Colin's Quest (24 page)

“She and Geneen are at the creek with the girls—a few yards that way. I’ll get them.”

Colin grabbed Brodie’s arm. “I’ll go. You help Quinn and Caleb pack.”

Dashing in the direction Brodie pointed, he heard their laughter before seeing them in a clearing not far from the camp.

“Colin!” Sarah stood, running toward him, then stopped. “What is it?”

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he turned her away from the others. “There’s been a bank robbery and killings in Conviction. We need to get there as soon as possible.”

“Do you know who was killed?” She could feel heat radiate from his body, see the dread in his eyes.

“Just that it was local ranchers.”

“My God, Colin. Do you think…?” Her shaky voice signaled her own fear.

“I won’t think the worst, Sarah.” He dropped his arms, turning toward the others. “Hurry and pack. We’re leaving.”

On their way north, it had taken them several days to travel from their ranch to Crocker. Riding each day until they felt compelled to stop, the trip back took almost three days. Three agonizing days of not knowing if one of their family members had been murdered.

“Is that it?” Sarah pointed toward the valley ahead dotted with several houses, barns, and corrals. Her breath hitched at the beautiful sight before her. Colin had told her of Circle M Ranch, the large spread owned by his father and three uncles, but nothing could have prepared her for the impact of the first view.

“Aye. That’s home.”

“It’s…magnificent…” Her voice trailed off as Colin gave her one more glance, then pushed Chieftain faster, not waiting for the others to catch up as he rode straight for the main house.

“I’ll stay with the women. You two go on,” Caleb offered when he saw the anxious looks on Quinn’s and Brodie’s faces.

Not answering, they moved their horses into full gallops, following Colin to the house. Reining to a stop in front of the big wraparound porch, they sat frozen at the way Colin wrapped his arms around his mother, Kyla, muffling her sobs as her body shook. Pulling back, her tear-streaked face searched Colin’s, misery edging her features.

“They didn’t have time to draw their weapons. They were murdered in cold blood.” Her voice broke, the cries of agony slicing through each of them.

Sliding from their horses, Quinn and Brodie approached in slow, tentative steps, not wanting to know the truth, but needing to hear it.

“What happened, Colin?” Quinn’s hands fisted at his sides, anticipating the worst.

Colin’s shocked face, eyes red and swollen, turned toward him. “They’re dead. My da and yours…dead.”

Quinn stumbled backwards, pain like he’d never felt before wrapping itself around him, drowning him in unspeakable agony.

“Ma? Where’s Ma?” Quinn asked, breath labored, his chest tight.

“Heather and Bram are with her at your house. From what I know, she hasn’t eaten or slept since Gillis was murdered.” Kyla stepped away from Colin to wrap her arms around Quinn. “Doc said they died right away, without pain…”

Quinn swallowed the growing lump in his throat, swiping at the hot tears streaming down his face. He didn’t notice Caleb and the others ride up, and wouldn’t have cared even if he had.

Brodie stood to the side, disbelief, anger, and hatred warring within him. “Do they have the men who did this?”

Kyla looked at him. “Nae.”

“What is the sheriff doing about it?” Brodie demanded. “He must have a posse out looking for them.”

“For one day, then they stopped, giving up without any explanation. Ewan and Ian may know more about what’s going on, but they’ve been wrapped up in their own grief.” Kyla referred to the two remaining brothers. Ewan was Brodie’s father and the third oldest.

“Then I’ll speak with Da. We need to find the men who did this and make sure they hang.” Brodie stormed from the porch, swinging up on Hunter, riding at a gallop toward his family’s home.

Sarah walked up the steps, stopping next to Kyla, placing a hand on her shoulder while the girls stood, listening. Coral fidgeted, wrapping her arms around her waist, staring at the ground. Beside her, Opal and Pearl did the same, not looking at the adults.

“Come on, girls. Let’s put away the horses.” Caleb had heard enough to learn the two eldest MacLarens had been murdered with little being done to find their killers. He’d help get the girls settled, introduce himself to Colin’s mother, then find out what he could do to help track down the men responsible.

The family had waited to have the funeral until the boys returned.
Boys
, Kyla thought, shaking her head as she stood near the open graves next to Quinn’s mother, Audrey. They’d left young men, full of enthusiasm for their journey and finding the lass Colin intended to marry. Not one of them anticipated any of the trials marking their trip or the tragedy awaiting them at home.

Colin and Quinn had returned to find themselves the head of their families, forced to take over for fathers who’d died well before their time. As for Brodie, his father, Ewan, was now the eldest. Therefore, as with Angus, he held the deciding vote, a role he didn’t want or embrace. Kyla believed he’d look to Ian, Colin, and Quinn for guidance, leaning heavily on them before making decisions.

“Da and Uncle Ian won’t speak of the sheriff’s decision and won’t ride out on their own. With winter approaching, they’ve too many burdens here at the ranch to hunt the men who murdered Uncle Angus and Uncle Gillis.” Brodie slammed a hand against a wall in the study of the big ranch house where Kyla, Colin, and his brothers and sisters lived. He and his cousins shared Angus’s favorite whiskey, each wrestling with their own hate and bewilderment at the senseless killings.

Slamming his glass down, Colin crossed his arms, turning toward the others. “I’m tired of excuses. We need to speak with the sheriff ourselves, find out what the man is doing to find the murderers.” Colin had been filled with a burning rage since coming home to learn of the deaths. The depth of the hate scared him, fueling his need for revenge. Someone had to pay for what happened, and he wouldn’t rest until they did. The one person who gave him solace was Sarah. Taking long rides after supper each night, she’d let him rage, burning through his anger until exhausted, then wrap her arms around him, telling him over and over that all would be well.

He felt the same. Everything
would
be all right, but not until the killers had been put in their own graves.

 A week after the funeral and one week before Colin and Sarah’s wedding, nothing had been solved. The murderers were still free to continue their robbing and killing, no one answering for the deaths. The frustration Colin and Quinn felt at the sheriff’s lack of action ate at them until they could wait no longer.

“Tomorrow morning, I’ll ride to town and meet with the sheriff. I’m tired of waiting. I want answers.” Colin picked up his glass and downed the remaining whiskey, letting it burn a path down his throat.

“I’ll ride with you,” Quinn growled.

“Hell, Colin. We’ll all go. The sheriff has to know we’re in this together.” Although Brodie’s father still lived, he felt the pain of losing his uncles. He wanted the guilty caught and made to pay for their crimes.

Colin glanced around the room at the determined faces. “Then it’s settled. We leave at dawn tomorrow.”

“It was Coffman, pure and simple.” Quinn slammed a fist on the sheriff’s desk, tired of listening to the man trying to appease them.

“Listen here, Quinn. No one got a good look at any of them. They wore bandannas and never spoke. I took a posse out, searched for the men who killed Angus and Gillis, but lost them.” Sheriff Yost stood at least six inches shorter than any other man in the room, having a slight build, inconspicuous features, and a soft voice more suited to a librarian than a lawman.

“One damn day,” Quinn growled, his voice hard and threatening as he took a menacing step toward Yost. “You searched from morning until night, then gave up. You. Gave. Up.” Quinn wanted nothing more than to pull the man across the desk by his collar and toss him against a wall. As far as he was the concerned, Yost was a worthless piece of humanity. The man hadn’t made it as a rancher, store owner, or telegraph clerk in San Francisco, so he’d ridden east, landing in Conviction at a time when the sheriff’s job sat vacant. A year later, all he did was take up space.

Face reddening at Quinn’s accusation, Yost held his arms out, palms up. “There were no tracks. They rode east out of town, then disappeared.” He glanced from Quinn to Colin, then the others.

Jaw tight, Colin’s narrowed gaze ripped into the man. “Who’d you use as a tracker?”

“What?” Yost looked bewildered at the question.

“A tracker, Yost. Who did you use?” Colin growled, barely containing his disgust.

“Me and the boys…” Yost’s voice trailed off. He’d taken his one deputy, the deputy’s brother, and a local ranch kid who happened to be in town the day of the shooting.

“You didn’t take anyone with you who had knowledge of tracking or following trails, did you?” Colin stepped closer, stopping at Blaine’s hand on his shoulder.

Straightening, trying to preserve his reputation, Yost glared at him. “We did our best. Don’t know what else to tell you.”

“Admitting you’re incompetent and finding someone who can do the job would help,” Brodie spat out, unable to remain silent any longer. “I understand. You’re afraid of Coffman. Hell, everyone is. It’s your job to find the men who robbed the bank and killed our kin. If you can’t, or
won’t,
do it, the town needs someone who will.” He slammed his fist down, then turned and stormed outside, afraid of what he might do if he stayed.

Colin watched him leave, feeling the same anger, yet needing to get what he could out of Yost before leaving. “I want to know who else was in the bank when it happened, plus the names of anyone who saw the shootings or the outlaws ride out.”

“But—”

“
Now
, Sheriff. I want to know everything you learned, then we’ll leave.”

Quinn tossed a branch on the open fire. He, Colin, Brodie, Blaine, and Caleb had begun gathering at this spot almost every night since their return. After the meeting with Yost, they had to decide what to do next. Tonight, however, Heather, Quinn’s sister, had learned of their meeting and refused to be left out of further conversations about avenging their father.