by Sable Hunter
The evening wore on and they shared a meal, all crowded around the dining table. Every leaf had to be added. Zane and Presley arrived in time for dessert and he informed them they were prepared, that he felt good about the case. “I have two more witnesses to call in the morning, and I think their testimony will seal the deal.”
“Who?” Philip asked.
“Cato and her boss.”
Every eye turned to look at Heath. “I hope they can help.” He left it at that.
Afterward, they reminisced, shared stories and encouraged one another that the events of the next few days would turn out for the best. Soon, everyone retired for the evening but Heath and Philip.
“Everything’s going to be okay.” Heath promised his brother and he prayed his words went from his mouth straight to God’s ears.
“I know.” Philip nodded. “I have faith.” He stood. “I think I’ll lie down.”
“All right, I’m going to head out.”
“Where are you going?”
Heath knew Philip thought he might be going to see Cato. He wasn’t. Not that every cell in his body wasn’t screaming for her—but it was over. “I’m going to Jimmy’s. I’ll meet you at the courthouse in the morning.”
“Be safe.”
“Don’t worry.” He hugged Philip.
Both knew that was easier said than done.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Unable to sleep, Cato had gotten up early. She’d sent an email to Bernice, informing her she had to go to court, then she returned to the computer. She stared at one screen after another. As she’d lain in the bed the night before with thoughts of Heath running through her mind, Cato become more determined to find whatever it was she was missing. For hours, she tried different keywords, different searches until something popped up and when it did, Cato sat and stared. Instinctively, she reached for the phone, then she drew back…
She’d found it! The proof Heath needed to keep his company, his land and all of the treasures that lay beneath it. For a second she let herself remember Cady’s dream about the oil and her sitting around the table with the family, celebrating. Oh well, at least part of the dream would come true. Again, she reached for the phone. Heath would be happy to hear the news, but would he be happy to hear from her?
No matter, this was too important. Taking a deep breath, she placed the call. But it kept going to voice-mail. Looking at the time display, she realized he was probably already in the courtroom. So, she sent him a text, but it too went unanswered.
Well, what did she expect? He didn’t want to talk to her.
Still, the family needed this information. She hit the Print button and went to get dressed. She’d just go in to Austin early and try to catch one of the family at the courthouse.
Mechanically, Cato went through the motions of showering, dressing and making the half hour commute. When she walked into the main hall at the courthouse, she looked around for a familiar face. Finally, she saw one. Ryder sat on a bench near some windows. She was holding one of Libby’s, either Colt or Jordan. The sight did funny things to Cato. That the family had rallied together didn’t really surprise her, but it brought home the fact that she didn’t have anyone and would never be a part of this one.
“Hey.” She walked up to where Ryder was cooing at the baby.
“Cato!” she exclaimed. Standing up, she hugged her.
Cato was relieved to be made welcome. “How are things?”
Ryder shook her head. “Tense, I just had to walk around for a few minutes. Good thing we have these little guys to distract us.” Patting the bench, she said, “Sit down and tell me what happened with you and Heath.”
“A lot.” Cato didn’t know what to say.
“I want to hear your side of things because men have their heads stuck up their asses.”
Cato couldn’t help but laugh. “I like you, Ryder.”
“I like you too. That’s why I want to fix this. You and Heath are perfect for each other.”
“Heath doesn’t think so.”
“Wait.” Ryder held up her hand and the baby grabbed it, which made both of them giggle. “That’s not what Heath told us. Explain.”
Cato didn’t know the protocol. She probably shouldn’t share her and Heath’s private business, but she needed someone to talk to. “When we landed at the airport after returning from San Francisco, Jimmy was there. He was just kidding with us, but he asked when we were getting married.”
Ryder blew out a breath. “And Heath made some inane, stupid remark, didn’t he?”
“Yes, he said that he had no plans to get married, that marriage wouldn’t make him happy and that what we were doing didn’t mean anything.”
“Idiot,” Ryder murmured. “You’ve got to realize that Heath has defense mechanisms, he has said those words so many times that he says them automatically. I bet everything I own that he didn’t mean them this time. What did he say to you?”
“He didn’t know I heard or saw or whatever you want to call it.” Cato captured Colt’s finger. Funny, she could tell them apart once she looked at his little face. “They were having a private conversation, but I was standing near. Heath didn’t think I was aware of what they said, but I could see their faces in the tinted window of Jimmy’s car.”
“I’m so sorry, but I’m sure he didn’t mean it. You need to talk to him.”
“That’s not all.” Cato decided to just rip off the band-aid and tell the worst part. “I met Amy and she was horrid.”
Ryder laughed. “That should come as no surprise.”
“She attacked Heath, she defended Arness and she…she questioned how Heath could stand to listen to me talk.”
“What?”
“Yes, and Heath admitted that I embarrassed him.”
“He did not!”
“Yes, he did.”
“No, I’m serious,” Ryder was adamant, clutching Colt so close that he began to cry. “There was some misunderstanding, Cato. I know my brother. He doesn’t feel that way about you and he would never, ever say anything like that.”
Cato didn’t argue. She didn’t say anything else about the topic. Ryder hadn’t been there. “Look, that’s not why I’m here.” Pulling a document from her purse, she handed it to Heath’s sister. “I found this.”
Ryder took it and began reading. It took her a few seconds to comprehend the magnitude of the document. “This is our deed to the mineral rights.”
“Yes, Dalton Smith had it. He’d been doing research on Highlands at some point. I don’t know if it was for an oil company or if it had to do with the search for the silver mine. I tried to call Heath this morning, but he doesn’t answer.”
“You need to talk to them both, Heath especially. But they’re in court right now, let’s see if we can get Presley, she’ll know what to do.” Ryder dialed Zane’s partner and fiancée. “Hey, let me give you this number, she’s as smart as Zane and a lot easier to get ahold of.”
Cato took the number and entered it into her phone while Ryder informed Presley of what had happened. In a few minutes, Presley joined them.
She took the document in hand. “This is exactly what we needed. We’ll do a title search and signature verification, plus we’ll check the volume and page numbers of the recorded documents.”
Not all of that was Greek to Cato, she understood there were ways to verify deeds. “I’m glad I found it.”
“Found what?” Zane’s partner Adam had joined them. Presley shared their find. “We’ve got him, then. Arness won’t know what hit him.” Adam celebrated. “But first, we need to wrap this trial up. Are you ready Cato?”
She stood. “No, I’m not. But let’s do it.” She followed him off to prep her testimony.
* * *
“What I intend to prove, ladies and gentlemen, is that Philip McCoy is innocent of these charges. He was framed. In fact, I’m going to prove that he was actually the intended victim of the bullet that killed Dalton Smith. You see, all of this was prompted by gree
d and revenge. A decade’s old feud between two families and the hunt for a mythical lost silver mine has been dragged into the light of day. Hang on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is going to be a wild ride.”
Zane was a natural born litigator. He had a flair for telling a story. Soon, he had every member of the court hanging on his every word.
Heath sat there and watched. He was still raw. Seeing the trial unfold as Zane called witness after witness made him edgy. Easing back in his chair, he looked over his right shoulder. Then he looked again.
Cato was here. Fuck, he missed her. For a second their eyes met and he felt invisible cords of longing tug at his heart. Then she broke their gaze and looked down. Hell! Hell! Hell! He squirmed in his seat. Damn, he had to take a walk.
Being quiet, he made his way down the aisle, careful not to look at Cato. Right now, he couldn’t deal with it. Ryder stopped him at the door, they stood just outside so they could still hear the proceedings. “What?” he asked abruptly, his manners were out to lunch.
“Have you talked to Cato?”
“No, and I’m not going to.”
“You need to, there’s been a huge misunderstanding…”
The bailiff’s voice sounded out. “We call Miss Cato Vincent to the stand.”
Ryder and Heath looked at one another, then moved in together and took a seat.
Cato arranged herself in the witness box, she shook with nerves.
Zane approached her and gave her a reassuring smile. “Hello, Miss Vincent. Could you tell us about your research on the lost Bowie silver mine?”
“Objection,” the prosecutor spoke up. “Irrelevant.”
“Au contraire,” Zane argued. “I’ll show the court that this silver mine is not only relevant to this case but pivotal. You see, it was never about a love triangle as the prosecutor has alleged. This mystery is firmly planted in the annals of time and Miss Vincent knows as much or more about it than anyone.”
He nodded for Cato to testify, and so she did. She answered question after question and revealed all of the details about the history of the area, James Bowie and the lost mine. While she spoke, you could have heard a pin drop. Everyone was enthralled.
Cato forgot her anxiety. She found her rhythm and shared her knowledge. Zane didn’t ask her to repeat any answers and she couldn’t see Heath. He wasn’t sitting where he’d been earlier. Apparently, he had left the courtroom. Maybe he couldn’t stand to look at her. No mind, she focused on Zane, who summed up what she’d said.
“So, you’re telling me the lost mine may be real. Is it worth murdering for? Possibly in some men’s eyes. Is it true that Dalton Smith was also looking for this mine?”
“Yes, I uncovered evidence on a thumb drive found at the scene which has been verified as belonging to Mr. Smith. It clearly proves he was searching for the mine.”
Zane put a couple of documents into evidence that confirmed what Smith did for a living and some affidavits about his previous dealings with others who were avid treasure hunters. Addressing Cato once more, Zane continued, “So, you were asked by the family to search through these documents for clues. Why?”
She wasn’t sure what he was getting at. “I have some expertise in this area, as I testified earlier. I work for the Texas Cultural Center and before that, I worked for the same governmental agency in the state of Louisiana.”
“Can you tell us anything specific you found in those documents which showed Mr. Smith had sought out help to find the lost San Saba or Bowie mine or whatever it’s called?”
“It’s called both. One name refers to the suspected location, the other to the most famous man who claimed to know its location.” She realized Zane was carefully orchestrating the level of confidence the jury had in what she was saying. “But yes, I uncovered an email where Dalton Smith pretended to be the defendant, Philip McCoy, in order to gain access to information concerning Highland’s property and the caves located there.”
The prosecutor vehemently protested. “We haven’t seen this evidence, Your Honor.”
When questioned, Zane put the matter to rest. “They had access to the same information, Your Honor, they just weren’t able to put two and two together like we did.”
There was movement in the courtroom. Cato wondered if her boss had been called to testify. She needed to resign and remove her things from the office. This was about to get ugly.
Zane asked a few more questions, then he veered off in a new direction. “You also were shot at on Highlands Property. Correct?”
“Yes, shots were fired. Actually, I was grazed. I was riding next to Philip and Heath. Philip could have been the target.”
“Exactly, in fact, there was a great deal of resemblance between Smith and Philip McCoy. They looked similar from a distance.” He smiled at the jury. “Both of them tended to dress like Indiana Jones. In fact, we feel Dalton Smith was never the target.” He put up pictures of both men. “I intend to establish reasonable doubt and show that Dalton Smith was killed because the shooter thought he was murdering Philip McCoy.”
Zane said he had no further questions, now it was the prosecutor’s turn. He questioned Cato brutally, making her repeat a lot of things she’d said. Then, he went too far. “Isn’t it true that you’re dating one of the McCoys? How can we trust your testimony? It’s tainted.”
Cato dug her fingernails into her palms, seeking calm. “I did see Heath McCoy socially, but that’s over. We’re no longer dating. What I’ve told you is true and I have extensive research and documents to back up everything I’ve said.”
When he finished, Zane asked for a rebuttal. “What proof do you have that Smith had any interest in the McCoy property, in particular?”
Cato had no problem answering the question. “I have the email, a surveyor’s plat and last night I found a copy of the original deed, the mineral rights deed that proves the McCoys are the sole owners of the oil beneath the ground or any silver in the mine.”
There was murmuring in the crowd. The judge sounded his gavel. Heath sat up straighter. “What the hell?”
Ryder grabbed his hand. “This is what I wanted you to hear.”
Cato continued testifying. “Yes, last night I found the original deed that gave Isaac McCoy ownership to all of the minerals rights on Highland property. Smith was a landman, searching out property ownership was his business. He had notes that unequivocally stated that when that ranch was sold, first to R. D. Runnels and second to Al Hollings, the mineral rights did not pass along with it.”
More murmurs. Details of the dispute and what it could mean to the area economy if Highlands Refinery was shut down had made the news. The judge banged his gavel. “We’re not here to try that case.”
Heath’s head was spinning. He had to talk to Cato. Watching her step down, he started to go to her. But that wasn’t to be.
“Next witness, we call Heath McCoy to the stand.”
Cato made her way out of the courtroom. She couldn’t meet Heath’s eyes. Hopefully she’d helped.
She missed the look he gave her, entirely.
* * *
Cato left the courthouse and headed to the Cultural Center. There was no doubt she needed to move on. It was time to call it a day and head back to Louisiana. She needed to clean out her desk, type a quick letter of resignation and get out of town. Cato felt it would be safer to go when there was other people there. She had no idea what Mr. Redford knew or how exactly he was involved, but she knew it was enough that she didn’t want to confront him. Better to cut her losses and let Zane and the authorities handle it.
Making her way into the building, after parking in the garage, Cato realized she’d made a tactical error. It was lunch time—the building was practically deserted. Oh well, she was here, she wanted to just get this over with. The quicker she could get in and out, the better. She really wasn’t in a mood to explain anything to anyone anyway. Going into the copy room, she found an empty paper box to pack her things in. As she walke
d back into the hall, she happened to glance up into Floyd Redford’s office.
Cato froze.
Caesar Arness was standing over him. He didn’t look happy. Stepping back a couple of steps, Cato hid as best she could. But she wanted to see what they were saying if she could. Her whole body was covered in goose bumps and her fight or flight instinct was screaming run, but she waited. And this is what she saw…
Redford: Look, you’ve got to do something. I’ve been called on the witness stand. It won’t be long before they figure out you’re involved.
Cato almost dropped the box. Heath hated Arness and now she knew there was more to it than him being after the mineral rights.
Arness: Not if you’ll keep your mouth shut.
Redford: Heath McCoy’s slut works here and I think she’s on to us.
Cato’s whole body went cold. She couldn’t breathe.
Arness: If anyone discovers I put a hit on Philip McCoy, you’re going down with me, I promise you that.
Arness was the one behind Smith’s murder? Cato gasped and backed up, knocking over a chair. BAM! Everything went still. Cato looked back at the two men, staring at them, and this time they were staring back.
Redford: She heard us.
Arness: She couldn’t hear us from here.
Redford: She reads lips, dumbass.
Arness: Get her!
Cato threw the box down and ran. Grabbing her purse, she sprinted down the hall and ran toward the parking garage. “Help!” she cried, but she didn’t stop to see if anyone heard her. Not being able to hear was certainly a disadvantage. She couldn’t discern footsteps behind her, so Cato didn’t know how far ahead she was. Wasting precious seconds to glance back, she saw no one. “Please, please, please,” she prayed.
She ran down one ramp and up another one. As she fled, she fumbled for her phone. Knowing who she needed, or wanted, she instinctively called Heath first. But there was still no answer. Next she pressed 911. Holding the phone up so they could see her face, she gasped. “I’m in danger. I’m in a parking garage at the Cultural Center on the corner of Congress and 5th. I’m being followed. I think they’re going to kill me.”