Luke's Fate

by Kathleen Ball

  Later that night, the house was quiet, too quiet. Loneliness poured over her as she tried to catch up on the dreaded paperwork. Her father had a head for numbers, not her, but it had to be done. The computer screen glowed as though it waited for her input, but with Luke in jail, she couldn’t concentrate.

  Her lawyer, Bates Barker, indicated it didn’t look good, but he was sure he’d get Luke home by tomorrow. He also asked her many questions about Luke’s dad. Her best bet, it was David who killed those women and left. They should be searching for similar crimes in different parts of the country. Poor Luke.

  As she drummed her fingers on the big, wooden desk, she became convinced she needed to find David. Doing an internet search, she typed David Kelly into the search bar and gasped when she saw there were almost six thousand people named David Kelly. Putting in more search words narrowed it down to five hundred, but that was still too many people to wade through. How could there be so many?

  A cup of coffee sounded good, and she got up and went into the kitchen to pour herself a cup. Why had David left? No one ever had a good reason. He’d just disappeared around the same time Luke had, and she couldn’t ask Mr. Kelly; he always called her a whore when he saw her.

  Back at the computer, she put in David’s date of birth and while no one came up with the exact date, there were one hundred and two people with the same birth year. The coffee didn’t help in giving her a second wind, but she needed to push on. She was afraid if she stopped, she’d lose her search. There was a possibility he never left Texas; after all, he loved ranching. Her list ended with sixteen names, and she found phone numbers for all but five of them.

  Glancing at the clock, she frowned. It was too late to make calls. It would have to wait until the morning. She printed out her information, turned off the computer and walked into the kitchen. The rest of the coffee she poured down the sink, and then she started toward her bedroom. What if she found David? Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea, if he was a killer and all.

  The house was too quiet, and she couldn’t remember a time it had been like this. If only her father was here to guide her and to help Luke. Heck, Luke might even be mad she considered David a suspect, but who else was there? Good gravy, it looked like she’d have to go and see Mr. Kelly after all. Just because he was old didn’t mean he hadn’t committed the murders. She shook her head; she’d go in the morning to see that ornery old cuss. She'd do it for Luke's sake.

  The lack of sleep put her in a bad mood, and seeing Harry Kelly wasn’t going to improve it any. Meg sat in her truck in the nursing home parking lot trying to get up enough energy for what was bound to be a nasty visit. At least she finally knew why he hated her so much. She’d hate too if her spouse had made a child with another. So many secrets for so many years.

  Closing her eyes, she shook her head, took a deep breath and unfastened her seatbelt. She said a quick prayer for peace, opened her eyes, and got out of the truck. It seemed like a nice place with many different flowers blooming and a great big gazebo off to one side. She pulled her shoulders back and steeled herself.

  The receptionist was a warm friendly woman with gray hair. She smiled and told Meg in what room she could find Mr. Kelly. Meg walked down the long hallway. The acrid menthol smell of Ben-Gay assaulted her. Her father had used enough of it, and she knew the scent well. She felt a flash of sorrow.

  A gruff “Come in,” answered her knock. She opened the door and stepped inside. Harry was an older, thinner version of himself, and she hoped he’d remember her.

  “I’ve been waiting for you to come see me. Heard tell your daddy is dead. Can’t say I’ll miss him. After all, he did ruin my family.” He gave her a long hard stare. “Guess you already know about your daddy and my wife, but do you know about David?” He studied her again and nodded. “It’s good you finally know.”

  “The truth is always best.”

  “Especially when evil deeds come to light. I could hardly bear to live with my wife anymore after your father had her. She was nothing but a damn whore, and I had to raise a bastard. She never stepped out on me again, I can tell you that.”

  His anger filled the small room, and for a moment, she forgot what she wanted to say. Walking to the window, she panned the view, trying to get her bearings. Finally, she turned back and met his stare. “Do you know where David is?”

  “What’s it to you?”

  “Luke’s in jail. They believe he killed the women found on the property you used to own.”

  “The property you now own?” He smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “Luke’s no killer, they’ll see that soon enough. He doesn’t have the backbone for killin’.”

  “They have their minds made up, and I wanted to talk to David and see if he knew anything.”

  He laughed. “David ain’t never coming back, so you’d better get your ass out of here and find someone else to blame. And don’t you even look in my direction. I’m a lover not a fighter.”

  Her jaw dropped. Not a fighter? Who was he kidding? And for someone who supposedly didn’t even know his name he was extremely sharp. Had Luke lied to her?

  The sheriff wouldn’t allow her to see Luke again, and his lawyer told her not to expect him home anytime soon. At least for the next seventy-two hours. So much for promising to get him home by tonight. Three more bodies had turned up, and the police wanted to get the case wrapped up as soon as possible.

  Yawning, she rubbed the back of her neck, feeling the tightness of her muscles. Her whole body was tense. What she wouldn’t give for one of those fancy massages.

  There’d be no extras in the near future. How much would Luke’s defense cost? What if he was found guilty? It happened all the time, and the wrong person went to jail. Harry knew more than he was letting on; he had to. How did he know David wouldn’t be coming back, and what was all that bull about being a lover, not a fighter? He had smacked his whole family around for years.

  Her headache worsened, and she loosened her braid, letting her hair hang down her back. Massaging her scalp, she entered the office. Finding David was imperative, but where to start? Even after narrowing down her search, there were many David Kellys.

  Grabbing the phone, she began to call nine of the Kellys with phone numbers. After the first few numbers, she became discouraged, and by the end of the list, things appeared hopeless. There were still six more on her short list and after paying an online service, she downloaded the addresses for them all.

  Her jaw dropped when she continued to read the information on the computer. It had a section for who each person might be related to. One had Harry’s name listed. Her heart beat so hard, it surprised her she couldn’t hear it. This had to be the one, and he didn’t live very far from them. If it was him, why didn’t he stay in contact with his family? Surely, he knew about the bodies being found.

  Oh hell, she hoped he hadn’t up and moved. He was her number one suspect, and she needed to find him and make sure he didn’t go anywhere. If he was innocent, he’d have stepped forward before now. Sighing, she got up and turned the lights out as she walked out into the hallway. A loud bang from the kitchen startled her, and she froze. What had that been? A thud was followed by a muffled curse. Her blood pumped faster, her breaths came in little gasps.

  One step at a time, she slowly made her way toward the kitchen. Stopping at the end of the hall, she had a good view but didn’t see anyone. Not sure what to do, she walked into the kitchen, and she spotted someone sitting in the living room.

  It was David.

  Chapter Five

  David turned and gave her a weary grin. He had the same dark hair and blue eyes as Luke, but where Luke was muscular, David appeared thin. “Hope I didn’t scare you. I heard about the arrest and got here as soon as I could.”

  Floored, she stared at him. “Where have you been?”

  David reached inside the tall cabinet and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. He took out a glass, splashed some whiskey in it and cocked his brow at her.

&
nbsp; “No, you go ahead.” She watched him put the whiskey away. He didn’t act guilty, but what did guilty look like?

  “I’ve been drifting mostly. I finally bought a small place not too far from here. I don’t get much of a chance to keep up with current events, but I saw Luke’s picture on the television at the diner this morning. He’s innocent, you know.”

  “I know.”

  “The bodies were found on our land? I don’t understand any of this.”

  “Technically, the land belongs to me. My dad bought it to keep it for you and Luke.”

  David sighed, sat down on the wooden chair and sipped his drink. “Where is your dad?”

  A part of her heart sliced away. “He died recently. I’m still reeling from his death, and now with Luke in jail, well, it’s been hard.”

  He nodded and stared at her as though he was taking her measure. “You know.”

  “That you’re my brother? Yes, I know.”

  “Hell of a thing. My ma and your dad ruined so many lives. That crazy son of a bitch smacked us all around. He used to call me the bastard, and when he told me to leave and never come back, I left.” He dragged his hand over his face. “How do we get Luke out of jail?”

  Pulling out a chair, she sat. “The lawyer thinks he’ll be released in the morning, but there is a detective on the case who is convinced Luke is the murderer. There is a cabin-”

  “We used to play there and hide from Dad.”

  Meg nodded. “There are pictures of the women who were murdered there.”

  “Damn. When did Harry die?”

  She blinked at him and furrowed her brow. “He’s alive and lives at the nursing home in town.”

  “Have the police talked to him? He’s dangerous.”

  “You think Harry is responsible? It could have been someone else who used your land as a burial site. In fact, you were on my short list of suspects.”

  He leaned forward and put his elbows on the kitchen table. “Not anymore?”

  “Yes,—no—dang, I don’t know what I’m saying anymore. I wouldn’t expect you to come here to help Luke if you were a serial killer.”

  David swigged down the last of the whiskey. “Well, I’ll be back in the morning.” He stood and picked up the hat that he’d left on the counter.

  “Where are you staying?”

  “The old homestead, unless you object.”

  “No, I don’t own the house. Your father sold it to a nice family. You might as well stay here.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Thank you. I’ll take you up on your offer. I’ll get my bag out of my truck.”

  She watched him walk out of the house, hoping she hadn’t made a mistake.

  Luke leaned the back of his head against the brick wall. There was no way he’d allow himself to sleep. Six other men shared the cell with him, and he didn’t like the look of any of them. He didn’t even know where the sheriff had rounded them up from because he was certain he’d never seen them before. A crime wave in a small town, go figure.

  The other men didn’t have trouble sleeping in the holding cell, and each of them snored. When was his luck going to change? He’d had near about all he could take the last few years. Meg was the one good thing, her and his mustangs.

  He shook his head, thinking about how Meg rescued and trained the mustangs. He’d hurt her by leaving. Heck, any other woman would have sold the horses to spite him but not his Meg. He whispered aloud, “My Meg.” It had a nice sound to it and it warmed him.

  Damn his father. Damn David too. David had killed the women, his father had killed David, and he had helped bury David. It didn’t even sound plausible to him, and he was sure the detective would say the same thing. Maybe he should confess to burying David. He ran his hand over his face. There was no way to win. Some people weren’t meant to be winners, and he was one of them. As soon as they found David’s body, it would tighten the noose already around his neck.

  He planned on a future with Meg. She might not know it yet, but that was his plan. He loved her, and now it wouldn’t be right to tell her. What was the jail time for someone who helped his father bury his brother? He was sure to be fried if they convicted him of those murders. There was no way he was going to ask Meg to stand by him. It would ruin her chance for any happiness.

  Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and slowly let it escape. Thinking about her with another man put a lump in his throat. She deserved a husband and children, lots of children who looked just like her. He opened his eyes as he heard the guards changing shifts. It must be morning. He wasn’t sure if he should feel glad it was a new day or not.

  The other men began to rouse, each griping about having to sleep in a holding cell. They all knew each other, and they kept eyeing him. Trying to avoid all eye contact, he stared at the filthy cement floor. He’d have to make a clean break with Meg and tell her to get out of his life. It was the only way, and hopefully she’d get riled enough to walk away and never look back.

  Meg crossed and uncrossed her legs trying to get comfortable on the cool metal chair in the waiting room at the police station. If ever a time she needed her dad, it was now. Both Luke and David were in interrogation rooms without lawyers.

  As soon as she and David walked into the station, Detective Timbers had grabbed David saying he was wanted for questioning. What a mess, and if she’d been thinking halfway straight she’d have left David home.

  David was nice enough, much quieter than she remembered. Something haunted him. She could see it in his eyes. Luke hadn’t been informed David was back in town. Meg wanted to be the one to tell him the good news, but now she didn’t know if it was good news or not. She’d called the only other defense attorney in town, Jed Hanks. It was just her luck he was out fishing, but his wife said she’d send him over when he got back and she hoped he caught enough fish for dinner.

  She shifted again on the hard chair. Finally, a door opened, and Luke came out looking weary. When he saw her, his eyes lit up but only for a second. She could feel a thick wall suddenly fall between them and it left her chilled.

  He nodded at her and went out the door.

  Meg quickly followed. “Luke? Luke wait.”

  He stopped and waited, not turning around to look at her.

  “Luke, David is back. Did they tell you? They have him in another interrogation room.”

  He stared at her, his brow furrowed. Then all color left his face. “David? My brother? How is that possible? Did you see him?” He grabbed her shoulders and stared at her as though he’d never seen her before. “Did you see him?”

  “Yes, let go you’re hurting me.”

  He released her. “Sorry.”

  “He came to the house. He saw the murders on TV and came to find out what was going on.”

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I don’t know who came to the house, but it wasn’t David. It’s not possible. How? Who? What is going on?” He opened his eyes and stared at her.

  She reached out to touch his arm but he flinched away. “You’re father told him to leave and not come back, I guess.”

  “You’re sure it’s him? Has he changed at all?”

  “I don’t know where you’re going with all this. Of course, it’s him! You’re acting like you don’t want him here.”

  “I can’t talk about it here. Let’s get in the truck.”

  She nodded and pulled her keys out of her pocket. They walked to the truck in silence and he didn’t open her door for her. Something was very wrong. They both got in and closed the doors. “What is going on?” Her voice was higher pitched than usual.

  Luke ran his hands through his hair making it stand on end. He glanced at her and glanced away.

  “Luke, look at me.”

  He turned his body facing toward her with his back against the door and she wanted to cry at the confusion and pain in his eyes. “Meg, David is dead.”

  “Why would you think him dead? I know he’s been gone, but you were gone, too.” Sh
e stared straight ahead at the road as she drove.

  Luke heard her but didn’t know what to say. He stared at the countryside. Swallowing hard, he wondered what to tell her. He couldn’t tell her he knew David was dead, because he’d helped bury him. There was no way the man was David. His head began to ache, and he closed his eyes. He had a sinking feeling it was really David. Meg knew what he looked like. If he hadn’t helped to bury David, then who?

  He wanted to throw up. The most likely person was the girl who was in the grave he thought they’d buried David in. He never checked to see who he was burying. His father was the key. Maybe David left after he found the body and used him to help him get rid of the evidence.

  “Where is David staying?” He gazed at her pretty profile wishing he hadn’t brought all this on her.

  “With us of course. I can’t wait until you see him. I’m so excited. I bet Timbers doesn’t keep him long. He might be home before dinner.” She turned and smiled. “You don’t look so good.”

  “I guess being at the police station didn’t agree with me.”

  “Of, course.” She turned into the drive and parked near the house. “If you want to take a nap, it’s fine with me.”

  Nodding he gave her a small smile. His heart ached. He loved her, but he couldn’t have her not now, not ever.

  They got out of the truck and walked to the house. Meg grabbed his hand and held on to it. It felt so right but he knew it to be wrong. “A nap sounds good, I’m beat.”

  “Sure, you go on. I’ll figure out what’s for dinner.”

  The concern in her voice crushed him. He didn’t deserve her. Without a word, he went to his room and closed the door. He took a deep breath and stood in front of the window. The only thing he knew for certain was he wasn’t the killer. If he came clean, they’d blame the whole of it on him, and he’d never see the light of day again.

  The door opened, but he didn’t turn around. He heard her walk toward him. She snaked her arm around his waist and pressed herself against his back. “I believe in you, Luke.” Her voice was low and husky.