CHAPTER EIGHT
Owen felt determined that if Cody Meyers was the common thread, they were going to get to him, question him, and make sure the case was watertight.
He glanced at May as she followed the route to the small ranch where Cody's parents lived – and where hopefully they would find him, too. He saw that May’s face looked stern and worried.
He couldn't believe such a massive, violent case had landed in their jurisdiction. Seemingly out of the blue. Suddenly, Tamarack County was part of this killer's territory, and more than likely his current location. Suddenly, state attention and even national attention was focused on them.
Owen felt briefly intimidated by the sheer enormity of what they were up against. Even with the FBI involved, this was taking place on their local turf and as Sheriff Jack had pointed out, that meant they would be answerable and responsible.
It felt like a huge challenge for someone who had only joined the police two years ago and whose previous experience had been at an accounting firm.
But Owen reminded himself that he had joined the police because he wanted to make a difference. He felt compelled to try and help his community and his society fight exactly the kind of evil that this killer was displaying now.
Just like May was doing, he would approach this with all the courage and tenacity he possessed.
For a moment, thinking of May’s character, Owen felt a flash of regret that she had said no to dating him.
He knew that he had to respect her wishes, but he couldn't help hoping that she might change her mind in the future, because his own feelings hadn't changed.
Every day that he worked with her increased his admiration for her competence and integrity, and his liking - okay, maybe it was more adoration - for her sense of humor and her insight.
As he looked at her now, he couldn't deny that he was still attracted to her.
Maybe her mind would change and he would get the opportunity he'd dreamed of, to take her on an actual date.
But he was a realist, and he knew that he couldn't force her to change her mind. He had to fully respect her own feelings and her own choices, especially as he knew she had suffered badly in the past with a nightmare divorce that had left her wary of getting involved again.
He owed it to her to give her space, and not to try and pressure her.
And in any case, Owen told himself firmly, this was not the time to worry about dating his investigation partner. Not when they were on such an important mission. He needed to push away these distracting thoughts, because they had a job to do.
They had to find the killer and stop him before anyone else died. That was the only thing that mattered now.
Finally, they were approaching the ranch, driving out into the countryside on a winding road that led through forested hills.
"Here we are," May said, slowing the car as they reached a rustic wooden gate with the number '14' on a pillar outside. The gate was open, and the driveway beyond led up the hill to the ranch.
"Looks like a decent-sized place," he said, admiring the neatly fenced fields, with knots of trees and well-kept outbuildings.
"It's a fair-sized spread," May agreed, accelerating up the drive and slowing as she reached the house. "Let’s see who’s home.”
She pulled over and they both stepped out of the car.
The ranch was a long, red-roofed wooden building, with a white clapboard side. It was surrounded by a wide porch.
A few horses grazed in the field nearby, and Owen noticed a small creek flowed along the western edge of the property.
Owen glanced at May, feeling a flutter of nervousness in his stomach as they walked toward the ranch building.
They approached the porch, and May knocked on the door. There, they both waited, standing side by side. No one answered.
May knocked again, this time with a little more force. And Owen jumped as the door was flung open.
They came face to face with a tanned, blonde woman wearing a lavender cowboy shirt and jeans. Her expression was one of extreme annoyance.
"It takes me a while to get from the stables to the house! Don't keep banging on the door like that," she complained.
May stepped forward. "Deputies Moore and Lovell," she introduced politely. Owen always appreciated how she defused these situations. "I apologize for the repeated knocking. We're on a very tight schedule and would like to ask Cody some questions."