Page 27 of Cry Wolf

“That woman is a formidable force. Stubborn and feisty as a badger. But those eyes. They can hold a person hostage and make them do things they ordinarily wouldn’t. She casts a spell over you until you do exactly what she tells you to do.” He looked at the dog. “That’s how I got you.”

Jasper ignored him.

“Of course, you know that. No one can say no to her. She was in charge from the time she got the drop on us.” Again, he checked the dog. “You do understand I let her get the upper hand, right?”

Jasper’s ear twitched, but he didn’t look at Brett.

Oh, Matt. I could sure use your help.

Matt had loved solving problems. That was why he’d become a lawyer, to help others in need.

Brett had similar interests, but he wanted to catch criminals to make the world a better place. Especially after what he’d lived through as a kid and the night that had changed his life forever.

A man he’d never seen before and had never seen since had saved his life. Deputy Marshal Logan Mansfield.

Logan had shown him that evil could be brought to justice. It only needed courageous people to carry it out. Logan came to mind every time Brett made an arrest. Every time he came across a felon’s frightened child, Brett would step into the role the man had played in his life for someone else. Gran had been so proud of Brett.

Even though Brett had been only nine when he’d gone to live with Gran, she’d made sure he saw a good therapist to work through his trauma. Doctor Alice Goodwin. He’d visited the short, dainty woman’s office once a week for over a year. He’d blamed himself for not protecting his mother, but Doctor Goodwin had helped him understand that what Randy had done wasn’t Brett’s fault. It was Randy’s own doing. No matter how much therapy Brett had received, a sliver of guilt had lodged deep within him. But Doctor Goodwin and Gran had made a good team.

Gran had been his anchor. He could almost see her beautiful sparkling-blue eyes that she’d claimed she’d inherited from her Swedish father, and her long white hair she’d worn in a half ponytail. It had made her look younger than she was.

On that first night with Gran, she’d sat up with him, holding him close as he’d cried. She’d rocked him in her arms and told him everything would be all right. She’d comforted him many, many times since then. Even years later, he’d be just fine, and then a commercial with a family would come on TV, and he’d burst into tears. Gran had been there for him.

She had always picked up the pieces in that gentle way she had. And he had never wanted to disappoint her or make her ashamed of him. He knew that she, too, grieved over his mom. Lilyanne had been her only child. Brett hated Randy for taking her away from both of them.

But even then, Gran had never dwelled on Randy or talked ill of him. If his name had come up, she had changed the subject to something else.

One day, Brett had asked her why she did that.

“Sonny,” she’d said, “no good comes from reliving a painful past. I’d rather focus on what lies ahead and remember the happy person your mother was.”

Gran had been there for him throughout the most important events of his life. She hadn’t been thrilled to learn he wanted to become a U.S. Marshal, but she’d said she understood why and that someone had to stop the bad guys. She’d supported his decision and had even attended his graduation from training at Glynco.

As a thank-you for all she’d done for him, as inadequate as it was, he’d bought her the cabin on Mount Rainy. She’d loved the mountains. She had walked through the swaying pines and fluttering aspens on her way to the mountain meadow in the back of the cabin and said it was as close to heaven as she’d ever get during her mortal life.

He couldn’t have imagined life without her... until he’d been forced to.

After she died, he’d go to the cabin to feel close to her.

He leaned his forehead against the tree trunk and closed his eyes. He saw Dania with bits of leaves and twigs stuck in her long ebony hair. Even with oversized clothes hanging on her slight frame, she was a classic beauty.

Despite her act of being tough, he had seen vulnerability in her gaze. When he got back to civilization, he’d call her lawyer and warn him that if she got in touch with him, it was imperative that she turn herself in.

Brett would also call Sheriff Kennard and request that he send over all the files he had on her case. Surely, during the murder investigation, he’d downloaded the information from Matt’s laptop. But if the sheriff hadn’t, Brett would find out if it had been released to Walter.

Once he had all the evidence assembled, he’d enlist BB’s help, and together they’d pore over every single shred of evidence. He might even call in a criminal genealogist to help with DNA research. He’d also go to the Cromwell Law Firm and talk with Matt’s secretary and even Vanessa Cromwell herself. He’d interview them one at a time to see if on their own they might remember more. He’d also ask them what cases Matt had been working on. Plus, if they still had Matt’s desktop, he’d ask to take it.

But first he had to get out of these stupid cuffs.

A cold breeze blew over him, making him shiver. Darkness pressed upon him. An owl hooted high above in the trees.

Jasper lay next to him, and Brett wished he could just go to sleep, but instead, his mind went back to Dania.

Where in the world had she gone?

Chapter Twelve

Dania nearly raced into thepath of a semi. The driver laid on the horn, scaring Dania so badly that her skin prickled. A trail of semis waited behind this one, lining up to go to the main highway. The trucker rolled down the passenger window. It was the woman who had been in the shower room. “You okay?” she yelled.