Wild Horses Read Online Free PDF Page B

lip as an idea occurred to her. She had to go out in the woods to look for Martin. Maybe an extra set of eyes and ears around the ranch would be useful. “Why don’t you stay at my house? I won’t be there, but you’re welcome to camp out for a while. There’s food, a hot shower, a bed — ” She blushed. Why did she go so gooey around this man?
    “Love to.”
    • • •
    When Castaña drove into the ranch, there was no sign of Briar Rose. The front door stood wide open, but Martin’s Chevy junker was gone. Parking her truck by the barn, Castaña stepped out and hurried for the house.
    Something felt wrong, and her hair stood on end.
    Jake, too, seemed on high alert. He told her to follow him as they went inside the house.
    Inside, nothing moved or made a noise. Where was Briar Rose? Had she gone to find Martin?
    She stepped into the living room, stumbled to a stop and gasped. The house had been trashed. Every drawer opened, dumped and scattered across the floor. The furniture overturned, the bottoms slashed. Pictures torn from the walls and the backs ripped off. Her fisted hand went to her mouth. “My God.”
    Behind her, Jake said, “Don’t go any farther. Let me look for Briar Rose.”
    Briar Rose. Lord. Was she okay?
    Castaña’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. She went to the door and watched Staton and Perez climb out of a tan sedan and walk toward her. “Mind if I take a look around the rest of the house?” Staton pulled a sheaf of papers from his back pocket. “We have a warrant.”
    “You’re just in time,” she pinned him with a tight stare. “Agent.”
    Jake appeared at her elbow and gave a little shake of his head. She heaved a sigh of relief.
    Staton looked at Jake. “Are you related to Miss Castillo?”
    “A friend.”
    Staton looked as if he didn’t believe him, but didn’t comment. Instead, he turned to Castaña.
    “This is your brother’s primary residence?”
    “Yes. Come see.” She led the way inside and pointed to the mess. “This happened while we were gone. I have an alibi, so maybe this will convince you my brother is in danger.”
    He didn’t comment. “Where does your brother sleep?”
    She showed him the room opposite of her old bedroom. It, too, had been torn apart.
    As Staton and Perez picked through opened drawers and looked through ravaged closets, she leaned on the wall and watched. As she suspected, he didn’t find much. Martin was obsessively neat. His room had always looked like a service cleaned it. There weren’t any family pictures or art on the walls. His clothes were folded and placed in drawers and on hangers.
    “Could you tell if he took anything with him?” Staton lifted a worn pair of jeans.
    “No, Agent. I haven’t been home in six years.”
    Jake stood at her shoulder as the agent and policeman went through Martin’s things.
    She and Jake followed them into the living room and watched while they searched the papers scattered around Pop’s old roll top desk. Staton sorted through a mangled stack of magazines and several still rolled Arizona Republics . He picked up one of the newspapers and checked the date. “This is dated from the day before the murders occurred. It doesn’t look like Martin had time to read any of these.”
    “He doesn’t read much.”
    Staton made a note in a little black book. “Are there any more bedrooms?”
    She motioned toward the back of the house. “My parents’.”
    Giving the kitchen and the bathroom a cursory look, Staton and Perez walked to her parents’ bedroom and opened the door. Even though she hadn’t been home in six years, Castaña held her breath. She could almost hear Pop shouting to stay the hell out. She shook her head. Pop was dead. He couldn’t shut her out now.
    “Is this your stuff?” Officer Perez asked of the woman’s clothing strewn about, mingled with bedding and toiletries.
    “No, Officer, it’s Briar Rose’s.” At his questioning