Burnt River Read Online Free

sleeping like a baby.”
    Macy waited.
    “He had other options but he enlisted anyway. Felt it was his duty.”
    “From what I’ve heard, he was a fine soldier. You must have been very proud of him. Did you serve in the military?”
    “I was too young for Vietnam and too old for the next one.” His voice shook. “I guess I got lucky.”
    There was an older gentleman sitting a couple booths away. He was dressed in a dusty pair of jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and work boots. His white hair was cut close to his scalp and his dark eyes hadn’t left Macy since she walked in the restaurant. Other than Jeremy, he was the only person there who wasn’t law enforcement.
    Macy returned the older man’s stare. “Did you come on your own, Mr. Dalton?”
    Jeremy took off his hat and twisted it in his hands. “I woke up my foreman, Wade, when I got the call. He drove.”
    “Do you mind if he sits in on our conversation?”
    “Wade Larkin is like family.”
    Macy wrote Wade’s name down in her notebook. “When was the last time you saw John?”
    “Supper yesterday evening. We ate around six. He said he was going to see friends.”
    “Anyone in particular?”
    “I expect it was the same ones as usual.” He glanced over at Aiden before rattling off a list. “Dylan Reed, Tyler Locke, Chase Lane. Beyond that I’m not really sure.”
    “Did John often stay out late on a weeknight?”
    “Not normally. Today was supposed to be his day off.”
    “Can you think of anyone who would have wanted to harm your son?”
    “If there was a problem, he never mentioned it.”
    Macy thought back on what she knew about the Daltons. “What about your family’s ranch? Have there ever been any disputes that have turned ugly?”
    “We’ve been in business a long time. We’ve had disgruntled employees. We’ve been sued more than once, but there’s been nothing in the past few years.”
    “Any issues with the local militias? There’s been some friction in other parts of the state. Some of the big landowners have been targeted.”
    Jeremy looked down at his hands. “It’s just a few crazy libertarians that are making things difficult. If you ask me, they’re pushing their luck with their latest demands.”
    “How do you figure that?”
    “They don’t believe in private ownership of productive land. That’s not going to go over well with anyone in this state. Like I’d just roll over and give up my ranch to a bunch of misfits that have nothing better to do than play at being soldiers.”
    “Have you been threatened?”
    “Nothing more than a couple of late-night phone calls.”
    “Did you inform the police?”
    “I can’t bring myself to take those idiots seriously.” He paused. “There’s a woman who’s been researching the militia groups in the valley. I think her name was Patricia Dune. You should ask her if you want to know more. In my opinion she seems a little too well informed.”
    Macy glanced up at Aiden. “Do you know about this?”
    “She interviewed me a couple of months ago. She’s doing research for her doctoral thesis. It all seems aboveboard but there’s been some talk.”
    “What kind of talk?”
    “People think she’s stirring things up unnecessarily. They’re worried—”
    Jeremy interrupted him. “She came out to interview me a month ago. Kept asking about Ethan Green. I had to ask her to leave.”
    Macy frowned. Ethan Green was a name she knew well. He’d formed one of the state’s first private militias. “I thought Ethan Green skipped town after a warrant was issued for his arrest.”
    Aiden spoke again. “He’s wanted for questioning in relation to a sexual assault that occurred last year in Collier. No one has seen him since.”
    Macy made some notes before asking Jeremy the next question.
    “Why do you think Patricia Dune is so interested in Green?”
    “I have no idea. You’ll have to ask her.”
    “Do you know if Green believed in public ownership of productive