The Last Dig Read online

  Before he could get out of the office for the day, Lavina Davis, the district attorney, called him. “Hey Rand, I hear we got a murder investigation going on.”

  “Yes,” Rand said.

  “Have you got any suspects?”

  “No, I’m still investigating.” He splayed a palm to the back of his neck.

  “Well, keep me apprised of your developments,” Lavina said.

  “When I’m ready, I’ll be by to see you.”

  Rand left the office for the day and stopped off at the Jordan Motel.

  “Hey Rand, how’s it going?”

  “Pretty good, Lola. Could you tell me what room number Caroline Priest is in?”

  “She’s in room seven.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome, Rand, anytime.”

  Rand walked along the sidewalk that led to each of the rooms and stopped when he got to room seven. He knocked at the door. A few minutes later, Caroline opened the door. Rand smiled. “Hello, Caroline. I stopped by to let you know that you can return to your dig site tomorrow morning.”

  “Oh, great! Thanks for letting me know.” Caroline smiled, clearly pleased with the news.

  “You’re welcome.” Rand hesitated for a few minutes and then asked, “Caroline, have you eaten dinner yet?”

  * * * *

  Surprised by the question, Caroline faltered. “Uh, no, I haven’t.”

  “Would you care to go to Leon’s Roadhouse with me for dinner?”

  Carolyn stood there for a few minutes. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until he asked her to go to dinner with him. She looked at him warily. Why would he ask her out? What did he want? She wasn’t interested in getting tangled up with him. She supposed she could go and eat with him even though she was irritated with him for closing her dig site.

  Rand then spoke up. “Well, I know it’s not much notice—”

  “Oh no, that’s fine,” Caroline interrupted. “I guess I can go to dinner with you. Let me grab my jacket.”

  “Okay.”

  Caroline put her jacket on and walked with Rand to his vehicle. She climbed into the passenger side of Rand’s pickup truck, and he started up the engine and backed out. “I bet you’re glad you can get back to your site and do some more work there, huh?” Rand asked, trying to make small talk.

  “Yes, I will be very glad to get back to it. The summer months in Montana are short compared to some other places like New Mexico.”

  “Did you go on digs in New Mexico?”

  “Yes, I did,” Caroline answered.

  “I didn’t think there would be dinosaurs in New Mexico. I always thought they were here in Montana, the Dakotas, and Canada,” Rand commented as he gave her a sidelong glance.

  “That’s where we find the majority of them here in the Americas, but actually, evidence of dinosaurs is all over the continents. Any news on the murder investigation?” Caroline asked.

  “There is news, but I am really not at liberty to discuss an open case with you. I hope you understand that.”

  “Of course. I wondered if you got a name for the victim yet.”

  “We did. Does the name Marc Baker ring a bell with you?”

  Caroline thought for a few minutes and then answered, “No.”

  “How about Michael Seprino?”

  “No.”

  Rand pulled the truck into the parking lot at Leon’s Roadhouse. Both Rand and Caroline got out of the vehicle and walked to the entrance of the restaurant. Rand put his hand on the small of Caroline’s back as they walked toward the hostess to be seated. Caroline felt an instant spark that sent shivers up and down her back at the touch.

  “Hey, Rand. How’s it going?” the hostess asked.

  “Hi, Ginny. It’s going good. You got a table for two available?”

  Ginny looked at the paper she had on the counter next to the cash register and said, “Yes. This way please.” She led them through one dining room into another, then to a corner booth. “Enjoy your dinner. The waitress will be right with you.”

  “Thanks, Ginny.” Rand smiled.

  Rand sat down across from Caroline and looked into her eyes and smiled. She felt the shivers again just looking at him.

  The waitress came up to the table. “Hello, I’m Bethany, and I’ll be your server today. Can I start you with something to drink?” She looked at Caroline.

  “I’d like an ice tea, please.”

  “Okay.” She looked at Rand.

  “Same here,” he said.

  “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

  “Rand, when did this restaurant open?”

  “Hmm, it opened about four years ago.”

  “Interesting place,” Caroline commented. The place looked like a log home with big logs as walls. Along the walls, hung many heads of wildlife such as deer, elk, moose, and even a bison head. Booths made from logs were attached to the walls, and in the middle of the restaurant oak tables and chairs were scattered strategically.

  The waitress came back with their drinks. “Are you ready to order or do you need a few minutes?”

  Caroline looked at Rand and then up to the waitress. “I’m ready to order.”

  “So am I,” Rand chimed in.

  “Okay, what can I get for you?” Bethany looked at Caroline.

  “I’d like a crispy chicken salad.”

  “What kind of dressing would you like with that?”

  “Ranch, please.”

  “And for you, sir?” Bethany turned her attention to Rand.

  “I’d like the pork tenderloin platter.”

  “What kind of potato?”

  “Baked, please.”

  “Salad, coleslaw, or cottage cheese?”

  “Salad with French dressing.”

  “Okay, I’ll put that order right in, and will be back shortly.”

  Caroline and Rand each took a sip of their ice tea and sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Rand asked, “So Caroline, what have you been doing since you left Jordan seventeen years ago?”

  “Well, let’s see. I spent a lot of my time in New Mexico at the university there. I did my dissertation and PhD program there as well.”

  “So you were married at some point, huh?” Rand asked.

  “Yes, I got married in my fourth year of college and got divorced two years later.” Caroline looked at Rand nervously.

  “What happened to cause the divorce?” Rand asked.

  Why do you want to know, Rand? Is it really any of your business? She looked into his eyes and could have sworn that he could see right through her. “Irreconcilable differences,” she retorted flatly.

  “What did you do your dissertation on?”

  “Why are you so full of questions? Are you interrogating me or what?”

  “No, I’m just curious and interested in what you’ve been up to.”

  “You mean you want to know what I’ve been doing since you so unceremoniously dumped me,” Caroline added with irritation.

  “I didn’t ‘unceremoniously’ dump you,” Rand answered back.

  “What do you call it then?” she asked.

  “I was young and I got scared. I knew I was leaving for college the next day and I didn’t know how to end it with you,” Rand explained.

  “Why did we have to end it?” Caroline asked.

  “Well, you were going to New Mexico and I was going to Montana State University. When would we ever be able to see each other again?”

  “You wanted to end it with me so you’d be free to date the girls at MSU,” Caroline countered irritably.

  “Honestly, Caroline, that’s not true. I hardly dated anyone in college,” Rand said, defending himself.

  “Well, you could have picked a better way to end our relationship than the way you did it,” she muttered sarcastically.

  “I don’t remember you being so testy and irritable, Caroline.”

  “It’s not every day I go to a dig site and find a dead body. I’m sorry for the victim. Wh
o would do a thing like that? Plus, I’m working under a deadline.”

  “That’s why I pushed the guys pretty hard to get them to open the site back up for you as soon as possible.” Rand looked at her pointedly.

  “That’s very sheriffy of you.” Caroline rested her elbows on the table and joined her hands together.

  “What kind of a wisecrack is that, and since when did you develop a smart mouth?”

  The waitress brought Rand’s salad and placed it in front of him. Caroline decided to change the direction of their conversation. “I did my dissertation on the Tyrannosaurus Rex.”

  “So you did a dinosaur, huh?”

  “Not just any dinosaur, but one of the biggest there ever was in dinosaur history.” Caroline smiled as she wrapped her arms around herself. “I dug up my first dinosaur in Europe, England to be exact.”

  “Really? I bet you enjoyed that one.”

  “Yes, I did. I contemplated staying on and making my home there.”

  “What changed your mind?” Rand asked.

  “I missed home,” she said quietly. “The dinosaur that I dug in England was a Triceratops, though, not a T-rex.”

  “So did you go on any digs during that time at the university?”

  “Oh yes, there were several digs going on in New Mexico. I spent as much time at the dig site as I could until I left to go to England.”

  “You sure are passionate about your work,” Rand commented. “I know you don’t like shuffling papers at the office in Glendive, but what else do you do there besides digs?”

  “Well, I either plan my next dig or plan what I’m going to do at a current dig. It takes a year of planning, researching, and studying the rocks and the ground area where there is a possibility of finding some fossils.”

  “You hire your own team, right?”

  “Yes, I hire only PhD students working on their dissertations. The students get hands-on training and can write their papers with firsthand knowledge on the dig site, the digging itself, and all the work that’s involved, both in the preparation and the aftermath. It worked that way for me, and I think it works quite well.”

  “Do you have a place you call home?”

  She immediately dropped her gaze and looked at Rand’s salad as he ate. “Yes, I have a small house in Glendive.”

  Chapter 7

  Caroline’s mood lightened. She relaxed a bit and started to enjoy the dinner and talking with Rand. They ate in silence for a while then Caroline smiled and said, “Okay, now it’s your turn. What did you do with yourself all these years?”

  “Hmm, well I went to college to study criminal justice–law enforcement. When I got done with the classes, a position opened up here in Jordan so I was able to stay in my hometown. I thought I’d have to go to a big town like Billings to work. Anyway, I worked as a deputy for a few years then the sheriff’s position came up for election. My parents put together the campaign to help get me elected as sheriff and now the people keep re-electing me, so I think I’m doing something right.”

  “Your mom said you were once married. What happened with your relationship?”

  “I married Lavina Davis. She has a son named Erik. He got into trouble all the time at school and was running around at night with the wrong crowd. I tried to set rules for him and settle him down but she’d undermine everything I did. I told her that the kid was going to end up doing big time if she didn’t get him under control. But anyway, between the kid and her desire to climb the ladder at work, we pretty much broke up. She’s district attorney for Garfield County now. Usually, if there’s a crime that needs prosecution, I have to contact her. Unfortunately for her, Erik is now serving a five year sentence at Montana Juvenile Correctional Facility for breaking and entering. She’s been angry at me ever since I arrested the boy.”

  “Why? She didn’t expect that you would let him go and not arrest him, did she?” Caroline asked.

  “Yeah, I think she did. I also think that going to the facility was probably the best thing that could ever happen to him. Hopefully he’ll learn and change his ways. Do you ever miss being here in Jordan?” Rand asked, changing the subject.

  What an odd question. “Yes, I miss it here, I miss Hell Creek State Park more though. I can’t think of any place else I’d rather be. I have a lot of fond memories at Fort Peck Lake.”

  “I can remember the many times we went to Hell Creek State Park and got saddled with Penny and Al,” Rand smirked.

  “Yes, you were always trying to lose them when we went hiking.” Caroline chuckled.

  “I remember your bikini raising my testosterone level and taking many dips in the lake to chill out.”

  “Hmm, I don’t know about that, but I do know that Penny and I spied on you and Al and all your buddies skinny dipping one day in a secluded area of Fort Peck. We were mad because you guys wouldn’t take us with you when you went to Hell Creek State Park because you said it was a guy’s day out sort of thing. I managed to get permission from my mom to drive her car so Penny and I followed you up there. You guys were acting so silly.” Caroline laughed.

  “That’s ’cause we knew you were watching.” A thin smile broke out on Rand’s face.

  “You did not,” Caroline protested.

  * * * *

  Rand observed things about her while she talked. Things like how beautiful she looked. She wore her curly hair down, spilling over her shoulders and down her back. She had those beautiful lips he remembered always liking when they were younger. Hell, he still liked them. She still had a nice shapely figure and it seemed her bustline had increased a bit. He’d love to pull off that shirt and find out how many inches they had increased. Crap, he got aroused just sitting there looking at her. Caroline seemed indifferent to his predicament, and that made it even harder for him.

  After Rand and Caroline finished their dinner, the waitress came back and asked, “Did you save any room for dessert?”

  Caroline and Rand both shook their heads. “I don’t think so, thanks.”

  They sat for a while at their table talking.

  “I imagine that as beautiful as you are, Caroline, you’ve probably had a lot of boyfriends,” Rand said. He immediately became jealous in his heart.

  “No, I didn’t. I threw myself into my studies.”

  “You managed to get married,” he pointed out.

  “Yes, a very big mistake on my part.” Caroline grimaced.

  “Do you have contact with your ex?”

  “No.”

  Rand looked in her eyes. He saw a flicker of fear in them. It disappeared in a flash, but he’d seen it. He wondered if there was abuse in the relationship. “What do you like to do now in your spare time?”

  “What spare time?”

  “Well, when you’re not involved with your digs.”

  “I study bones.” Caroline looked over thoughtfully at Rand.

  “Don’t you like to watch movies or go hiking anymore?”

  “I don’t have time for any of that. I’m fully committed to my life’s work.”

  Rand quoted, “All work and no play—”

  “Makes Jack a dull boy,” they said in unison.

  “I know, but I really do enjoy my work,” Caroline said.

  “I enjoy mine too most of the time but I do have to take a break from it.”

  After settling the bill, they got up and walked out the door to Rand’s truck.

  * * * *

  Rand drove Caroline back to her motel room. He got out and walked her to her room. As she approached the door, she tripped on the curb and landed right in Rand’s arms. She looked up at him and said all flustered, “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “Are you okay?” Rand asked.

  “Yes, I think so.”

  He held her in his arms and didn’t seem to want to let go. He was gazing so intensely at her that it startled her. Even though she knew Rand was nothing like Dan, her ex-husband, she still kept her guard up. In spite of her fear, she felt a rush of blood flowing through he
r veins as his gentle massage sent currents of desire through her. Please don’t kiss me, please don’t kiss me, please don’t...kiss...me...

  He slowly bent his head down, looking into her eyes, and then he dropped his gaze to her lips. His lips finally touched hers with a gentle, persistent kiss. His hands were moving up and down her arms gently, sending off sparks with each light stroke. He moved his hands so he could cup her face. He looked into her eyes and smiled slightly. She loved the feel of his lips, and the feeling of his body close to hers.

  Suddenly a shrill sound pierced the night air and Rand slowly reached back to grab his cellphone. He snapped it open.

  “Callahan.” He was silent for a few seconds. “Where at?” He was silent for a few more seconds. “Okay, I’m on my way.” He closed the cellphone and put it back on his belt loop. “I have to go,” Rand said, sounding disappointed. “There’s a huge three-alarm barn fire.”

  Caroline couldn’t speak just yet. She laid her head on his chest, drinking in the faint smell of his aftershave and whispered quietly, “Oh, Rand.”

  He rested his chin on her head for a second and then finally, he gently stepped away. She turned and put her key in the door to open it, and then turned around to look at Rand. “Thank you for dinner tonight and for letting me know I can return to work tomorrow at the site.”

  “You’re welcome, Caroline. I’ll talk with you later.”

  She walked into her room, closed the door behind her, and locked it. A few minutes later, she heard his truck start up and drive away. She called her team to inform them to be ready to go to the dig site tomorrow.

  * * * *

  He sat in his car and chewed on a thin cigar as he watched with interest. He didn’t know for sure, but there must be a conflict of interest in this, wasn’t there? He knew the sheriff found her business card, her hair, her pick, and the fossils at the dead man’s apartment. Why did he take her out for dinner and then kiss her like that? He did not like what he saw. He needed to up the ante to get her arrested.

  Chapter 8

  The next morning, Caroline divided everyone into two teams. “John, you, Cathy, and Ryan work at the second site. Eddie, Jody, and I will work at the first site where we think the head might be.” Caroline was so glad to be going to the site and concentrating on the dig. She didn’t sleep well last night and spent most of it dreaming about the kiss she’d shared with Rand. She wanted to get her mind off it. “Unfortunately, we won’t have the Dinosaur Lab for a few weeks because they had to leave to go to another site.” Caroline let out a sigh.