She was standing next to her father now—and her aunt.

He studied the Fields’ granddaughter for a moment. She was around the same age as her aunt, but she had more muted red-brown hair than Chantal.

Chantal’s hair was as red as fire and long. Thick.

There was a strong resemblance, though. Especially from a distance.

They were small women. He’d never looked that closely at Chantal in recent years—not as a man looked at a woman, anyway.

He did now. It shocked him when he did. When he really looked at her.

Chantal was a beautiful woman now, who men would easily want. Even in the old jeans and thin sleeveless flannel shirt.

They’d both draw male attention. Effortlessly.

She wasn’t the awkward, extremely shy girl he remembered.

When had that changed?

The sheriff was asking him a lot of questions—pointed ones—as they walked to where the body had been buried. And asking the same of Chantal. Although no one was pushing too hard, considering her oldest brother was right there, and damned high up the food chain at the TSP.

Her brother was hovering over her now. Glowering like he always was.

And growling at the other cops out there if they did anything to upset his baby sister. The guy was intimidating, and he knew it, and with a sister twenty years younger, Charlie had always been extremely protective of Chantal.

Gene could understand that—he had three little sisters of his own that were quite a bit younger than his own thirty-seven; the youngest, Greer, was twenty-four. There wasn’t anything Gene wouldn’t do to keep his sisters safe, no matter what the cost.

As Gene watched, Charlie almost nudged Chantal toward a big guy in a TSP polo who was obviously in charge. Gene didn’t like the looks of the dark-haired guy at all, but it was obvious he’d met Chantal before. The man hugged her in front of everyone. The guy held her for a moment, like he was comforting her. Chantal hugged him back. Almost clung to the man like she needed the comfort.

Hell, her own brother was there. What was she doing in that guy’s arms?

She had to lead them to the body.

As they got farther up into the hills behind his place, Chantal got a little jumpier with every step.

Gene found himself at her side. Her brother walked on her other side. They were all suspects. He knew that. The body was too damned close to their properties, and the site was inaccessible.

Or it should be.

Yet there was a body right there.

Gene fought a sudden rush of nausea when he saw... what was in front of him. A hand, obviously feminine, stuck up through the clay next to two large boulders.

None of them could miss it.

Chantal just stood and stared.

“Who is she?” she whispered the question. Then she looked at him. “Where are Giavonna and Genny and Greer today?”

His sisters.