Army Ranger Redemption Read Free Page A

a good look at his face and Scarlett didn’t see his face at all. He had a beard. I felt that when I listened for his breath.”
    Scarlett asked, “Did you recognize him, Cody? You looked at his face, didn’t you?”
    “Older guy, beard, long, reddish hair. I haven’t seen him around, but the conditions out in the woods are not optimal for identifying a body.” He shoved his notebook in his pocket. “I got your stories. If I have any other questions, I’ll let you know. It could just be an accident. I don’t know yet what caused his wound, but if it turns out to be homicide, we’ll call in the boys from county and they might have additional questions for you.”
    Jim followed Unger to the front door and stepped out onto the porch with him. Scarlett tagged along, slinging her jacket over her shoulders. Did she plan to go out again?
    Unger pointed to the trees crowding close to Scarlett’s cabin. “You should get those removed, Scarlett. Most cabins out here have some sort of clearing around them. I don’t know why the Butlers never did it when they had the place.”
    “It’s one of the features that drew me to the cabin—the privacy. I need it for my work.”
    Jim crossed his arms. “Don’t artists need natural light?”
    “Not for the kind of work I do.”
    He knew nothing about art or artists, except the kind that did tattoos, so he’d keep his mouth shut.
    Scarlett gasped and grabbed his arm. “They’re bringing him out.”
    Peering through the trees that ringed Scarlett’s property, Jim could make out the EMTs wheeling a gurney from the woods onto the access road.
    They all made their way down the path, through the trees, and stopped short of the gurney at the mouth of the ambulance doors. The EMTs had yanked the white sheet over the dead man’s face.
    One of the guys turned to Unger. “Looks like he succumbed to a stab wound to the chest—multiple stab wounds.”
    Scarlett swayed beside him, and Jim put a steadying arm around her shoulders. “Did it happen here, on Scarlett’s property?”
    The EMT shrugged. “I can’t tell. That’s for those deputies thrashing around out there to figure out.”
    Unger whistled. “I’ll call Sheriff Musgrove right away. We’re going to need county out here now.”
    “Should we wait for the county coroner?”
    “Take him to the morgue at the hospital. The county coroner can work there.”
    Unger turned to go back into the woods and Jim held up his hand to stop him. “Is Scarlett safe here? The guy could’ve been murdered twenty-five yards from her front door.”
    Scarlett’s body stiffened beside him and he drew her closer.
    “I’m calling the county sheriff’s department right now. They’ll probably be here the rest of the night. I don’t think Scarlett has anything to worry about.” Unger charged off toward the crime scene.
    As the EMTs adjusted the straps on the body, Scarlett said, “Wait. C-can we see his face? I just want to make sure it’s not anyone I know, although if Cody didn’t recognize him I doubt I will.”
    “Sure.” The EMT whipped back the sheet from the man’s face.
    Jim clenched his jaw as sour bile rose from his gut. Scarlett and Unger might not know the murdered man, but Jim did.
    And if the man hadn’t already been dead, he might’ve killed him himself.

Chapter Three
    Scarlett swallowed as she studied the dead man’s face, half obscured by his bushy beard and mustache, some sort of tattoo creeping up his neck with an L and a C intertwined. She’d never been a portraitist, but if she had been she’d want this guy’s likeness on canvas. Even in death, he wore his life story on his face, etched in every line and wrinkle.
    She blew out a breath. “I don’t know him. Jim?”
    “Never saw him before in my life.”
    The EMT tugged the sheet back over the man’s face and loaded him into the ambulance.
    Unger returned with his deputies. “The county sheriff’s department should be out here shortly, Scarlett. They