I was more than willing to pile on about Austin. But instead I threw another name into the mix. “What do y’all think about Belle?’’

Did I want their opinion because Belle’s daddy died, or because Carlos seemed so taken with her?

Maddie snorted. “Belle’s too fragile, Mace. She’s a weakling. That stepmother of hers could knife her in the heart and then order in lunch. And, remember, Wynonna was the one who insisted Mama should ride Shotgun. She had something up her sleeve, I know it.’’

Mama said, “Honey, you can’t blame Wynonna for those bees.’’

“That’s assuming the bees were an accident, which I’m not sure they were,’’ I said.

We told Mama what Marty saw on Johnny’s hand.

“I’m still voting for Wynonna.’’ Maddie pointed her cup at us like a teacher summing up a lesson. “Maybe she found out Lawton was cheating. We already know the man had a history as a hound dog.’’

Marty said, “And that brings us right back to Johnny Adams’ hatred of Lawton.’’

A far-away look came into Mama’s eyes. “Johnny was the sweetest thing when we were all kids. There was one real unpopular boy at our school. He never had clean clothes, or shoes that fit, because his family was so poor. I remember how nice Johnny was to him. One January, when it was real cold, Johnny brought him a coat to wear. He claimed he outgrew it; but anyone could tell it was brand new.’’

She stared into her coffee like the coat was reflected there.

“It made the rest of us ashamed for how we’d treated that poor child. Girls, I just hate to think a kind person like that could be capable of murder.’’

I was imagining Johnny’s kindness to that unfortunate child a half-century ago, when a voice interrupted my thoughts.

“Sounds like you four detectives have the case nearly solved.’’ Carlos had snuck up behind us, his hand touching just a moment on the small of my back.

“No way,’’ I answered, hoping the others hadn’t noticed the gesture.

“No kidding.’’

He didn’t have to agree so readily, I thought.

“What you have so far sounds like idle gossip and speculation. I’ve warned you about that sort of thing before, Mace.’’

“Warning received, Investigator Know-it-All.’’

“Would you like to know what real police work revealed? The kind of police work that utilizes science and evidence?’’

“Oh, yes! Do tell.’’ I fluttered my eyelashes in my best Scarlett O’Hara imitation. “We’re just a bunch of silly women, hanging on every word from a smart man like you.’’

Maddie kicked me. Marty stared at the ground. I switched back to my normal voice. “Maybe I should remind you, your ‘real’ police work last summer sent Mama to the slammer.’’

“Hush, Mace!’’ Mama pinched my arm. “Let the poor man talk.’’

“I just hate to see you wasting your time with stupid theories,’’ Carlos said.

Last night’s Carlos was attractive; this morning’s version was pure arrogance. Maddie butted in before I could snap at him again. “What do you mean?’’

“My friend pulled in a favor and got some quick analysis on that tasting cup Mace has been so interested in,’’ he said. “The results are preliminary, but it’s pretty clear. There was nothing in that cup but chili.’’

___

I picked at my breakfast in a sulk. My sisters and Mama tried to point out it was good news that Lawton hadn’t been poisoned. And of course I knew that. But it irked me to be wrong. And it really irked me that Carlos had come to find me so he could crow about it—especially after our tender session in the woods last night. Maybe I was too sensitive, but did he have to act so superior?

“Are you going to eat that pancake, Mace?’’ Maddie stuck her fork over my plate and speared a piece of my breakfast before I could answer.

“Thanks for your concern, Maddie.’’

“Oh, stop being such a baby,’’ she said. “You can’t always be right, you know.’’

“That’s right, Mace,’’ Marty said. “Always being right is reserved for Maddie.’’

“Girls, girls. If we had rooms, I’d send you to them,’’ Mama said. “Look over there, where Carlos is talking to the Brambles. Now, there’s some people with some real problems.’’

Our eyes followed Mama’s across the breakfast crowd. She was right, of course. Trey shook his head as Carlos spoke. Belle’s face crumpled. Wynonna stood apart from the other two, head down as she listened, hands crammed into the pockets of a tight pair of jeans. Her boots were brown leather today, trimmed in fringe.

Looking around, I realized at least half the crowd was also watching the Brambles. Nothing like living your personal tragedy in public. Feeling petty, I resolved to stop acting like such a jerk. And the resolution lasted as long as it took to see Belle collapse into Carlos’s arms, sobbing.

“Uh-oh,’’ Maddie said.

Stroking her hair, he murmured something private into her ear. The bacon and biscuit in my stomach did a double back flip.

“You should go over there, Mace.’’ A worried frown creased Marty’s brow.

“Honey, she can’t do that now. It would look wrong,’’ Mama whispered.

Belle gazed up into Carlos’ face. He ran a thumb across her teary cheek. I remembered the feel of his hand stroking me.

“I’m outta here,’’ I said, pushing my breakfast plate onto Maddie’s lap.

“Mace, where . . .’’ Marty started to say.

“Let her go, honey,’’ Mama interrupted. “She’s off to throw some rocks into water.’’

___

I picked up a handful of stones and tossed them into the high brush as I walked through the woods. Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh. It wasn’t as satisfying as tossing them in a creek. But I didn’t have much time to sit and stew. The fog was lifting. The ride was about to start. And I had to finish getting Val ready.

As I passed another campsite, I overheard two riders with out-of-state license tags on their trailer discussing Lawton’s death: “My money’s on that son. The boy probably got drunk and did him in.’’

One handed the other a horse brush. “Nope. There’s a gal on the ride who’s some kind of detective. She says the father was poisoned. Poison isn’t a man’s weapon. It’s a woman’s. Everybody knows that.’’

I had a momentary urge to update them. But I passed by, keeping my nose out of it.

Val raised her head as I came into our campsite. Her eyes were interested and intelligent; two bright spots in my feeling-sorry-for-myself morning.

“Hey, girl,’’ I nuzzled her neck. “I’ve done it again. You know what I am, right?’’

She rubbed her big head up and down on my chest.

“That’s right. An idiot.’’

Maddie and Marty had already broken down the tent and packed up our campsite. Before they went to the rescue group’s trailer to prepare their borrowed horses, they’d saddled Val for me. She was tethered by her halter to the trailer. I felt a rush of affection for my sisters, and promised myself I’d try to be nicer, even to Maddie.

All that was left for me to do was get Val’s bridle from its hook on the trailer.

As I walked around my Jeep, I spotted something white on the driver’s seat. I opened the unlocked door and leaned in. On a single sheet of paper, a message was scrawled in childish block letters. I bent close and read:

Dear Mace,

Somebody wants you off this ride because you’re on the right track. Lawton Bramble was murdered. Don’t stop looking for his killer.

I locked the Jeep’s door, touching nothing else. I’d swallow my pride and ask Carlos the best way to handle the note without disturbing any possible evidence. That is, if he could tear himself away from Belle long enough to give me an answer.