Page 90 of Savage Rancher
Fortunately, Harper isn’t aware. “Without Mr. Hayes’s testimony, the evidence was circumstantial at best." She stops, her voice dropping as she takes a step closer. "Also, my dad got a visit from someone. Whoever it was made it clear that pursuing the Turners would be bad for his career and his family."
I process that. "Your father backed off."
"He had to." Harper looks away, tucking a strand of hair back into place. "He has a daughter. He has a wife. He couldn't—" She stops and takes a deep breath. "Robert didn't have anyone to protect. Just Emma, and she didn’t live here. He probably thought he could handle it alone."
"And it got him killed," I summarize.
"Yeah." Harper looks me dead in the eye. "It got him killed, and I can't prove it. The accident report is clean. There's no evidence of tampering, no witnesses, nothing that would hold up in court. But Iknow, Callahan. I know the Turners killed him."
I believe her. Everything about this screams professional hit—clean, untraceable, designed to look like an accident. The kindof thing you do when you need someone gone but can't afford the heat of an obvious murder.
"Emma is my best friend," Harper continues, her voice rough. "Now her house is burned to the ground, and I know, Iknow, it was Cole Turner.”
"So why are you here?"
Harper looks at me for a long moment. "Because Emma's in danger. Because the Turners are running roughshod over Iron Ridge and God knows where else. And because”—she pauses like she’s choosing her words carefully—“because I know what you did to Eli Turner."
My entire body goes still.
Luke shifts next to me.
Harper’s eyes dart to him and then back to me. Hurriedly, she says, "I can't prove it, but I'm not stupid, Callahan. Eli threatened Emma. You showed up. Eli disappeared. The math isn't complicated."
I don't confirm or deny. I just watch her.
"Lucky for you, there’s no body, so there’s no crime.” She makes a face. "Eli Turner was a piece of shit who hurt women and got away with it because his family has money and power, but if there were a body, I’d be sworn to bring his killer to justice."
I just let her speak.
"Emma is my best friend. She's the sister I never had. And I will doanythingto keep her safe."
I nod. "So will I."
"I know." Harper's gaze is steady. "That's why I'm here. Not to arrest you, not to warn you off. I'm here to tell you that Cole Turner is dangerous. He's smart, he's connected, and he's not going to stop until Emma sells him that land or ends up like her father."
"He's not getting near her."
"Good. Because I'm a deputy. I have rules. I have oversight." Harper takes a step closer, her voice dropping. "But you don't have those problems."
There it is.
The real reason she's here.
"You're asking me to handle it."
"I'm not asking you anything." Harper's voice is careful. "I'm telling you that Cole Turner is a threat. I'm telling you that law enforcement can't touch him. And I'm telling you that if something were to happen to him, something unfortunate and untraceable, like his brother, I wouldn't lose sleep over it."
I study her face. She's serious. She's giving me permission. More than that—she's giving me information.
"Does your father know you're here?" Luke asks.
"No." Harper's jaw tightens. "And he can't."
Luke tips his head, studying her. "You're risking your career."
"I'm protecting my friend." She scowls at him. If looks could kill, he’d be dead at my feet. "Emma's already lost her father. She's lost her home. I'm not going to stand by and watch her lose her life because I was too afraid to do what needed to be done."
I nod again. "Understood.”
