Lone Star Christmas Witness

by Margaret Daley

  Taylor felt compassion surge within him. “As you know I’ve gone through losing two important people in my life in the past nine years. I’ve learned that people grieve in different ways. Filling the role of mother for you when you needed it might have helped Kat through her grief. And as for you, well, being a teenager is a roller-coaster trip. You’re going through the transition from child to adult. It can be a challenge for anyone.”

  “So much of what you said, Kat did, too. But at twelve, thirteen and fourteen, I wasn’t listening.” Sierra leaned against the arm of the couch, bringing her legs up and clasping them against her chest. “I was angry—at Mom dying, at life, at...” She looked away, swallowing hard. “You wouldn’t understand.”

  The pain he heard in her voice touched him. Staring at her, he could see brick by brick a wall being constructed between them. His gut twisted into a tight knot. “There’s very little you could tell me that would shock me. I’ve seen the best and the worst of humankind in my job.”

  “I couldn’t even tell Kat the whole story. I tried to, but the words would never come out.” Tears shone in her eyes.

  And broke his heart.

  She scrambled off the couch and stood, a rivulet of sorrow coursing down her cheeks. “I need to get to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day.” She whirled around and started toward the staircase.

  He couldn’t let her go like that—hurting, crying for help. He hurried after her. At the bottom of the steps, he said, “Wait, Sierra... Please don’t go.”

  * * *

  Don’t go. The plea in Taylor’s voice halted her in midstride. Sierra placed her foot on the stair and slowly rotated toward him, a few steps away from her. Across the space, his gaze connected with hers, holding her in place as he came closer. The appeal in his eyes pleaded for an explanation.

  Earlier she’d set out to tell him something she hadn’t shared with others—only with God. She didn’t want any secrets between them, and yet she didn’t know if she could say it out loud. The repulsiveness and self-loathing the memories always produced didn’t happen this time as she looked into Taylor’s caring expression.

  “Do you really think you can go to sleep? If you don’t want to share it with me, that’s okay. It’s your choice. But right now, you’re so wound up.”

  “It’s Kat’s death. I can usually shove it back in the box and not think about it. I can’t anymore and now I know why. For years, a part of me has blamed my sister for what happened. Until a few minutes ago, I didn’t really realize that.”

  Taylor held out his hand.

  She stared at it for a long moment, then placed hers in his and came down the stairs. Her heartbeat thumped against her chest.

  Back in the living room, Taylor flipped on a light on the table next to the couch, then took a seat at the opposite end from Sierra. “I’d like to sit next to you, but I’m not going to unless you want me to. You’re struggling with something, and I want to be there for you, but you tell me what you want.”

  She shook her head. “I should never have started this conversation.”

  “Who hurt you?”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I can hear it in your voice.”

  And no doubt saw it on her face, where she wore her emotions, especially lately. She’d started this conversation, and she needed to finish it. She inhaled a composing breath. “I was twelve when it happened, not too long after my mother died. As I said before, Kat had been dating a guy she went to college with. The relationship became serious and Brent was around all the time. The first time he came over, when Kat was supposed to be home but was running late, he molested me. He scared me and threatened me. I was dealing with my mother’s death and didn’t know what to do. Kat was all I had, and she loved Brent. I believed him when he said he would hurt me and my sister if I said anything. He was big and muscular.” Once the words started, she wanted to complete the story. She moved down the couch and sat next to Taylor, his presence a soothing balm to her memories. She covered his hand on the couch between them. “After that, I was never around when he was until he surprised me a few months later.”

  Taylor tensed, his jawline rigid like a piece of granite.

  “I kicked and fought him any way I could. I got loose and ran away. I was so frightened he would find me. Once I tried calling my sister, but Brent answered the phone. It was summer, so I lived on the streets. As much as I missed Kat, I wasn’t going to go back. Then I was caught by the police. Kat had reported me missing. She came to pick me up alone. As she took me home, I intended to leave again if Brent came around, but the words about what he had done wouldn’t come out.”

  “What happened when you returned home?” Tension weaved its way through his words and expression.

  “Kat had spent so much of what little off time she had looking for me. Brent got tired of it and broke up with her. I kept what Brent did inside me. While I watched my sister mourn the loss of him, I celebrated it. Kat concentrated on her schoolwork, which had suffered while I was gone for a month. When she wasn’t studying, she was at her job. And while that was going on, I retreated further from her. I was glad she was so busy that she didn’t date anyone else. Then she met her future husband, who just wanted me gone. He had no interest in me. When they married, I was seventeen. I stayed at a girlfriend’s house more than I did with Kat and Kalvin. At the community college I went to, I dated occasionally but could never relax totally around a man.”

  Until Taylor.

  “What happened when Kalvin left Kat?”

  “It devastated her. She was pregnant, and he didn’t want a child. Kalvin left not long after Ben was born. I moved back in with her to help with Ben. I wanted to tell her about Brent then, but she told me how lousy she was at picking a man. I’d never seen my sister vulnerable. I knew then I wasn’t going to add to her problems. It was behind me, or so I thought. Now I know I should have spoken up.”

  “You just did to me. The more you talk about it the more you work your way through the trauma. I’ll listen anytime.”

  She smiled. “Thanks.”

  “I know I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t turned to John for help.”

  “The same goes for Ben. He needs to talk about what he’s going through. As you and I know, keeping it inside doesn’t make it go away. John hopes he will, but there’s no guarantee. All I can do now is be there for him, love him and pray for him.”

  “Earlier today, I thought he would speak out with a name for his new puppy. I could see it in his face. He even opened his mouth, then slowly closed it. I think it’ll happen when we can tell him the shooter is in jail, when he won’t be so afraid. Now at least we know who he is and what his motive is. He put in motion his revenge when his wife committed suicide. He’s lost his family, and he had to blame someone.”

  At the mention of the killer, still at large, Sierra stood, nervous energy running through her. She skirted the table and paced. She felt like a boiling pan of water with the lid on. Steam leaked out, but what would happen when the top was removed?

  Taylor stepped into her path. “Right now, it might look like this will never end, but it will. Richardson will be caught. And then your life will start to return to normal, and Ben will learn to deal with his emotions.” He held her gaze as he came closer. “I still want to stay in contact with you. See you. Nothing you’ve said has changed that.”

  When he closed the space between them, she stayed where she was. He cupped her elbows and slowly drew her even closer. Her lips tingled with anticipation as he leaned toward her. This time he kissed her with no hesitation, tugging her flat against him. She locked her arms around him and relished the moment.

  Not a word was said when Taylor pulled back and slung his arm along her shoulder and pressed her against his side. She looked up at the Christmas tree, at the big star on the top, and she thought about the hope that star in the sky over Be
thlehem had given the people below. Seeing this one offered her that hope, too.

  A blanket of peace enfolded her.

  Until the house alarm blared through the quiet air.

  TEN

  Taylor wrenched away from Sierra and withdrew his gun. “Hide behind the couch.”

  As Sierra crawled into the small space between the sofa and wall, he quickly checked the front entrance, then moved down the hallway toward the other entry point, the kitchen. Adrenaline surged through him, his heart pumping fast. He flattened himself against the wall and peered into the room.

  Trembling, Ben stood in the doorway to the backyard. He held his puppy, while Oscar stood next to the frightened boy. Eyes wide, he looked at Taylor.

  He rushed to Ben and drew him away while Taylor shut the door. “Stay right here.”

  Taylor hurried into the entryway and punched in the code to stop the piercing sound.

  His dad was halfway down the staircase when quiet reigned in the house again. “What happened?”

  “Ben tried to go outside. Everything’s all right.”

  His father continued down the stairs as Sierra came out of the living room.

  “Why was Ben going outside?” She looked toward the kitchen and hurried to Ben. “Why were you leaving the house?”

  Her nephew didn’t say anything.

  Sierra clasped her arms around him, throwing her glance at Taylor.

  He came to stand beside them. “Were you taking your pet outside to go to the bathroom?”

  Eyes still big, Ben nodded.

  “Because you wanted to take him upstairs with you?”

  Ben gave another nod.

  “Tell you what. Let’s take the crate upstairs to your room, so he’ll be in there with you. Okay?”

  Ben’s answer was a big smile.

  “You’ve got to remember the alarm is on at all times.”

  Ben dipped his head and rubbed his cheek against his puppy.

  Taylor went into the utility room, picked up the crate and returned to Ben. “While we’re here, let’s take our dogs outside.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll take the crate upstairs and go back to sleep,” Robert said.

  Taylor handed it to his father, then headed to the back door with Ben on one side and Sierra on the other. “We’ll be quick, and we won’t go far from the patio.”

  As Ben put his puppy down in the grass nearby and Oscar wandered off, Sierra hugged her arms against her. “Did you purposely forget to mention grabbing coats?” She shivered next to Taylor.

  He grinned at her, the outside patio light illuminating her beautiful face. “This isn’t cold to me.” He leaned close and lowered his voice. “But yes, you’re right.”

  “I figured as much.”

  Taylor wound his arms around her. “Does that help?”

  “Yes.”

  Oscar trotted back as Ben scooped up his puppy and dashed for the back door.

  Sierra quickly followed while Taylor paused at the entrance, his gaze sweeping the landscape. When he threw the dead bolt lock into place, he breathed a little easier.

  After he reset the alarm, they took Ben to his room. The child placed his pet in the crate, then hopped into bed. He pointed at the air mattress Sierra had been sleeping on near the bed, then waved his hand toward the door.

  “Is this your way of telling me you don’t need me to stay in here anymore?” she asked while tucking Ben in for the night.

  He grinned.

  “Okay. I’ll return to the room across the hall.” Sierra kissed her nephew’s cheek, then straightened. “No more middle-of-the-night trips outside.”

  Ben nodded.

  The night-light in the room gave off enough illumination for Sierra to make her way around the air mattress and into the corridor. She pulled the door almost closed except for a foot-wide gap.

  Sierra crossed the hall to her bedroom, where she’d left her belongings. “I think having his own dog was the best move we could do for him.”

  “I agree,” Taylor said. “I wasn’t sure the timing was good when Dallas called about going to the ranch earlier, but I’m glad he did. While we’re gone tomorrow, he’ll be focused on his puppy. Maybe he’ll come up with a name soon.”

  “It’s an important job when naming a pet.”

  “Has he ever had a pet?”

  “A goldfish and gerbil. Kat was working him up to taking care of a dog. He did a such good job cleaning out the gerbil cage that when it died, Kat decided to get him a puppy for Christmas.” When Sierra yawned, she quickly covered her mouth.

  “Bored already?”

  “Funny. No, but I’m tired. Good night.” She put her hand on the doorknob and turned it, but he stopped her.

  “Sierra, thanks for sharing tonight.”

  She smiled over her shoulder, a gleam in her eyes.

  That look struck him in the heart. In a short time, he felt he knew her better than people he’d been friends with for years. Nah, that couldn’t be right. He could read people, but to say they knew each other well wasn’t possible—not in less than a week, even if it was an intense five days. He’d shared more with her than anyone. Even when he talked with John after his son died, it had taken a while to break down his walls. But not with Sierra.

  Taylor shook his head. This kind of thinking wasn’t good. His job was to protect her and Ben and find the killer. He couldn’t do that with her always dominating his thoughts. If anything happened to Sierra because of him, he’d never forgive himself.

  * * *

  A slash of sunlight speared her coverlet as Sierra sat up in bed. She’d slept the best she had in a long time. Probably from sheer exhaustion, she reasoned. It certainly wasn’t because she shared her past with Taylor.

  She bent over, burying her face in her hands. Why did she do that? Once the police found the killer, she and Taylor would probably drift apart. She needed to put her life back together as well as Ben’s, and put her home in order. She would have to be strong for Ben. They had only each other—and the Lord.

  She climbed from the bed and changed into a sweatshirt and pants. They still didn’t know where Max Richardson was hiding. Maybe there was something they were missing. She’d seen the coverage he was getting. And she knew that surveillance cameras that could pick him up were everywhere.

  Sierra left her room and crossed the hall to peek into Ben’s. She inched the door open wider. With Oscar next to him, her nephew sat on the bed, holding his puppy up. Ben’s mouth was moving as though he were whispering something to his dog. She started to enter and see if he would talk to her, but she held back. She remembered once when Taylor had said he would talk to Oscar but not others about what he was feeling. That it had taken a while for him to open up to John. When Ben was ready, he would talk to her. Trying to force him wouldn’t work, and it could possibly even make the situation worse.

  She straightened and headed downstairs, where she caught sight of Taylor at the dining room table. “Did you get any sleep last night?”

  He glanced back at her and smiled. “Yes, all of three hours. I kept running through what happened yesterday at Richardson’s house. It was Saturday, and there were about half his neighbors home. I’d like to go back and talk with a couple of them at least who lived near Richardson and maybe catch some others at their houses. One of them might know where he would go. Dallas will be here. Nash and his officers are stretched pretty thin, what with the funeral taking place today. He has an officer at Richardson’s house.”

  “Let’s go by before the funeral. I can stay in the car or with the SAPD officer.”

  “We have a few hours before that. I’ve been checking all the traffic cams in the area to see if I can spot him.”

  “I can help. I need to do something.” Sierra walked toward the kitchen. “I smelled coffee. Do you need a refill?”

>   “Nope. Just got one before you came down. As soon as Ben is up, Dad will make breakfast.”

  She paused in the entrance into the kitchen, spying Robert at the table reading a paper. “He’s up and I think I caught him talking to his puppy. He didn’t know I was there. I didn’t say anything to him, but I should go up there and make sure the dogs go outside.”

  Robert stood. “I’ll go. Maybe he would like to help me make breakfast.”

  Sierra grinned. “Are you sure? He helped me a couple of times, and the mess to clean up afterward was twice as much as usual.”

  “I’m not worried. We’ll take the dogs out first, then cook. You and Taylor find Richardson.”

  Sierra poured coffee into her mug, then returned to the dining room and sat in front of her computer.

  “I sent you some footage to look at. If you see anyone who looks like Richardson, not just the driver, let me know.”

  Sierra stared at the screen, pausing it occasionally to assess each person in a car. Being a law enforcement officer, she was learning, wasn’t all action. In fact, a lot of it was tedious. So much of her job was with the computer, and so was Taylor’s.

  Ben charged down the stairs and ran into the living room with his puppy in his arms and Oscar behind him. He breezed by Taylor and her and into the kitchen. She was grateful she didn’t have to hide what was on her computer screen.

  * * *

  Sierra entered the funeral home with Taylor right beside her. The bulletproof vest he’d insisted she wear felt awkward. Her light coat helped to camouflage it, but the fact she had it on only reinforced she was a possible target for Richardson.

  Taylor escorted her to Mindy’s family in an anteroom before the funeral started. “As soon as the service is over,” he told her as they walked, “we’ll need to leave. I want you in the car before it’s dark.”