by Barb Han
Zach walked toward the lone diner, stopping behind him. “Mind if I sit?”
“The whole place is empty. Can’t you find another place to cop a squat?” Reggie didn’t look up, didn’t make eye contact.
“I’d like to sit here and talk to you. Or we could head down to my office if you’d be more comfortable there.” Zach didn’t waver.
“I didn’t do nothing wrong,” Reggie said.
There was something guilty about him. Nate couldn’t put his finger on it, but the guy looked like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
A picture was emerging. Didn’t Chelsea say that she’d inherited the house and business from her great-aunt? A rock had been thrown in her window on her second night in town and Reggie Barstock, whose mother stood him up for the inheritance, makes an appearance?
Nate wanted to follow this through to its conclusion because he would like to be the one to ease Chelsea’s fears. The look he’d seen on her face when she’d talked about her ex didn’t sit well with him and his thoughts kept drifting to the little family on Sycamore.
“Who said you did?” Zach asked, leaning against the stool next to Reggie. “I thought we could talk. You’re the Barstock boy.”
Reggie, Nate knew, had been two grades ahead of him. That might as well have been in another town for how much interaction Nate had had with him. Reggie would’ve been in the same grade as Nate’s older brother, Deacon, though. Nate made a mental note to circle back to ask Deacon about Reggie.
Maddie Barstock had been a saint. Her reputation had been golden. Her one and only son had been trouble, best as Nate could recall. The guy had disappeared after high school, which wasn’t surprising. Some people felt confined by a small town where everyone knew each other. Especially if that person was up to no good. Word got around quick about who to avoid and who to hang around with.
Reggie looked up from his plate. “I’m not the talkative type.”
“Are you sure about that, Reggie?” Zach stated. “Because someone damaged a new resident’s property and you are the only person around who has motive, considering your mother used to own the place and you have no other business in town.”
Standing, Reggie glared at Zach.
Barstock made a move for his pocket.
“Hands where I can see ’em,” Zach took a step back and rested his hand on the butt of his Glock.
Reggie put his hands in the air. “I was trying to pay my bill.” His tone sounded bitter.
“Where is your wallet?” Zach drew his weapon and took another step away from Barstock.
The air in the diner thickened with tension.
Nate thought about the fact that his gun was in the truck. He had an open carry permit and kept a pistol in his truck at all times. It was meant to shoot pests on the ranch and was easier than carrying a shotgun, not to mention more accurate.
From where Nate sat, he could see Zach’s finger hovering over the trigger mechanism of his department-issued weapon.
“My back pocket.” The bitterness was gone from Reggie’s voice, replaced by trepidation.
“Lower your right hand and use two fingers to pull it out. Keep your hand visible to me at all times, Reggie. Do you understand?” Zach’s commanding tone left no room for argument.
Nate had heard it used before and knew it was reserved for situations like this where Zach was uncertain of someone’s motives. Not generally a good sign.
Nate glanced around, thinking he could take cover under the booth. He already knew where all the exits were, the one at the front door being the closest to him. He made eye contact with Liesel, who was frozen on the other side of the counter.
He nodded ever so slightly and she seemed to catch on. If the situation went south...duck.
Reggie did as commanded, pinching his wallet out of his back pocket.
“Keep your left hand in the air where I can see it,” Zach demanded.
Now that Reggie had made an aggressive move, Zach had every right to take him to his office and interrogate him.
Reggie pulled out a twenty and tossed it on the table. He looked at Liesel. “That about cover it?”
“You’re square with me,” she said, her hands in the air, palms toward him.
“Hands on the counter,” Zach said to Reggie in that authoritative-cop voice Nate had heard on the occasional ride-along.
“What did I do?” Reggie barked the question, but seemed to realize that his best move was to do as he was told.
“Keep your feet apart,” Zach directed, wanting to ensure Reggie wasn’t a threat, which meant a pat-down to make certain the man wasn’t carrying a weapon. He moved closer to Reggie, whose legs and hands were now planted wide.
“Look, man, all I’m doing is eating breakfast before I get back on the road,” Reggie said.
“That your car in the parking lot?” Zach patted Reggie down as he asked.
“Yeah. So what?” Reggie quipped.
“Where are you headed tonight?” Zach finished the body search and straightened.
“I haven’t decided,” Reggie said.
“Did you pay anyone a visit while you were here?” Zach asked.
“That’s none of your business,” Reggie retorted.
“Everything that happens in my town is my business.” Zach made sure of it. Especially since the hoof butchering had started and three years later there were still no leads. “You want to answer my question here or in my office?”
Reggie moved around the stool and Nate noticed the man had a slight limp. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled.
Zach had noticed it, too, based on the look he shot Nate.
“Did you do something to your left foot?” Zach’s brow arched.
“It’s my leg. It’s nothing. Gout. I need to put it up.” Reggie tried to blow it off, but Zach had zeroed in.
“You sure about that?” Zach asked. “Take five steps.” He motioned the opposite direction of where Zach stood.
Reggie limped along a few steps before grabbing onto the counter stool. “That far enough?”
“Yes, sir.” Zach didn’t have probable cause to arrest Reggie, so the man would have to show up at Zach’s office of his own free will. “Did you make up your mind about staying in town tonight?”
“I’ve decided to keep driving. I was just passing through town and stopped off for a bite. Is there something illegal about that, Sheriff?” Reggie turned around, slowly, careful not to put too much pressure on his leg.
It was impossible to tell if he was favoring his left foot or his leg. It had already been established the person butchering the heifers walked with a limp.
Reggie’s mother had left him out of her will. She owned a home and a site downtown that Chelsea was planning to use for a restaurant. Nate needed to ask her about other relatives being mentioned in the will. He hadn’t thought to do that before. They’d been so focused on her ex being the one who’d thrown the rock. Could Maddie Barstock’s son have done it?
It was a minor crime, at best. The stuff of juvenile delinquents.
“Before you take off, I’d like you to stop by my office to answer a few questions,” Zach said.
“And if I don’t?” Reggie was pushing his luck.
There were literally hundreds if not thousands of traffic laws in Texas that no one could possibly know about. All Zach needed was one, like anything mechanically to be broken on Reggie’s car, for Zach to haul the guy in.
“I noticed you taking up two spots out there. One of which is for handicapped drivers,” Zach stated.
“I’m barely on the line,” Reggie said defensively.
“But on it,” Zach said.
He and Reggie locked gazes and stared each other down for a long minute.
“All I need is one violation to impound your vehicle and hold you in my offi
ce. We’re going to have a conversation whether you like it or not. So, we can do this the hard way or the easy way. One is going to cost you money. You decide.” Zach had laid down the gauntlet. He’d holstered his weapon and let his hand rest on the butt of his gun.
Reggie finally put his head down and said, “Fine.”
“You need the address?” Zach asked.
“I already know it.” Reggie limped past Zach and toward the front door.
“Good. Then, I’ll follow you.” Zach walked a couple of steps behind Reggie.
Nate made eye contact with his cousin. “I’ll bring food.”
Zach thanked him and then followed close behind Reggie before closing the door.
Liesel blew out a breath once the men were outside. Nate didn’t dare take his eyes off Reggie. He had a bad feeling about that man, that limp.
Questions swirled like a swarm of bees. Could this man, who lived out of town, have come back to visit his mother’s vacant home or business during the times the animals had been butchered?
Other questions popped into Nate’s mind, like how well his brother knew Reggie. Was it possible that someone in the Kent family had done something to the man to make him want to exact revenge? If that was the case, why maim animals? They were innocent.
There was Reggie’s mother to consider. Had she cut her only son out of her will? It seemed so. There would have to be a story behind that decision. Chelsea would have answers, but she wouldn’t be awake for a few more hours.
Thinking about her brought up the memory of the kiss they’d shared.
Nate stuffed that thought down deep where it belonged.
* * *
“DID HE START talking on the way over?” Nate asked Zach when he arrived at his cousin’s office and set the bag of food on the desk.
“Quiet as a church mouse,” Zach stated. “I’m letting him sweat it out in there now.”
“He didn’t ask for a lawyer?” Nate was curious how this scenario was going to play out. He was also thinking about Chelsea more than he wanted to admit. She’d invaded his thoughts multiple times on the ride over. He’d tried to convince himself that it was purely out of concern for the sweet family, for the fact that they were new in town. Nate had no idea what starting over was like. He’d been fortunate to have a solid foundation at the Kent ranch. He’d always had a roof over his head and plenty of food on the table. Nate never took that for granted. He’d never had to worry about putting a child to bed hungry. He was pretty certain that was at least part of the fear he’d seen in Chelsea’s eyes a few hours ago. It had hit him square in the jaw.
Nate opened the bag on Zach’s desk and handed him a container. “Can you arrest him?”
“Have no reason to,” Zach stated as he took the foam box and opened it. He grabbed a packet of utensils and pulled out a napkin.
“Care to elaborate?” Nate asked, taking a seat in front of Zach’s desk.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s guilty of something but I have nothing to hold him on,” Zach stated. “There are no witnesses and I have no evidence.”
“Did Long lift any prints earlier?” Nate asked.
Zach shot his cousin a look. “You know I’m not technically allowed to discuss the details of the case with you.”
“When will you know if there’s a match?” Nate asked, figuring that ship had sailed a long time ago.
Zach took a bite of his BLT and then checked his watch. “Couple of hours.”
Nate wanted to be the one to tell Chelsea the news. He’d be overstepping his bounds, but he wanted to give her the relief that her ex was most likely not responsible for what had happened. He could only hope it wasn’t the case. Based on his estimation, Reggie Barstock was a solid suspect.
“Can I ask you a question?” Zach caught Nate’s gaze.
Nate wondered if the question his cousin was about to ask had anything to do with Chelsea. “Go ahead.”
“What’s got you so interested in this case?” Zach took another bite of his BLT.
“I took the yesterday morning about her kid. Nice family,” Nate said by way of explanation.
“Didn’t say they weren’t.” Zach took another bite and chewed. “We have lots of nice families in Jacobstown. Does your interest in this one have anything to do with the beautiful and single blonde?”
Chapter Eight
“I wonder if Deacon remembers much about Reggie.” Nate set the empty container next to the take-out bag on Zach’s desk.
“You didn’t answer my question.” Zach’s eyebrow shot up.
“There’s nothing to comment about. I took a call that was a gut punch. You know how that is. A single mom moving to a new place in order to start over. Seems like these ladies have had a rough go lately and I can’t help but think how fortunate we are for being grounded here in Jacobstown despite what we’ve been through with the heifers recently. You know?”
It was more than Nate had planned to say, but he figured Zach wasn’t going to stop asking until he got some kind of answer—and that was as good a one Nate could think up. There was more of a pull to Chelsea than he wanted to acknowledge or to admit to, which was most likely why he’d left specifics about her out of his explanation.
Granted, it was none of Zach’s business where Nate spent his time, but the two had always enjoyed a close relationship and Nate had no reason to lie. Everything he’d said was true.
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Zach seemed willing to leave it at that. “I agree about asking your brother about Reggie. I saw that you picked up on his left foot giving him trouble.”
“Might be nothing. Hell, ever since those incidences began, I’ve been on the lookout for anyone who favored his or her left foot after footprints confirmed a limp on that side,” Nate admitted.
“Same here. We’d be stupid not to pay extra attention to anyone with a deformity or injury to the left side,” Zach confirmed. “I’ve had my deputies scour through every document they could find for an injury that might be related. We tracked down a few names. I was especially looking for anyone who’d triggered an animal trap.”
“You know we don’t use those on our land,” Nate said.
“No, but illegal hunters do.”
Zach was stating a simple truth. As much as everyone on Kent Ranch worked to keep illegal hunters off the property, they couldn’t keep all the criminals from getting close. Poaching was a lucrative industry. There would always be illegal hunters. Kids could be setting traps as some sort of cruel joke.
Nate nodded agreement. “What’s the next move?”
“Dig into Reggie’s background. If he has alibis for the dates in question, he’s in the clear.” Zach leaned back in his chair.
“I have a bad feeling about this guy. I just don’t know how deep it goes yet,” Nate admitted.
“Same here. He’s up to no good. What do you know about the Barstock widow?” Zach opened a file on his computer.
“I know about as much as everyone else in town does. She kept to herself in her last years here in Jacobstown. I think the Rotary Club used to check on her and there are a couple of widows in town who put meals together for anyone who’s sick or can’t get out. I know that she moved away a couple of years ago. I’d forgotten she had a son, to be honest.” Nate wasn’t aware of any other next of kin and he certainly would’ve remembered Chelsea if she’d been in town before.
“The only good news is that this is the first possible lead we’ve had in the Jacobstown Hacker case.” Nate hoped for resolution before the guy became bolder and moved on to humans like everyone had feared recently when a man in Fort Worth killed joggers by hacking off their foot and leaving them to bleed out. He’d been careless and had butchered the wrong foot. But copycats could multiply and no one would rest easy until the twisted jerk maiming animals was behind bars.
“I need to dig d
eeper into her background, too.” Nate knew Zach was referring to Chelsea McGregor. “A stranger shows up in town and brings trouble.”
“Her ex is here.” Nate ignored Zach’s look and kept right on talking. “He’s worth investigating, if not for the rock then for the trouble it sounds like he might bring.”
Zach was already rocking his head.
“I already have that in motion, too.” He glanced at the notepad on his desk.
His cousin looked tired from the inside out. He’d been busy between the heifers’ hooves being butchered and other crimes that had found their way to Jacobstown in recent weeks. Several of which had involved his brothers and their wives. Zach cared about every citizen in his jurisdiction. His family was no exception. The McWilliamses and Kents were a close-knit bunch.
“How’s Amy, by the way?” Nate asked, referring to Zach’s sister.
“She seems a little lost after graduating.” Zach’s shoulders slumped.
“Amber’s been busy at the ranch,” Nate said.
“Those two used to be joined at the hip and now Amy seems restless.” Zach smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes, his worry evidenced by the near constant lines bracketing his mouth. “She’s trying to figure out her next move. I told her she should move to a bigger city, like Austin or San Antonio. She said she didn’t want to leave Amber.”
“They were the only two girls in a family of boys. Makes for a tight bond. You think there could be something else going on with her?”
“Good question,” Nate said.
“Hey, at least our sisters can hold their own in pretty much any situation.” Zach laughed and the break in tension was a nice change.
Everyone at home, including Nate, had been on edge. It had started with their father’s death and then the situation with the heifers had made it impossible to relax. There’d been more danger in town in the past couple of years than in Jacobstown’s entire history. Good stuff had happened, too. It was all too easy to forget the good in times of strife. There’d also been marriages and babies. Several of Nate’s siblings had found true happiness.