by Linda Warren
You’re running.
And she was. She couldn’t deny that. But it was the only way to get her head straight. Then she’d see what she felt for Eli for what it was—gratitude.
Hopefully, soon she’d believe that.
ELI CALLED CAROLINE a couple of times to see if she wanted to go to the ranch with him, but got no answer. Finally he went alone. Her presence was everywhere, though, and he had to admit that something strong was happening between them. Smiling, he hung the boxing gloves back on the nail. He’d failed to do that last night. He’d also failed to mention to Caleb about visiting Jake and Beau, and he wondered why Caroline hadn’t called him about it. Where had she gone in such a hurry?
He knew she was upset about the conversation with Belle. Hell, he and Caleb were, too. Eli thought he’d just give her some time, then they’d talk, but now he couldn’t find her.
When he got back to town, it was late, and he drove to her apartment. She didn’t answer the door and the lights were out.
Where was she?
CAROLINE CHECKED INTO a hotel, then walked to the Alamo to get an idea from the old stone mission of the type of light and angles she’d shoot tomorrow. Photos weren’t allowed inside so she had to get what she needed from the outside.
She pushed Eli to the farthest corner of her mind and concentrated on her work. There was so much Texas history at the mission and she got caught up in its allure. History or myth, what had happened on these grounds in 1836 was of epic importance to the people of Texas. The Alamo stood for fighting for what you believed in. And for freedom. Sitting on a bench with history all around her, Caroline felt the spirit of that long-ago day.
Later she went back to the hotel for dinner. She was studying the menu when a man stopped at her table.
“May I buy you a drink?”
“I’m waiting on someone. Thank you,” she lied.
“Sorry to have bothered you.” He inclined his head and moved on.
She was waiting on Eli.
She couldn’t keep lying about that. She wished he’d walk in with his boots and hat and sit down and smile at her. Then she’d feel better. Oh, this was going to take longer than she’d thought. She didn’t know if she was ever going to get over Eli.
But she had to.
In her room, she went through her nightly ritual and sat in the middle of the bed, staring at the phone. She could call Eli. He was probably worried about her. No. She wouldn’t take the coward’s way out. It would accomplish nothing. If he tried to contact her and couldn’t, he’d call Grace and she’d tell him Caroline was on an assignment.
She had to face the night alone.
She forced herself to get up and turn off the light. Crawling between the sheets, she stared at the ceiling. Muted light streamed through the drapes, illuminating the room in a clandestine glow.
It reminded her of the yellow glow of light in the cellar. All of a sudden she could almost see Buford standing there. A scream rose in her throat, but she forced it back. It was just remnants of fear, she told herself, and she wouldn’t give in to it. Still, the urge to turn the light on was strong. She didn’t give in.
Instead she turned her thoughts to Belle and the nightmare she’d been through and was still enduring. Compared to Belle, Caroline was lucky. She was only afraid of the dark, while Belle had so many demons to conquer. But Eli would help her. Suddenly Caroline was jealous that someone else would get his attention.
She laughed out loud at the ridiculous thought and realized her feelings for Eli were more than gratitude. They had probably started the first moment she’d touched him in that dark room. From then on, all she could feel was Eli.
Flipping onto her side, she groaned.
Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep.
It was close to 2:00 a.m. before she fell into a restless slumber.
ELI SAT IN HIS CAR and waited. He wasn’t a natural worrier; he left that up to Tuck. But he was getting worried now. He had to make sure she was okay. He wasn’t clear when he fell asleep, but it was morning when he woke up. Caroline’s car wasn’t in her spot. She still wasn’t home.
Feeling the stubble on his face, he drove to his own place, showered and changed clothes. Then he headed for the Whitten Building. He waited in the lobby for Grace. He saw her coming through the double doors and stopped her before she reached the elevators.
“Ranger Coltrane, this is a surprise,” she said, a briefcase in one hand and a purse in the other.
“Have you seen Caroline?”
Grace paused. “No. Why?”
“She’s not at her apartment and I’m a little worried.”
“I don’t believe that’s part of your job description, Ranger Coltrane,” she replied with a touch of sarcasm. “Why don’t you let Caroline’s family worry about her?”
He took a step closer. “Don’t tell me about my job description, Ms. Whitten,” he said in a clipped tone. “I’m well aware of what that is.” He took a quick breath. “Yesterday morning Caroline visited with one of the women from Buford’s camp and it upset her.”
“Why would she do such a thing?”
“Because I asked her.”
“See?” Grace pointed out. “You’re too involved with her and you shouldn’t have ever let her go anywhere near those people.”
Eli’s eyes narrowed. “Where’s Caroline?”
A hard mask came over her face and Eli knew he’d have to push hard to get any answers. “You know, Ms. Whitten, when I get angry I’m not a very nice person. Now where in the hell is Caroline?”
He saw a flicker of fear and knew he was way out of line, but at the moment he wasn’t too concerned about that.
“She’s…she’s with Colin.”
That took the wind right out of him. “Her fiancé?”
“Yes. So you don’t have to worry.”
“Thank you,” he said, and walked out of the building.
Caroline was with Colin.
He was in Houston, she’d said. But maybe he was back and they’d patched things up. That didn’t sound right to Eli. Of course he didn’t want to believe that she was with him. It was time for him to back off and let Caroline find her way back to her life before Buford.
Before him.
Suddenly that hurt like hell.
ELI WENT TO THE HOSPITAL to meet Caleb. They were going to talk to Belle again. He sat in the lobby, thinking about Caroline as he waited. Why would she take back her fiancé? Especially after all the things she’d said about him.
What the hell did he care? Eli wondered. Oh, but he did—in a big way. If she was happy, that was all that mattered, he told himself. Now he had to convince himself of that.
Caleb came in and they went upstairs.
“Sorry to bother you on your time off,” Caleb said in the elevator.
“Don’t worry about it. I was at loose ends anyway.”
“Ms. Whitten was pretty upset yesterday.” Caleb held the door for a lady with a stroller to get on, then they continued down the hall. “How is she?”
“I don’t know,” Eli replied. “I haven’t seen her since then.”
“Oh.” Caleb glanced at him. “I thought you stayed in contact with her.”
“I did, but she’s gone back to her boyfriend.” Try as he might he wasn’t able to keep that touch of jealousy out of his voice.
“Oh,” Caleb said again.
“Have you spoken with Belle any more?” He changed the subject as quickly as he could.
“Yes, and she doesn’t seem so afraid of me now.” Caleb stopped and turned to Eli. “This morning I spoke with the doctor who was running the tests on Belle. There’s a bullet lodged in her skull and he said that’s probably the cause of her memory loss.”
“Good God. Have they told her?”
“I was there when the doctor explained it to her,” Caleb answered.
“How did she take it?”
He shrugged. “She just turned away and stared out the window.”
�
��What is your take on this?”
“Someone tried to kill her and thought they had succeeded. Evidently she was left somewhere for dead. When she came around, she started walking the streets without a clue where she was or who she was.”
“That’s when Buford’s followers found her,” Eli murmured.
“I don’t think there’s a connection between Buford and the bullet in her head.”
“I don’t either,” Eli admitted. “She’s been through so much, but she’s probably the only one who can nail this case shut and put Buford away forever. She was in that camp for a while and we need to know what she saw.”
“God, I hate to push her.”
Eli could see the turmoil Caleb was in. It was hard not to be touched by what Belle had been through. “We’ll just take it slow.”
Caleb knocked on the door and they went in. “Belle, Ranger Coltrane is with me.”
She was sitting at the window again with her head bent.
“Hi, Belle,” Eli said.
She didn’t respond.
Caleb knelt down by her chair. “Belle, look at me.”
“Please go away.”
“Look at me,” Caleb insisted.
She raised her head.
“We’re law officers and we’re here to help you. Everyone in this hospital wants to help you, too. No one’s going to hurt you and you don’t have to be afraid. Do you understand?”
“How can you help me? I don’t know who I am. I don’t know anything.”
“Oh, but you do, Belle,” Eli said. “You know about Buford and his followers and you can help us put him away so he’ll never hurt another woman again.”
She shook her head.
“You can, Belle,” Caleb said, and she stared at him.
“Why can’t you leave me alone?”
“Because we need answers and only you have them.”
Eli moved closer. “Buford is saying that Ms. Whitten came to the camp of her own free will, wanting to become part of his faith. His lawyer is going to try and make a jury believe that. If he can, then Buford will be free to hurt other women.”
Belle’s eyes opened wide. “No. They can’t do that.”
“Help us, then,” Eli begged. “Did Caroline come there on her own?”
Belle twisted her hands. “No.”
Eli felt a moment of victory and knew he had to keep going. “How did they bring her in?”
“They…they had her in the back of the truck and they carried her and laid her by the fire.”
“Who is ‘they’?”
“Samuel and Nathaniel.”
“Was Ms. Whitten conscious?”
Belle shook her head.
“What happened next?”
“They lit the fire and flames leaped to the sky, then they began to chant things I didn’t understand. The prophet prayed, thanking God for his beautiful new wife, and he prayed she would be strong enough to pass the cleansing ritual. He knelt down beside her and ran his hands over her body to bless her and to rid her of the demons of society. Then they all walked by her to view the woman who would bear the seventh son.”
Eli’s hands curled into fists and he had a hard time controlling his anger.
“Then what happened?” He forced out the question.
“They carried her to the cellar to begin the ritual.”
Eli turned away, unable to continue the questioning. It was his job to keep asking Belle for information, but he found it hard to do when his heart was involved. That was the first time anything like this had happened to him, but the idea of Buford touching Caroline turned his stomach.
“Thank you, Belle,” Caleb said. “Why don’t you rest? Maybe tomorrow you can tell us more.”
“Please. He’ll beat me.”
Eli swung around. “Was Buford the one who beat you?”
Belle nodded, tears running from her eyes.
“Don’t cry, Belle,” Caleb pleaded. “You’re safe here.”
A nurse came in and Eli and Caleb left.
“I feel such rage inside,” Caleb said outside the door.
Eli needed a moment and he took a long breath. “Yeah, but she just confirmed what Caroline had said. That helps a lot. If we keep working with her, we might learn more. When the trial comes up, I’d feel a lot better if Belle was able to testify.”
“I just wish I could find out who she is and return her to her family.”
“That will probably take time, but I’ll help you all I can.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate that.”
“No problem. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Eli started off, then turned back. “After we visit with Belle tomorrow, I was thinking we might drive to Waco and visit with Jake and Beau.”
Caleb seemed shocked. “Sure. That would be great.”
“I promised someone I’d do that. I’ll talk to you later.”
He walked to his car, thinking he would do it for Caroline. A deal was a deal. If he ever saw her again he wanted to be able to say that he’d kept his word.
CHAPTER TWELVE
CAROLINE SPENT THE DAY at the Alamo snapping pictures of wide-eyed school children as they visited the historic site for the first time. She got some great shots of teenagers with their funky hairstyles and modish clothes. Some carried boom boxes, others had headsets. But the expressions on their faces were the same as they stared at a piece of Texas history—expressions of awe.
She was pleased with the shoot and she hoped the writer would be, too. She’d read the article and felt she’d conveyed the story of how the younger generations still showed reverence and respect for the sacrifice that had been made by a handful of brave Texans to gain independence from Mexico. It seemed that names like William Travis, James Bowie and Davy Crockett would never be forgotten, even by rebellious teenagers.
Exhausted by the shoot she decided to spend another night in San Antonio. Another night to gain strength for when she saw Eli again. Another night to fight the fear.
That night she went to bed without the usual battle with the light. She just turned it off and slipped beneath the sheets. It took awhile to actually fall asleep, but she didn’t wake up in fear. She was getting better.
ELI WAS UP EARLY and went to the ranch to feed Sam and Dee because he didn’t know if he’d be back in time to feed them tonight. He was going to keep his word for Caroline and visit with Jake and Beau this afternoon, but he wasn’t looking forward to it.
He’d called Tom about the visit with Belle, and Tom met him and Caleb in the hospital coffee shop. Eli told him what Belle had said.
“She corroborates Caroline’s story,” Eli finished.
“Lansing will tear her to shreds on the witness stand,” Tom replied. “That is if you can get her to testify, which I doubt. When I last visited with her, she was a long way from being a credible witness.”
“Yeah.” Eli leaned back in frustration.
Tom turned to Caleb. “Has your investigation turned up anything?”
He shook his head. “Her fingerprints aren’t on record and it doesn’t look like she was reported as a missing person. The doctor said her memory loss is due to trauma from the bullet in her head. It’s possible that she could start to have flashbacks and gradually regain her memory. Opening up to Caroline and Eli was a big step, in my opinion. So far she’s resisted our every attempt to get her to talk. Every day seems to be a step forward, though. We need more time.”
“We need something now,” Tom said. “The attorneys feel that it will come down to Caroline’s word against Buford’s, and Buford’s followers will back him up—that’s going to destroy our case. Eli can testify how he found her, but he doesn’t know how she got in that room.”
“Dammit, Tom, I know and you know.” Eli couldn’t contain his anger.
“Yes.” Tom nodded. “But there are two cases on record where Buford walked free because a jury believed him. We’re facing the same thing now and it doesn’t matter that she’s Stephen Whitten’s daughter. That will actuall
y work against her. Caroline is known to be a spirited woman who defies her father, and Lansing will play that for all it’s worth, believe me.”
“Goddammit,” Eli said under his breath.
“We need some hard, concrete evidence to make this conviction stick. Keep working with Belle and maybe we’ll get lucky.” Tom stood. “I’ll relay what’s happened to the attorneys.”
They shook hands and Eli and Caleb went upstairs to see Belle, but she was in with a psychologist and would be in various types of therapy for most of the day. So they headed for Waco.
“Have you talked to Ms. Whitten?” Caleb asked.
“No. Why?”
“I thought you might have told her what Belle said.”
“It doesn’t matter unless we can get Belle to tell us a lot more,” Eli replied, not wanting to talk about Caroline.
“If you and I can earn her trust, we might be able to accomplish that.”
They talked about the case until they reached Marlin. Then Caleb asked, “What made you change your mind about talking to Jake and Beau?”
Eli kept his eyes on the road. “I’m tired of being angry and if I can talk to you without resentment, I figure I could probably talk to Jake and Beau, too.”
“But you didn’t come to that realization on your own.”
“No, actually I was tricked into it.” Before he knew what he was doing he was telling Caleb about the boxing gloves.
“Ms. Whitten knocked you on your ass?” Caleb laughed.
“Yeah, and I’m sticking to the story that she tricked me.”
“From what Jake has said about you and from what I’ve heard as a ranger, no one takes you on.”
“Well, then, don’t let it get around that a green-eyed blonde did me in.”
Eli turned off the highway onto a country road without waiting for directions from Caleb. He knew where the McCain farm was. He’d known all his life, but he’d never been there. Green cotton fields dotted the landscape on both sides of the road. When he saw the older white house with green shutters, he turned again, up the drive.
He felt a queasiness in his stomach. This was where his father had lived. He took in the barns and farming equipment, everything that epitomized living on a farm.