Free Tainted Mountain by Shannon Baker Page B

impressed Barrett could come up with his name. “That’s right.”
    Heather inched away. Before she could take another step, Barrett put his arm over her shoulders and drew her to his side. “Have you met my daughter, Heather?”
    Tomlinson lost his smile and hesitated a moment.
    Ice floes threatened Barrett’s heart. There was a reason Alex disappeared, a reason the good officer approached—and he understood it all had to do with Heather.
    Tomlinson looked Barrett in the eye. “Actually, Mr. McCreary, we have a situation involving your daughter.”
    Heather stiffened next to him but kept an implacable expression.
    â€œThere was an incident here a couple of days ago at the courthouse that involved your daughter.”
    â€œWhat sort of incident, Mike?”
    Tomlinson shook his head. “That activist, Big Elk, stirred up a bunch of people and things got out of hand. The owner of Kachina Ski, Nora Abbott, was threatened.”
    â€œThat’s terrible.”
    â€œAfraid so. Anyway, several witnesses identified your daughter as one of the assailants.”
    If he’d had any doubts before, this sealed Alex’s death warrant. “How is Ms. Abbott?”
    â€œShe wasn’t injured. Unfortunately, the next day the main assailant, Alex Seweingyawma, attacked Ms. Abbott at her home and nearly killed her.”
    Heather drew in a sharp breath. At least this news surprised her.
    â€œAttempted murder? And this criminal is at large?” No need to tell Tomlinson that Alex had been here. Barrett was more efficient and lethal than the legal system.
    â€œWe’ve got leads but, frankly, when these people retreat to the rez, it’s hard to get our hands on them.”
    â€œI understand, Mike. This is a disturbing situation and I promise we’ll take care of it.”
    Tomlinson nodded. “Seweingyawma is a dangerous man. Your daughter needs to keep her distance.”
    â€œOf course. Thank you.” Barrett started to walk away.
    â€œThere are consequences, you know,” Tomlinson said.
    Barrett clenched his teeth. “Consequences?”
    â€œTo your daughter’s involvement. Heather will have to appear before a judge. In cases as serious as this, juvie lockup isn’t out of the question. But sometimes, if the family can come up with suitable restitution and the youth shows appropriate remorse, probation is a possibility.”
    Heather didn’t balk when Barrett led her to the Escalade.
    A black wave of panic gathered at the back of Barrett’s brain. He forced calm to take over. He’d made a fortune turning problems into opportunities. He needed to think like Barrett McCreary III, not some addled peon.
    How could he stop Heather from this teenaged rebellion stage and get her back on track? When Heather threatened Nora Abbott, she also threatened her own future. Fear of her next self-destructive act terrified him. At the very least, she’d made his next move trickier.
    If Nora held resentment for Heather’s part in the attack, Barrett would have a hard time manipulating her. And he needed Nora Abbott on board. Barrett cleared his mind and waited. He put his trust in the wheels and cogs that operated on the other side of his consciousness.
    It happened again, as it always did. A solution sprang into his head, fully formed like Athena bursting from Zeus’s temple. Barrett hadn’t lost his touch, after all.
    By this time tomorrow, Nora Abbott and Heather would both be under his control.

Ten
    Charlie bumped into Nora on the trail, Scott’s pine box stabbing her in the back. “Oh man, it’s the Heat.”
    She thought the death of her husband, revelation of his betrayal, and looming financial ruin might be more than she could take in one day. And yet, the black cloud just got darker.
    Maybe she could walk back up the trail like the Von Trapp family at the end of The Sound of Music . Just run away. She’d