Kitabı oku: «Son of Texas», sayfa 4

CHAPTER FOUR

WORDS FELT LIKE A WAD of cotton in Belle’s throat and she couldn’t force them out. Her eyes clung to Caleb’s and she memorized every line of his honed, lean face, the sensual curve of his mouth, the dark hair, neatly trimmed, and those incredible warm eyes.

Before she could speak, Lencha stroked her face, her hair. “Child, where have you been? Why did you leave like that?”

Belle stared into Lencha’s gray eyes and saw the worry and concern. She would talk to Caleb later. Now she had to tell Lencha what had happened to her.

“Lencha, this is Caleb McCain, a Texas Ranger.”

Lencha turned to Caleb, Chula on her shoulder. She studied him openly. “Texas Ranger, hmm? Had a cousin who was a ranger back in the old days when a ranger was all the law we had out here. Nice to meet you.” She shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you, too, ma’am.” He glanced at Chula. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen a pet squirrel before.”

Lencha scratched Chula. “Found her as a baby in the backyard. Must have fallen out of a nest. I fed her with an eyedropper and she’s been a pet ever since. She’s like a cat, but I can’t leave her alone in the house or she’ll tear up everything.” Her eyes narrowed. “So what are you doing with my Josie?”

Josie took Lencha’s arm and led her to the kitchen table. “It’s a long story….”

Josie told her everything about her ordeal—waking up on Austin’s skid row, the bullet in her head, the cult, the memory loss, the struggle back to reality and the kind people who helped her.

“Santa Maria madre de Dios!” Lencha made the sign of the cross. “Child, are you okay?”

“Partly. I still don’t remember how I ended up in Austin or what made me leave Beckett.”

Lencha jumped up. “Ojo.”

“No, Lencha…” But Lencha was already out the door.

“Ojo?” Caleb asked with a lifted brow.

She sighed. “It’s the eye. The evil eye. It’s Mexican—if a person looks at your child and thinks things, good or bad, about them, it can cause high fever, crying or fussiness or something like that. I’m not up on this stuff, but when I was small I had a real high fever and the doctors couldn’t keep it down. Mama was worried and called Lencha and she came to Corpus. My mom and dad scoffed at a lot of Lencha’s rituals, but were willing to try anything. After Lencha did her thing, my fever was under control within thirty minutes.”

Lencha hurried back in, her gray hair everywhere, making her look like a witch. In her hands she carried a brown egg, a sprig of rosemary and a bottle of brackish greenish liquid. She filled a glass with water and brought everything to the table. Saying a prayer in Spanish, she rubbed the liquid all over Josie, even her clothes.

“Lencha!” Josie protested, twitching her nose at the strong scent.

“What is that?” Caleb asked, and Josie met his eyes, not sure how to explain Lencha and her healing methods. But she knew she didn’t have to. Caleb was very open-minded, understanding… The pungent smell of the herbs filled her nostrils and stopped her thoughts.

“Basil, rosemary and rue. A limpia, a cleanser to expunge evil forces,” Lencha replied, taking some liquid in her mouth and spitting it over Josie.

“Lencha,” Josie protested again, but Lencha paid no attention to her. She held Josie’s head with both hands and said another prayer.

Then she took the egg and rosemary in one hand and rubbed it over Josie’s head and body.

“Lencha, this is for babies,” Josie protested, “and I’m beginning to stink.”

“Shh.” In Spanish she said another prayer and broke the egg into the water. “See, the albumen is milky and murky. The evil has been extracted. She made the sign of the cross. “Now, we’ve broken the spell.”

“Lencha…”

Lencha wagged a finger in her face. “Don’t scoff at the old ways. They work. This might be a little different, but it will work, too. Someone looked upon you with envy or malice.” Lencha touched her face. “How could they not? You’re so beautiful, just like my sweet Marie.” She took a seat and held Josie’s hands. Lencha was known for her healing remedies and Josie suspected that most of the time she made a lot of them up. Belief was a powerful thing, though. Lencha had told her that many times.

Josie glanced at Caleb. He didn’t seem surprised or shocked at Lencha’s methods. Just interested. After a minute, he spoke. “Maybe you can help us in other ways, too. When was the last time you saw Bell…I mean Josie?”

Lencha nodded. “Remember it well. I do midwifing when I’m needed. Lot of Mexicans here are illegal. The Garcia’s daughter went into labor and they called me. They’re illegal and didn’t want to go to a hospital, afraid of being sent back to Mexico. I was there all night. She gave birth about five and I got home around seven. Josie’s car wasn’t in the garage and I thought she was at work, but her room light was on and the door was open so I went in. A suitcase was on the bed with some clothes thrown into it and her gun and badge were on the nightstand. I thought that was peculiar so I called Eric and he said Josie left work yesterday to go visit with her grandfather and…”

“Who’s Eric?” The name created a mass of confusion inside Josie and she had to know. Or it could be the herbs were clearing her sinuses.

Lencha looked perplexed, then patted Josie’s hands. “Child, he’s your fiancé. Tall, blond, good-looking guy. Eric Hanson’s a lieutenant on the police force here. You two hit it off the moment you set eyes on each other.”

A fiancé? She was engaged to be married? To Eric…Hanson. She closed her eyes and tried to see his face, but all she could see was Caleb’s. The only man who’d occupied her mind totally. She gritted her teeth and forced Caleb away, but nothing was there. Why couldn’t she remember this man she’d loved and was planning to spend the rest of her life with? Panic took root and she slowly calmed herself.

“When was the last time you saw Josie, Mrs. Peabody?” Caleb’s soothing voice brought her back to the conversation. For a long time now, she thought of his voice like a glass of warm milk. When she was small and she’d have nightmares, her mother would give her a glass of warm milk and it would calm her and make her feel safe. That’s what his voice did—made her feel safe and secure. As a child, she needed the warm milk. As an adult, she needed Caleb. But soon that dependency would fade. She had to stop leaning on him and accept her life. Accept Eric.

“I saw her that morning before she left for work. She was happy, energetic and excited about finding a girl who was missing. She went to work and I never saw her again.” She reached out and touched Josie’s face. “Oh, child, I thought I’d lost you like I’d lost your mother.”

Even though Marie had never returned to Beckett, Lencha visited often and she’d been one of the reasons Josie had come to Beckett. She was the only link to her mother’s family and she wanted to be around someone who’d loved her parents, who had understood what she was going through.

“That old buzzard had something to do with this. I know he did.” Lencha’s voice turned cold and accusing.

After Boone had pressured Brett into a loveless marriage and Marie had left Beckett, Lencha and Boone had become bitter enemies. Lencha had put several curses on him, but her curses never fazed the indomitable Boone Beckett.

“Mrs. Peabody…”

Lencha held up a hand. “Please call me Lencha. Mrs. Peabody died when my husband did. I’m just Lencha now.”

“Lencha.” Caleb inclined his head. “You said Josie was excited about finding a missing girl. Do you remember the girl’s name?”

Lencha shook her head. “No. Josie never talked about her cases and she’s not one to gossip.”

Josie listened with a surreal feeling, as if they were talking about someone else. Nothing was ringing any bells. Except Eric.

She swallowed. “I was going to see my grandfather. What happened after that?”

“Eric said you had a big argument with Lorna and was very upset. You called him and said you were leaving Beckett and never coming back and that you’d call as soon as you reached Corpus. He tried to talk you out of it and asked you to wait until he was off duty, but you wouldn’t listen. You even called Dennis Fry, the police chief, and told him you couldn’t stay in Beckett any longer.”

Complete silence followed those words. Caleb looked at Josie and her olive skin was a sickly white. He wanted to stop the questions, but he couldn’t. It was time to keep the answers coming.

“I called your parents’ house in Corpus every day, sometimes three times a day, and there was never an answer. Finally the phone was disconnected and I knew something was wrong. You always kept up with the bills.”

“Did you do anything?” Caleb asked.

“You better believe I did.” Lencha snorted. “Eric and I went out to Silver Spur and confronted the biggest, meanest buzzard around. The type of buzzard who’ll pick your bones before you’re dead. Big Boone said Josie got a little upset with Lorna and in a few days she’d calm down and come back. When she didn’t, I filed a missing person’s report with Dennis, but never heard a damn word. I didn’t give up, though. Kept bugging the hell out of him.”

“And nothing happened?”

“Not until a few minutes ago when Josie walked in. All those potions and spells I’ve been weaving kept you alive and my precious child is back.” Lencha grabbed Josie and they hugged again.

Caleb stood, knowing nothing was adding up. If a missing person’s report had been filed, then it should have been in the system. They would have known who Belle was months ago. There were some shady dealings going on and he intended to get some honest answers.

“Do you remember the date Josie left?”

“Sure do. February twentieth.” Lencha pulled an old calendar out of a drawer and opened it. “See, I wrote it down.”

He stared at the date circled in red. They had the timeline almost correct. Belle had said it was very cold when she’d been taken to the cult’s compound. The area had experienced a freezing winter last January and February. She’d been with the cult until mid-April when Eli and the FBI had infiltrated the group. The time from the twentieth until the cult had found her was still a mystery. It couldn’t have been long, though—days at the most. It had been almost fourteen months since she’d been missing.

Time to find more answers.

While Lencha was fixing something to drink, Caleb pulled Josie aside. “I’m going over to the police station to see what I can find out, then I’ll head out to the Silver Spur Ranch.”

“No,” she said in a strong voice. “It’s time for you to go. I can sort out my life now and I have to stop depending on you.”

He saw that determined expression, the stubborn set of her jaw, but he wasn’t leaving. “No way.” He shook his head. “I said I’d stay until your full memory returned and it hasn’t. You know me well enough to know that I always keep my word.”

“Yes.” She bit her lip.

“I’m not leaving you until we know who tried to kill you. It’s not safe until then. Your memory is returning so that shouldn’t be too much longer.” He touched the frown on her forehead. “Besides Gertie’d have my hide if I left without knowing you were completely safe.”

“Okay.” She gave in with a slight smile. “I wish I could go with you, but I know it’s best if no one sees me for now.” She looked down at herself. “And I really need to get cleaned up. I’m beginning to smell.”

Caleb grinned. “I thought Gertie was eccentric.”

She met his grin with one of her own. “Lencha’s a colorful person. Some people call her a witch, but she’s not. She just knows how to cure a lot of ailments with remedies from her grandmother. I’m not sure about the evil stuff, and my mother wasn’t, either. My mom loved her dearly, but said Lencha liked to put on a show.”

Unable to resist, he tucked a stray tendril behind her ear. “Get reacquainted with Lencha and try not to worry.”

A pained expression came over her face. “I don’t remember Eric and I should. Why…”

“Belle…Josie, please, don’t stress over it. It’s all going to come back to you.” He had the hardest time calling her Josie, but he was trying.

“I suppose.”

“See you in a little while.” He walked out the door, turning into an investigating ranger, instead of a man whose heart was dangerously close to breaking.

THE POLICE BUILDING was easy to find, a redbrick structure on the end of Main Street with two police cars parked in the side lot. He went in through the front door into a reception room. A green-eyed blonde, somewhere in her thirties, sat at a small desk, answering phone calls.

She hung up. “May I help you?”

“Caleb McCain, Texas Ranger. I’m here to see Chief Fry.”

“Oh, oh.” She pointed to a door. “He’s the first door on the right.”

“Thank you.”

He walked into a larger room with several more desks. Two police officers dressed in traditional blue were working there. One was blond and Caleb knew he had to be Eric. A hard knot formed in his stomach as he knocked on the appointed door. When he heard an answer, he went in.

A balding man in a starched white shirt was writing in a file at his desk. He raised his head as Caleb entered.

“What can I do for you?” The chief laid down his pen.

Caleb walked forward with his hand outstretched. “Caleb McCain, Texas Ranger. I’m working a case and could use some help.”

Dennis stood and shook his hand. In his forties, medium height with a slight pouch, Dennis had a friendly smile.

“Chadwick is the ranger in this county so you must be from another area. Have a seat.”

Caleb settled his frame into a vinyl chair. “Yes, I am. I’ve notified Chadwick that I’m in the area.” Rangers were respectful of each other’s territory and they worked well together. There was nothing stronger than the ranger bond and brotherhood. Caleb had had a long talk with Chadwick before leaving Austin and if he needed any help all he had to do was call him.

Dennis eased into his chair, the springs creaking from the weight. “What can I help you with?”

Caleb pulled a small photo of Josie from his pocket, one that Gertie had taken. He pushed it across the desk, watching the man’s face. “Do you know this woman?”

“Well, I’ll be damned. That’s Josie Marie Beckett. She used to be on the police force.” Dennis leaned back, a sly grin on his face. “But you knew that, didn’t you, Ranger McCain?”

Caleb retrieved the photo and slipped it back into his pocket. It was the only photo he had of Belle and he wasn’t parting with it. “Yes. I knew she worked here. I’m trying to find out what happened to her.”

“I’d sure as hell like to know, too. Damn good officer. She called me at home and said she had to leave and that she was sorry. We haven’t seen hide nor hair of her since.”

“Did you try to find her?”

“Boone was in here every day demanding results. We sent out bulletins and checked the house in Corpus. Nothing. Josie had a big blowup with the Becketts and I guess she just didn’t want to be found.” He leaned forward. “So Boone’s got the Rangers involved. I hope you find her. It’ll get a lot of people off my back, including Lencha Peabody and her curses and her spells.”

“Do you remember the date that she left?”

“Late February of last year. The twentieth, I believe.”

That was the same date Lencha had given him so he knew the chief wasn’t lying or trying to hide anything.

He stood, knowing he wasn’t going to get any more information here. He wasn’t sure the chief knew anything else. Today was just a fishing expedition. Tomorrow he’d demand answers, especially about the bulletins. “Thanks. I’ll be in the area for a few days.”

The door opened and Eric stood there.

“Come in,” Dennis invited.

Eric stepped in and closed the door.

“This is Texas Ranger Caleb McCain.” He paused after making the introduction. “He’s looking for Josie.”

Eric’s blue eyes widened. “Oh, man. I’ll help you any way I can. I’ve been searching for over a year and I’m worried out of my mind.”

Caleb stared at this man. Josie’s fiancé. He was as tall as Caleb, but there the difference ended. He was as blond as Caleb was dark and his arms were muscled as if he worked out. His voice and his eyes showed genuine concern, and Caleb blocked all the jealousy that lapped at him. Jealousy that surprised him. He never considered himself a jealous person.

“Thank you,” was all he could say. “I’ll be in touch.”

Eric followed him out. “Did someone ask you to find her?”

Caleb turned to him. “I can’t divulge that.”

“Listen.” Eric ran a hand through his hair. “I just need to know that she’s alive and okay.”

“As I said, I’ll be in touch.” Saying that he strolled to his vehicle. He couldn’t tell Eric yet. It was too dangerous for Josie. Keeping her safe was his top priority.

HE STOPPED FOR GAS and asked for directions to the Silver Spur Ranch. Turning off the highway, he took a winding county road. The road angled left, and to the right were brown stone arches with The Silver Spur emblazoned across the top. A large spur decorated each end. He drove over a cattle guard and brown board fences flanked him on both sides. The land was flat, inundated with mesquite and cacti, and had a desolate, lonely feel. Oil wells dotted the landscape and cattle roamed among the mesquite. The road seemed to go on and on and then it suddenly appeared—a massive two-story Mexican hacienda constructed of brown stone and a tiled roof. Two wings extended toward the back and barns, metal buildings, pipe corrals, sheds and several more houses were in the distance.

Caleb had heard of political barbecues that had been held here and he could see it was a large impressive operation. He parked in the circular drive and marveled at the large Texas star made from red, white and blue tile inlaid into the rock driveway. A smaller tiled star was at the front door. He rang the doorbell and heard “The Eyes Of Texas” resounding inside the house.

A Mexican maid in her forties answered the door. “May I help ya?”

Caleb removed his hat. “Yes, ma’am. I’m Caleb McCain, Texas Ranger. May I speak with Mr. Boone Beckett, please.”

“He no see no one.”

“This is about Josie Beckett.”

Her black eyes opened wide. “Si. Si. Come. Come.” He followed her through a large foyer, about the size of his apartment, into a formal living room then into a massive den of leather, silver and stuffed animals. Mounted heads of deer, elk and numerous others decorated the walls along with stuffed ducks and birds he didn’t recognize. A chandelier made from deer horns hung from the ceiling. Different types of animal skins covered the floor and in the center of the mahogany-paneled room was another Texas star. Boone loved Texas, that was evident.

The man himself caught Caleb’s attention. He sat on a red leather sofa, his cowboy boots propped on a horseshoe wrought-iron and glass coffee table. The silver tips on his boots glinted from the light. A huge TV screen covered one wall and Boone was watching a hunting show, a glass of whiskey in his hand, a cigar in his mouth.

“Mr. Beckett, Texas Ranger to see ya,” the maid said.

“Hell, Chadwick. I done told you ten times I don’t know nothin’ about that dead body found in Sagebrush Creek. He worked for me. So what? A hundred vaqueros work out here and I don’t know every damn one of them.” He spoke in a bored tone and his eyes never left the TV.

Caleb walked farther into the room. “I’m not Chadwick. I’m Caleb McCain and I’m looking for Josie Beckett.”

That got his attention. Boone swung his feet to the floor, set his drink down while clicking off the TV. “Well now, son—” he took a puff on the cigar and blew smoke into the air “—if you find her, you let me know ’cause I want to have a talk with that little gal.” His voice projected pompous arrogance.

“When was the last time you saw her?”

Boone shot him a dark glance, chewing on the cigar. “Who in the hell asked you to find her?”

“That’s confidential, sir.”

“It was that old bat, Lencha. She flies around at night sucking the life out of everyone around her. She said I had something to do with Josie’s disappearance, but I did everything I could to find her. The girl had a hissy fit and doesn’t want to be found.”

“Mind if I have a seat?”

Boone nodded. “Take a load off.”

Caleb lowered himself into a red leather chair and crossed his legs, placing his hat on his knee. “What was the hissy fit about?”

“Woman stuff.” He grunted, removing the cigar from his mouth. “Been married four times and never understood a one of them. Never will, either. I don’t know what the hell they want or need or think for that matter.”

“What does that have to do with Josie?”

“I told you—woman stuff. Her and Lorna, Brett’s first wife, never got along. Every time Lorna looked at Josie, all she could see was Brett’s betrayal. I guess that was too much for Lorna. I wasn’t here the night Lorna and Josie got into it, but basically Lorna lost it and told Josie she wasn’t wanted here and that Marie was a tramp and a whore. That’s when Josie blew her top saying she was leaving and never coming back. No one saw her after that. The vaqueros saw her car leaving, though.”

Caleb slowly removed his hat from his knee, uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, gauging his words carefully. “Why did you never report her missing?”

Boone’s eyes narrowed. “Because that old bat, Lencha, beat me to it. I hounded that inept Fry every day, but Josie seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth.” The eyes narrowed to mere slits. “Are you implying I had something to do with Josie’s disappearance?”

Before Caleb could respond, Boone added with a growl in his voice, “Because if you are, I’ll have that badge ripped off your chest with your skin still attached.”

Caleb looked directly at him. “Mr. Beckett, if you’re so powerful, why haven’t you found your granddaughter?”

“Listen, you…”

“Pa, Consuelo said a Texas Ranger is here.” A man with light brown hair and blue eyes walked in. This had to be Mason. In his fifties, he was average height and his age was beginning to show with threads of gray in his hair and flab around the middle.

Boone made the introductions. “He’s searching for Josie.”

“That old busybody just won’t let it rest, will she?” Mason seethed under his breath, then he turned to Caleb. “This wasn’t the place for Josie and she knew it. If she wanted to come back, she’d be here.”

“Maybe she’s unable to do that,” Caleb’s said.

“What?” Mason frowned, as if he didn’t understand the answer.

Two blond women strolled into the room. Lorna and Ashley. “Oh. I didn’t realize we had company,” Lorna said. Her hair hung like a bell around her face and she was dressed in a tan linen suit and heels. Very elegant and sophisticated—everything Boone would want in a wife for his son.

Again Boone made the introductions and Lorna’s green eyes turned stormy at the mention of Josie. “No offense, Mr. McCain, but what’s your interest in Josie?”

Caleb stood. “Justice, ma’am. Justice.”

“Justice.” A brittle laugh left her throat. “Has a crime been committed?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

“I hope you find her,” Ashley spoke up. She was a replica of her mother except her hair was long and held with a clip behind her head.

“Oh, please.” Lorna sighed in anger. “Let’s don’t go through this again.”

“She’s my half sister,” Ashley said, undeterred by her mother’s anger. “You always seem to forget that.”

“Oh, sweetie, I never forget that. Josie Beckett is not welcome here—ever.”

Boone stood to his full height. He was a big man with a barrel of a chest and a presence that demanded attention. “Listen, missy, you don’t give orders around here. No one does, but me.”

“Pa…”

“Stay out of this, Mason, or you’ll find yourself on the first truck out of here. I want to make one thing very clear, then I don’t want to hear one more word about it again. Josie is welcome here any time—day or night. Does anyone have a problem with that?”

“Not me, Pa.” Ashley put an arm around his waist and hugged him.

Boone removed her arm. “You’re still marrying Richard Wentworth and kissing up won’t change that.”

“I don’t love him,” Ashley said stubbornly.

“You don’t have to. It’s not required. Just do what’s expected of a Beckett.”

“He’s fifteen years older than me.”

“You’ll adjust.”

Tears gathered in Ashley’s eyes and she ran from the room.

The tears didn’t faze Boone. He flopped down on the sofa. “Now everyone get the hell out of my den and that includes you, ranger man.” He clicked on the TV and jammed the cigar into his mouth.

Meeting Boone was unlike anything Caleb had ever experienced before. He lived in his own world where he was king, and with his wealth, he could pretty much make that happen, even with his arrogant personality.

Caleb placed his hat on his head and headed for the door, needing fresh air.

“You find Josie, ranger man,” Boone shouted after him.

Caleb kept walking, knowing a response wasn’t necessary. In the foyer Lorna caught up with him, grabbing his arm.

“Don’t bring her back here.” There was a hint of a warning in her voice.

He removed her fingers from around his arm and strolled out the door. Outside, he sucked air into his lungs, feeling thoroughly inducted into the dysfunctional Beckett family.

As he drove away, he could fully understand why Brett didn’t want to marry Lorna. She was like a cold fish compared to Josie, and Caleb was sure Josie took after Marie, warm and vibrant.

Through all the tension he could feel an underlying fear. They were all afraid of something. Or of what his investigation might uncover. Deciding which one might have shot Josie was like taking a stab in the dark. Sooner or later the truth would come out, though. He just had to be patient.