Texas Ranger Showdown

by Margaret Daley

  Ian tipped the brim of his white cowboy hat. “Ma’am, I’m sorry we have to meet this early, but I’ve come into possession of a photo of your mother. I suspect she’s missing, possibly dead. I need you to confirm it’s her.”

  Allison’s eyes grew round as Ian put a pair of gloves on and carefully removed the picture from its evidence bag. He held it up for her to study.

  She immediately said, “That’s her. I thought she went to Fort Worth to see a friend for a couple of days. Did you take this photo? Where? What...” As her words tumbled from her, tears formed in her dark eyes and rolled down her face.

  Caitlyn handed her a clean tissue from a travel packet. “May we come inside?”

  The young woman dabbed her cheeks. “Of course.” She stood to the side, then closed the door after them. “Let’s sit in the living room. Excuse the mess. Before school, the kids were supposed...” Allison collapsed on the couch, dropping her head into her hands.

  Caitlyn sat next to her and put her arm around her, while catching Ian’s eye. She mouthed Can I tell her?

  He nodded and took a seat across from them.

  Caitlyn fumbled for her travel packet of tissue in her purse and gave Allison another one. “I found it attached to my door about an hour ago. I don’t know why. I was supposed to have a session with your mother this afternoon. She never called to cancel her appointment. Why did you think she was going to Fort Worth for a few days?”

  Allison looked up, her eyes glassy and red. “She talked about it at the end of last week. She had a few days off and didn’t want to stay in town. She wanted to get away for a while. Her boss has been on a rampage.”

  “Rampage? What was he doing?” Ian asked, taking out a pad and pen.

  “It’s a she, and she was going through a ‘nothing pleased her’ phase. Nell Baker does that from time to time. Usually she’s a great boss. Mom was hoping when she returned to work she would be over it.”

  Ian made a note to interview Nell Baker. “But you don’t know if she left or not?”

  “No, but her car was gone, so I assumed she did. It’s usually parked in the driveway.”

  “When was the last time you talked to your mother?”

  “Monday evening.” Allison turned to Caitlyn. “She wouldn’t miss her appointment without calling you to cancel. You’ve been helping her so much. She was asserting herself more, after years of my dad belittling her.”

  “May I have your permission to share with Texas Ranger Pierce your mother’s information concerning her sessions with me? He’s heading up the investigation.”

  Allison turned back to Ian. “I’ll do anything to help you find my mom. Maybe she was only knocked out in the photo. Maybe...” More tears flowed when it seemed to dawn on Allison that wasn’t what happened.

  Ian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “Your mother’s case is tied with Jane Shephard’s.”

  Allison gasped. “The one who was found dead yesterday morning?”

  Ian nodded. “Does your dad live here?”

  “He left Longhorn six months ago when my mother divorced him. I haven’t heard from him. We weren’t close.”

  “Besides your father, is there anyone who had a problem with your mother?”

  Allison grabbed another tissue and patted her eyes. “No.”

  “Did she know Jane Shephard?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  He’d hoped for a connection between the two women other than Caitlyn. “Would you please call your mother’s friend in Fort Worth and see if she came to see her?” He prayed she was with her friend but, in his gut, he knew she wasn’t.

  Allison shot to her feet. “Yes! She may be there. Maybe someone faked the photo.” She retrieved her cell phone from her jeans pocket and punched in the numbers. “Doris, is Mom there? I need to talk to her.”

  Ian didn’t need to hear Doris’s side of the conversation. Allison’s brief hope drained from her face seconds later, and she sank down onto the couch. Caitlyn put her arm around the young woman as she finished the brief call.

  “Mom decided at the last minute not to go and stay at home to rest. She spoke to Doris late Monday night after I phoned Mom.”

  “What time?” Ian asked.

  “Eleven o’clock.”

  After jotting down the time, Ian put away his notebook and rose. “Have you gone to your mother’s house since you talked to her on Monday night?”

  Allison shook her head.

  “Can you let us into her home?”

  “Yes. Let me get the key.”

  When Allison left the living room, Caitlyn stood. “I was hoping that Kelli was with her friend.”

  “So was I.” Ian moved toward the foyer. “It looks like Kelli was the first victim.”

  “That we know about,” she whispered as Allison joined them and gave Ian the key.

  After walking the short distance to Kelli’s house, Ian turned on the porch toward Caitlyn and Allison. “I’d like y’all to stay out here. Was your mother’s car in the driveway or the garage on Monday night?”

  “I don’t know, but it wasn’t in the driveway Tuesday morning when I took the kids to school. It could have been in the garage because it was forecast to rain. That was usually the only time she would park it inside.” Allison took one of the wicker chairs while Caitlyn sat in the other one.

  Ian inserted the key in the door and let himself into the house. He didn’t know what to expect, so he removed his gun from its holster. What if Kelli was killed right after Jane, not before? Did the order of their deaths mean anything?

  As he moved through the place, checking first the living and dining rooms, then the kitchen, everything seemed in place. He’d have Allison go through her mother’s house after he’d finished a walk-through. He opened a door that he thought led to the garage, flipped on the light and scanned the empty space—again very neat and tidy.

  Next he headed for the hallway that led to the bedroom. The first room appeared to be where Kelli worked on various arts and crafts projects. Beside it looked like a spare bedroom for guests. Finally, he approached one at the end of the corridor. The door was shut, while the others had been open.

  When he stepped inside, he took in the chaos—a chair lying on its side, a lamp smashed, the dresser items on the floor. The scent from a broken bottle of perfume pervaded the room with a sickly aroma. Stepping farther in, Ian lifted his gaze to a mirror above the bureau and gritted his teeth at the words Stop me! written across it in what appeared to be blood.

  FIVE

  Caitlyn stared at the wall clock in the studio, the seconds slowly ticking by. Only five more minutes left of the show. Hadn’t she done this yesterday, and the call after the final commercial had been the killer?

  Through the glass, Melanie held up her fingers and counted to three.

  Caitlyn leaned toward the mic and said, “I have time for one more caller.” The panel lit up, and she reached for the button to punch, her hand trembling. “This is Caitlyn. You’re on the air.”

  Silence.

  Her heart pounded, and her palms were sweaty. She started to hang up, relieved she didn’t have to talk to the killer, but before she could, a female voice said, “I never thought I would get through.”

  “Can I help you with anything?” Caitlyn relaxed in her chair.

  “My boyfriend has been calling my best friend. What should I do?”

  “Have you asked him why he’s doing that or talked to your best friend?”

  “Well, no. He’d know I was checking his phone.”

  “Why were you checking his phone?” Caitlyn’s gaze latched on to Ian standing behind Melanie. His presence reassured her she would be safe.

  “I... I don’t trust him.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Well...” The female guest caller sighed. �
��He’s so popular and cute. I don’t understand why he’s dating me.”

  “Ask him. For a relationship to work, honesty between the partners and open communication are essential. You might ask him why he’s dating you and let me know how your talk goes. You can either call back or email me.” Caitlyn gave out her contact information she used for her show, then said the spiel for the end of the program.

  She sat staring at the call board, a few lighting up, but when the hour was over, anyone trying to talk to her heard a canned reply about calling back another day. Had her last guest kept the killer from getting through? After seeing Kelli’s bedroom and the mirror over the dresser, she was glad that he didn’t call in or was too late.

  Ian opened the door to the booth. “Ready? We need to meet with the Shephards before you go to your office.”

  “I only have two patients today, since Kelli...” She couldn’t say the words.

  “I’ll be picking you up. If she showed up, that would be the best news, and I would gladly find something to keep me occupied while y’all talk.”

  “But that’s not going to happen, is it?” Caitlyn gathered up her purse and briefcase, her shoulders drooping at the thought.

  “No. Someone fought with her and took her from her house, using her car. The police statewide and in bordering states are looking for both her vehicle and Jane’s.”

  “They could be hundreds of miles away by now.”

  “One of them will turn up unless he’s not a lone operator.” He opened the door into the hallway and waited for her to exit first.

  “No, there’s just one. His notes indicate that. It’s a cry for help or a game to him.”

  As they left the building, Ian clasped her free hand. “The news about Kelli hasn’t been released to the press yet. But it won’t be long before it is. The sheriff has received a lot of calls about what was going on at your house and then at Kelli’s. Tom has set up a press conference for later. I asked Allison not to say anything to anyone for the time being.”

  “We need the public’s help on finding this killer. Maybe someone saw something and didn’t know the seriousness of what’s happening.” Caitlyn didn’t want him to release her hand, but they had a lot to do today. She let go and slid into the front seat of his SUV, the warmth of his palm against hers lingering.

  “I hope someone has and will come forward.” As he made his way to the other side of the car, he answered a call.

  Caitlyn couldn’t tell what was being said, but whatever it was had to be tied to the case because his forehead creased and his professional persona fell into place as he placed a call, then shoved his cell phone in his pocket.

  When he settled behind the steering wheel, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “A car was set on fire at the Shephards’ ranch in the middle of a cornfield. That was Senator Shephard. It’s southeast of the house, next to my family’s property.”

  Caitlyn bent forward and looked in that direction. “I see dark plumes of smoke in the sky. Is it Jane’s car?”

  “He’s not sure. They’re trying to contain the fire before it spreads. I’m going to drop you at your office and have an officer stay with you.”

  “But what about me talking to the Shephards?”

  “The senator mentioned doing it later.”

  “Let me know if it’s Jane’s car.”

  “I will, and I’ll pick you up later this afternoon.” He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot by the radio station. “Officer Collins should be at your office by the time we arrive.”

  “Blake Collins?”

  “Yes. Do you know him?”

  “I’ve run into him from time to time.” Should she tell Ian that she counseled his mother? Did Blake even know she did? Thankfully, Ada Collins wasn’t one of her patients today.

  “He’ll be outside your office door in case there’s a problem.”

  “That’s fine.”

  Not fifteen minutes later, Caitlyn arrived at the clinic with a lunch she had grabbed at a fast-food restaurant. As she and Ian entered the building, Officer Collins approached them in the waiting room. Did he know that his father abused his mother? Lately, it had gotten worse. Ada was very good at hiding her injuries, and her son didn’t live with them anymore. He had recently married a nurse who worked at the medical center nearby.

  Caitlyn entered her personal office, while Ian told the younger policeman his duties. Before Ian left, he swung her door open and popped his head through the gap.

  “See you in a few hours. Maybe I’ll have good news for you by then, but in the meantime you’re surrounded by people you work with and know.”

  One of the things that bothered her the most was she might know the killer. She was beginning to look at the people around her in a different light. And that wasn’t good if she was going to help others.

  After he left, she quickly ate her sandwich and washed it down with a cup of iced tea. She only had a couple of minutes before her first afternoon patient, Missy Quinn, arrived. She hadn’t been seeing her for long, but Missy suffered from depression, and presented as though she’d given up on life. Caitlyn suspected it was due to a trauma in her past she hadn’t dealt with. She understood.

  She greeted her client at the door and shook her hand. When she’d first come to therapy five months ago, Missy wouldn’t touch anyone, even to shake hands. Caitlyn had visited Missy once at her home and saw evidence that she was married. Was her husband the cause of her fear and paranoia?

  “How are you doing?” Caitlyn gestured for Missy to take her usual seat.

  “I almost didn’t come.”

  “Why?”

  “Jane Shephard was killed yesterday.”

  “Were y’all friends?”

  “No. Was she raped?”

  “I don’t know. Why do you want to know?”

  Shrugging, Missy lowered her head and wrung her hands in her lap. “She didn’t live too far from me. Scary.”

  How would Missy react when she discovered there was another murder and Kelli lived a street over from her?

  * * *

  Ian stood next to Jack Shephard and the sheriff, and they waited until the fire department had extinguished the fire before they approached the Lexus. “Is this Jane’s?”

  Jack stared at the side of the charred vehicle with patches of blue showing in certain places. “Yes, I believe so. It’s the right model and color.”

  Tom circled the car. “If they can get the VIN number off it, we’ll know for sure. I’m going to have it towed to a garage we use. Someone went to a lot of trouble to destroy this car and any evidence we might have recovered from it.”

  “I’m putting up a fifty thousand dollar reward for any information that leads to a conviction.” Jack turned away from the sight. “I can’t believe there’s another missing woman.”

  “Did Jane and Kelli Williams have any connection?” Ian stepped up to the passenger side and looked inside, then inspected the back seat. Anything inside had been destroyed. When the vehicle cooled, he hoped there might be evidence in the trunk that wasn’t as charred.

  “I don’t think so. Kelli goes to the same church, but I never saw them together. You might ask my wife. She would know more about Jane’s friends and her daily schedule, since I’m often at the state capitol.”

  “May Caitlyn and I reschedule our meeting to after five?” Ian stepped back and panned the isolated area of the Shephard ranch. Not far away was Longhorn Lake. Was that the way the killer drove the car onto the property?

  “Yes. It would be better for Ruth and me. She’s trying to make the arrangements for the funeral.”

  “When is the funeral?” Ian peered across the pasture that ran along the southwest border of his family’s ranch. He stiffened when he caught sight of his brother sitting on a horse looking toward them.

  “F
irst of next week. We have family coming in.”

  The sheriff joined them. “We’ll be posting a few deputies at the funeral.”

  “Do you really think the killer would make an appearance? If he did, he would regret it.” The senator’s eyes narrowed into a laser-sharp gaze. “It has to be a stranger. Everyone loved Jane. She’s the one who ran our foundation and was always ready to help anyone who needed it.”

  “We’re doing everything we can to find the killer. I’m going to follow the tire tracks to see where he drove the car onto your ranch.” Ian followed the trampled corn crop to the back part of the pasture, glancing every once in a while toward his family’s ranch.

  Sean had disappeared. Why had he been there watching? Ian needed to confront his brother about murmuring Jane’s name in anguish last night. He couldn’t see Sean killing anyone, but then, if he’d started drinking again, there was no telling what his brother could be responsible for. He didn’t want to jump to any conclusion about Sean, but it was hard not to. After talking to Nana early this morning, Ian had discovered Sean had been acting even more strange for the past couple of months than ever before.

  Could Caitlyn help Sean? Would his brother take advice from him or anyone else?

  He should have come home sooner. He’d known Sean wasn’t dealing well with the stress of their father’s death. Sean and his dad had been much closer than Ian had been with his dad.

  Ian hopped over the fence onto the public land encircling the lake and tracked the tire prints to a gravel road about a hundred yards away. At least how the car ended up on the Shephard ranch had been answered, but why risk dumping it here? To make a point? What?

  How about Kelli’s missing vehicle? Would they find it on fire in some other field?

  A rustling sound behind Ian caused him to put his hand on his gun and swivel around.

  “What are you doing here?” Ian asked Sean who had dismounted his horse and tied him to the fence by the family’s property.

  “I saw the fire from the house and rode here to see what was going on. You know how dangerous a grass fire can be, especially since we haven’t had that much rain lately. Why was Jane’s car there?”