Page 134 of Backtrack

“So,” she said, completely unaware. “The diamonds were in the culvert all along?”

Cutter swallowed hard, shaking off the rush of emotion. “Yep,” he said. “Near as we can guess, the guard in the back of the armored truck shoved them through the little talking hole to Foster in hopes that he’d just turn them over to the robbers to keep everyone from getting killed. Foster likely shot the driver on purpose to keep the bag of diamonds a secret. He bailed out of the truck, thinking maybe he could shoot it out with the bad guys.”

“That didn’t work out like he planned.”

“No,” Cutter said. “It did not. I’m guessing he had about five minutes to stash the bag in the culvert and then crawl away into the grass before the Weatherford PD officer arrived on the scene and started first aid. I’m sure he planned to come back and retrieve the stones when he healed.”

“But he didn’t heal,” Mim said.

“Nope.”

“And those men eventually murdered his wife looking for the diamonds.”

“Yep.”

“But they weren’t in the culvert when LJ sent someone to look?”

“It’s been forty-five years,” Cutter said. “They found remnants of the black bag wedged up in the joint of the metal culvert. Most of it had rotted away, but there was still one stone wedged in there with it.”

“One diamond,” she whispered. “Out of fifteen million worth? That means there’s fifteen million in diamonds somewhere in the dirt around that culvert.”

“About the size of it.”

“Crime really doesn’t pay.”

“It does not.”

“I talked to Lola,” Mim said, changing the subject. “Sounds like Joellen was a handful.”

“That is an understatement.”

“She told me y’all were starting up a task force to find whoever’s branding those poor people on the neck.”

“Strong possibility,” Cutter said. “The victims certainly deserve one.”

“Would you be on the task force?”

“Depends on the timing with the baby.” Cutter grinned. “And you know, my gravy-making obligations.”

“I want you to be on it,” Mim said. “I mean of course I need you here for the baby, but people who would do that kind of horrible thing, they need to be caught. You and Lola can do that better than anyone—”

She went quiet and then patted the mattress beside her.

“Your daughter’s dancing,” she said. “Come put your hand on my tummy.”

Cutter collapsed onto the bed. A tear rolled down the tip of his nose and dropped onto her bare skin.

“It doesn’t bother you, having a kid with a guy who just couldn’t get it right the first four times he got married?”

“Three,” Mim said. “Barbara was cool.”

“True,” Cutter said. “But still …”

“I’m not worried,” Mim said. “None of those others really ever knew the real you.”

“Only three people ever have,” Cutter said, wiping away another tear. “Grumpy, Ethan … and you …”

“Four people,” Mim corrected, adjusting his hand again. “Don’t you feel that? Baby Lucy jumps every time she hears your voice.”