Severed Trust: The Men of the Texas Rangers | Book 4

by Margaret Daley

  In case the bottle had been stashed somewhere in the room, she checked every place it could be—even in her cabinets. When she didn’t find it, a mantle of disappointment cloaked her. She walked into the hall, locked her classroom, then scanned the area. Someone’s locker? Maybe. Then she noticed the large trashcan at the end of the corridor. She hastened to it and breathed a sigh because the janitor hadn’t gotten to it yet today.

  She knocked it over and rummaged in the scattered trash on the floor, using a pencil to move it around so she didn’t have to touch it. The smell of old socks and something rotten blasted her. She gagged.

  Then she saw it—a bottle with Lexie’s name on the side. She called Ethan.

  “I found Lexie’s water bottle in the trashcan in the hall.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  “What about the trash I dumped on the floor? The janitor should be here soon to empty it.”

  “Leave everything where it is, and don’t touch anything. If he says anything, tell him I’m on my way and it’s evidence.”

  As she stood guard over the strewn trash, a couple of kids passed her and gave her strange looks. One said, “Dumpster diving is more fun.”

  She was sure come Monday morning the news that Ms. Thompson liked to go through the trash would be all over the school.

  Lexie parked around the corner from Kelly’s house and snuck into the backyard. Kelly was home. She’d seen her through the kitchen window. Her mother’s car was in the driveway. If she was going to speak to Kelly, she had to now and then get back home before Mom returned from the grocery store.

  One way or another, I’m getting to the bottom of this.

  Keeping an eye on the back, she crept closer to the house and the tree she’d have to climb to get to Kelly’s bedroom window. She wasn’t going to ring the doorbell and have Kelly’s mom send her home. Her friend—and she still thought of her that way—rarely locked her window so Lexie could climb inside and wait for Kelly to come upstairs.

  Breathing hard, Lexie reached the limb where she could shimmy out to where it brushed up against the roof of the back porch. She knew Kelly got in and out of her house this way, but she’d never done it. Looking down at the yard twenty or thirty feet below scared Lexie. She didn’t like heights. The ground swayed or she did. Either way, she clutched the branch and clung to it.

  Maybe if she inched along like a worm, she could make the five or six feet to the porch. She tried but scraped her knee on a broken twig.

  Not far. Keep going. I didn’t come all this way for nothing. I want answers. I want my friend back.

  When she reached the thirty degree slanted roof, she dug her fingernails into the wood and swung carefully around to drop a couple of feet onto the shingles. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears like cymbals clashing against her skull. Her legs dangled in the air for a moment before she scooched farther down and let go. She landed in a crouch to balance herself, hoping the neighbors weren’t looking or the sound of her setting down wasn’t too loud.

  How in the world did Kelly do this all the time?

  Creeping toward the house, Lexie scanned the area. She reached Kelly’s bedroom and peered through the glass pane. Empty. Lexie tried the window. Unlocked. With a deep inhalation, she eased it up, then crawled inside.

  Her pulse still speeding, she knew she would have to rethink how she was going to leave. She couldn’t climb back down the elm. Maybe Kelly would help her sneak out of the house.

  She crossed to the door then cracked it open slightly and listened. Silence. She glanced back at the bed and decided to sit and wait. Kelly preferred hanging out in her room. She’d come upstairs soon.

  Lexie took a seat, leaning against the headboard and stretching out her legs.

  “Mom, we don’t have any food in the house,” Kelly said as she came into her mother’s bedroom where she’d been since they arrived home from the police station.

  When Kelly saw her mother lying face down on top of the covers, she looked at the nightstand. The bottles of sleeping pills and tranquilizers were there as they usually were after a rough situation or day. Kelly rushed to the bed and felt her mom’s pulse. It beat beneath her fingertips. But her relief was brief. Anger swamped her as she sat next to her mother and tried to wake her up.

  She moaned and batted Kelly’s hands away. “Leave me—alone.” Her mother rolled to her side and curled into a ball.

  Kelly checked the bottle and counted them as she did every day now. She took one sleeping pill and two tranquilizers. She bent over her mother to smell her breath. No alcohol.

  Good. At least she wouldn’t have to call 911. But one day she would.

  What would it feel like to escape like Mom?

  Kelly snatched up the bottles, gripping one in each hand. The anger surged, and she squeezed hard on the plastic containers until one cracked. Her heart raced as it had all week. She released her tight grasp and plodded toward the bathroom to put the pills up.

  If Mom wanted any more, she would have to get out of bed.

  After putting them in the cabinet, Kelly continued to her bedroom. She didn’t know what to do. She was in a big mess and digging the hole even deeper. Lexie could have died yesterday. Who gave the tranquilizers to her? How did they? It had to be one of Jared’s friends. They were scared. They wanted to make sure she wouldn’t talk.

  They weren’t just afraid of the police, though. They didn’t say anything to her when she was with them, but she’d seen the fear in their eyes, especially Wednesday night. What had happened after she’d passed out at the warehouse? That was the key. For a few seconds blue eyes wavered in her mind taunting her. Jared’s?

  If only I hadn’t involved Lexie. At least she wouldn’t be caught up in this mess. But what can I do now? They’re keeping something from me.

  As she entered her room, she chewed on her thumbnail, nothing coming to mind. She hadn’t felt like herself since that night with Jared. If she could do it over, she would. She was afraid of Jared’s friends, but she didn’t want anything to happen . . .

  Her thoughts came to halt when she caught sight of Lexie on her bed asleep. At least that was what she hoped. She hastened to Lexie, picking up her left arm to feel for a pulse—just as she’d done with her mom a few minutes ago. She was getting good at this.

  Lexie jerked away, her eyes snapping open, then growing huge. “Kelly, when did you come in?”

  “This is my bedroom. When did you come in? How?”

  Lexie’s cheeks flamed. “A while ago. By climbing your elm.”

  “Why are you here? Why not ring the doorbell?”

  “I didn’t want anyone to know. My mom doesn’t even know I’m gone.”

  “Are you grounded—for—what happened yesterday?” Kelly sank down on her bed and sat cross-legged, facing Lexie.

  “No. My mother and uncle believe someone slipped me the tranquilizers. At least someone believes me. The whole school might not, but my family does.” Lexie raised her chin, her mouth pinched in a frown. “How about you?”

  “You need to leave. If Mom found you here, she would go ballistic.” Kelly didn’t know what to do about Lexie, how to make what happened to her better. She nibbled on her other thumbnail.

  Lexie scooted off the bed and stood over her. “Did you give me the pills?”

  Kelly bit off a chunk of her nail. “No.”

  “So you didn’t put something in my Coke?”

  Kelly shook her head. “Is that how you got it?”

  Lexie shrugged. “Don’t know. Trying to figure out how someone almost killed me. Do you know?”

  Kelly dropped her gaze.

  Lexie moved into her personal space. “Do you know?” Her voice rose several decibels.

  “Shh. You don’t want my mother in here.”

  “I almost died. Tell me who did it?”

  10

  I don’t know. Honest,” Kelly shouted, scrambling from the bed and rounding on Lexie.

  “Why did you tell the pol
ice I lied?” The anger she’d been suppressing since she’d discovered the lie Kelly told Uncle Ethan exploded.

  “Because you promised not to tell anyone. You broke your promise. Why did you? I could have gotten in trouble.”

  “And you don’t think your behavior will get you in trouble? Look what happened to you at the warehouse. You don’t even know what you took.” Lexie gulped in big breaths to try and fill her lungs. Her chest burned.

  “I know, and there were a few times afterwards I thought something bad was happening to me.”

  “You never told me that. What happened?”

  “My heart raced. I got feverish. Then my heart skipped some beats. I felt like I was coming out of my skin.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Lexie’s anger receded as she looked at the girl who’d been her best friend since they were six.

  “I didn’t think you’d understand, and I knew I had already disappointed you. I was acting like my mother,” Kelly lifted tear-drenched eyes to Lexie, “and I never wanted to be like her. She won’t hear us because she’s passed out on her bed—oblivious to the world and certainly her own daughter.”

  “Drinking?”

  “I wish that was all. No, she’s been taking sleeping pills and tranquilizers to numb herself—at least that’s what she told me one day as I was helping her to the bathroom.”

  Lexie’s anger deflated like a popped balloon. She hugged her friend. “I’m sorry. My mother may be overprotective, but I do know she cares and will take care of me.”

  “I wish I had your mother.” Kelly collapsed onto her bed.

  “I wish I had a sister.” Lexie sat next to her.

  “You do—Emma.”

  “Not the same thing. She’s gone, and when she was here, she didn’t have time for me.” Lexie blew out a long breath. “What a pair we make.”

  “Yeah. I’m gonna make this right. I didn’t know my mother was going to tell her hairdresser and from there it flew around town. What a mess I’ve made. I was doing what Carrie and Missy told me to do Wednesday night. I was too scared not to.”

  Lexie settled her arm on Kelly’s shoulder. “I couldn’t keep lying to Uncle Ethan and my mother about what happened Sunday morning. I’m sorry.”

  Tears leaked from Kelly’s eyes. “I don’t know the truth about what happened to Jared like your uncle thinks I do. I even thought sometime late Saturday night Jared was hovering over me, but then I passed out again. What if he was trying to get me up and I wouldn’t move, then he left by himself and someone killed him. That part of town is scary.”

  “You think that’s what happened?”

  “I don’t know. No. Maybe. There was even a time I woke up for a minute and thought he was dead. I thought someone had said that, but your uncle says he died from drowning so that memory can’t be right.” Kelly scrubbed her hands down her face. “Now you see why I’m so confused and afraid.”

  “We’re in this together. That’s what a friend is for.”

  Kelly brushed a wet track from her cheek. “Somehow, Lexie, the truth will come out. I’ll figure out a way.”

  In spite of the heavy dose of deodorant Kelly had put on before coming to see Carrie, sweat drenched her blouse, especially under her arms. Kelly stopped on the porch at her classmate’s house and lifted her finger toward the doorbell. Her hand trembled so much she squeezed it into a tight fist and used a knuckle to press the button. With each second that passed, her heart thudded against her ribcage—faster and faster.

  She started to leave, flutters of relief washing over her, when the door swung open. Carrie stood in the open doorway with Missy next to her. The impulse to flee propelled her to back away.

  “What’s wrong, Kelly? Why are you here?” One of Carrie’s hands settled on her waist.

  “I—I . . .” Kelly took another pace toward the steps.

  Missy came outside and clasped Kelly’s arm. “C’mon in. We heard you went to the police station this morning. Tell us what happened.”

  Her firm tone coupled with her firm grasp on Kelly dared her to flee. She dragged her feet but moved forward with Missy.

  I can’t do this. What do I say? Did you give Lexie the tranquilizers?

  Before Kelly realized it, she was upstairs for the first time in Carrie’s bedroom—all pink with frills everywhere. She felt as though she’d jumped into a big batch of cotton candy. Sugary sweet, but bad for you.

  “I can just imagine how scared you were being interviewed again, but at least you had Brendan’s dad with you. He’s the best. Brendan asked him to help you. He was worried about you.” Carrie sat on her bed.

  Probably afraid I would tell what really happened last Saturday or at least what I know. “Yes, me and Mom appreciated it.”

  “Good. Now tell us how it went. Why did they want to see you again?” Missy took the place next to Carrie.

  Leaving Kelly standing in front of them like a criminal in front of a judge. Her anxiety tripled. “They found my necklace at the warehouse—the one Jared gave me for my birthday. They wanted to know how it could have gotten there, if as I said, I was never there.”

  Missy’s eyebrows hiked up. “What did you say? You didn’t admit to being at the warehouse, did you?”

  Kelly shook her head. “I told them someone must have planted it there. That I lost it a week ago Friday. The cops had a picture of me on my Facebook page the day before with it on. I had to think fast.”

  “So what do you think?” Carrie grasped the edge of the bed.

  “I don’t know. I lost it at the end. I cried telling them I’m mourning the loss of Jared then ran out of the interview room. No one came after me. I waited for Mom by the car. She thought it was okay. If they’d had real hard evidence, they would have come after me. Maybe arrested me.”

  Carrie’s mouth twisted into a frown. “For what? Jared’s death was an accident. I don’t care what anyone said. He overdosed on drugs. He probably woke up, got disoriented, and drove himself into the lake.”

  After Lexie had left Kelly’s house earlier, she’d gone over and over that evening Jared had died until her head ached. “Yeah, well, I’ve been thinking about that night the past few hours. I thought I heard someone scream he’s dead. Then someone, I guess Luke, said they had to get the body out of the warehouse because his dad owned it.” Tired of standing, Kelly searched for somewhere to sit. The only chair in the room had clothes piled on it. She remained on her feet.

  “So? How do we explain our presence at the warehouse, what we were doing? They would have arrested us for illegally using drugs.” Carrie tapped the side of her head. “Duh, what century were you born into?”

  “I personally would look hideous in an orange jumpsuit I see the prisoners wearing on TV.” Missy flipped her ash blond hair behind her shoulders, then giggled.

  Anger bubbled in Kelly’s stomach. “Jared is dead, and you’re laughing about orange jumpsuits?”

  Carrie and Missy glanced at each other, then Carrie asked, “What do you want us to do? Wear black like they used to for a year?” Laughter burst from her.

  “I want you to take this seriously. I can’t keep lying,” Kelly shouted, losing any control she had left. “Have you two been sending me threatening emails?”

  Carrie exchanged a puzzled look with Missy. “No. If I want to threaten you, I’ll do it to your face.”

  “Who drugged Lexie?” Kelly opened and closed her hands, the urge to hit both girls so strong she was afraid she would.

  All merriment died in the two teens on the bed. A deadly serious expression descended.

  Missy rose, her shoulders thrust back. “We didn’t, and I’m offended if you think one of us did.”

  “I didn’t say that. Someone did, though, and she almost died.”

  Carrie hopped to her feet. “The rumor is she did it to herself. Case closed. Lexie is not your friend. We are. You need to remember that.”

  “Did you all put Jared in his car at the park and drive him in the lake?”
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  Carrie slapped Kelly. “How dare you think that?”

  At that moment, Kelly did lose it. She curled her hand into a fist and struck Carrie in the jaw, then whirled and raced out of the room, the air vibrating with Missy’s screams of outrage.

  Outside Kelly dug into her pocket for her cell and called Lexie. It went to voicemail. “I did it. I’m through with them.” A lightness of spirit lifted Kelly for the first time in days.

  Sadie knocked on her son’s door, waited half a minute then entered. As she expected, he was sleeping or faking he was. He had stayed in here since he came home from the hospital a couple of days ago. He was grounded, but not confined to his room.

  Crossing to the bed, she dodged some dirty clothes and schoolbooks. “Wake up. You’ve been sleeping enough,” she said, shaking his shoulder.

  Steven moaned. “I’m tired.”

  “No, you’re hiding in here. It’s time to rejoin the family.”

  He pushed himself to a sitting position, his hair flopping over into his eyes. “What family? It’s just you and Ashley.”

  “It may be only three people, but that’s our family.”

  “Why do I have to get up? I can’t watch TV, use the computer, call or text my friends, so there’s nothing to do but sleep.”

  He started to draw the covers up around him, but Sadie stopped him by pulling them out of his hands. “Mr. Stone is coming to dinner tonight. I want you to join us.”

  “What about Ashley?”

  “She is, too.”

  “Half the family should be enough.” He plopped onto the bedding and turned his back on her.

  I don’t know what to do, Lord. How do I reach someone who won’t talk to me? Why is he so angry? Why is he doing this?

  Sadie fell back on a technique she used when she felt overwhelmed. She pictured Jesus in a meadow, the breeze blowing multicolored wildflowers that laid a floral carpet before her. She walked toward Him, keeping Him in her vision. He exuded peace, love, and strength. When she paused near Him, He wrapped His arms around her. Everything would be all right. Somehow. She had to believe that.