Luke's Fate

by Kathleen Ball

  “How’d they know about the cave?” David asked.

  “From the statements you and Luke gave last night.” The sheriff’s brow furrowed. “Why? Was there another way they might have known?”

  “No, no. Just making an observation.”

  “I have cattle missing, a dead bull, and most important, Luke is in jail. Wayne, do you have any ideas for a game plan?”

  David’s mouth opened; then he closed it. He jutted out his bottom lip as though he was pouting. Why hadn’t she ever noticed that expression before?

  “Darlin’, I’d tell you to go home and let me worry about it but I know you. You won’t go home. Tell you what. The Millers called. It appears a few of your cattle found their garden. I bet the others are scattered.”

  “Yes, Greg is having the men search for them.”

  “Good. Are you up to a ride in a helicopter?”

  “I don’t know—”

  Wayne gave David a sour glance. “I didn’t ask you.”

  Meg nodded. “Sure. Where to?”

  “The station. I think you’ll be interested in what we found out. By the way, David, I need you to put your hands behind your back. Deputy Ford here will take care of you. And Meg, Deputy Green will get your horses back to your place.”

  Before she had a chance to see David cuffed, Wayne whisked her away toward the copter. She tried to ask a few questions, but he motioned he couldn’t hear her. Looking down she saw David put into the other helicopter. He was her brother, but she didn’t feel a connection to him, and if he had anything to do with Luke being behind bars, heaven help him.

  Once they all arrived at the station, Meg began to ask questions, but Wayne put her off. He led her to the interrogation room. Dread filled her as he opened the door. Luke sat in a chair looking anything but happy. His eyes lit up when he saw her.

  “Are you alright? They wouldn’t allow me to see you.”

  “I’m fine. No matter what happens, I need you to know I love you so much. You’ve become everything to me.” His stare was intense.

  “I know, I love you too.”

  The door opened, and David nearly stumbled as he was shoved inside, still handcuffed. They unlocked one of the cuffs and locked it to the table. Before they could say a word, Harry was brought in and shown to a chair.

  “What is this? Some damned family reunion? You have no right to bring me here,” Harry snarled.

  The FBI agent with the boots walked in. “I’m Special Agent Jeffries, and I have a slew of questions for y’all.”

  Everyone exchanged glances, but all Meg saw was worry.

  “How about we start with the lies?” Jeffries paced back and forth in front of the mirror. “Lie number one: David is not Owen O’Brien’s son, he is Harry’s. Why Harry perpetrated the lie is something I intend to find out.”

  Meg gasped and gave Harry a hard look. “But—”

  Jeffries put his hand up. “No questions yet. Lie number two: Owen owned the land you claimed to be yours. My theory is you found about the affair and intended to have Owen pay so you blackmailed him by saying David was his son. Why not have him deed you the land?”

  Harry’s face grew red with fury but he remained silent.

  Meg reached over and grabbed Luke’s hand. The returning squeeze gave her the strength to go on.

  “Lie number three: Harry, you told Luke he was helping you to bury his brother. Luke it must have been a heavy burden to carry all these years, though I would have loved to have seen your expression when you saw David alive. The main thing is you came clean about it.”

  Meg snatched her hand back as her stomach dropped.

  “David, you claim you left because of a fight, but you forgot to mention how your father raped your girl. You knew when the first body surfaced who it was, yet you never said a word. In fact, you seemed content to have your brother go to jail.” Jeffries stopped pacing and stared each of them down. “I’d go on, but there are too many lies to count.”

  The agent held a hand up as though to forestall any arguments. “Now, I don’t usually do a group interrogation, but with all the untruths interconnected, I thought it best. First of all, the shooting in the canyon and the murders are not connected. Yeah, David, I found the shooter and he’s a big talker. According to him, you wanted all the land for yourself. He mentioned something about a plan to get rid of Luke first.” He shook his head and settled his gaze on Luke. “Nasty business, that is. He needed to get to you before Meg signed over the land. He was afraid you’d get married, and he’d miss his chance to claim his supposed birthright.”

  “That’s a lie!” David tried to stand but the handcuffs prevented it.

  “Of course there is the little matter of all the dead women. Meg you might be interested to know your father’s fingerprints were on the camera discovered up there. An old sweater of his was found near the cabin. Luke also told us about the cabin.”

  Meg felt the blood drain from her face. My father?

  “It threw us for a minute, but I didn’t buy it. We also received a handwritten letter accusing Owen of the murders.” Jeffries paused and stared pointedly at Harry. “Nice try.”

  “Now see here,” Harry sputtered, his face turning dark.

  “Normally, I don’t show my hand, but I think between all of you we might just get the full story. So, that led us to wonder who hated your father so much they’d want to frame him. David here is a real good choice for a suspect. He omitted a lot but I don’t think he has the stomach for killing, at least not doing it himself. No, David is more the type who pays people to get rid of those in his way. Now Harry here, really is a mean son of a gun.”

  “This all about revenge and land?” Meg’s voice was shaky. She glanced from David to Harry in disgust. “I can’t be in the same room as them.” She stood and rushed out the door. She didn’t stop until she was outside. Leaning against the brick building, she took a deep breath as her eyes began to fill. Monsters! She’d been surrounded by monsters. Yes, her dad had made a mistake, but he’d paid a hefty price through the years, with the suffering he’d endured thinking his son was being abused. Her shoulders slumped. He should have called the authorities. David and Luke hadn’t deserved the abuse they got. All the men in her life had lied to her. Her heart squeezed, and her stomach threatened to heave.

  Luke had lied and her dad had lied. Luke thought he’d buried David and had never told anyone? How was that possible? Who did something like that? Why would he do that?

  Swiping at her tears with the back of her hand, she pushed away from the wall. She had a ranch to run, cattle to round up, and horses to sell. She’d done it all before and she’d do it again. She’d faced down heartache before and by God, she’d do it again.

  Deputy Ford walked out the door and stopped in front of her. “Need a ride home?”

  “I’m allowed to leave?”

  “You’re the only one not involved. I’ll drive you.”

  His gentle nature had a calming effect, and she nodded. “I’d like to go home.”

  He opened the car door and closed it for her after she got in. She always thought she’d be fascinated riding in a police car but not today. She stared out the window, barely seeing the world as they passed it by. Her thoughts were of her father and the decisions he’d made. She’d hardly had time to mourn him and now this. Swallowing hard, she clasped her shaking hands together. A few more miles and she’d be able to cry out her heartbreak.

  Deputy Ford parked, got out of the car and opened her door for her. He seemed to know she didn’t want to talk. He tipped his hat to her after she got out, and then he was off.

  She stood in her yard as a slight breeze lifted her hair and blew it around her shoulders. The birds chirped, all welcoming her back at the same time. She wished it would bring her some solace but it didn’t. Quickly she went to the barn and poked her head in. The men were still out rounding up the cattle. She’d call Greg in a bit, after she got herself together.

  She’d been the bigge
st of fools, trusting every word said. Her whole life was a lie but she had allowed it to happen. She should have asked more questions, she should have… Hell, she didn’t even know what would have helped. It had never occurred to her the people in her life would lie to her. Perhaps she was too gullible or maybe just plain stupid.

  Shaking her head, she went into the house and sat on the couch. She’d lived next to a serial killer all her life. The man she loved had buried a murder victim. Her body began to shake, and she couldn’t seem to control it. She had allowed David to live in her house when he planned to kill both her and Luke. Tears rolled down her face so fast she didn’t try to stem the flow. It was all too much to bear, and sobs racked her body. And Luke… Pretending a brother he thought he buried was alive? No wonder he’d seemed skeptical when she told him David had returned. And yet he still had said nothing.

  Her broken heart of the last five years was nothing compared to the pain she now felt.

  She cried until there were no more tears left. Her heart and soul were broken beyond repair, and she felt purposeless. Grabbing a few tissues, she mopped up her tears. Then she fished her cell phone out of her pocket and called Greg, hoping her voice wouldn’t give out.

  It was good news; they’d located most of the cattle. The death of the bull was a big loss, but compared to everything else it wasn’t so big. Greg had the men fixing the cut fences and then they’d be in. She tried to sound happy and told him “good job” but her words sounded hollow to her.

  Meg wandered into the office and her spirit died. Harry must have had more than an affair to blackmail her father with. Plopping down into the chair—his chair—she glanced around the room. Why hadn’t he told her about the land? It was then she realized he’d been lied to as well. He’d thought David was his son, and who knew how many threats Harry had made? He must have threatened more than telling the truth. A shiver invaded her. Lord only knew what Harry had said.

  She wished she could just up and leave the whole place behind. Yet it would be all she’d have to fill her. She’d done it when Luke left before, but there was so much emptiness inside her now. Damn him! He had her thinking about babies and a happily ever after. Now there wouldn’t be any of it. She had a bull to replace, cattle to round up, and horses to sell. Maybe if she kept telling herself all the things she needed to do, she wouldn’t feel so adrift.

  She’d ask one of the men to pack up Luke and David’s things. They had no claim to the land, and she wanted them erased from her life. If only she could erase them from her mind and heart. Tears threatened again, and she slammed her hand down on the desk. Somehow, she’d have to find the strength inside her and ride it out.

  Luke just stared from his brother to his father. What the hell? This was his family and yet they were total strangers. David, his protector, wanted him dead, and his worthless father had killed those women? It all had to be some cruel joke. He should have never come back. His heart wrenched. Meg would never believe him again. The look on her face when Jeffries told her he thought he’d buried his own brother was one of horror and disbelief. It would forever be burned into Luke’s mind.

  “David, you were going to let me take the fall for the murders?”

  David smiled. “It seemed as easy as killing you. Easier, I think. With you locked away, Meg would naturally turn to her brother to help with the ranch. We all know ranching is a dangerous business. Accidents happen all the time.”

  “You piece of filth!” He jumped up trying to get to David but the deputies were quick and sat him back down.

  David glanced at Harry with hate in his eyes. “What about you? You knew I wasn’t a bastard but kept calling me one?”

  Harry gave them a triumphant smile. “I made money off my brilliant idea. No one touches what’s mine. Came pretty close to killing the girl, but she’d never come anywhere near me. I even tried following her, but somehow she’d sense me and take her damn horse on trails I didn’t know about.”

  Luke’s body tensed. “You are lower than low, and the worst part is you aren’t insane. You are plain evil, and may you rot in hell!”

  Harry laughed. “You’ll be right there with me boy or did you forget you helped bury that sweet thing your brother brought home?”

  Jeffries had been quietly observing them. “Luke you’re free to go. Don’t leave the county. I’m going to need a few statements from you. You’ll be at the O’Brien place?”

  Stunned, he suddenly realized he didn’t know where he’d be.

  “He’ll probably be at the motel down the road.” Harry nodded. “She won’t want him after today.”

  Luke had thought his heart hurt as much as it could until Harry opened his mouth. It was true Meg wouldn’t forgive him. Why should she? He and his family brought her into this whole nightmare. “I’ll go get my stuff and yes I’ll probably be at the hotel. I won’t leave the county.”

  Jeffries nodded. “Get out of here then.”

  He didn’t need it repeated. He left in a flash, not looking back. Damn he didn’t have a ride home.

  “Did you need to use the phone?” Wayne asked him.

  He hesitated so long; Wayne grabbed his Stetson and put it on his head. “Come on, I’ll drive you out there.

  The drive was silent. Luke had too much going on in his head to keep a conversation going. He almost told Wayne to turn around and drive him to the motel but he needed to face Meg no matter how much it was going to hurt.

  He still felt the pain of losing his wife and daughter but he’d been healing. Now it was as though the scab had been ripped opened and bled once again. This time he didn’t think a scab would get a chance to form. His jaw hurt from clenching it so tight. What was he going to say to Meg? He should have told her about the body he’d buried long ago. How many times had he lied to her about David?

  The ranch house came into view, and his heart pounded painfully against his chest. He already knew it but he had to hear it from her. He’d lost everything. The car slowed and stopped. He thanked Wayne as he got out then stood in the yard, gathering his courage to face Meg. Why did everything have to be so hard? He loved her with everything in him, but it wasn’t enough. He wasn’t enough, and it was his own doing.

  The contents on the porch caused his stomach to lurch. His meager belongings were out there waiting to be picked up. She obviously didn’t want to see him. Maybe it was for the best. He didn’t have enough energy to face her. He saw a flutter from the curtain in the main room and he knew she was watching him.

  It hurt to know she wasn’t going to come out and say goodbye.

  “Need a ride?” Greg asked as he ambled over.

  Luke sighed. “Looks like I do.”

  “Let’s get your stuff into the truck, and I’ll take you to the motel unless you have somewhere else you’d like me to drop you.”

  “The motel is fine. Thanks, Greg.”

  As they loaded a small suitcase and a few small boxes into the back of the pickup, he could tell she was still standing at the window watching. He wished he had enough guts to go in and talk things out with Meg but he didn’t dare.

  Greg chatted the whole ride into town, and by the time they got to the motel, Luke had a major headache. He quickly unloaded his stuff onto the sidewalk in front of the motel office. “Greg, look after her for me.”

  Greg gave him a sad smile. “Don’t you worry.”

  Luke nodded, walked into the office, and registered. He got the key and then gathered his belongings and went into room 107. It was clean but small and incredibly lonely. Maybe he should have stopped at the liquor store for a bottle of whiskey. Dropping his things just inside, he shook his head as he closed the door. Even whiskey would be bad company tonight.

  The bed creaked as he sat on it. Tossing his hat across the room to the small table, he let out a loud groan of anguish. His insides felt twisted and his heart shredded. He could blame his father and his brother but it was his doing. Why hadn’t he spoken up? Why hadn’t he at least confided in Meg?
His sweet loving Meg was his no longer.

  A lone tear trailed down his face. It was worse than when they had told him his wife and daughter were dead. Now it was pain piled up on top of pain, and he didn’t think he’d ever get out from under it all.

  The next morning Meg woke to a house that was much too quiet. Her first thought was Luke lied. Drawing in the shaky breath, torment washed over her. She started to repeat to herself, “I have a ranch to run.”

  She pulled on her old jeans and black T-shirt, stopping only to quickly brush her teeth and hair before she headed into the kitchen. Making coffee was automatic to her and she pulled on her boots as it brewed. After pouring it into a travel mug, she grabbed her hat, gloves and jacket. Work should help, she hoped.

  When she got to the barn, Greg was already there with Merry saddled. “I figured you’d want to head out early today. Want company?”

  “No, Greg, but thank you. I have some thinking to do, and I want to check on the mustangs.” She gave him a sad smile. “You probably did that yesterday, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Thanks, Greg.” She kicked Merry’s sides and off they went. As she rode, a bit of tension left her body. Her father must have had his reasons. What did her mother know? What did she say? She must have known about the land, and she’d never said a word. There had been times her parents would stop talking when she entered the room, but she had always assumed it was boring adult stuff.

  She rode until she spotted the herd. Funny how she always thought of the land as the Kelly’s and the horses Luke’s. It had been her hope that Luke would be back, she supposed. She’d be more careful with her wishes in the future.

  Her heart was like a big piece of lead in her chest. Was it only a few days ago they had made love? Oh, how he made her body and soul sing. Nothing would ever be the same again. She’d go back to her old life of concentrating on the ranch, alone. It was fine before and it would be fine again.