In the Paths of Righteousness (Psalm 23 Mysteries) by Debbie Viguié Read Free Book Online Page B

jerk.”
    Jeremiah shook his head. “Kyle was supposed to be riding the horse, not Cindy. They switched at the last minute.”
    Mark frowned. “What are you saying?”
    Jeremiah took a deep breath, realizing that once the words were out there was no taking them back. “I think someone tried to kill Kyle.”

5
    Mark stared hard at Jeremiah. “You’re sure?”
    “Not one-hundred percent, but worried enough to talk to you about it.”
    “That’s good enough for me,” Mark said, licking his lips. “You think that what happened to that cameraman back at the cabin wasn’t an accident?”
    “You tell me,” Jeremiah said quietly.
    Mark’s mind raced. “He was roughly the same height and size as Kyle, and if I remember correctly their bunks were next to each other.”
    “You think in the dark someone mistook him, slammed his head into that sink?” Jeremiah asked.
    Mark swore under his breath. “I hope for all our sake’s you’re wrong.” In his gut, though, he felt that Jeremiah was on to something. He glanced back over his shoulder. “Should we warn Kyle?”
    “It would be the logical thing to do. Except...”
    “Except what?” Mark asked when Jeremiah didn’t finish his thought.
    “I’m not sure it would make much of a difference. I don’t think he’d cancel this cattle drive. If anything it might just make him act strange and alert whoever it is that we’re on to them.”
    “Which means we’d never find the killer and there’d be no justice for the guy he already killed.”
    “And, if he’s someone that has access to Kyle, he’ll just try again in a few weeks when no one’s watching out for him and he’s let his guard down.”
    “We’ve gotten ourselves in the middle of a fine mess,” Mark snorted.
    “Don’t we always?” Jeremiah said grimly.
    Mark glanced over his shoulder again. “What about Traci and Cindy? We should warn them.”
    “We should.”
    There was a lack of conviction in Jeremiah’s voice that matched his own feeling. “Then they’ll be the jumpy ones instead of Kyle.”
    “That is a risk,” Jeremiah said.
    “Well, crap. What are we supposed to do?”
    “Make sure one of us has eyes on Kyle the entire time?”
    Mark nodded. The rabbi’s suggestion made perfect sense. He wished suddenly and intensely that he was a praying man. “Do me a favor, Samaritan,” he said, using the sarcastic nickname he had given Jeremiah ages ago.
    “What?”
    “Pray enough for both of us. Pray that we’re wrong about this whole thing.”
     
    Cindy woke up and blinked up at the night sky. She couldn’t have been asleep very long, but it felt like the temperature had dropped considerably in that time. She rolled over and noticed that Jeremiah’s sleeping bag was empty. He was probably just getting a drink of water or something like that, but for some reason it made her uneasy. Maybe it was because of what had happened at the cabin the night before.
    She propped herself up on one elbow and twisted her head so she could look around. Everywhere there was a sea of sleeping bags. Next to her Traci was sleeping with one hand flung over her eyes. On the other side of her, Mark’s sleeping bag was empty, too.
    Cindy sat up, coming fully awake. One missing guy could be a trip to the bathroom. Two missing guys seemed like danger to her. She looked around, checking all the other sleeping bags she could see.
    The moon was full and shining down brightly enough that she could count heads. Everyone else seemed to be accounted for except for the cowboy she knew was supposed to be taking the first shift watching the herd. Wherever Jeremiah and Mark had gone, though, they were out of sight.
    She started to throw back her sleeping bag and the blanket she had over it and then hesitated. Where would she begin to look for them?
    “Where do you think they’ve gone?” Traci whispered so suddenly that Cindy jumped and nearly screamed.
    “Sorry,” Traci said.
    “It’s okay,” Cindy whispered back.