Trail of Lies

by Margaret Daley

  Still clasping her hand, he inched closer. “A year! Let’s hope I’m gone by then.”

  He said it lightly, referring to his investigation, but his words reminded her that their “partnership” was short-lived. She stepped back to reinforce that.

  “This case has lasted long enough. I don’t want you living in fear,” he said in a husky drawl that enticed her to come nearer.

  “Mommy. Daniel. I’ve drawn you a picture.” Kaitlyn rushed across the room, waving two sheets of paper.

  Melora scrambled back, nearly collapsing into the desk chair behind her, while Daniel whirled around and held out his hand for his drawing.

  He took the paper Kaitlyn thrust at him and grinned. “This is beautiful. You’re gonna be the next Picasso.”

  Kaitlyn’s forehead wrinkled. “Pisa—so? Who’s that?”

  Melora skirted around Daniel. “A famous painter. Let me see.”

  Kaitlyn gave Melora her sheet.

  “I love dogs. I used to have a brown one like this,” Daniel said.

  The little girl giggled. “That’s not a dog, silly. It’s a horse. Like the one in the stable.”

  “Oh, now I can tell.” Daniel turned a nice shade of red and threw Melora a “help me” look.

  “This will be perfect up on the refrigerator.” Melora drew Kaitlyn to her and kissed the top of her head. “Thanks, hon.”

  “Can we show Daniel the stable?”

  Melora looked toward him, not sure how to answer.

  He drew in a deep breath. “I smell dinner and my stomach has been rumbling for hours.”

  “We’ll take Daniel to the stable another day. Go wash up for dinner.”

  Kaitlyn spun around and raced from the room. “I’ll draw him a picture of the stable then.”

  “That whirlwind was my daughter just in case you couldn’t tell.”

  Daniel chuckled. “I haven’t had someone draw me a picture in—” he cocked his head and thought “—come to think of it, never.”

  “She loves to make pictures. I have a whole scrapbook of them. I put them up on the refrigerator for a while then they go into the scrapbook. Something for me to look back over in my old age.”

  “I wish I had something like that with Clay. If only I could have do overs—with my son and father.”

  Melora responded to the sadness flashing into his eyes and laid her hand on his arm. “We can’t exactly, but we do get second chances. Think of tonight as one of those.”

  Their gazes connected, and she wanted to help erase the vulnerability she saw in his expression. She moved closer. “I know your dad is dead, but what’s stopping you from asking your father to forgive you now? It’s how you feel that is important. If you regret what happened to your relationship with your father, then ask his forgiveness then move on. That’s all you can do.”

  Juanita appeared in the dining room doorway. “Melora, do you want to eat in the dining room or kitchen?”

  “Kitchen will be fine. I’ll be in there to set the table.”

  “Kaitlyn is spread out all over the table, drawing a picture for Señor Riley.”

  “We can wait until after Kaitlyn finishes her picture, then eat. I know you’re planning on going to church tonight. Go ahead and I’ll take care of whatever else needs to be done.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  “I am.” Melora waited until Juanita left before continuing, “She usually takes this evening totally off, but since you’re here, she offered to stay and fix dinner. I accepted when I thought of my cooking versus hers. There is no comparison.”

  “She goes to church every Tuesday night?”

  “Yes.”

  “Which church does she go to?”

  “Lone Star Christian. Why?”

  He shrugged. “Just curious.” He started for the kitchen.

  Melora grabbed his arm and halted his progress. “Are you going to check up on Juanita?”

  His stare, as though they had never talked about personal issues just minutes before, drilled into her. “I already have some.”

  “Juanita is like a member of my family. She would never do anything to harm me or Kaitlyn.”

  “Often murders are committed by friends or loved ones so excuse me if I don’t take that as a reason not to look closely into Juanita’s activities.” His professional facade firmly in place, he shook off her grasp and continued his trek toward the kitchen.

  Was he regretting their earlier connection? There was a part of her that saw the wisdom in that. But a small piece of her clung to that link she’d experienced with Daniel for a short time this evening. She’d felt as if her opinion mattered, something that had been lacking in her marriage.

  Later that evening, Melora entered the third floor circular tower, darkness beyond the large windows that, in daylight, afforded her a view of the surrounding landscape. But rays of moonlight streaked across the wooden floor, illuminating her way toward Daniel. “There you are.”

  He stood at the west window that faced the front of the house, his hands stuffed into his jeans, his shoulders hunched. “I came up here to check the door to the deck. Although not the most likely way for someone to get into your home, it could happen.” He turned from the window and faced her. “I like it up here.”

  “It’s my favorite room in the house. I’ve done a lot of thinking up here. I could look out and feel as though I was on top of the world while I wasn’t.”

  He closed the space between them. “I’m sorry for all that’s happened to you.”

  “I just want my daughter safe. I want a normal life again. I haven’t had one in years.”

  “Normal? What’s that?”

  “I noticed you were awfully quiet tonight at dinner and afterward. Did Kaitlyn nagging to play a game bother you?”

  He shook his head. “On the contrary, I enjoyed playing Candy Land.”

  Melora laughed. “That’s a first. I don’t think I’ve heard that from a man. Axle never…”

  “I’m not Axle.” The words were bitten out between clenched teeth.

  She didn’t want to talk about her deceased husband, she suddenly thought. She wanted to put that part of her life behind her. How was that possible with all that was going on right now? “I know, but she could never get Uncle Tyler, either.” She forced a lightness to her voice. “And believe me, she tried some of her best whining with Uncle Tyler.”

  “I have succumbed to your daughter’s vast charms.”

  “How about her mother’s?” The question came out in a breathless rush that sent her heart hammering against her rib cage.

  His mouth spread in a smile. “From the first time I came to your rescue.”

  She shivered. “I hate to think what would have happened if you hadn’t.”

  He took her hand, brought it to his lips and kissed her palm. “No matter where we are, I’ll do my best to protect you.”

  “I know because that’s the type of man you are.” Nothing like Axle.

  He leaned toward her and brushed his lips across hers before settling his mouth on hers in a deep kiss. She melted against him as though her legs couldn’t support her anymore. His arms held her to him while he continued to lay claim to her heart. When he finally lifted his head, his embrace still caged her against him.

  “I shouldn’t have done that,” he murmured in a husky voice that renewed all those tingling sensations his kiss had generated.

  “Probably not.” Melora circled her arms around his neck.

  “We need to keep this business between us.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.” She dragged him down for another kiss. It had been years since she’d felt this cherished. Actually, it had been never. Certainly not with Axle.

  He murmured something against her lips, but this time she was the one who initiated the deepening of the kiss. With all that happened to her in the past few years, she wanted—needed—this feeling of femininity—of closeness.

  When they parted, their shallow breaths filling the
void between them, Melora finally let her arms slip to her sides and took a step back.

  In the sliver of light Daniel’s expression, full of his own needs and wants, transformed into a neutral one. “We’d better call it an evening. Tomorrow we have a lot of house to cover.”

  Stepping another pace away from him, Melora nodded, not even sure if he saw the gesture as she let the shadows swallow her up.

  He cleared his throat. “We’ll finish the office then start on your husband’s bedroom.”

  Another room she avoided when she could. Axle kept the master bedroom downstairs while she’d moved to the second floor to the room next to Kaitlyn’s. Even from the grave he was influencing her actions.

  Now that she was no longer in Daniel’s embrace, she saw the folly in getting involved with him. They had come from the same world, but he’d left it behind. His work was his life—like Axle. At least Daniel was on the side of good, but at one time she had thought Axle was a good guy, too. And she had been very wrong. Could she ever risk falling in love with another man? That mistake with Axle could cost her her life—or her daughter.

  After escorting Melora to her room, Daniel made another round to check the doors and windows. His body felt charged, restless. He shouldn’t have kissed her, but the connection he sensed with her overwhelmed him. He’d been able to talk to her as though they had known each other for years. She’d tried to make him feel better about his relationship with his son.

  But the fact his relationship was so rocky with Clay was the very reason he needed to stay away emotionally from Melora—and as far from her as possible physically when she was safe again. He needed to keep reminding himself that she deserved a man who could give her one hundred percent. She deserved a man who could be a good father to her child. That wasn’t him.

  The kiss was nice. No, it was great. But that was all they would share. He was here for two things—to protect her and Kaitlyn and to find Axle’s flash drive. Nothing else.

  Kaitlyn raced into the office as Daniel finished taping up the last box. “Mommy just told me you wanted to play another game of Candy Land tonight.” The little girl threw her arms around Daniel’s waist and hugged him.

  Surprised, he looked up to see Melora entering the room. “You’ve gotta give a guy a rematch.”

  Her daughter had a way of overwhelming a person and the expression on Daniel’s face illustrated that right now. Melora slid her look away, taking in the almost empty room, void of most of its personal touches. “That’s only if you pick up your room.”

  “Ah, Mommy.” A pout puckered her mouth. “I’ll just mess it up again.” Kaitlyn leaned back and stared up at Daniel. “Don’t ya think so?”

  “Well…” He sent a “please help me” glance toward Melora.

  “Honey, your room first, then later a game of Candy Land. Daniel and I need to finish cleaning up in here and putting Daddy’s things away in his room.”

  Kaitlyn whirled around and faced her mother, her hand on her waist. “What are you gonna do with his stuff?”

  Melora walked to her daughter, a smile spreading across her features. “I’m saving them for you. When you get older, you can decide what we do with them. Okay?”

  “Okay.” Kaitlyn hurried from the office.

  Daniel wiped his brow. “Whew! There for a moment I thought you were going to have a fight on your hands.”

  “Kaitlyn hasn’t said too much about her daddy being gone. He wasn’t around that much. When he was home, he usually holed himself up in here and didn’t see her a lot.”

  “So work consumed him, too.”

  “Not so much work as his life. Axle did what he wanted to do. Nothing more than that. Sometimes it was work. Sometimes it was play. We were an aside to him.”

  With three strides, he cut the distance between them. “I’m sorry.”

  “You aren’t like him,” she said in a voice that made him wonder if she was trying to convince herself or him.

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Yes.” Her voice was fierce.

  Neither said or did a thing for a good minute until the doorbell’s chimes sliced the tension in the air.

  Melora pivoted and started for the door. Daniel snagged her arm and stopped her progress.

  “Let me answer it.” Steel threaded through his words. He didn’t like the picture of himself materializing in his mind—someone like her deceased husband who neglected his family and did what he wanted.

  Melora stood back a few feet while Daniel checked who was at the door then opened it. Her uncle filled the entrance into her house. His expression, full of worry, froze her. She’d never seen such concern in his eyes as she did today. Something was terribly wrong.

  “What’s the matter, Uncle Tyler?” She finally moved forward. Even at her parents’ funeral he’d been in control of his emotions. Now she sensed he barely had them reined in.

  “We need to talk.” Her uncle stabbed Daniel with a hard look. “Alone.”

  Daniel closed the door. “I’ll be in the kitchen trying to get one of those cookies I smell baking.”

  After he left the foyer, Uncle Tyler strode to the office and went into the room, only to come to a halt a few feet inside. “What have you been doing?”

  Melora came up behind him. “Boxing up all of Axle’s possessions. I thought it was about time.”

  “What are you going to do with them?”

  “Store them somewhere. I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

  The frown she used to dread carved his features. “Obviously, you haven’t. What is a Texas Ranger doing here? I leave town for a couple of days and you two have become inseparable.” He paced toward the window and looked out to the stable. “Why?”

  She hadn’t wanted her uncle to be dragged into what was going wrong with her life, but she had to tell him something. She moved toward him. “He’s protecting me.”

  He swept around. “From who?”

  She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “Someone broke into my house last week.”

  “And that warrants the attention of a Texas Ranger?” He shook his head as though ridding his mind of some unwanted thoughts.

  “Axle was into some illegal activities that they are interested in.”

  Uncle Tyler stepped closer. “I can hire bodyguards—a whole army of them—if you want. Let me protect you. Please stop what you’re doing before something happens to you or Kaitlyn.”

  The vehemence in his voice stole her words. She stared at him for a long moment before finally asking, “Has someone threatened you?”

  “It’s not me I’m worried about. It’s you. I can’t protect you anymore. I’ve tried since Axle’s death.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  His tanned features drained of all color at the same time as a thud resonated through the office. When he opened his mouth to reply, Uncle Tyler’s eyes going wide froze Melora for a few seconds. A bright spot of red on his chest fanned outward as he crumbled to the floor.

  NINE

  Melora opened her mouth, but no sound came from her throat. Finally, her muscles began to work, and she knelt next to her uncle. With trembling hands, she reached toward him. His eyelids fluttered, then he looked right at her.

  “I’m sorry. If we could—have found the…” he rasped, the light fading from his eyes as they stared at her.

  A scream erupted from deep inside her. Seconds later, Daniel slammed the door wide and rushed into the room, his gun drawn. With a quick visual sweep, he assessed the situation, holstered his weapon and hurried toward her.

  “Are you all right?” he asked as he stooped to feel for Uncle Tyler’s pulse at his neck, then closed the older man’s eyes.

  Tears blurred Melora’s vision while she stared at her uncle, blood pooling on the floor about him. Everything inside her iced. He’d raised her. Now he was gone, too. Because of her.

  Vaguely she saw Daniel check the window with a bullet hole in it, then shut the drapes. Then he placed a
call about the shooting, but his words jumbled around in her brain, making no sense. Nothing made sense. More tears flooded her eyes and rolled down her cheeks as hands lifted her from the floor and wrapped about her. The quaking began and quickly spread to envelop her.

  “We were…” she gasped in a shallow breath “…he just went down.”

  Holding her to him, Daniel guided her from the room into the foyer and sat her on the bottom stair, then went down on his haunches in front of her, grasping her elbows. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

  His gaze skimmed over her, and she peered down to see what he was looking at. Blood drops splattered her snowy white blouse. She fixed on some right above her heart, pain, not from a bullet, lanced through it. Her throat crammed with the tears she tried to keep in, she shook her head.

  “Where’s Kaitlyn?” she asked, locking gazes with him.

  “She was in the kitchen with us. I had Juanita take her back to her room and told her not to come out until I told her to.”

  She lifted her quivering hand and pointed toward the office. “He’s dead because of me. They want me, not Uncle Tyler.”

  “What did he want to talk to you about?”

  Melora swallowed several times, trying to think back five minutes to what Uncle Tyler had been saying to her. For a few seconds her mind blanked, except for the vision of her uncle right before he collapsed to the floor. Surprise then fear flashed across his face. “He was telling me he could protect me. He was worried about me.” She tapped herself on the chest. “Me, Daniel, and he’s the one dead. It should have been me.”

  “Did he say anything else?”

  The tears returned when she remembered her uncle’s last words. “He was telling me he was sorry. He had nothing to be sorry about. He raised me when my parents died. He didn’t have to. I’m the one who is sorry for pulling him into this.” She pushed to her feet. “I need to see Kaitlyn. Make sure she’s okay.”

  He settled his hands on her shoulders, keeping her in front of him. “You need to change first and wash up.”

  Another glance at the blood sent numbing waves through her. Lord, how am I supposed to deal with all this? Please. I need You.