Lone Star Standoff

by Margaret Daley

  The corners of Sean’s mouth turned downward. “I was hoping it was the same. Finding the safety-deposit box will be harder, but not impossible. Tomorrow I’ll start with the banks in this area and find out what their keys look like. Any that have the three holes, we’ll investigate.”

  “I didn’t sign anything for a second safety-deposit box, so possibly a court order might be involved. If that’s the case, it shouldn’t be a problem. I know several judges who would grant one under the circumstances. Going through the courts may take a while, though.”

  “Hopefully I can find the bank tomorrow and get things rolling.”

  “Should we go through the rest of the boxes?”

  “Yes. I’ll finish up in here. I can see the toll this is taking on you.”

  She brought the key to Sean. “It’s not so much the contents of the cartons. It’s only been four days since I was poisoned. After a full day in court, I’m more exhausted than usual.”

  “I’ll do the bulk tomorrow night, and Friday morning if I have anything, I’ll show you.”

  She hated not finishing the task. She had to admit going through Samuel’s possessions helped her come to terms with his death better than anything she’d done in the past two years. And having Sean here made it even easier than she thought it would be. In a short time, she felt a bond with him.

  “Thanks for finishing up in here tonight. Tomorrow will be a full day with the prosecution calling more people to testify. So far, their case is solid.”

  Sean rose.

  “I can go upstairs by myself.”

  “I know. But I’m going to check all the doors and windows again, even the ones on the second floor.”

  “My alarm would have gone off if anyone tried to breach one.”

  “Humor me. In my years as a law enforcement officer, I’ve seen some things that people didn’t think was possible.”

  “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

  He nodded. “To be truthful, I like walking you to your room. But this time, I’ll stand by the staircase.”

  “Why? You can’t check the windows and doors if you stay there.”

  His cheeks flushed. “I must remain professional. I don’t want anything to stand in the way of that. I’ve seen personal feelings cause problems on a case.”

  “By you?”

  He shook his head. “It could, though, with this one. Partially because of my brother, but—” his gaze snagged hers “—mostly because of you. I’ll feel better making sure you’re all right when you go to your room, then I’ll recheck the kids’ rooms.”

  She had to force herself not to smile at his plan. It was important to him. The implication of his words and their brief kiss last night caused flutters in her stomach. As she left her office with Sean a few feet behind her, she couldn’t contain the grin, but she kept him from seeing her reaction.

  At the top of the staircase, she walked a few feet down the hall, stopped and turned. “I’m checking on Sammy and Camy before I go to bed, so you won’t have to.”

  When she went into Camy’s bedroom, lit by a dim night-light, she checked the window, glancing out and spotting the police officer on the patio. In less than a week, her life and her family’s had been turned upside down.

  After she came out of her son’s room, she walked past Sean. “Good night.”

  He caught her hand and stopped her. “The trial won’t last too much longer, then your life should return to normal. I think the cartel is trying to delay the trial until they can find the key witness being guarded by the US Marshals.”

  “I hope it’s over when the trial is. That’s why I came back for a full day today rather than half like my doctor advised.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

  “Because you would try to persuade me to do what he said. I want this trial wrapped up by the end of next week.”

  “So do I. Then I can work totally on my brother’s and your husband’s murders. See you tomorrow morning.”

  When she entered her room and closed the door, the long day finally blanketed her in total exhaustion. Sitting on her bed, she checked the monitors of her children’s rooms to make sure they were turned on and working. Then she lay back and stared at the dark ceiling.

  As tired as she was, her mind continued to swirl with her walk down memory lane. So many items she’d gone through brought back memories—but the main one was how her husband had changed in the last months of his life. Why?

  * * *

  Dressed as a Texas Ranger on Thursday afternoon, Sean exited the third bank in the region with safety-deposit boxes with the type of key he had. He had one more bank left before he would have to broaden the search perimeter. Why did Samuel have a secret safety-deposit box? Was it involved with something he had been working on? Or items he’d wanted hidden from Aubrey?

  Earlier he’d talked to her while she was eating lunch in her office. The defense attorney was trying to delay the trial as much as he could—asking the same question in different ways or objecting to every little thing.

  Sean slipped into the driver’s seat, switched on his engine and backed out of the parking space. He wanted to be at the courthouse in the next hour. Although they had the mysterious safety-deposit box key, there could be something else in the remaining cartons that could help him figure out what was going on with the attacks against Aubrey.

  Sean pulled into a place right in front of the Port Bliss Bank and climbed from his SUV. He asked an employee to let him into his safety-deposit box, number 833.

  While the young woman withdrew the card for that box and wrote down the time, Sean glanced at the name of the account holder—Bryan Madison. This could be the one. She handed him a pen and slid the signature card in his direction.

  She suddenly stopped. “Oh, I forgot. I need to see your driver’s license.”

  Although he’d already seen the name of the box holder, he acted like he’d seen Bryan Madison on the card for the first time. “That’s not my account. I’m Sean McNair. I must have the wrong branch. It’s been a couple of years, and I just forgot which one. Sorry, ma’am. I need to go to the one on Houston Street.”

  He backed away a few feet then pivoted and marched to the exit. He’d already gone through the same routine at the branch on the highway into town. He wondered if Samuel’s middle name was Bryan. That explained why the account hadn’t been sealed by the bank when Samuel Madison died. If he was right about this being the safety-deposit box, at least now he wouldn’t have to search more banks, and as soon as Aubrey could get a court order to open the box, they might have evidence to help her get answers concerning Samuel’s death.

  Aubrey should be ready to leave the courthouse soon. After he drove into the rear parking lot, he walked toward the back entrance into the building, noting the deputy sheriff on duty outside in the lot. Halfway to the building, the door flung open and people began hurrying out of the courthouse.

  Something was wrong. It had to be connected to Villa’s trial. The word bomb flitted through his mind as he raced toward the building. The door was a bottleneck, making it hard for him to get inside. Even outside, he heard a voice over the loudspeaker telling everyone to move calmly to the exits.

  Finally in the hallway, Sean spied Deputy Lockhart nearby. He pushed against the tide of the crowd and reached the older man. “What’s going on?”

  “Someone called to say there was a bomb in the courthouse.”

  “Have you seen Judge Madison?”

  “Not yet.”

  He continued weaving his way through the crowd. The front exit was the nearest one for Aubrey’s courtroom. When the crush of people surrounding him lessened, he pulled out his phone and called Aubrey.

  It rang until it went to voice mail. “Call me. I’m on the first floor of the courthouse. Where are you?”

  Not t
hree seconds after he disconnected, his phone rang, and he quickly answered it, relieved it was Aubrey.

  “I’m out front under the big oak tree. I have three deputy sheriffs surrounding me. When it happened, I dismissed the trial for the day.”

  “Do the deputies know what’s going on?”

  “One’s on the phone with the sheriff.”

  “I’ll be there shortly.”

  As the throng leaving the building thinned out, Sean increased his pace. On the front steps outside, he paused and assessed the area. Police officers were arriving, joining the ones already at the scene. This could be an attempt against Aubrey, but more likely it had to do with Villa. Or it was a prank.

  Spying Aubrey against the trunk of a big tree near the street, with the deputies standing in front of her, he hurried in her direction. He couldn’t remember a previous bomb scare at the courthouse. As he approached, he caught sight of Aubrey’s face when she moved slightly to the right. She saw him and smiled. Then one of the guards moved and blocked his view.

  His heart racing, Sean stopped in front of the deputy sheriff in charge of Aubrey’s detail. “What did Sheriff Bailey say?”

  “He’s on the way. Two bomb-detection dogs are coming soon to help the dog in the rear parking lot cover the building. Police Chief Perez just arrived and will be making an announcement soon.”

  Sean peered between two guards and spoke to Aubrey. “We’re leaving. I’m going to get my SUV. Until I come back, stay here. I’ll call to let you know where I am.”

  She nodded.

  “We’ll get her to your car. The east side would be the closest,” the deputy sheriff said.

  “If I don’t think it’s safe, I’ll move to where it is and let you know.” Sean threw Aubrey one last glance, then started toward the east side of the courthouse, keeping his eye on anything that might be suspicious.

  In the background, the police chief came over a PA system and told the people to leave the courthouse grounds, which would be shut down for the rest of the day while it was being cleared. No unauthorized people would be allowed inside today. As the crowd continued to quickly disperse, Sean lost sight of Aubrey. He reconsidered his plan with the evacuation of everyone in the building causing a massive mob clogging the streets, which would further hamper him getting Aubrey to safety. It would be easy for a killer to mix with the throng and try to kill Aubrey—if that was his target. He wouldn’t take that risk.

  As he retraced his steps back to Aubrey, he rethought his plan. He’d feel better if Aubrey was under his protection in this situation. As a Texas Ranger, he owed Samuel that much.

  When he reached the deputy sheriffs and Aubrey, Sean traded places with one of the deputies, putting himself in front of her. “I need you to get my SUV and bring it around to a safe spot, then let us know.” He handed the man his keys, described his car and where it was parked. “I realize this will take longer because of all these people. I don’t want Aubrey in the middle of the crowd.”

  The deputy sheriff quickly disappeared among the people leaving and those responding to the bomb threat.

  Sean kept his attention on the crowd while saying, “Are you all right?”

  “I’m okay. I just called Mama to let her know I was outside a good distance from the courthouse, and nothing has gone off so far. Officer Carter told her about the bomb threat. I’m glad I could reassure her I was fine. But I’ll feel better when I get home.”

  As he scanned every site that might work for a sniper, he was conscious of Aubrey being right behind him, her body occasionally brushing against his back as she shifted her weight. “Take off your black robe and give it to me. When we start for my car, I don’t want you wearing it. The robe could make you stand out.”

  She shrugged out of it. “What do you want me to do with it?”

  “Leave it on the ground. I’ll have Deputy Worth come back for it.” Sean looked at the law enforcement officer. “Is Villa safe?”

  “Yes, he’s back at the county jail instead of his cell at the courthouse.”

  “Good. I was afraid this could be an attempt to break him out.” Or, if there was an internal war starting within the cartel, an attempt to kill Villa.

  When the deputy sheriff in charge of the escort received a call from the one who’d gone to pick up Sean’s car, Aubrey tensed. So close to her, Sean could feel it ripple down her body.

  “Stay right by my side,” he said, taking hold of her elbow.

  On her left and slightly behind her, Deputy Worth fell into step with Aubrey. The deputy in charge led the way toward the west side of the courthouse. When his SUV came into sight, Sean increased the pace while keeping an eye on their surroundings. The crowd was starting to thin out, finally.

  After they reached his vehicle and Aubrey settled into the front passenger seat, Sean hurried around to the driver’s-side door and climbed into the car. “I’m taking a different route to your place.”

  “I never thought there were so many ways to drive to my home from the courthouse,” Aubrey said with a forced laugh.

  He glanced at her. “It’s a talent I have.” Then he pulled away from the curb and drove in the opposite direction of her house. He checked to make sure one of the deputy sheriffs was following them in an unmarked car. “I have good news. I think I found the safety-deposit box, and all we’ll need is a court order.”

  “When I get home, I’ll call Judge Rodriquez. What name is it under, and which bank?”

  “Bryan Madison at the downtown Port Bliss Bank.”

  “That’s got to be him. Bryan is Samuel’s middle name. Maybe what’s inside the box will help you with the investigation.”

  “How did Villa seem today when it was announced to evacuate the courthouse?”

  “Arrogant. He quickly covered it, but I don’t think he was behind the bomb threat. His brief glimpse of surprise wasn’t fake.”

  Sean stopped at a four-way stop sign and slanted a look toward Aubrey. “That reinforces what my informant told me about a cleaner coming here to straighten everything out.”

  “Have you told the prosecutor about that?”

  “Not yet. I wanted to corroborate the information as best I could first. But I will now when we get to your house. I know they’ve been pressing Villa on turning in members of the Coastal Cartel in the United States. So far he’s refused to say anything.” After Sean pulled into the driveway and parked his SUV inside the garage, he finally relaxed as the door came down.

  Aubrey leaned back and closed her eyes, releasing a long breath. “It’s good to be home.”

  “Before the bomb threat, how were things going in the trial?”

  “Slow. As I’ve mentioned, the defense is stonewalling.” She opened her eyes and sat up. “I wouldn’t put it past the defense attorney to arrange for the bomb threat.”

  “It’s possible, but I think the cartel is more likely. The sheriff will call me when they’ve okayed the courthouse. It can be a long process to clear a three-story building.”

  “I hope we can meet tomorrow. I don’t want to take any time off. I want my life back.”

  “I’m with you on that. Ready to go inside?”

  She nodded. “After I hug my children, I’ll call Judge Rodriquez about signing a court order to open Bryan Madison’s safety-deposit box.”

  Before he had a chance to open the door into the utility room, it burst wide-open. Sean jumped back as Sammy and Camy ran out of the house, throwing their arms around Aubrey.

  “Mama, you’re home.” Camy looked up at her. “I missed ya.”

  She bent over and kissed Camy’s forehead, then Sammy’s.

  “Can we go outside?” the little boy asked.

  Camilla appeared in the entrance. “Sammy, Camy, give them a chance to come inside.”

  Aubrey moved toward the doorway with both of her children clinging to her.<
br />
  Sean ruffled her son’s hair. “Are you ready to practice kicking the soccer ball into the net?”

  The boy stopped and twisted around to face Sean. “Yes!”

  “Then let me change, and we will. Camy, do you want to do it, too?”

  In the kitchen, Camy nodded with a big grin on her face.

  Sean left the room, grabbed his duffel bag and changed into shorts and a T-shirt in the downstairs bathroom. He needed the exercise. After the bomb threat at the courthouse, he felt wound tight. While Aubrey was in court tomorrow, he hoped to drive to Brownsville to track down another informant and see what information he could get from him. If he said the same as his other one in Port Bliss, then today was the opening move. He didn’t like leaving town, even if it would only be for three or four hours, but this informant was a member of the cartel. Meeting him would be trickier.

  When he returned to the kitchen, the twins were at the door waiting. Camilla was getting ingredients out of the refrigerator for dinner. “What are you fixing tonight?”

  “I promised Camy we’d have macaroni and cheese. I make it from scratch.”

  “I don’t think I’ve had that in years. Sounds great.”

  Camy clapped her hands. “Yay! It’s my favorite.”

  “Let’s work up an appetite.” Sean opened the door, and Aubrey’s two kids darted outside, racing for the soccer ball in the middle of the yard. Sean paused at the chair where the police officer sat. “Anything unusual today?”

  “Other than the children knocking on that window—” he pointed his thumb at it “—it’s been quiet. I heard about the bomb threat. I’m glad nothing happened.”

  “Me, too.”

  Sean jogged toward Sammy and Camy, who were playing tug-of-war with the ball.

  “I got here first,” Camy said.

  “No, I did.” Sammy yanked hard on the ball, but his sister held on.

  Sean stepped closer and towered over the two children. They stopped and looked up at him. Wearing his stern face, Sean held out his hands, and they both gave him the soccer ball. “In soccer, unless you’re the goalie, you don’t touch the ball while playing on the field. We’re going to put our hands behind our backs—” he demonstrated “—and pass the ball to each other. Like this.” He showed them what to do.