Trusting A Texan (Try to Remember)

by Leann Harris

  “Can you do that this late at night?”

  “Sure, why not. Most departments nowadays have their lists computerized.”

  It took Rafe about half an hour to discover that neither the San Antonio police nor the Bexar County sheriff had a missing persons report on Lynn Carson.

  “Well, so far we’ve come up empty.” He rubbed his chin. “Now that doesn’t make any sense. If I was married to you—” a point he’d already made but couldn’t seem to dismiss “—I would’ve been knocking down the sheriff’s door reporting you missing.”

  “Well, why don’t we drive to San Antonio and go to this house where I supposedly live. Maybe someone around the neighborhood will recognize me. It might answer some questions.”

  “We’ll do that tomorrow, but there’s just something here that’s not setting right with me. Let’s do a little more checking about you.” What Rafe wanted to know was more about Lynn Carson and the situation surrounding her. “I guess I’m going to need to call you Lynn from here on out.”

  She shook her head. “No. I don’t remember anything. I know it should mean something, but it doesn’t. Please call me April. You’re all I have. Don’t desert me at this stage.” She grasped his hand, and her eyes pleaded with him.

  They’d gone down this road before and had ended up lost. But try as he might, he couldn’t deny her. Lightly, he skimmed the back of his fingers across her cheek. “Okay. Let’s see what else we can discover about you.”

  She looked relieved. “What else is there to know?”

  “There’s not much more we can do tonight. But first thing tomorrow morning, I’ll check the credit bureau in San Antonio—see what they say about Lynn Carson. That is, if it’s all right with you. I’ll need your permission to make the request.”

  “Sounds fine to me.”

  He again called the DPS computer and requested a listing of all the driver’s licenses with the address listed on April’s driver’s license.

  “Isn’t that only going to show me?” she asked after he hit the enter key.

  “We’ll see.”

  The computer put up only Lynn’s driver’s license.

  She turned to him. “See, there’s only my driver’s license. Why ask the computer that question?”

  “I was looking for a Mr. Carson. Nothing shows. That means, April, if you’re married, you’ve got a husband who doesn’t share your last name or doesn’t live with you.”

  “Why wouldn’t he live with me?”

  “For the same reason Carmen doesn’t live with me. We’re divorced.”

  Her eyes widened. “Do you think so?”

  “At this point, it’s a reasonable assumption.” He didn’t add that it was also his greatest hope.

  Rafe looked at his watch. The nightglow numbers told him it was 1:50. He’d been trying to sleep for well over an hour. Each time he closed his eyes, another question would pop into his head. And he didn’t like most of the damned answers.

  Finally giving up, he threw back the covers and slipped into his jeans. This time, he decided that he’d better put on at least a T-shirt. Last time he’d gone wandering around at night, he had met April, and he remembered in great detail everything that occurred after that.

  He walked into the formal dining room where his friend Ralph had a jigsaw puzzle—a mountain scene—spread over the table. It was half finished. Grabbing a can of soda out of the refrigerator, he walked back to the puzzle. Maybe if he concentrated on the puzzle, he could put the questions that were racing around his brain on hold for a while. Later he could come back to them and see them from a fresh perspective.

  And maybe he could cool the burning in his blood.

  Married.

  The thought rolled around in April’s brain. It just didn’t feel right. How could a person forget she was married? But then again, how could anyone forget who she was? Hadn’t she done that?

  Turning onto her side, she tried to relax, but visions of the way Rafe loved her last night popped into her mind. His kisses were bone-melting and thrilling, making her long for more. She remembered how his hands—

  Gritting her teeth, she tried to make her mind go blank. It took several tries but eventually it worked. She was finally drifting off to sleep when, suddenly, the vision of a man lying on the floor, blood surrounding him, came to her. She shot up like a jack-in-the-box.

  Throwing back the covers, she got out of bed. Wasn’t there a Milky Way bar in the kitchen? she thought, desperate to give her mind something else to think about. Well, why not ease her mind with a little chocolate? She might not know who she was, but she did know she had a chocolate fetish.

  Opening the door to her room, she saw the light coming from the living/dining area. She stepped back in the bedroom, but that chocolate was calling to her. Grabbing her jeans, she slipped them on under Rafe’s T-shirt and went out

  Rafe sat at the table searching the puzzle pieces.

  “You couldn’t sleep either,” she said, coming to stand by him.

  “Nope.” He didn’t glance at her, but kept his eyes on the table.

  She saw a piece that she knew would fit the gap in the corner of the puzzle. Leaning in front of him, she picked it up. Immediately, April realized her tactical error. By reaching for the piece, she had to lean in front of Rafe. Her breasts and his lips were inches from each other. She froze. She felt every inch of him. His breathing had sped up and she could feel his eyes on her as surely as if he had touched her. Picking up the piece, she put it into place.

  “My contribution,” she murmured.

  He nodded. He may not have said anything, but he was putting out vibes and she was picking them up. Her tuner was dialed into his frequency.

  “I think I’ll get a drink like yours. And I saw a Milky Way in the kitchen earlier. Do you want me to get you one?”

  He looked at her then, and it stole the breath from her body. His eyes burned with want and awareness, but April knew he wouldn’t act on his feelings. “Yeah. Chocolate sounds good. I’ll indulge.”

  She knew what he meant, but she also saw the other meaning in his eyes, that if he couldn’t have her, he’d indulge in chocolate.

  “I’ll get it,” she murmured, hurrying into the other room. She found the candy bars in the pantry. Grabbing them and a drink, she walked back into the dining room. She set the candy bar beside his elbow, then walked around and settled in the chair opposite his.

  He leaned back, tore open the candy wrapper and took a bite. She followed suit. “Do you like to do jigsaw puzzles?”

  “I find them challenging. It’s like putting together a good case. All the pieces have to fit This gives me practice.”

  She studied him as he put several pieces into place. “Why couldn’t you sleep?”

  “There are lots of questions in my mind. And they keep chasing themselves like a dog after his tail.”

  she popped the last of her candy into her mouth. “Such as?”

  “The one that keeps coming back to me again and again is why, if you’re married, didn’t your husband report you missing? That one sticks in my craw. I’ve been looking at that question from different angles, and coming up with ugly answers. And why doesn’t the guy live with you?”

  He picked up another piece and tried to fit it at the edge of the picture. After three tries, he found the right spot.

  “Another thought that keeps showing up in my mind is your fear of the sheriffs department. How does that fit? Why are you afraid?”

  “Have you come up with any answers?”

  “The one that keeps cropping up is a crooked sheriff. Someone that you crossed, and he discovered it.”

  It made sense, she thought. “When I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, I saw the man on the floor,” she admitted. “I don’t want to see it anymore.” Her voice quavered.

  Rafe’s gaze softened.

  “Tell me about yourself, Rafe. What were you like as a boy?”

  He leaned back in his chair, a ghost of a smile hove
ring around his lips. “I was a pain in the butt to my mom. It was just her and me. When I was about eight or nine, my mom’s family came into the picture. Her brothers and sisters made an effort to involve her with their lives. Still, they couldn’t let their father know they were talking to her.

  “But I hated being neither white nor Hispanic. And I blamed Mom, and was mad at everyone. Life wasn’t fair. I was angry I didn’t have a dad.

  “Bastard.” The word rang throughout the house. “That’s what everyone called me.” He paused and stared off into the distance. “I tried to live up to the label. I was the meanest, toughest, baddest SOB in school.”

  Glancing down, he picked up a puzzle piece. “When I was 14, I got caught breaking into a store. The sheriff who arrested me knew my mom. And he also saw a kid who needed a role model. So, the sheriff asked the judge to let me work off my sentence by working for him for the summer.” He shook his head. “I didn’t realize at the time, but the best thing in my life was being caught by Sheriff Jacob King.”

  “What did he do?” she asked.

  “He worked me to death that summer. I cleaned the jail, ran errands, helped on Saturday night with the drunks who came in and slept off their binges. Jacob was a tough, hard taskmaster—but fair, and he was willing to spend his days off with a sullen kid. He and his wife took me to the beach, to cookouts—made me work, at home and school. Jacob was a man of honor. A man who didn’t shave the truth. He was also a man who was faithful to his wife and loved her. It made a big impression on me.”

  In his words, April heard the affection and admiration he held for the man. “It sounds like it.”

  “From that time until I left for college, I spent my weekends and free time at the jail. When he died a couple of years ago, I felt like I lost my dad. For all practical purposes, he was my dad.” Rafe shook off the memories.

  “Of course, when I discovered who my dad was, well—I was madder than hell when I went to Midland. I was ready to tear a strip off George. When I told him who I was, at first he looked like I’d punched him in the stomach. Then he grinned like a drunken sailor. He called in his secretary and introduced me, then had me meet most of the people at his headquarters. He reaction took a lot of the anger out of me.”

  She smiled. “He confused you, did he?”

  “So much so that I didn’t know how to act. When all my sisters showed up, that really stunned me. Of course, I already knew Alex.

  “I walked away from that weekend mixed up. I was expecting to run into denials and rejection. And I was wanting to hate the man. Instead, I found an accepting family and a man who was proud to acknowledge me as his son. It blew my mind.” He picked up another puzzle piece and studied it. “Sometimes, it takes a while to put old ghosts to rest.” Glancing at her, he said, “I have only one or two left to bury.”

  “Peace is nice.”

  “I hope some day I can say the same thing,” he whispered.

  Chapter 12

  At eight the next morning, Rafe dialed the number for the credit bureau and identified himself as a Texas Ranger trying to track down Lynn Carson. “Do you have any information on this individual?”

  “Do you have a court order or the individual’s permission?” the woman asked.

  “I do. Here, why don’t you talk to Lynn.” He handed the phone to April and she confirmed that she wanted the information.

  It took five minutes, but the woman came back. “It lists Lynn Carson as a good credit risk. Pays her bills. She is listed as a stockbroker.”

  Rafe was surprised. “Is her marital status listed on the report?”

  “Yes. Divorced.”

  Rafe closed his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. The weight of guilt lifted off his shoulders. “Is the name of her ex-husband listed?”

  “No.”

  “Thanks for your cooperation.” When he hung up the phone, he turned to April.

  “An ex-husband.” She couldn’t help the relieved smile that came to her lips. “I’m divorced?”

  “That’s what the lady said.” He wanted to grin but decided it wasn’t appropriate.

  Her eyes widened. “Divorced,” she breathed. She closed her eyes and her chin dropped. “I’m so glad.”

  “You’re also a stockbroker.”

  Her eyes flew open. “A stockbroker?”

  “There’s a data bank that the federal trade commission runs on stockbrokers. Being a law enforcement official, I can tap into it. Let’s see what it knows about you.” He wanted her permission before he went on.

  “All right. Let’s look and see.”

  It took only a few minutes to access that data bank. When he asked for information on Lynn Carson, the computer came back with a picture of April and gave a brief bio on her.

  After April read the piece, she glanced at him. “It’s odd, but it’s like reading about a stranger. I don’t feel anything.”

  “Maybe, but it looks like we’re on the right trail.”

  She stood and walked to the window. “That means I’m free.”

  He knew instantly what she was talking about. Although he was relieved that he wasn’t a home-wrecker, he was still unsettled by this turn of events. These last few hours had turned his well-ordered world upside down, and he had no clue how to proceed from here.

  “I feel like I’m on that roller-coaster that I saw in my mind. Up one minute and down the next.” She turned to him. “San Antonio. That’s where that coaster is. Fiesta Texas.”

  He stood. “Do you remember anything else. Were you there with someone or can you see anything else?”

  Closing her eyes, she wrinkled her brow. “No, there’s nothing else.”

  “But you remembered. That’s a positive sign.”

  She turned back to the window and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Well, then maybe we should go to San Antonio and see this house of mine.”

  “That sounds good to me. Let me finish a few things in here, then we’ll leave.”

  She hesitated. “All right. I’ll be ready when you are.”

  Rafe stared at the doorway, listening to her footsteps fade down the hall. He felt as if he were riding that roller-coaster along with April. Up one moment, down the next, with no time between the highs and lows to regain his balance.

  He called Derek and updated him on what was going on. He also wanted Derek to fax April’s fingerprints to the Security Exchange Commission and make sure hers matched those of stockbroker Lynn Carson.

  After he hung up, he dialed the number of the company commander in Midland. Steve Banks picked up. Rafe explained what they had discovered.

  “Do you need any help?” Steve asked.

  “Not at this point. I just wanted to keep you updated. We’re driving to San Antonio this afternoon. I need to follow up on a couple of things today. The district attorney in Presidio County is wanting some information before he can prosecute Ames for murdering his wife. I brought the file with me and will fax it to him before I leave.”

  “I got the evidence that you sent. It’s with the lab, but all we’re going to do is match it to another casing.”

  “That’s fine.”

  “Well, I’ll keep an eye peeled for anyone looking for the lady. By the way, did you notice on the state missing persons report the listing for Jeff Colby?”

  “No, but why does that name sound familiar?”

  “He was a deputy in Austin County. His wife reported him missing last week.”

  Rafe’s body tensed. “When last week?” he asked.

  “Along about Thursday.” That was the day Rafe had found April on his land. “Let me know how things go in San Antonio.”

  “I will.” When Rafe hung up, he stared at the phone. A missing deputy. He immediately called Derek again and told him about the situation. “Why don’t you show Mabel the picture of the missing deputy? We might get lucky if that’s the guy she saw.”

  “It’s worth a try.”

  Rafe called up a picture of the man in question. A d
eputy was missing; reported missing the day after April turned up here. And that CNN crew went down to the border to meet with someone in the know about smuggling illegals. Their source never showed up.

  Three coincidences. Rafe didn’t like coincidences. And he never discounted something that made him edgy.

  Rafe studied the picture on the computer screen. He printed it out. Picking up the piece of paper, he stared at the young man’s image.

  Should he tell April about this turn of events? He remembered her nightmare of a man sprawled on the floor, bleeding. He hoped and prayed that it wasn’t connected to the deputy. Unfortunately, he had the sinking feeling that it was.

  “Are you the one who’s shooting at April, or are you the man she saw in her dream?” he asked.

  Well, the only way he was going to discover if this man had any link with April, he thought, was to let her see it. Turning off the computer, he took the picture and walked to the living room where April was sprawled on the sofa, watching a game show. She looked at him, then sat up straight.

  “What’s wrong, Rafe?” she asked, carefully examining his face.

  His poker face wasn’t serving him well around April. It didn’t seem he could hide his feelings. “I have something I want you to look at.” He placed the picture on the table in front of her. “Do you know this man? Was he the man you saw in your dream?”

  April froze and stared at the picture as if she’d seen a ghost. Her eyes met his. “Who is he?”

  “He’s a missing man out of Austin County. He’s a deputy.”

  “A deputy,” she whispered in a strained voice, her eyes going black.

  All the times she’d been nervous around a sheriff or deputy came to mind.

  She wrapped her arms around her upraised knees and hugged them to her chest. “I don’t recall him.”

  It was obvious that April didn’t want to have anything to do with the man. Rafe wanted to push her, but he had the feeling that if he backed off and gave her room, he’d get a better result.

  “Are you ready to leave?” He looked at her. She had on a shirt and jeans, but was barefoot.