Losing Ladd (19 page)

“
You’re treating me like
I’m some kind of helpless baby.” Felicity unwound her arms and
said, “Well, I’m
not
. I’m a grown woman who can take care of myself, and I’m sick
and tired of you coddling me like I’m some kind of child who needs
protecting.”

Genuinely shocked, his eyes went to
the small heart-shaped pendant at her collarbone, the one he’d
given her the summer before college. It had been a gesture of his
love, his undying love and devotion to her, and that included
wanting to protect her. “Felicity, since when is wanting you to be
safe a bad thing?”

“
When it means you don’t
think I’m strong and capable of taking care of myself.”

If she called running into
a burning building to save her horse and nearly meeting the same
demise as her mother strong and capable, she needed to hear
otherwise. Her mother was lying in a hospital bed because she
hadn’t thought about what she was doing. She totally missed the
falling beam and if it hadn’t been for
him
, she’d be dead right
now!

If it hadn’t been for Troy, Felicity
could have met with the same fate. What part of that didn’t she
get?

“
If you’ll excuse me,” she
said nastily, “I’m going to be with my mother. If you want to make
yourself useful, why don’t you track down my father and see if he
has an alibi. I’ll bet he
doesn’t
.”

Travis returned to the hotel. With
Felicity camped out at the hospital for the foreseeable future and
uninterested in his whereabouts, he decided to pursue the person or
persons responsible for the fire. Felicity clearly thought her
father was responsible for setting the blaze, but Travis believed
otherwise. His lighter outside the stables had most likely been
lost during his attack on her mother. He had no motive to be there
otherwise. Jack Foster was pursuing his revenge in the court
room.

Unlike Jeremiah Ladd. It was no
coincidence bad things started happening upon his return to town.
It was only a matter of proving his connection to them—a matter
Travis hoped Mr. Ward could assist him with. At the moment, Mr.
Harris was walking around in a stupefied haze and would be of no
help, which led Travis to his partner. Once he learned what Travis
had discovered, Mr. Ward might be able to take it a step
further.

Pulling into the parking lot, Travis
was surprised by the number of police cars. There were half a dozen
pulled up near the hotel entrance, a few more were parked on the
grass along the gravelly drive, their lights actively flashing an
insistent creepy red glow against the green trees. Milling
alongside the cars were policemen. Tons of them. How many cops did
it take to gather evidence?

One of the officers eyed him
suspiciously as Travis slowed his truck to enter. Raising a hand,
he ordered Travis to stop.

Rolling to a stop, Travis lowered his
window and waited for the man to make his way over. Flames were no
longer visible uphill, but the evidence of fire hung heavily in the
humid air. It filled his nostrils, sank into his heart, plastering
his mind with flashbacks from the fire, the hospital, Felicity’s
withdrawal from him.

“
Is there something I can
help you with, son?”

Securing the officer within his focus,
Travis stated, “I’m here to see the manager.”

“
Do you have business with
him?”

“
Yes.” Simple,
straightforward it wasn’t a lie. He didn’t have an appointment, but
he was certain Mr. Ward would want to hear from him.

“
At this hour on a Sunday
evening?” the officer questioned.

“
Yes, sir. It’s personal
in nature.”

“
What’s your
name?”

“
Travis
Parker.”

The police officer jotted down the
information. Glancing up the hill, he said, “This isn’t a good
time. There’s been a fire on the property and the management has
asked us to keep activity to a minimum. You’ll have to come back
another time.”

About to tell him he was here to
discuss the fire, Travis thought better of it. No reason to raise
any more suspicion than a late night Sunday visit already had.
“Sure, no problem.”

Shifting the gear into reverse, Travis
backed out and drove up the road toward town. He should have said
he was here to pick up his brother or help with the horses. Lying
would have ensured an easier access. Instead, he went with the
truth, which drew the attention of the police.

Driving out of sight, Travis circled
back and returned to the hotel, keeping a wary eye out for the
officer who’d stopped him. Passing the main lot, he continued on to
the employee lot which was lined with cars from those called back
to work, but Travis noted a narrow space available on the end.
Slipping in, he decided he’d trek up to the stables under the cover
of forest by taking the employee route up. Shoving his truck keys
into his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone and used the light to
illuminate his way. Slinking through the black of forest didn’t
make him a criminal.

Only made him feel like one. A feeling
he didn’t care for. But it wasn’t like he was breaking the law.
Only doing what he had to do to set things right.

Chapter Sixteen

Marching up the narrow passage, the
light from Travis’ cell phone illuminated the path, pine-needles
blanketing the forest floor, a slew of rocks and roots poking up
from beneath. Unaccustomed to taking the employee route up to the
stables, he hadn’t committed this trail to memory. Thoughts of the
years he’d spent walking this land, these trails, brought the
magnitude of the events home. Whoever set the fire intended to do
serious damage. Not only had they shown total disregard for the
safety and well-being of the horses, they obviously had little
regard for the land. Travis might not own Ladd Springs, but burning
any natural preserve went against his grain. He’d grown up in these
woods. His family lived up the street, their property connected by
forest. If the group of them hadn’t been nearby for the Serenity
Scape performance, who knows how far the fire could have spread,
how many animals could have perished.

Wildfires didn’t discriminate. They
only destroyed.

Exiting the trail, Travis gazed up the
hill. The sight of the stables half burned to the ground cut raw.
The flames might be gone, but the smoke had managed to permeate the
entire mountainside, hanging in layers. The stench angered him.
Fire engines emitted a steady flash of red light over the stables
and paddocks, white walls barely recognizable as most of the
building had collapsed into a massive heap of charred wood and bent
metal, ribbons of smoke twirling upward as they vanished into the
black of night. In contrast to the dead rubble of devastation, the
area was a hive of activity. Horses had been collected, were being
attended to by stable staff. Troy would be there overseeing the
animals, ensuring their safety, keeping them calm. Despite their
differences of late, Travis recognized Troy had a talent when it
came to the animals. When they were growing up, horses had always
been a part of their lives. They rode every day, worked them, took
care of them. Neither used saddles. They weren’t necessary. The
feel of a horse beneath their bodies was as natural as a pair of
jeans and boots. But Troy had always demonstrated an emotional
connection with the horses that Travis did not. It was like he
spoke their language, understood what they thought. Travis couldn’t
attest to that level of expertise, but according to Miss Delaney,
Troy was as good as they came.

Hiking the remaining distance, Travis
redirected his thoughts to the “who” and the “why.” Whoever did
this was sick. Twisted. And he would pay.

Skirting the fire trucks, Travis
strode the vicinity of the building, scanning the myriad faces in
search of Mr. Ward. With Mr. Harris tied up at the hospital and
going nowhere fast, Travis needed to find Mr. Ward and tell him
what he’d learned about Jeremiah’s debt, his meeting with the
strangers in town. It was possible that Mr. Ward had done his own
research, and between the two of them, they could put their minds
together and solve this crime. Distracted by the blackened rubble,
inundated by the sour scent, his heart caught at the sight of
scorched stall gates. A few hung open, dangling from their hinges,
looking like they could break at any second. Felicity had tried to
get Blue. Her mom had tried to save them all. Fixing his gaze on a
row of leather tack scarred by flame, Travis thought about all they
had nearly lost. Miss Delaney was in the hospital. Troy and a horse
had been burned, but it could have been worse.

Travis glanced from roof to walls to
ground. This fire had not only been devastating to the animals, it
would cost a fortune for Mr. Harris to rebuild and re-outfit. The
horses had lost their home. They could live outdoors, but many were
new to the stables. Heck, the stables were new to Ladd Springs!
Allowing his gaze to drift toward the animals gathered in the open
night air, he thought they appeared calm, normal after their
traumatic evening. With the stables burned to a crisp, where would
the horses stay?

“
Travis.” He turned at the
sound of the masculine voice coming from behind him. “Have you been
to see Delaney?”

Malcolm Ward appeared out of nowhere
like a gift from Heaven. Despite the destruction around him, he
looked clean and fresh. Must be the white head of hair. Against the
dark and desolate scene surrounding them, his hair jumped out as
though he had averted disaster. Which he hadn’t. The dirt stains on
the knees of his pressed khaki slacks told a different story. He
had been there with Delaney when the ambulance arrived.

Travis coughed, slung the long bangs
from his eyes. “Not exactly. I went to the hospital with Felicity
but they were doing tests. The results weren’t good. She’s in a
coma.”

Malcolm dropped his head forward.
Running a hand over his head, he heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry to hear
that. I assume Felicity is still at the hospital?”

Travis nodded. “She’s with
Nick.”

The fact registered in Malcolm’s
expression. Nick was his partner, his friend. The fact that he was
suffering struck deep, like he shared in their tragedy. “The two
will need each other to get through this.”

“
Yes,” Travis murmured in
reply. His girlfriend needed Nick, not him. Travis attributed her
reaction tonight to stress. Her horse’s safety had been jeopardized
for the second time in less than a week, and it was taking its toll
on her. Emotions ran high and tight. That much he understood. But
her reaction to him was a different story. It felt more like
rejection than stress.

“
Are you here to see
Troy?” Malcolm asked.

Caught on the chin, Travis realized it
was the obvious question. If he wasn’t at the hospital with
Felicity, what was he doing here? Shifting his weight, he set hands
to his hips. “Actually, I’m here to see you.”

“
Me?”

“
Yes, sir.” Checking the
immediate vicinity for anyone who might overhear, he said, “I’ve
been doing some digging and I’ve learned that Jeremiah Ladd’s
marker was paid via a local bank here in town.”

Malcolm raised his brow.

“
I was able to trace the
wire but there was no name attached to the transaction. Apparently
it was paid in cash.”

“
Good work,” Malcolm
commended, his demeanor easing a degree. “I like a man who
understands the value of detective work.”

Travis straightened. “Thank you, sir.
But that’s not all.”

Malcolm tipped his head. “I’m
listening.”

“
I followed Jeremiah Ladd
downtown. He went to a house in a pretty bad section of town and
met with some guy. I saw him when he came out but didn’t recognize
him.”

“
Did he look like a
local?” Malcolm asked.

“
Could’ve been.” He
shrugged. “I have no idea. But I did take a picture.” Travis pulled
the cell phone from his back pocket and searched through his photo
album. Locating the photo, he handed the phone to Malcolm. “That’s
the guy.”

Malcolm peered at the image, zooming
in for a better look. While his features had relaxed, his gaze was
consumed in deliberation. “I’ve never seen him before.”

“
I don’t know if he’s from
here or not.”

“
Doesn’t look like a man
who could pay fifty thousand dollars on behalf of
Jeremiah.”

“
Agreed. It’s possible
he’s just an old friend or something, but I thought it
significant.”

Malcolm returned the phone. “Good
work. I say we head down to the hotel and show Cal. See if he
recognizes the man.”

“
Okay.”

If the man thought that would help,
fine. Travis didn’t have anything else to do at the
moment.

Walking in silence down to the lobby
of Hotel Ladd, the two men were content with the privacy of their
thoughts. It had been a long night yet it wasn’t getting any
shorter. Not surprisingly, a few guests milled about, driven by
morbid curiosity. Whispers had spread quick as the fire. There had
been an explosion. The stables had been burned to the ground.
Ambulances had carried away the owner’s wife. Police were on scene
to investigate. Travis understood it was human nature to gawk and
question, but it didn’t prevent him from wishing the people had
vacated the premises. For him, this blow had been
personal.