Hole in the Heart

by Carolina Mac

  “Uh huh. You boys have any idea who would wipe out your boss the minute he hit the street?”

  “We have our suspicions,” said Wayne.

  They looked alike. Bald, muscular with matching tats.

  “Do you want to share your suspicions with me?”

  “Nope. Do not care to.”

  “Okay then. Let’s not waste time. I’ve got things to do.”

  THE SUN HAD SET by the time Blaine caught up to Carlos and Fletcher on the roof of the condos across the parking lot. “Did you find the sniper’s nest?”

  “Nothing to find, boss,” said Carlos. “Professional job. No brass. Nothing.”

  Fletcher grinned. “Nothing but this boot print, boss. Right here in the soft tar. Might want a cast of it.”

  Blaine grinned. “We’ve got a print. You guys were messing with me.”

  Sonora. Texas.

  AFTER DINNER at Chilis’ in Sonora, the boys went back to the Hampton Inn. Farrell gave Avery a call.

  “Any progress?” she asked.

  “A little, but we’ll do better tomorrow.”

  “You sound tired.”

  “I am tired. Did I ask you this before? Did you ever meet Jeff or Joey Golden?”

  “Where Sylvie took her Jeep to be fixed?”

  “Uh huh.”

  “Don’t think so. Why?”

  “Couldn’t remember if I asked you. Too much on my mind.”

  “I’m not looking forward to you going back to Austin,” said Avery.

  “I promise we’ll have dinner and talk before I go.”

  “Will you call me tomorrow?”

  “I will.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Wednesday, May 6th.

  The Blackmore Agency. Austin. Texas.

  BLAINE didn’t sleep well. He was up several times in the night wondering how he’d make it through the investigation into John Frobisher’s death. This was a guy that everybody wanted dead and now happily he was. Leader of one of the deadliest prison gangs, a breakaway gang, an offshoot of the Circle calling themselves C-4, and they had built a strong street presence in a lot of large cities. The Bandidos hated them like a lot of other organized gangs did and they hated everybody right back.

  No doubt about it, these guys would think another gang had picked off their leader fresh out of the slam and retaliation would be job one on their list. A gang war was inevitable. How was he supposed to stop it? There was no way to control the inner workings of a huge violent gang. He didn’t see how it was possible.

  Blaine crept downstairs in the dark, took a blanket out of the hall closet and tried to sleep on the leather sofa in his office. Lexi followed him, then Hoodoo and then both dogs were whining to go out. “It’s not morning. Lie down and sleep for a couple of hours. Please. I beg you.”

  The dogs settled, and Blaine had almost dozed off when Misty crowded in beside him on the sofa and crawled under the blanket.

  “This is cozy,” he said pulling her close to him and kissing her. They hadn’t made love since she’d come home from the hospital. He’d been afraid to rush her, but she’d come to him naked and was stroking him with enthusiasm, so he figured she was more than ready now.

  Totally spent, he dropped into a deep sleep.

  Sunlight crept through the closed drapes and Blaine opened his eyes feeling like something amazing had happened. Something besides the fantastic sex he’d had in the middle of the night with the beautiful woman beside him.

  He sucked in a breath when it hit him.

  How did she get down here?

  Sonora. Texas.

  FARRELL, Travis and Luke were the first one’s in the breakfast room at the Hampton Inn. They filled their plates with eggs and bacon and Luke tried his hand at making waffles.

  As soon as they’d eaten and fixed extra coffees for the truck, Travis and Luke left for the Golden brother’s farm house outside of town.

  Farrell had another hour before he had to leave for the Sonora Courthouse. He fixed two Styrofoam cups of coffee and took them both up to the room to make calls. He called Jesse first and brought him up to date on what was going on in Sonora.

  “Y’all might get something useful if Travis gets a tag in the farmhouse this morning. I’m starting on the third case today and I’ll give you a shout out if anything catches my eye. So far all of the investigations seem to be competent and the reports are detailed.”

  “Good,” said Farrell. “Let me know.” After talking to Jesse, Farrell called Blacky who sounded tired and pissed off about something. He brought his brother up to speed on the Golden brothers and the Benny Watson murder, then he drained the second coffee and left for the arraignment.

  TRAVIS and Luke puttered down the county road in the direction of the Golden homestead hoping Joey had gone to the garage in Sonora to work and the daddy was gone to Jeff’s arraignment. No vehicles passed them going the opposite way.

  “Maybe we won’t get lucky,” said Travis pointing out the window. “That’s it there, isn’t it?”

  “Looks like it to me,” said Luke. “There’s an old truck parked up by the house.”

  “Let’s circle the block.”

  Once around the block and they took another look.

  “Truck’s gone.”

  “I’m gonna try something,” said Travis, pointing down the road. “Go on past the cattle and I’ll come out that way if I ain’t tore apart by the dogs.”

  Luke jumped out and ran around to the driver’s side while Travis ran up the laneway in full sight of anybody who was looking.

  THE SONORA COURTHOUSE was a gorgeous old landmark. A structure Blacky would have loved. He would have taken pictures of it for his architecture photography collection.

  Farrell made a couple of inquiries and found the almost empty courtroom with little trouble. He sat near the front and waited for the cases to be called. Only one other spectator in the front row, and that was a man close to sixty dressed in overalls with a straw hat perched on his head.

  Maybe that’s Mr. Golden.

  Jeff’s attorney, Ralph Hill, came in and sat in the front row at the ready and it wasn’t long until the clerk called the case number. Jeff Golden was third on the docket.

  Mr. Hill opened the gate and strode to the defense table to join his client and Jeff entered his plea.

  How the hell can he be not guilty? He did it in front of witnesses.

  The judge granted bail and Jeff left with his lawyer through the ante-room. The old farmer stood up, trudged to the doors at the back of the courtroom and disappeared.

  Hope the boys got the tag in place.

  TRAVIS ran up on the porch and knocked on the door to be sure there was no one home. The dogs surrounded him, bouncing around his legs barking and yipping, but Travis had come prepared. He pulled a handful of dog biscuits out of his pocket and tossed them in the air to each of the dogs. While the dogs were happily chomping, he tried the door and let himself into the kitchen.

  It only took a couple of seconds to place the tag where he wanted it, then he did a run though the rest of the house looking for anything unusual or out of place.

  Upstairs in Jeff’s room, the bed was unmade, and the bare wood floor was littered with boots and dirty clothes. He knew it was Jeff’s room because a couple of his credit cards were laying on the dresser with a little heap of change.

  Joey’s room next door was the opposite. Neat and tidy, bed made, clothes all hung up and a computer on a desk in the corner.

  Wish I had time to check the emails.

  The third bedroom belonged to the old man. A shotgun stood propped up against the front of an old dresser. A picture of a woman and two small boys in a silver frame sat in the center of a pile of unopened mail.

  Travis checked his watch and he’d been inside too long. He tore down the stairs, out the back door and he booked it through the field to meet Luke.

  OUTSIDE the Sonora courthouse, Farrell sat in his truck and watched Jeff leave in the old pickup with his fath
er. He started the engine and was about to follow when a call came in.

  “Hey, Sue. Got something?”

  “The new guy you just printed, Jeff Golden, his prints are on the victim’s Jeep. I found them on the hatch door, but none inside.”

  “Interesting, okay. Thanks for rushing it, Sue.”

  “Anything for you, Farrell.”

  He drove back to the Hampton Inn to wait for Travis and Luke, parked his truck and was about to jump out when Sheriff Oxford called.

  “You were right, Ranger Donovan. Belinda, my girl in the lab matched Jeff Golden to prints found in Benny Watson’s room.”

  “That’s great news, Sheriff. I wish we could’ve printed Joey too, but he was cooperating, and his lawyer was present, and I had no good reason to do it.”

  “Maybe y’all will have a good reason soon.”

  “I don’t know any judges out here. Do you think Jeff’s prints in Watson’s room would be enough to get a warrant to search Gareth Golden’s farmhouse and Twin Auto for the gun?”

  “I doubt it. Jeff could say he gave Benny Watson a ride home and went in for a beer. The guy worked for him.”

  “Yeah, it’s weak,” said Farrell. “And the father will no doubt verify his alibi. I’ll keep digging.”

  “Let me know if you want to try and I’ll help you write up the warrant.”

  “Thanks, Sheriff. Appreciate all your help.”

  The Blackmore Agency. Austin. Texas.

  BLAINE had breakfast with Declan before he left for headquarters. “I had trouble sleeping and came down to sleep on the sofa in my office. Misty came down in the middle of the night and slept there with me, but I don’t know how she got down the stairs.”

  Declan thought about it for a minute. “That’s amazing isn’t it? I was looking for her upstairs.”

  “She’s still asleep but I have no idea what’s going on. Maybe you can shed some light on it today.”

  “When I spoke to Doctor Lee Chang on the phone the last time, he recommended a colleague of his in Austin,” said Declan. “I’ll try to set up an appointment today for Miss Misty.”

  “Please do,” said Blaine. “We need an update.”

  A loud crash came from down the hall and Declan ran with Blaine and Carm right behind him. Misty was sprawled on the office carpet naked and she’d pulled a lamp down on top of her.

  “I guess we’re not going to run any marathons today, Miss Misty.”

  Blaine ran over and dropped to his knees beside her. “You okay, sweetheart?”

  Misty giggled and made a dry croaky sound, barely audible. She raised a hand for Blaine to help her up. He grabbed her nightie from the end of the sofa, slipped it over her head and sat her on the sofa. “I have to go to work, so I’ll let Dec take over. Text me later.”

  She nodded.

  At least she can text. Seems kind of normal.

  CHIEF CALHOUN was stressed when Blaine arrived with Carlos and Fletcher and a tray of coffee from Starbucks. “What the hell are we gonna do with a shit case like Frobisher?”

  “Follow the evidence, Chief. All we can do.”

  “One boot print,” said the Chief. “Could have been made by the men that laid down the roof for all we know.”

  “Rocky and his team are questioning neighbors to see if anyone else heard the shot,” said Blaine.

  “I’m not holding my breath on that one,” said the Chief. “We haven’t got a fuckin prayer.”

  “Woodford call you already this morning?” asked Blaine, trying to figure out Calhoun’s foul mood.

  “Damn right. Apparently, the fucker never sleeps.”

  Blaine chuckled. “The techs will follow up on the boot print and if there’s nothing else, it is what it is. A pro hit. We can’t solve it.”

  “What about a cartel hit?” asked Carlos. “Most of the cartels have some pretty skilled people on their payrolls.”

  “I’ll call Woodford and get the name of the cartel his boys are working with and hustle my ass to Mexico,” said Blaine.

  The Chief broke out laughing and reached for his coffee. “Another bad idea. We can’t solve it. Plain and simple.”

  “It might be one of those where we can’t solve it until the next body drops,” said Blaine. “As soon as the second corpse hits the skids, we’ll get a clearer picture of what’s really going on and we can dig in.”

  “Any bets on who’s going to be next?”

  “I’ll take a top ranking Bandido for fifty,” said Blaine.

  The Chief nodded. “Make’s sense.”

  “M-13 for me,” said Carlos.”

  Fletcher grinned. “Guess I’ll do the Tango.”

  Blaine stood up and tossed his money on the Chief’s desk. “You’re the loot holder, Chief.”

  La Grange. Texas.

  ANNIE came in from the barn and took a quick shower. She’d forgotten her phone on her nightstand when she ran to the barn to help Wayne with a foal. Three missed messages.

  One from the man. “Nice fast work.”

  She nodded and didn’t bother sending a reply. The second one was from Jesse.

  “Bringing Charity over to play with the kids.”

  She texted back. “Stay for lunch.”

  Tyler was the third. “Dinner?”

  “Yep. Love to.”

  Annie smiled. Things were looking up. But not for long. She thought he would have called before now, but it was still too soon. “Hey, baby, I’m missing you.”

  “Me too, Mom. Did you hear about the murder of John Frobisher?”

  “It was on the news. He was a gang leader.”

  “Uh huh. That’s the one.”

  “Why are you asking me, sugar?”

  “I just wondered if you had any insight into who might have knocked him off.”

  “Why would I?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Sometimes you seem to have the inside track.”

  Annie giggled. “Nope, not this time. Sorry.”

  “Okay, I’ll take you at your word.”

  She changed the subject. “How’s Misty doing?”

  “She fell this morning. I think she’s trying to walk and as far as I can tell—it’s pretty cloudy—sometimes she can and sometimes she can’t.”

  “Does she have a specialist in Austin?”

  “Dec made an appointment today. I think they managed to squeeze her in tomorrow for an assessment.”

  “Has she said anything yet?”

  “Nope. Not a syllable.”

  “So strange.”

  “That’s a word I use a lot when I’m talking about Misty.”

  Bluebonnet. Texas.

  AFTER a dinner of barbeque and fries Travis and Luke took the surveillance unit out to the Golden farm to look for an ideal spot to sit and listen in on the Golden family. Farrell followed them until they turned off the highway, then he kept going on up to Bluebonnet. It was dark by the time he arrived at Avery’s trailer and even though she knew he was coming the door was locked.

  Good. Keep the door locked.

  He knocked softly a couple of times and she opened the door quick enough with a smile on her face.

  “I was putting Diego to bed. He was so tired he couldn’t finish his dinner and fell asleep in his highchair.”

  “You must be tired too, with all you do in a day.”

  “No, I’m fine. Same thing everybody else does. No different.”

  Farrell smiled. “Can I help you with anything while I’m here?”

  “Like what?”

  He shrugged. “Lift something, fix something, shit like that.”

  Avery smiled, and her beautiful face lit up. “You are a sweet guy, know that?”

  “Maybe the odd time. Not too often.”

  She opened the fridge and handed him a cold Lone Star. “Have a beer. Did you eat dinner?”

  “I ate with my crew, then drove straight up here.”

  “Did you have dessert?”

  “No. Too full of ribs and I didn’t bother.”r />
  “I made a pie for later.”

  Farrell grinned. “What kind?”

  “What kind is your favorite?”

  “Pecan, then lemon.”

  “I struck out. This is butterscotch.”

  “Never had it. Might be my new fav.” He sat down at the table, hung his hat on the back of the chair next to him and watched Avery start the dishes. “Whenever you can get a sitter, let me know and I’ll take you to dinner somewhere nice in Sonora. I don’t know any of the good spots. I’ve only eaten at a couple of barbeque places and once at the golf course.”

  She turned towards him with suds on her hands. “You ate at the country club?”

  “I was working, and I had to eat there. Not by choice.”

  “I always wondered what it would be like to eat there.”

  “We can go find out,” said Farrell. “I’m good for it.”

  “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  He’d thought about nothing else since the first time he laid eyes on her, so he just spit it out. “I want to keep seeing you, Avery, even after I go back to Austin and I wondered how you felt about a long-distance relationship.”

  “I don’t think they ever work out,” she said, “but then again, I want something to work out with you, so I guess I’d try harder.”

  Farrell grinned and patted his knee. “Come over here and say that again.”

  Sonora. Texas.

  TRAVIS parked in an unused laneway on the county road running parallel to the one the Goldens lived on.

  “Can we hear from this far away?” asked Luke.

  “Think so,” said Travis. “We need something. Anything to start on. These guys are creeps.”

  Travis shut off the engine, locked up the cab and he and Luke climbed into the camper on the back of the pickup. The camper, belonging to Jesse Quantrall, was outfitted inside with all the latest surveillance equipment and luckily for the Blackmore Agency, Jesse was a partner and happy to loan his high tech rig whenever the boys needed it.

  Travis took a listen with the headphones on, then took them off and put the audio on speaker. “Nothing yet. We’ll get something, we always do. Want a Coke?”