Grave Instinct Read online

  “Not at all.” Her words came out breathy. Only the best night of sex she’d ever had. It was a good thing Robert couldn’t see her dopey smile. She cleared her throat. “Justin hasn’t forgotten Erin,” she said. “Like us, he’s never going to quit. He’s the one who signed out her police file. It seems Savannah’s murder has sparked a renewed interest in all of us.”

  “That’s good,” Robert said. “With everyone pushing, something is bound to break.”

  Her thoughts exactly, and Nikki gave an enthusiastic nod despite knowing Robert couldn’t see her. “I’m going to talk to Carlton’s ex-wife. See how much she knew about his business. I realize it’s a long shot but maybe he had something to do with Dad’s death too. Justin is going to take a look at that old file as well.”

  “It’s a possibility,” Robert said thoughtfully. “Your father died almost a year after he gave evidence so investigators didn’t believe it was related. But at the time no one knew Carlton’s brother had taken over.” His voice changed, laced with concern. “But it’s safer for you to stay away from Carlton’s wife until Justin or I can go with you. They may be divorced but you can bet he doesn’t want her talking. And he still has access to some very ruthless people.”

  “Justin gave the same warning.” Nikki gunned her car into the left lane, closely following a Volvo wagon. Conversely, Justin respected that she was an investigator. He’d only cautioned her to be careful while Robert tried to shield her. And Robert’s way was always too plodding.

  “Good,” Robert said. “So you’ll listen to us. And stay safe.” He sounded distracted and she could hear a horn honking in the background.

  “Actually I have an interview with Mrs. Carlton this afternoon.” Nikki spoke firmly, letting him know she didn’t intend to cancel.

  “Okay, but take Gunner. And be careful. At least we all know where you are.” His voice brightened. “By the way, I came by your office because I found a report containing details about Erin’s horse. It was mixed with some of my old files in the attic.”

  “That’s great.” But Nikki stared at the car in front of her, fighting off her foreboding. “What did it say?”

  “I only scanned it quickly but the horse’s registered name was Pancho’s Pride. He was sixteen years old and there was something about his size. Something in hands, I think. Does that make sense?”

  “Yes, but his height isn’t important. What about his condition?” Her voice was sharper than she intended, totally unfair since Robert didn’t know much about horses. He’d shared her mother’s distaste of everything equine. “Did it mention anything about Pancho’s skin? Or hair?”

  “Hair? I think the report said he was brown. I just grabbed the one-page summary, not the full report.”

  “So there was nothing out of the ordinary?” She blew out a sigh of relief.

  “That’s correct,” Robert said. “Just a spot where he’d rubbed his mane along with a couple abrasions.”

  “Abrasions?” Her foot jerked so abruptly she almost bumped the Volvo ahead of her. “Where were the cuts? On his legs? From the branches maybe?”

  “Maybe. But the cuts were on his ribs, not his legs. The report said they were superficial. Certainly not enough to make Erin dismount. Just a little bloody.”

  Bloody. They had to have been caused by spurs. A buzzing filled her ears and she could barely hear Robert inviting her to drop by tonight and pick up the report. He said something about barbecue but her mind felt molasses slow. She didn’t even remember saying goodbye, only knew she was alone in the car with nothing but a silent phone and Gunner whining in her ear.

  “Lie down, Gunner. That report doesn’t mean a thing.” She pushed his head away then instantly felt contrite. He was only trying to help, always quick to pick up on her emotions.

  “No need to worry,” she added with forced cheerfulness. But that was a bald-faced lie. Because nothing had bothered Justin more than seeing a rider jabbing ineffectually with their spurs. Erin had probably lost her temper when Pancho couldn’t keep up to the other riders. She would have been upset, ramming and kicking at her horse’s sides, trying to force him across the brook.

  Had Justin ridden to the clearing and noticed the blood? Maybe he’d fired her on the spot. If Erin was in one of her moods, she might have mouthed off at him.

  That wouldn’t have gone over well.

  Nikki’s hands tightened around the wheel. Of course, Justin wouldn’t have intended to hurt anyone. Maybe he’d pulled Erin from the saddle and she’d hit her head. So he’d tried to cover it up. The girth had been loosened and Pancho safely tied. Police concluded it had been Erin who had looked after her horse, running up the stirrups so they wouldn’t bump his sides.

  But it could have been someone else—a man who cared passionately about animals.

  A choke tangled in her throat. Justin had asked her to trust him. And she had, accepting his story that he’d been filling the shavings pile, liking to think he’d wanted to help her. Even back then. But had she been swayed by emotion? Letting herself be influenced by his touch, his kiss, how he made her feel loved?

  The shift in their relationship had been something she’d wanted for years. She’d told herself that he was waiting for her to grow up, yet he could be playing her. Her chest kicked with anguish and she pulled in a ragged breath, trying to think objectively.

  In Justin’s defense, the time line wasn’t quite right. He’d kissed her before she questioned his whereabouts about that missing hour. It had been after the kiss that she’d dug into the files and learned she’d been his sole alibi. He hadn’t even known about her suspicions until the next day when they drove to the K-9 facility. And he’d seemed truly shocked. Definitely not faking.

  It was hard to think and drive safely so she veered onto the next exit and pulled onto the shoulder. Leaning back against the headrest, she stared unseeingly over the dashboard.

  Justin cared for her but that didn’t mean he wasn’t responsible for Erin’s disappearance. The two didn’t have to be mutually exclusive. She had to accept the possibility that the hands that had held her so tenderly last night may have ended Erin’s life.

  Then what? Had he dumped her body like garbage and then coolly pretended to help Nikki search all these years? The idea was so ludicrous, it left her shaking her head.

  A few cuts on Pancho didn’t mean Justin was guilty. Horses kicked and bit each other all the time. Stormy had been a bully and she had the vague recollection that he and Pancho were turned out together. Pancho probably cut himself by rubbing against the fence or rolling on a rock. And hadn’t Justin said the police spoke to other people who’d confirmed his presence at the stable? But that hadn’t been confirmed in her office file.

  Steeling herself, she swung her car back onto the road. The cuts could have been made by teeth, not spurs. If they were on both sides, they were probably rider inflicted. But until she saw the actual proof, she wasn’t going to agonize over ugly suspicions. Justin deserved her faith.

  It took twenty-six minutes to speed to Robert’s neighborhood. She parked beneath the shaded oak in front of his house and scrambled from the car. It was still early morning but already the sun was too hot to leave Gunner in the car.

  “Come on, fellow,” she called, jogging up the walkway and shaking out her keys. She couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t have a key although it had been years since she’d popped by when Robert wasn’t home, despite his insistence she feel free to use the pool.

  Gunner loped past her and waited on the upper step, eager for her to unlock the door. No doubt, he was anticipating a juicy dog bone. She wouldn’t be here long enough to justify removing one from the freezer but he’d have a few minutes to sniff around the grass. At least her dog was having a good morning: first Justin’s yard and now Robert’s.

  She opened the front door and hurried to the back patio, making sure Gunner trotted past the pool and flowerbeds before sliding the screen door shut. Then she rushed into the kitchen and
scanned the counters for the file. Saw nothing.

  She walked into the den but the coffee table was empty except for a shiny golf magazine. Then she groaned in realization. Robert had dropped by her office on the way to his golf game. Obviously he had Pancho’s summary report in his car. She’d been too impulsive, driving across town for nothing, wasting time and gas.

  She trudged back to the patio door and glanced through the screen. Gunner was rolling on the thick grass, eyes closed in bliss. Clearly he didn’t think this impromptu stop was a waste. She’d give him a few more minutes before heading to her office.

  On the other hand, she didn’t want to agonize all day about the location of Pancho’s cuts. It would be better to find out where Robert was golfing and simply pick up the file there. He’d have to interrupt his game though and she was loath to bother him. He and his friends were extremely competitive.

  She pressed her head against the screen door, accepting she’d have to wait until tonight. At least Robert would have time to dig out the entire file then, and not just a one-page summary.

  Or maybe she could find it?

  Brightening, she strode into the guest room. She and Erin had often played in the attic and the fold-down staircase was easy to use. She reached up and lowered the stairs, giving it an experimental shake. The steps were rather wobbly but if they held Robert’s weight, surely they’d hold hers.

  She climbed to the top rung, pulled out her phone and scanned the floor with its light. Her movement stirred up dust, causing her to sneeze five times in quick succession. She swiped at her watering eyes then found a dangling string and turned on the overhead bulb.

  She’d never been in the attic without Erin. The space was darker than she remembered and much less cluttered. Cobwebs draped over exposed wooden beams and a hanging sticky tape was dotted with the carcasses of black flies. At one time, the attic had been a treasure trove of toys, pool floats and Christmas decorations. Now there were no toys, only cardboard boxes set in a row. It shouldn’t take long to find the information.

  Robert didn’t appear to have taken many files into retirement, probably only Erin’s. Hopefully, the contents were labeled.

  She pulled herself up and kneeled beside the first box. Nothing was written on the outside so she raised the top and peered beneath the lid. Her jaw dropped when she saw the contents.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Nikki sank to her knees beside the bulging cardboard box, struggling for balance. The box didn’t contain files at all, but horse brushes: brand new ones with shiny wooden backs and sparkling clean bristles. There was even a small rounded body brush that would fit in a girl’s hand. STORMY, it said on the back.

  She remembered printing the pony’s name. But the brush had disappeared before she’d ever had a chance to take it to the barn. And she remembered why.

  She slipped her hand beneath the leather strap, running a finger through the soft bristles. Robert had often dropped off horse items, aware money was tight and that their mom refused to set foot in a tack shop. But that was around the same time Erin was losing interest in horses, and gaining interest in boys. And her moodiness had escalated.

  “Don’t buy us such stupid things,” Erin had yelled at Robert. “Only idiots bring brushes for horses they don’t own.”

  Robert’s face had blanched and Nikki had felt terrible. He wasn’t used to seeing Erin so antagonistic.

  “I’d love to have my own brush,” Nikki had said, trying to make him feel better. “Now I’ll be able to straighten Stormy’s mane.”

  She’d picked up a marker, printed the pony’s name, and was just about to draw a big heart. But Erin had pulled the marker from Nikki’s hand and tugged her from the room. “If you want to buy us something sensible,” Erin had called over her shoulder. “Buy us a horse. One that can jump, and good enough that Nikki can take to shows.”

  Nikki had been horrified at such rudeness. Her sister had turned increasingly volatile but not usually when Robert was visiting. Nikki and her mother tended to take the brunt. Although those last months, the outbursts had escalated. It was bittersweet that Nikki’s last image of Erin had been her grateful wave as she rode into the woods…a ride that Nikki had enabled, and from which Erin had never returned.

  She swiped at her eyes then pulled more items from the box. This was a treasure trove: from hoof picks and curry combs to horse liniments and organic fly spray. She would have been over the moon to have this stuff. And it didn’t end there.

  The second box contained even bigger ticket items: fitted riding shirts, luxurious leather belts with dainty buckles, and two pink saddle pads embroidered with their initials. At the very bottom of the box, carefully wrapped in a grooming towel, was a designer riding helmet, just like the ones the older girls wore.

  Dust was making her eyes water and she jammed everything back in the boxes. The tack store must have been delighted to see Robert coming. But Erin’s disappearance and her mother’s subsequent barn ban had prevented the items from ever being used. They were forever wasted, stuck in this depressing attic. Maybe Justin would know of a needy kid who would appreciate Robert’s generosity.

  And she needed to get back on track and remember why she’d climbed up here.

  Subdued, she opened the remaining box and checked inside. But there were no police files, only a collection of vaguely familiar photo albums. She lifted the cover and her mother’s smiling face beamed back at her. The rest of the pages were the same, filled with photos of her mother, Robert and her dad. Her mom had banished all pictures of her father from the house, but obviously loyal Robert had kept them safe.

  Nikki swiped at her eyes, accepting that it wasn’t just the dust that bothered her. And she was so relieved the pictures hadn’t been trashed. It would be wonderful to have some photos of her parents, back when everyone was happy. She’d been so young when her father died and she shouldn’t have taken his suicide as a personal rejection.

  Robert, Justin and even Tony thought she’d been too judgmental. And they’d been right. After all, more than one cop escaped the darkness with a self-inflicted bullet.

  She flipped through the remaining albums, feeling herself further soften. Her parents looked so beautiful, beaming with optimism and vitality. Even Robert grinned in a way she’d never seen before.

  And then it changed. Her father disappeared from the pictures, taking with him her mom’s sparkle. Nikki and Erin still seemed to be having fun though, splashing in Robert’s pool and spraying him with water. Erin was the spitting image of their mother, blond hair plastering her face, while Nikki looked more like her dad. But this time her nose didn’t curl at that admission.

  She slowed, turning each page more deliberately now, completely engrossed. Her childhood was contained in these albums and clearly it hadn’t all been bad. There were even photos of her and Erin, dressed in clumsy rubber boots and jeans, their very first day working at the stable. Robert had driven them their entire first week, worried the school bus wouldn’t get them there on time. There were even pictures of Stormy and a few other horses, including one of Erin jumping a cross rail.

  She scanned the pictures, noting how Erin’s work pants changed from faded jeans to form-fitting white breeches. And how her smile turned as artificial as her clothes. In her tight clothing and fancy riding helmet, she resembled the stuck-up boarders she’d been so determined to copy.

  Erin’s eyes looked darker too and it wasn’t only the result of makeup. She had a defiant look that Nikki didn’t remember seeing. If Erin had looked at Justin with such insolence, it was a wonder she hadn’t been fired on the spot.

  Then there were no more pictures, only empty pages in a sad unfinished album.

  Nikki replaced the lid on the box, washed by a myriad of feelings. She was grateful Robert had kept the pictures and she’d like to have her own copies. He must have been saving the photos, along with all the horse items, waiting until she was emotionally ready. The clothes and helmet were no longer of use bu
t she’d always treasure Stormy’s brush.

  Something nagged at her but the thought was fleeting, dissolving before it could fully form. And she must have misunderstood Robert because there were certainly no case files here. Definitely nothing about Pancho.

  She sent him a text even though he was probably on the golf course by now and wouldn’t answer until the afternoon. Where’s the full report on Erin’s horse?

  His quick answer surprised her. Attic.

  I’m at your place now and don’t see it. She paused on the ladder to finish the text. Lots of pictures though. Fun looking through the albums.

  She slipped the phone in her pocket and reached up to shove the staircase back into place. Her phone chirped and she answered without checking the screen, assuming it was Robert.

  “Did you figure out the coffee maker?” Justin asked. “Just wonder if you want me to come back. And help you with anything.”

  His voice was low and intimate, stirring vivid memories from last night. Heat warmed her face. And every feminine part. She couldn’t help thinking about all the delightful ways he could help.

  “I already left your place,” she said, shaken by her rush of desire. It didn’t seem fair to indulge in sexual fantasies while searching for a potentially incriminating report. “I’m at Robert’s now.”

  “Regrettable.”

  “Yes,” she breathed, then squeezed her lips tight, shocked by the longing that spilled from her voice.

  “Dammit, I love it when you talk dirty.”

  “It’s one word.” She smiled in spite of herself, amazed at how light he made her feel.

  “But it’s all I need to hear,” he said. “Did Gunner have fun chasing the squirrels?”

  “Yes, he did… How did you know about the squirrel?”

  “Video.”

  Her hand tightened around the ladder. She’d noticed the cameras outside Justin’s house. No doubt he also had surveillance inside, just better concealed.

  “You were watching us?” She didn’t hide her indignation but at the same time she was relieved she hadn’t snooped in his office.