Kitabı oku: «Texas Ranger Showdown»

ONE

Called in by the Longhorn sheriff, Texas Ranger Ian Pierce pulled up to the crime scene outside of town. A woman’s body had been found by an older couple out for a morning walk on the country road.

Ian approached Sheriff Tom Mason and shook his hand. He’d been the sheriff in the community when Ian was a teenager. He’d always admired the man and the way he ran his department. The people in this county did too because he’d been in his current position for twenty-five years. “It’s good to see you again. I just wish under different circumstances.”

“So do I, especially with this one. The woman murdered was Jane Shephard.”

“Senator Shephard’s daughter?”

Tom nodded. “I figure with a state senator’s family involved, I should have you involved too.”

“You think it might be politically motivated?”

“No indication of that, but it’ll be a volatile case.” Tom headed toward the roped-off crime scene. “It appears she was dumped here sometime early this morning. She hasn’t been dead long. We’ll know more after the autopsy.”

Ian ducked under the yellow crime-scene tape and made his way down the steep side of the ditch where the victim lay faceup in about an inch of dirty rainwater, posed with her hands across her chest. No outward sign of how she’d been killed. “Do we know how she died?”

“When we rolled her over, she had multiple stab wounds in her back, but there’s little blood on the scene, which rules out this as the place where she was murdered. I’d like to keep the extent of the wounds quiet.”

“Any evidence?” Ian asked as he took his cell phone and snapped pictures of the dump site.

“Some smudged footprints in the mud. When Mr. White saw Jane, he thought she might be alive and hurried down the side of the ditch. He slipped once. His actions destroyed some evidence, but I don’t know when she would have been found if the Whites hadn’t been out for a walk. You can’t see the bottom of the ditch from a passing car.”

“Have you informed the family yet?”

“Nope. But I’m going over to the house, right after I make sure this is processed correctly and the body’s off to the morgue.” The sheriff removed his cowboy hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ve never gotten used to this part of my job.”

“I know what you mean. And it would be better coming from you than me. I’ve only seen Jack Shephard recently on TV. But I can stay here to make sure everything is done by the book, if you want to go now. I wouldn’t want him to hear it from someone else.”

“I agree. Let’s meet later at the station. I’ll find out what I can about Jane’s whereabouts yesterday and this morning, and especially when her family last saw her and where she would have been going this morning.”

“Maybe if we can piece together a timeline of her movements, we can discover where she was murdered.”

Tom stuck a toothpick into his mouth and put his hat on his head, then climbed out of the ditch and left.

Three days on the job in Longhorn and Ian had already become involved in the murder of a member from a prominent family. After the intense few months he’d spent in El Paso rounding up a drug cartel, he’d hoped to have a little downtime to deal with his brother and make sure his grandma was all right. Something was wrong with Sean, and he was determined to help his older brother whether he wanted it or not. His grandma was worried sick about Sean. Ian had returned to his hometown because of his family, especially for Nana, who needed more help than she wanted to admit to anyone.

An hour later, the area had been processed, with pictures taken and what little evidence there was collected. Jane Shephard’s body had been transported to the morgue for an autopsy.

When Ian left the dump site, he drove toward his grandmother’s house. He had promised to have lunch with her next door, at her best friend Sally’s, and he was late. He’d forgotten about it until he’d been climbing out of the ditch and had received a call from Nana.

As Ian stopped at a light, his cell phone rang, and he saw it was the sheriff. “How did the family notification go?”

“Jack Shephard wasn’t there. He’s in Austin. His wife called him, and he’s heading back to Longhorn now. Ruth took the news relatively well, but I was glad her housekeeper was with her when I left. Ruth didn’t know where Jane was last night, but this morning she left early to meet with her therapist, Caitlyn Rhodes.”

Caitlyn Rhodes. Her name brought back good memories but also regret. There were times over the years he could have used her advice and friendship. The closest he’d been to her in years was listening to her radio talk show, where she counseled people who called in. He still didn’t understand the abrupt end to their relationship the summer she graduated from high school.

“I’m waiting for Jack to arrive here. He’s coming to the station before going home. Can you talk with Caitlyn Rhodes?”

Since he’d returned to his hometown, his grandma had mentioned Caitlyn, who was Sally’s granddaughter, several times. “Sure. In fact, I’m supposed to have lunch with her grandmother today. I’ll find out Caitlyn’s schedule and track her down.”

“Do you know her?”

“Yes. We went to school together and were friends, but I haven’t seen her in a long time.” Too long. Every time he heard her on her radio show he’d pictured her in his mind—petite, long wavy brown hair with a touch of red in it and the most beautiful dark green eyes.

“Call me after you talk with her.”

“Will do.”

He and Caitlyn had been two years apart in school. She’d been popular and had a lot of guys wanting to date her. While he’d attended a college in Dallas, she’d finished high school and, that summer before she went to the University of Texas, they’d dated several times. He’d begun to think they were growing closer, but suddenly one day he’d received a voice mail from her, canceling their date. Later he discovered she’d left town. Their paths didn’t cross after that, and he’d always wondered if they could have had a serious relationship. Now it didn’t make any difference. His job was his life.

* * *

Caitlyn Rhodes took a moment while several commercials were played on her popular talk show, Share with Caitlyn. She’d been on the run the whole morning before coming to the radio station for her live program. Her first therapy client, Jane Shepard, had concerned her at her office earlier today. During her appointment, Jane had paced the room, only sitting down a couple of times. Something was wrong, but Caitlyn couldn’t get much out of her. She planned to call her later and see if she would come to Caitlyn’s office tomorrow or suggest that she could go to Jane wherever she wanted. Caitlyn couldn’t shake her concern.

Melanie Carson, her show’s producer, signaled that the last commercial was wrapping up. Caitlyn glanced at the wall clock in the studio. Only five minutes till the end of her show. She had time for one or two more callers.

Caitlyn pressed the button. “Hello. You’re on the air.”

Silence greeted her.

Seconds passed, so she reached toward the control panel to switch to the next caller when a raspy, deep voice said, “Stop me!”

A chill snaked down Caitlyn’s spine. “Stop you from doing what?”

Another eerie quiet filled the dead air. She opened her mouth to say—

Click.

Behind the glass window, Melanie frowned and tapped her watch.

Quickly recovering from the call, Caitlyn leaned toward the microphone and started to say what she did when a viewer got cold feet and shut down on the radio: “Please call me at my office, and we can talk privately.” But she couldn’t get those words out. They stuck in her throat.

Melanie again indicated her watch to wrap up. Caitlyn pulled herself together and began to speak.

“I can’t believe how fast the past hour went, but I’ll be back tomorrow, same time, to discuss any problems you need help with. Remember: unresolved problems lead to stress, and stress leads to illness. Keep your mind and body healthy. Call me or write me,” she said automatically as she did every show. Then she rattled off her email address for the ones like that last caller who froze when they realized millions were listening to them.

If only I could follow my own advice about unresolved problems.

As she rose to leave the studio, she couldn’t shake the coldness that had embedded itself deep in her bones at the two words he’d said.

Stop me!

Not calmly but desperately, as though he was at the end of his patience. That shouldn’t have stopped her from saying he could contact her at her office. In her years as a therapist with a doctorate in psychology and counseling, she’d talked with many desperate people.

She headed out into the hallway. What had made her not encourage him to call the office?

The sinister edge to his voice? The sense of urgency?

“Caitlyn, are you okay?”

She stopped and turned toward her producer. “Yes, Melanie. It was clear whoever was on the phone didn’t really want help or he would have said more.” She’d learned over the years that she couldn’t help someone who wasn’t open to it. It had been a hard lesson, but it had saved her own sanity with one of her clients in her first year of counseling. She wanted to help people with problems and considered it more than her occupation. But as her grand pappy used to say, you could lead a horse to water, but you couldn’t make it drink.

“Good. He was creepy. Probably just a prankster.”

Over the past two years, Share with Caitlyn had had several pranksters on-air. “Yeah, that’s what I think.”

“Do you want me to screen your calls before you talk to them?”

She didn’t want to put any barriers in place for her callers. So far that had worked for her. Handling those few pranksters hadn’t been a big deal. Her listeners knew when the phone was answered it was by her, making their first connection more personal. “No, let’s leave it as is,” Caitlyn murmured and started for the double doors at the end of the corridor that led to the lobby of the building. And yet as she said that, she still couldn’t shake the chill those two words had given her.

“I’ve got his phone number and, if you want me to, I can block his call from coming through to you,” Melanie said from the other end of the hallway.

Caitlyn started to say yes, but she reminded herself that she’d gone into counseling to help as many people as she could—even ones who couldn’t pay much. That was why she volunteered at Matthew’s Ministries Tuesday mornings. She turned toward her coworker and friend. “No, maybe he wasn’t ready to share yet, but he might be later. See you tomorrow, Mel. I have a date with Granny.”

“Speaking of a date, the guy I’m seeing has a good friend who would be perfect for you. I’ll fix you up, and we all can go out together. Say, next week sometime?”

Caitlyn paused at the exit, shaking her head. “No blind dates. I’m content with my life.” Her days were full and she didn’t need the added pressure of running the dating gauntlet. Years ago, she’d walked away from that when one man stepped too far over the line and she’d paid for his actions. She shoved the memory away. She refused to let Byron ruin her life any more than he already had. But he somehow managed to creep back into her thoughts at unexpected times.

When she left the station in Longhorn, a small town outside Dallas, she took a deep breath of the warm breeze from the south and relished the rays of the sun hitting her face. Spring. She loved this season above all the others. Glimpsing the clock tower at city hall, she hurried her pace. Granny expected a person to be prompt. She didn’t believe in keeping people waiting.

Caitlyn slipped behind the wheel of her restored 1956 red Thunderbird, retracted the top and drove out of the parking lot. She arrived at her grandmother’s fifteen minutes later, her shoulder-length hair wind tossed. After running her fingers through her wild strands, she climbed out of her car and strode to the front porch.

Before she could ring the bell, Granny opened the door. “Now I can start lunch.”

“You haven’t yet?”

“Nope. You were late last week, so I wasn’t sure when you would come.”

Caitlyn looked at her watch. “I wasn’t late last week or today.”

Her grandmother entered the kitchen where her closest friend and next-door neighbor, Emma, sat at the table enjoying a cup of coffee. Granny made her way to the refrigerator. “Yes, you were.”

“Not by my watch.” Caitlyn checked its time against the clock over the stove. “Which is five minutes off yours.”

“See? I told you that you were late.”

“I’ve got a client at one,” Caitlyn said, remembering how several of her weekly luncheons with Granny were full-course dinners. She thought Caitlyn was too skinny.

“It won’t take long. I’m only fixing sandwiches. Emma and I have yoga this afternoon. You should join us sometime.” Granny pulled a bowl and mayo from the fridge.

“Caitlyn, we listened to your show today.” Emma sipped her drink. “You gave some good advice and did a nice job handling that last caller. I would have hung up after two seconds of silence. You’re more tolerant than I am.”

Granny harrumphed. “You should be less tolerant. I don’t like you doing this talk show, four times a week. No telling who it’s exposing you to.”

Caitlyn sat across from Emma. “I’ve been practicing for seven years without any problems. I went into my profession to help people who were having problems. Y’all need to stop worrying about me.” She knew from personal experience what happened when you ignored your problems for years, hoping they would go away. They never did.

“That’s what a grandma is for—to worry about her grandchildren.” Granny brought the plate of sandwiches to the table and set them down, then went back for the pitcher of iced tea.

“I’m giving you the okay not to.” Caitlyn grabbed a chicken salad sandwich.

“But what about that creepy-sounding man? ‘Stop him’ from doing what?”

Granny said a prayer, then poured iced tea in both Caitlyn’s and her glasses, while Emma stuck to her coffee. “You don’t have to take us to yoga.”

“My grandson said he’d give us a ride. He should be here any minute.” Emma took a bite of her lunch.

“Sean?” Caitlyn was asking about him because lately he’d been more a recluse than a rancher.

“No, Ian. I can never get Sean to do anything lately.”

“Ian? I thought he lived in El Paso.” Caitlyn remembered the times she, Sean and Ian used to play together as kids. Granny and Emma had been best friends for over sixty years, so it made sense that she’d be friends with Emma’s grandkids. Then later, she’d even gone out with Ian a couple of times after graduating from high school and before her life took a detour and they lost touch.

Emma smiled. “Not since last week. A position opened up. He’s been transferred to Company B and will be working in the Longhorn area. I’ve sure missed him. He’s staying with me until he finds a house.”

“Not at the family ranch outside town?”

“No, Sean and Ian don’t get along.”

Caitlyn hadn’t seen Ian in years. When he had been in Longhorn for his father’s funeral last year, she’d been gone. According to Emma, he was so busy with his job as a Texas Ranger that he’d had limited time to come home. What made Ian return now? A change of scenery? His older brother, who was supposed to be looking after Emma, rarely came by. Was that why, or was there something else?

“That’s a shame. They used to be so close when we were growing up. I never see Sean anymore, and we live in the same town.”

“That’s because you’re dedicated to your work like both my grandsons, Caitlyn. Since my son died, Sean’s been throwing all his energy into making the Pierce ranch the biggest one in the area. He’s carrying on the feud my son and his neighbor, Jack Shephard, had over whose ranch was the biggest and richest. He doesn’t have time for much else.” Emma drained the last of her coffee and set her mug on the table.

The sadness in Emma’s voice told Caitlyn there was more to what was going on with Sean than working too much. From all she’d heard, Sean had changed a lot in the past few years—more bitter and angry. His father’s death had sent him in a downward spiral. She hated hearing he was continuing the feud between the ranches. “Let me refill your coffee.”

Caitlyn rose and walked to the stove to grab the pot. As she turned to come back to the table, Emma shot Granny a be quiet look. Caitlyn would have a word with her grandmother when Emma wasn’t here. Something was going on. Maybe Caitlyn could help? Emma was like a second grandmother to her. Growing up, she’d been closer to Ian than she was to Sean.

In fact, she’d hoped there could have been more between her and Ian, but she’d had to leave Longhorn suddenly. A relationship with him was never meant to be. Her job fulfilled her, and she was able to do what she loved—helping others.

* * *

As Ian parked in his grandma’s driveway, he noticed a retro Thunderbird with its top down parked at the curb in front of Sally’s home. He whistled. Beautiful car. Was that Caitlyn’s? The sports car had to be hers. It fit her personality. When he’d known her, she’d been serious but with a touch of mischief. How much had she changed? He certainly had, he reflected.

He rang the bell and, not a half a minute later, Caitlyn Rhodes opened her grandmother’s front door. A smile dimpled her cheeks and brightened her green eyes.

“It’s great to see you.” Caitlyn gave him a quick hug, then stepped to the side. “Come in. The dynamite duo will have someone to interrogate besides me now.”

Ian chuckled, taking in how much Caitlyn had changed since he’d last seen her five years ago at Christmas. Her usually long brown hair was cut shorter, which framed her face, emphasizing her attractive features from a pert nose to the longest eyelashes to full lips.

He realized he was staring and looked away, trying to tamp down his racing pulse. “Nana has done her share of drilling me for information long-distance.”

Caitlyn shut the door, clasped his arm and started for the kitchen. “You’re late. Prepare yourself. Being late in Granny’s house is frowned upon.”

She used to hook her arm through his in the past. Her touch felt familiar and yet...something much more. If only Caitlyn hadn’t left that summer, things would have been different between them.

“I’m glad you’re here finally. I have a patient at one, so I can’t stay as long as I wish.”

“I have unusual hours. Crime doesn’t work on a schedule.”

She laughed. “Neither does a patient’s crisis. I understand.”

When they approached the kitchen, he let Caitlyn go ahead of him, her arm slipping away from him. He missed the connection. She had always made him feel better and, after the morning he’d had, he needed that. After lunch, he’d talk to her about Jane.

He paused in the doorway. A place waited for him at the table, food already on his plate. He went to his grandmother, kissed her on the cheek and sat down across from her. Nana and Sally were two people who probably knew more than most what was going on in Longhorn. They had lived here their whole lives and were always involved in the church and town. Maybe they’d know something to help with his latest case. “Sorry I was late. I got delayed with a new case.”

Sally waved her hand. “Some things can’t be helped. I certainly understand.”

Caitlyn’s eyes grew wide. “He’s half an hour late and you don’t care, while I was only five minutes late and I got—”

Nana patted Caitlyn’s hand. “Honey, I understand. I’d be late if I had a creepy man call me on-air like you did.”

Creepy man? Ian shifted his attention to Caitlyn. “On your radio show?”

“You know I’m on the radio?”

He nodded. “I’ve even listened.”

Color flooded Caitlyn’s cheeks. “In El Paso?”

“Yep, we have a station that runs Share with Caitlyn. It’s always nice to hear a voice from my past.” He’d felt connected to his hometown—and her—while listening to her on the radio. He could have used her insight on the woman he’d been engaged to, who’d stolen his identity and money, then disappeared. But Caitlyn hadn’t been a therapist at that time. Thankfully, after years of being a law enforcement officer, he wasn’t as gullible as he’d been when he was in his midtwenties, but the incident wasn’t something he’d shared with anyone. “What did this guy say?”

“‘Stop me!’” Emma said before Caitlyn could. “But the worse part was the silence.”

“Nana, if I was on the radio, I’d have long silences too.” Ian caught Caitlyn’s gaze and held it. “I admire how you deal with all the different problems people call about.” When he’d been growing up, he’d often come to her for advice, so her career choice hadn’t surprised him.

She grinned. “Talking has always come easily to me. But I’ve had many people freeze up when they go live on the radio. Some I never hear from again. Others get over it and ask me to help them.”

“I hope that guy isn’t one that calls again.” Sally took a drink of her iced tea.

“You said you have a new case. What is it?” Caitlyn asked him.

“Now that the family has been notified, I can tell you. Jane Shephard was found murdered outside of town in a ditch.”

His grandma’s jaw dropped. “Jack is in Austin. Poor Ruth’s all by herself.”

“The senator is on his way home.”

Nana looked at Sally. “We’ll need to go to the church and organize some support for them. Jane was their only child. They will be devastated.” She rose and took her plate and mug to the sink.

“Yeah, we can’t go to yoga. We need to call the people on the church’s phone tree.” Sally joined her friend at the counter.

When they headed toward the hallway, Ian asked, “Do you want me to take you to the church later?”

“Yes,” Nana said as she and Sally began making plans.

Ian swiveled toward Caitlyn, who stared at a spot on the table between them, color drained from her face. “Jane was younger than me in school, but you were closer in age. Did you know her very well as adults?”

“Yes,” she said and lifted her gaze to his. “She’s—was one of my patients. When did this happen?”

“Based on her lividity when I saw her, she was probably killed between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.”

“Make that between nine and ten. I had an appointment with her at eight this morning. She left my office a few minutes before nine.” Caitlyn shook her head. “I can’t believe this.”

“What can you tell me about her? Was anyone threatening her? Harassing her?”

Caitlyn stood and gathered up her dishes. “I need to talk to her parents first. I don’t think what we talked about had anything to do with her death.”

“I need to re-create her steps. Did she mention going anywhere after her session?”

“She was meeting a couple of her Dallas friends for lunch and shopping afterward.”

“Who was she meeting?”

“Terri Hudson and Zoe Adams.”

“Was she dating anyone?”

“The last serious relationship she had was Max Collins, but that ended months ago. Come to think of it, they got into a big fight at Longhorn Café right before Christmas. Max accused her of seeing someone else.”