Free Colorado Abduction by Cassie Miles

end of the block was a bar with a Closed sign hung on the door. The only activity appeared to be at Winnie’s Café where two vehicles were parked outside at the curb.
    Burke had already put in a call to Sheriff Trainer in Delta, requesting a forensic team to take fingerprints from the phone. Not that he expected to find much in the way of evidence. Even amateur criminals knew enough to wear gloves.
    “I don’t see many pedestrians,” he said.
    “Most of the people who live here work in Delta. Even the kids are bussed to school.” She cracked her door open. “Shouldn’t we be poking around and asking questions? Someone might have seen the kidnapper using the phone.”
    “I hate to have you involved in this.” Any kind of investigation carried a certain element of danger. And he was concerned about her emotional state.
    “You need me,” she said. “People around here don’t like to talk to strangers, especially not to a big city guy in a leather jacket who’s carrying an FBI badge.”
    “But they’ll talk to you.”
    “They’d better.”
    Her smile showed a cool determination that he hardlybelieved was possible after her torrential breakdown. In the space of fifteen minutes, Carolyn had not only recovered her poise, but actually seemed stronger.
    Though there was something to be said for Western stoicism, he’d seen the passion that burned inside her. Reaching toward her, he wiped away a smudge the tears had left on her cheek. “You’re okay?”
    “A hundred and ten percent.” Her long black lashes fluttered as she blinked. “I won’t fall apart again. My dad always used to say, ‘When you get thrown from your horse, the best thing is to get right back on.’”
    He didn’t see how that advice applied. “What’s that mean?”
    “Don’t waste time sitting on your butt and crying.”
    She climbed out of the truck and he followed. He unzipped his leather jacket, allowing easy access to his shoulder holster.
    They talked to two women on the street, an insurance agent and the owner of the feed store that was directly across the street from the gas station. Everybody was friendly to Carolyn, but none of them had seen anyone using the phone.
    Their next stop was Winnie’s Café. The front window was painted with a Santa Claus and a snowman. As soon as they stepped through the door, he heard Carolyn curse under her breath. She nodded toward a wiry man in a beat-up Stetson. Like the hat, his face was weathered. Leathery brown skin stretched tight across high cheekbones and a sharp chin. Burke guessed that he was probably near forty.
    Quietly, Carolyn said, “That’s Nate Miller.”
    He remembered the name from the list of potential kidnappers. Miller blamed the Carlisles for the loss of his cattle ranching business. He had leased his property to the Sons of Freedom. “Introduce me.”
    He could see her jaw tighten as she approached the square wood table where Nate sat reading the sports page of the Denver newspaper and sipping coffee.
    Keeping her voice level, Carolyn greeted him. “Mind if we join you?”
    “Suit yourself.” He squinted at Burke through hostile eyes. “I haven’t seen you around here before. Has this got something to do with what happened to Nicole?”
    Though he obviously knew about the kidnapping, Nate hadn’t offered condolences or any expression of concern to Carolyn. That was cold. “What time did you get to the café this morning?”
    “Same as every damn morning. Nine o’clock.”
    That gave him enough time to stop at the gas station and make the ransom call. “Did you drive?”
    “Must have.” He sneered. “That’s my truck sitting outside at the curb.”
    Carolyn’s cell phone rang. She carefully checked the number before she said, “Excuse me, gentlemen. I need to take this call.”
    As she politely stepped away from the table, Burke watched for a reaction from the man who sat opposite him. Nate Miller didn’t move a muscle, didn’t betray any sign of his