Page 36 of Lawman’s Witness

Amy Sue heard the caution in her sister’s voice all in that one word. “I’m not getting in over my head with Russ if that’s what you’re worried about.” Even as she said the words, she thought of the look she’d seen in his eyes and recalled her own reaction to it—and the kiss.

“Russ? Oh Amy Sue.”

“You need to stop worrying about me.”

“I wish I could, but you’re my sister and I love you and you’re in Billings rattling the cage, as you put it, of a murderer and now I have this bad feeling.”

“When you put it that way,” she joked. “Actually, I’ve run out of ideas. I’ve done as much as I can, and so has Russ.” What she didn’t say was what she was thinking. Whatever happened next was in Jack Marshall’s court, and truthfully, that did have her worried. Not just for herself. The last time she talked to Liz Baker she’d gotten the impression the woman might do something desperate.

“Russ plans to call Marshall in to the police department after he talks to Liz, so I guess we’ll see what happens. How is your trial going?”

“Fine. Call me when you hear something and, in the meantime, please stay away from Jack Marshall and be really careful.”

Amy Sue smiled ruefully as she disconnected, having heard what her sister hadn’t needed to say. Be careful with that cowboy detective, too.

Liz turned her phone back on first thing that morning to see that she had three calls from her ex. She was about to delete them without listening to her ex-husband’s drunken ramblings when Detective Tate called.

“Can we meet and talk?” he asked after introducing himself and telling her he’d talked to Amy Sue Brand. They agreed to meet at the bar where Liz worked in Laurel rather than her making the drive into Billings to the police department.

“I have the early shift today, but it shouldn’t be busy. We can talk there, if that’s all right,” she told him.

After she disconnected, she remembered what her ex had said the night before about blackmailing Jack Marshall. She thought it was all talk, but it was just like him to get into trouble. Against her better judgment, she listened to his first voicemail.

I’m going to do this thing I told you about because I want you back, Liz, and I don’t want to fight about money anymore. Imagine what we could do with a whole lot of money. Just think about it.

She shook her head and listened to the next one. Robert sounded a lot less sober. I’ll do anything to get you back. Anything. I just wanted you to know how much I love you.

Liz almost didn’t listen to the last voicemail, expecting it would just be more of the same. She’d heard it all before, how much her ex loved her, but this time she wasn’t going back to him no matter what he did. If he actually did what he was suggesting, blackmailing Jack Marshall, he’d be going to prison.

Liz. Something in Robert’s voice scared her. I did it. There’s no going back now. I set up a meeting tonight. Once I get the money— The rest of the voicemail was lost in the sound of the bar noise.

“Oh, Robert, what have you done?” She deleted the voicemails thinking she was protecting her ex. She owed him at least that much, she thought as she left for work.

Liz Baker was right. The place was empty when Russ arrived to find her stocking beer behind the bar. “You must be Detective Tate,” she said, wiping her hands on a towel before coming around the bar to motion to a seat at one of the tables.

Russ found himself assessing the woman as she told him about her friend Whitney, how she hadn’t heard from her for over two weeks, not since the night her friend’s lover was taking her to their new house that was under construction.

“That was the last time I heard from her,” Liz said. “I expected her to call either that night late or the next day. She didn’t call, and I started getting worried. I knew she’d be excited about the house and want to tell me everything.”

“Amy Sue Brand said she recognized a photo you had of Whitney on a table in your entry.” She nodded. “You have other photos of your friend?”

Liz pulled out her phone, called up something and handed him the cell.

“Mind if I send these to my phone?” She didn’t. He handed her cell back and listened as she told him about her visit to the car dealer.

“He lied right to my face, but it was him. What gave him away was when he first saw me, he was startled because he recognized me, I know he did. Whitney had a photo of the two of us at her house.”

“But before then, he didn’t know who you were?”

She nodded. “But he does now.” She shuddered and looked toward the bar’s front door. “I saw a car follow Amy Sue last night. I was worried it was him.”

“Someone did follow her to her hotel. She’s since changed hotels. You might consider staying with someone for a while.”

Liz shook her head. “He’s not going to put me out of my house.”

He wanted to argue the point, but saved his breath. “Do you own a firearm?”

“Of course. I’m a Montanan born and bred.” She narrowed her eyes. “You seem to think I’m going to need it.”