Trace nodded. “That’s my thought.”
Logan stiffened at her side. “Could he have intentionally set the fire in order to dispose of Amanda?”
He backed toward the door. “Sure would be convenient.”
“Why?” Sawyer asked. “If his motive was greed and he was over-logging, why set himself back and lose all that potential income by burning his earnings and killing Amanda?”
“According to the logging inspector, Roger Barkley was not only taking more than his share but had several other safety infractions. It’s possible Roger knew he was caught. In order to save his ass and destroy the evidence, a fire would be convenient. That way no one could come out from the logging association and verify Jackson Wolf’s findings.”
“Why add Amanda to the mix?” Logan asked.
“Spite? That’s what I’m going to find out now.”
“And what about Sandhouse?” Logan asked. “Sounds like that guy has a hard-on for our entire family. Did Corbin or his boss get anything else out of him?”
Trace shook his head. “Nope. He’s a vindictive asshole, but it doesn’t seem like we have anything on him this time. His alibis checked out. He was indeed on patrol this morning. Veronica will get a slap on the wrist for following Amanda, but it’s unlikely she had the ability to kidnap her and hide her at the logging site.”
“Veronica was following me?” Amanda couldn’t believe how many people seemed to want her dead.
Sawyer spoke next. “You’re popular.” He was smiling when she glanced at him.
Trace looked at his watch. “I gotta go. My team is getting into position now. Not sure what Pete and Veronica are up to, but they didn’t kidnap Amanda.” He glanced at Logan as he backed toward the door.
»»•««
“Sheriff’s department. Open up.” The shouting outside the front door had Roger jumping out of his skin.
“Fuck,” he muttered, glancing at the back door from where he sat at his kitchen table. Two men were in position out back, guns drawn, vests on. “Fuck,” he repeated, hauling himself from his seat and heading to open the door. He felt confident at least two more deputies would be at the front. Any attempt to run would be futile.
The men burst into his small house the second he opened the door. “Hands in the air. Legs spread.”
“What’s this about?” he asked as he lifted his arms in compliance. The blood flooded from his face.
“You’re under arrest,” one man yelled as he patted down Roger’s leg and then up the other. “For kidnapping, murder, and arson.”
“What?” Roger screamed. “What are you talking about? I haven’t done anything.”
A man stepped forward and flashed his badge. “Deputy Trace Masters,” he stated. “Do you have an alibi for this entire day?”
Roger swallowed. He’d broken a number of laws in the past few weeks, all of them inane rules about the number of trees he was permitted to cut, the grade of fuel he was allowed to use in his trucks, even the frequency of his vehicle safety inspections. None of the laws he’d broken pertained to murder, kidnapping, or arson.
“You think I started that fire?” He began to shake violently.
Trace nodded. “After you kidnapped Amanda Williams and left her for dead, yes.”
Roger’s eyes bugged out as more of the blood drained from his face. “Amanda Williams? Somebody killed her?” Holy fuck.
“Stop acting coy, Barkley.”
“But I didn’t do it. I’ve never hurt anyone in my life,” Roger stammered.
“You going to tell me you haven’t been watching Amanda for the past week?”
Roger shook his head. “No. I mean yes. Shit.” Sweat ran down his back. “I had her followed. Yes. I wanted to get your brother to back the fuck off so I could finish my job at that site. I didn’t kill her.”
“Really?” Trace Masters chuckled sardonically. He took small strides to circle Roger in the middle of the kitchen.
When the deputy who patted him down yanked his hands behind his back and slapped cuffs on him, he started to panic in earnest. He needed to think. If someone killed Amanda Williams and the sheriff’s department believed Roger did it in the fire, then… “Shit.” That could only mean one thing. Only one person besides Roger knew he was hunting Amanda.
“What? Sudden revelation? Maybe if you cooperate and confess, you’ll get life instead of the death penalty.”
Roger’s knees started to buckle. “I swear it wasn’t me. But I bet I know who it was…”