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too uncertain, too dangerous. And he’d been right. He’d been shot less than three weeks after they’d said goodbye.
    She hadn’t called once since then . Why is she calling now?
    He pushed the button to resume reviewing his messages.
    Beth again. Saying … what? Chris was dead?
    Had someone just struck him in the head with a hammer? Was he hallucinating again?
    He replayed the message, heard the distress in Beth’s voice. It didn’t seem any more real the second time.
    No. It’s not possible. Not Chris. He’d just talked to him last week. Chris was a year younger than he was. He wasn’t the one with a dangerous job. And what was that about murder?
    He played it again, but the words were the same. He felt like he’d been kicked in the gut.
    He hadn’t seen Chris for seven months. Chris had emailed him with pictures when they’d returned from the honeymoon, and they’d had that one strange conversation last week, but otherwise they hadn’t talked since the wedding.
    Chris had found the Pontifore name a mixed blessing in college. Handsome and rich, women had always hovered nearby. Jason hadn’t minded consoling the also-rans. But Ellie hadn’t cared who Chris was when they met last year at the horse farm where she worked in Flagstaff, and it hadn’t taken Chris long to decide that Ellie was the woman for him.
    “Oh God, poor Ellie!” She’d be facing all the Pontifore estate crap alone.
    He walked back into Renton’s office with barely a quick rap to cover courtesy. “I’ve changed my mind. I need that extra time, after all. I’ll be in Jimson Weed, Arizona.”

CHAPTER FIVE
    Y ou really should go to the hospital and get checked out, Mrs. Pontifore.” The paramedic unwrapped the blood pressure cuff from her arm. The rain had stopped, leaving the summer air slightly cooler, but thick with humidity.
    Beth shook her head. Or tried to. She still had a cervical collar wrapped around her neck. She couldn’t go to the emergency room. They’d find out she wasn’t pregnant, that she’d never been pregnant. And then they would question who she was. She didn’t trust doctor-patient confidentiality enough to keep that secret. “No. Thank you, but no. I’d rather see my own doctor.”
    The paramedic frowned. “All right then. I’ll need you to sign this release, saying you refused transport.”
    Beth signed the proffered form.
    “You really ought to go to the hospital, Ellie.”
    Beth looked up to see the sheriff’s deputy—what was his name?—Toby, that was it—looming over her.
    “I’m okay, Toby. I just want to go home.”
    “I’ll take you then, but I have to ask you some questions on the way.”
    “Fine. Whatever.”
    The paramedic held her arm, guiding Beth into the rigid frame stretcher.
    “Can’t I just climb the hill with a harness?” She was afraid if she let them strap her into that basket they might just whisk her off to the emergency room regardless of what she said.
    “No, ma’am. We can’t let you aggravate a possible spinal injury while in our care. What you do after that is up to you.” He clearly thought she was being foolish.
    Beth got in and her rescuers secured her. It bothered her to hear the men grunting with effort on her behalf, but a few minutes later she was at the top of the slope.
    The paramedic paused before unstrapping her. “You sure you won’t let us take you to the hospital?”
    Beth beat back a little surge of panic. “I’m sure.”
    The man shrugged and set her free.
    Toby helped her into his SUV . Her muscles groaned as she eased into the front seat. “I’m going to be sore tomorrow, I can tell.”
    “Yep. That seat belt is going to leave one hell of a bruise,” Toby agreed. “But it’s a good thing you had it on. I’m glad you finally started wearing one,” he added more gently.
    Apparently Ell’s dislike of restraints was common knowledge. Beth nearly choked on her anger. Why couldn’t she have fastened her damn seat belt? She’d known