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plan.”
    “I’m going to find a lead to locate Ellen Brown, the woman who provided Ackerman’s alibi. Someone here will know how to find her. Many of these people raced with her last year.”
    “Shane, that’s crazy. You’re desperate to help your brother—I get that—I feel the same way about my sister. But this isn’t logical or rational.”
    “I’m past rational.” Shane’s faced blazed with emotion. “We mortgaged the ranch and hired the best lawyer we could afford, and you know what? It still looks like Todd is going to be convicted, even though I know he’s innocent.”
    “Just because he’s innocent doesn’t make Ackerman guilty.”
    Shane shook his head. “I’m not going to get into the details. Please, Kelly. I want you to leave before you get hurt.”
    The look he gave her made her feel dizzy, as if she’d just stepped off a merry-go-round. That face that had lit up at the sight of her, the mouth that kissed her with the promise of forever, the mischievous eyes that looked at her now, shimmering with loss and heartbreak. Whether or not Shane was right about Ackerman, he believed wholeheartedly that the man was a killer.
    She glanced over at Charlie. He was so small and vulnerable, and he had experienced more pain than a child ever should. She straightened. “I’ve already been hurt worse than I ever imagined, and I’m not leaving.”
    Shane was still, as if he was in another place with his thoughts. Then he nodded. “I’ll let you get some sleep now.”
    She watched him walk into the darkness, headed for the trailer two spaces away from hers, head bowed against the heavy mist. He didn’t look back at her, and she found herself oddly disappointed.
    Follow your own advice, Kelly. Stay away from him, and the whole thing will be over soon enough.
    She saw him fish the key out of his pocket. Then he stiffened, head cocked.
    Something about the posture made her hold her breath. The weak porch light cast shadows against the trailer as he stood there, key in hand. She watched as he backed quietly away, before she poked her head out of her trailer door.
    “What is it, Shane?” she whispered.
    He darted a look at her.
    “Someone’s in my trailer. Go inside and lock your door.”
    Her body grew cold. “What are you going to do?”
    He flashed her an almost grin, reminding her of the cocky Shane Mason she used to know. And love.
    Then he vanished into the shadows. Kelly followed his advice and shut herself inside, but she opened the curtains and slid the window open. Heart in her throat, she considered calling someone to help Shane, until she remembered that her phone was on the floor of her car, wedged in the canyon. There was no one to call anyway, except Uncle Bill—and he was nearly two hours away.
    The air was heavy with the promise of more rain. Droplets of mist danced in the air near the various porch lights, leaving the rest of the area cloaked in darkness, redolent with the scent of wet earth. She strained to make out any sign of Shane. It was quiet, except for the clunk of wet pine needles falling now and again to the metal roof of the trailer.
    The situation was nearly preposterous as she considered Shane’s wild allegations against Ackerman and his plan to pose as a racer to sniff out proof. She knew he was grief-stricken, so consumed by worry for his brother that he’d convinced himself Devin was some sort of calculating murderer. Her heart squeezed at the thought of his paranoia. He was not like the Shane she’d known, brash and unafraid of anything.
    Except when Charlie had showed up.
    Through all the anger and hurt at his abandonment, she could not shake the notion that there was a strange and unaccountable fear inside him. She’d just turned to check on Charlie when a shout cut through the silence. Out in the darkness, she saw a blur of movement. Shane? Someone else? She couldn’t tell.
    Another shout brought her out on the front porch and into the night. She ran toward the