Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch - B.J. Daniels [76]
Kitty began to laugh, but didn't turn as if she thought Dana was kidding. Then Dana watched in horror as Lanny made no attempt to disarm Kitty.
He leaned down to plant a kiss on the older woman's cheek. "Why would I hurt my dear auntie? Really, Dana, I can attest to how irrational you've been the last few days."
"Kitty is your aunt?"
"By marriage twice removed, but Dana you know that half the people in the canyon are related in some way, you shouldn't be surprised," Lanny said.
"Say your goodbyes, Lanny," Kitty said.
"You aren't going to let her do this," Dana said. "You and I were friends."
Lanny laughed. "Friends? But you are right about one thing, I'm not going to let her do it. I'm going to take care of you, Dana, because quite frankly I'd rather see you dead than with Hudson Savage."
He reached for her and in the twilight she saw the hard glint of anger in his eyes—the same look she'd seen at the restaurant the night of her birthday.
She dodged his grasp and felt one of the stones around the well bump against her ankle as she was forced back. She looked over her shoulder, estimating whether or not she could jump the opening. Maybe if she had a run at it, but the hole was too wide, the snow too slick around it.
She put out her hands, bracing her feet, ready to take Lanny down into the well with her if he grabbed for her again.
"You can make this easy on yourself, Dana. Or fight right up until the end." Lanny smiled. "Makes no difference to me."
"But it does to me," Hud said from out of the darkness.
Both Lanny and his aunt turned in surprise. Dana saw her chance. She dove at Lanny, slamming her palms into his chest with all of her strength. He stumbled backward, colliding with his aunt Kitty, but managed to grasp Dana's sleeve and pull her down, as well.
The air exploded with a gunshot and Dana couldn't be sure who'd fired it as she fell to the ground next to Lanny.
She scrambled away from him but he grabbed her ankle and crawled, dragging her, toward the well opening. She noticed that his side bloomed dark red and she realized he'd been shot. But his grip on her ankle was strong.
She tried to latch on to anything she could reach but there was nothing to hang on to and the snow was slick and she slid across it with little effort on Lanny's part.
More gunshots and Dana saw now that Kitty was firing wildly into the darkness. Dana couldn't see Hud, wasn't even sure now that she'd heard his voice. Lanny had a death grip on her leg.
The black gaping hole of the well was so close now that she felt the cold coming up from the bottom.
This time the gunshots were louder, echoing across the hillside. Dana saw Kitty stumble, heard her cry. Out of the corner of her eye, Dana watched Kitty start to fall.
Dana kicked out at Lanny with her free leg. His grip on her ankle loosening as his aunt tripped over him, but managed to remain standing.
He let go of Dana's ankle and for an instant they were all frozen in time. Kitty was looking down at her blue slacks. One leg appeared black in the darkening light. Dana scooted out of Lanny's grasp and was getting to her feet when she heard Hud order, "Put down the gun, Mrs. Randolph."
Kitty looked up, her spine straightening, her chin going up. "I had a bad feeling when you came back to town, Hudson Savage." She smiled and Dana watched the rest play out in slow, sick motion.
Kitty dropped the gun, but Lanny grabbed it up and started to turn it on Dana. She saw the crazed look in his eyes as he gripped the gun and frantically felt for the trigger.
Hud's weapon made a huge booming sound in the deafening silence. The shot caught Lanny in the chest but he was still trying to pull the trigger as another shot exploded and he fell back, his head lolling to one side on the edge of the well.
Dana wrenched the gun from his hands and crawled back away from him and the well.
Kitty was still standing there, head up. The one leg of her slacks looked black with blood. She didn't seem to notice Lanny lying on the ground next to her.
Dana turned as Hud came