Lauren's breath caught in her throat and goose bumps covered her flesh. The man lying on the ground wasn't moving. "Should I call 911?" she asked of the group of men surrounding the body.

"I'm afraid it's a little too late for that, Lauren." Chase put his hands in his pockets. "He's already dead."

"Who iser, who was he?"

"Hank Hardy. He worked for a neighboring ranch. It seems he was thrown from his horse on my property. We still haven't figured it all out, but ...