Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch - B.J. Daniels [57]
"You can't just keep ignoring me. I'm your sister."
"Don't remind me," Dana said, finally giving up and turning to look at her.
Tears welled in Stacy's eyes, but she bit her lip to stem them, no doubt realizing that tears would only anger Dana more. Likewise another apology.
"I have to tell you the truth," Stacy said.
"Don't," Dana said. "I told you, I don't want to hear anything you have to say. I know they sent you in here to try to get me to change my mind."
"I didn't come in here to talk about the ranch," she said, and sounded surprised that Dana would think that. "I need to tell you about Hud."
Dana felt her face flush. "I'd rather talk about selling the ranch." She started to step past Stacy, but her sister touched her arm and whispered, "I lied."
Dana froze, her gaze leaping to Stacy's face.
Her sister nodded slowly, the tears in her eyes spilling over. "I didn't sleep with him," she whispered, and looked behind her as if afraid their brothers might be listening.
"What is this? Some ploy to get me to sell the ranch?" Dana couldn't believe how low her sister would stoop.
"This doesn't have anything to do with the ranch." Stacy shook her head, tears now spilling down her cheeks. "I have to tell you the truth, no matter what happens to me. I didn't want to do it."
Dana felt her pulse jump. "What are you talking about?" she asked, remembering what Hud had said about Stacy not acting alone that night.
Stacy gripped her arm. "I didn't have a choice."
"You always have a choice," Dana said, keeping her voice down. "What happened that night?"
Stacy looked scared as she let go of Dana and glanced over her shoulder again.
"Don't move," Dana ordered, and walked to the doorway to the living room. "Leave," she said to Jordan and Clay. Clay got up at once but Jordan didn't move.
"We're not finished here," Jordan said angrily. "And I'm not leaving until this is settled. One way or the other."
"Stacy and I need to talk," Dana said, letting him believe she had to iron things out with her sister before she would give in on selling the ranch.
Clay was already heading for the door as Jordan reluctantly rose. Clay opened the front door then stopped. Dana saw why. Their father's pickup had just pulled into the yard.
"I'll be outside talking to Dad," Jordan said, and practically shoved Clay out the door.
What was their father doing here? Dana wondered as she hurried back to the kitchen. No doubt her siblings had commandeered his help to convince her to sell the ranch. Bastards.
Stacy had sat at the table, her head in her hands. Dana closed the kitchen door as she heard her brothers and their father talking out on the porch. It almost sounded as if Jordan and Angus were arguing.
What was that about? she wondered. She'd find out soon enough, she feared. But right now she wanted some answers out of her sister.
Stacy looked up when Dana closed the kitchen door. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't start that again. Just tell me." Dana didn't sit. She stood, her arms folded across her chest to keep her hands from shaking, to keep from strangling Stacy. "Tell me everything and whatever you do, don't lie to me."
Stacy started to cry. "I'm telling you I didn't sleep with Hud, isn't that enough?"
"No. I need to know how he got there. Did he pick you up at the bar? Or did you pick him up?"
Stacy was crying harder. "I picked him up."
"How?" Hud swore he'd had only one drink. But she recalled hearing from people at the bar that night that he'd been falling-down drunk when he'd left with Stacy.
"I drugged him."
Dana stared at her sister in disbelief. "You drugged him!"
"I had to do it!" she cried. "Then before the drug could completely knock him out, I got him outside and into my car."
Dana could hear raised voices now coming from the living room. The three had brought their argument in out of the cold. But the fact barely registered. Stacy had admitted that she'd drugged Hud and taken