If only she could figure out what they meant.
Chapter Seven
Ethan placed his hand at the small of Lacy’s back, not missing the look from his brother over the possessive gesture. Adam would get the message loud and clear now. Stephanie, however, looked entirely too pleased.
He still hadn’t forgotten about the warning Abraham had given him at the wedding. It seemed Stephanie and Sarah wanted to see both him and Adam settled with mates of their own, and now, it looked as if Stephanie had chosen her first contestant in the mating game.
His inner wolf perked up and began excitedly thumping his tail. Of course, he was happy to go along with that plan. He’d been like an eager puppy in her presence. The poor beast had never reacted to a woman like this before, and Ethan trusted his companion implicitly. If he liked this female that much, then Ethan was more than willing to give things a go.
He took her to the spot where the model had gone down then to where the wolves had caught the scent of the attacker behind the tent. Impressed with her thorough search, he watched as Lacy knelt to inspect a footprint in the soft soil.
“Did they cast this?” she asked.
“Yes. There are some better ones a little farther into the trees. It looks like he took off running but slowed to a walk shortly after,” he explained as he led the way.
“Then he was either trying to get clear of the bees or he may not have much stamina. That’s good to know. It helps to build a profile.” Kneeling again, Lacy frowned at the tracks. “These are rather small, don’t you think?”
“I commented on that myself.” It was taking every bit of willpower he possessed not to reach out and smooth the frown lines between her brows. The urge to touch her, to see if her skin was as soft as it looked, rode him hard.
“So, we’re either looking at a guy with a small foot, or there’s a woman involved,” Lacy muttered.
“A woman?”
“Are you telling me you don’t think women are capable of extreme violence?” Lacy stood before him—hands on hips—awaiting his answer.
Ethan put his hands up and took a hasty step back. “Easy there, I believe. My question is whether or not she would be working alone.”
She appeared to be thinking that over when Gus came rushing up. “We found a bag in the back of the tent,” he practically shouted. “It had some kind of tie around the opening. Adam is certain they tied it like that so it would open once it landed.”
“Can you lift prints?” Lacy asked, her eyes hopeful.
“Already on it, but it’s a bag from the shoot, so there’s no telling how many people have touched it.” Gus had a good point, and Ethan saw Lacy’s shoulders deflate a bit.
He was all for catching this guy, but at the same time, if the investigation ended, Lacy would be leaving soon. Ethan couldn’t help but overhear the sheriff offer Lacy a position before and found himself hoping she took it into consideration. Having her around town sure would brighten his days.
“…contact with my superiors to update them on this. We haven’t discovered footprints at the other crime scenes. Whoever this is has just slipped up enough to give us a lead. I’ll need a cast of the footprints for our case file, as well.”
Damn, he hadn’t realized they were speaking. Ethan would really have to work on maintaining his focus. It was simply too easy to get lost in thought where this woman was concerned.
“After seeing what happened to the first two male models, most of the other guys told the photographer, Landon, that it wasn’t worth the risk to stay here,” Gus went on. “None of the models are convinced that these are accidents anymore, and they’re starting to get scared. Only two of them remain now.”
“Who stayed behind?” Lacy asked.
Yes, that was something Ethan would like to know, as well. Perhaps, it was an inside job? Lacy had said modeling was a highly competitive field. Could someone be looking to eliminate their competition?
“That quiet guy, Jose, and Ethan. From what I understand, Jose’s just starting his career and doesn’t want to jeopardize it by pulling out of this shoot.”
“Let’s just hope he doesn’t end up regretting that decision.” Lacy turned from the scene, back to Gus, and asked, “What about the women?”
“They’re pretty upset. There are some who’ve mentioned leaving.”
“They should be safe enough, but it’s not like I can tell them that without giving myself away. As far as they know, I’m in the same boat as Jose. I’ve been out of the modeling world for several years, and this is my first job since my return, so they would understand my reluctance to leave. I just need to ensure that this shoot doesn’t end up closed down, otherwise the investigation will be a bust.”