Death Rides Again (A Jocelyn Shore Mystery)

by Hamrick, Janice

  “Actually, it is illegal,” Bob responded. “And Herman, I’m not talking to you right now. I’m talking to Kel.” He turned back to my uncle. “So how about it?”

  Kel sighed. “Yeah, I threatened him with a shotgun. I didn’t kill him though. Did your informant happen to mention that?” Here he shot a cold look in Colin’s direction, which took me by surprise. It also struck me as unfair. Even if Colin had mentioned the incident to the sheriff based on what I’d told him, he could hardly have been the only one, not with Carl Cress having been an eye witness. Carl would have lost no time in spreading that story over the entire tricounty area.

  “He did,” said Sheriff Bob. “He also told me how Eddy got on your bad side, but I’d like to hear it from you.”

  “He hit my girl. Guess that’s reason enough.”

  “Reason enough to go after him later? Maybe threaten him again, try to find out where Ruby June had gone?” Bob paused, then went on in a tone both reasonable and persuasive. “Maybe you didn’t even mean to hurt him. Might be he grabbed the gun, and it went off, sort of an accident.”

  Kel’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. Elaine was the one who spoke up. “You can’t be serious, Bob.”

  Bob made no answer, his eyes on Kel’s face.

  At that instant, Herman’s cane came down on the table with a bang, just inches from Bob’s fingers. We all jumped, and Bob jerked his hand away.

  “You accusing my nephew of murder, Bob Matthews?” Gone was the expression of an upright old owl, gone the petulant self-absorption in his birthday. This Herman Shore was the man who had earned a Silver Star on the muddy fields of Normandy and then returned to Texas to build a thriving cattle ranch from nothing. Now he glared at Bob Matthews like Patton staring down a thieving kitchen boy, and poor Sheriff Bob had nowhere to hide.

  Sheriff Bob sputtered for a moment, then finally said, “No, of course not, Mr. Shore. But I got to ask these questions. It’s my job.”

  “Then do your job somewhere else. Get off my property.”

  Uncle Kel added, “You ought to be looking for my daughter, not wasting your time with me.”

  Sheriff Bob looked from one to the other of them, then slowly rose to his feet. “If you have any ideas on where your daughter might have gone, I’d like to hear them. As far as we can tell, the last place she was seen was right here.”

  I said, “No, that’s not true. Kyla and I dropped her off at her house yesterday morning.”

  He turned to me, eyes sharp. “What time was that?”

  I looked at Kyla for assistance, but she just shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. Maybe ten thirty or eleven.”

  “She say anything when you left her? Mention going out?”

  Kyla and I both shook our heads.

  “No, she was planning to wait for Eddy. She was going to kick his ass to the curb,” said Kyla with some relish.

  “Maybe,” I corrected. “I’m not sure she was really planning anything like that, but she was going to talk with him.”

  “She seem agitated? Maybe even angry? After all, he’d hit her.”

  Kel made a strangled sound at the implication.

  “No,” I said quickly, thinking back. “No, in fact she stood up for him at first. Then when we dropped her off, she said something about Eddy not going to be surprised. She didn’t seem angry at all. Maybe a little sad.”

  Bob shook his head, probably not sure how much he could believe. “All right then. Well, if any of you all think of anything else, give me a shout.”

  He made his way around the table, boots clumping on the hardwood floor. He paused beside Colin. “You coming?”

  Colin nodded. “I’ll be along in a few minutes.”

  Bob nodded, then left, pausing to catch the screen door so it wouldn’t slam.

  I threw Colin a questioning look, then followed him as he led the way to the front porch. I could feel my relatives staring after us.

  We moved a few paces from the door so we couldn’t be overheard.

  Colin spoke first. “I told Sheriff Matthews that I’d be glad to assist him. He’s shorthanded, and this is a bad thing. I hope you understand, and that you don’t … mind.”

  “Mind?” I turned the word over in my head. “I don’t think I have the right to mind. I might be disappointed that you’re going, or proud that you want to help, or guilty that I’ve dragged you into this, but no, I don’t mind that you’re going to help the sheriff.”

  “You didn’t drag me into this,” he said. “And I’m okay with you being disappointed I’m going,” he added with a grin.

  I felt worried. “Still, it’s not much of a vacation for you.”

  He shrugged, then said, “I wanted to talk to you. This isn’t looking good for your uncle.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked, surprised.

  “We’ve been asking around. Yesterday wasn’t the first time Kel and Eddy got into an argument. Kel went after him in one of the bars in town only a few weeks ago. Spotted him carrying on with another woman is the rumor. And there have been other incidents. Now this. Threatening Eddy with a shotgun, then Eddy being killed with a shotgun. It’s not good.”

  “You’re wrong. Kel wouldn’t do anything like that,” I said automatically, but I couldn’t deny that the authorities had a reason to be suspicious. Worse, I couldn’t deny that I’d felt the same suspicion, even if only for a moment.

  He sighed. “I figured you’d say that.”

  I bit my lip. “Look, I’m not stupid. I realize that Sheriff Bob has to check him out. And I can even see why it looks bad for him. But I’m telling you, he didn’t do it. You need to look for somebody else. I can think of half a dozen people who wanted to kill Eddy, and I don’t even live here.”

  “Why? Why don’t you think he shot Eddy?”

  I thought about it, then answered, “Because if he had killed him, he wouldn’t have dumped the body like that.”

  Colin blinked. “Didn’t expect that. I thought you were going to say he wasn’t capable of killing a family member.”

  I snorted. “I wish I could say that. I saw him that morning, and I’m still not sure he wouldn’t have pulled the trigger if the rest of us hadn’t been there. I don’t know what’s going on with him, and you were right, he’s not acting like himself. But he’s not a sneak, and he’s not an idiot. I don’t believe he would have tried to hide the body. But if he did? He would have done a better job than that. You need to look for someone else.”

  Colin gazed beyond me toward the barn on the hill, eyes unfocused, mulling over my words. I took the opportunity to study his face, the blue eyes beneath black brows, the shadow of his beard along the long firm jaw, the way his dark hair waved just a little at his temple.

  After a moment, he nodded. “We’ll look. But, I just want you to be prepared for the possibility that things aren’t what you think.”

  I frowned, not happy. But if Colin said he would consider other possibilities, then he would, and I decided to let it go for now. In the yard, the branches of the pecan tree twitched and then rustled in an unexpected breath of wind. Looking up, I could see a bank of gray clouds, still hazy and distant, rolling along the horizon. A cold front was on its way from the north, and I gave a shiver. Colin noticed and put his arm around my shoulders.

  Without thinking, I slid both arms around his waist under his jacket and lifted my face to say something undoubtedly profound about the weather. His change of expression stopped me. I heard his sharp intake of breath, and the next thing I knew his mouth was on mine, and he was pressing me against the length of his body. An unexpected wave of desire flooded through me, heedless and wild, the passion I’d been trying so hard to hold in check for the past few weeks flaring. Colin ran one hand through my hair, caressing the nape of my neck and slid the other down my back, hard fingers hot through my shirt. My breath caught against his lips, and I arched against him, wanting to be closer, wanting to feel his skin against mine.

  Fortunately or unfortun
ately, a dry little voice interrupted us.

  “Jeez, get a room. Or at least a show on pay-per-view.”

  Bemused, I broke away from Colin’s embrace and turned to see Kris, spiky black hair teased upright and restiffened with blue hairspray. She was glaring at us like a particularly strict member of the Order of the Little Sisters of Chastity and Piercings, lips pursed and disapproving.

  Pushing by us, she stalked into the house, slamming the door behind her for emphasis. It would have been a very nice display of 1950s prudishness if she hadn’t ruined it by giving Colin’s backside what could only be described as an appraising look as she passed.

  He gave a wry laugh, then looked down into my face. “We have got to work on our timing,” he said.

  “Yeah.” I pulled myself away from him with a sigh, feeling and matching the reluctance with which he let me go.

  His smile was warm, filled with promise and something far more. A look that a woman dreams of seeing in a man’s eyes. It was almost certainly my own fault that it was a look that scared me to death.

  “Now I’m willing to believe that you’re glad I’m here,” he said, his voice low.

  “You have your good points,” I said lightly. “For one thing, I’m not cold anymore.”

  The hurt in his eyes was more than I could bear. “Colin…”

  “It’s all right,” he said abruptly. “I’m rushing you. I know it, and I just don’t seem to be able to stop myself. I’ll back off.”

  “Not too far,” I said quickly, feeling a sharp pang of fear. What if he decided all the mixed signals were the sign of a neurotic mind, and that I just wasn’t worth the effort? What if he decided he didn’t want me anymore? I could hardly blame him if he did.

  He slipped on his sunglasses and gave me an imitation smile. “Not too far,” he agreed.

  The words were right at least, but I still felt like the world’s biggest idiot as I watched him walk away. Had my divorce and then my unsuccessful attempt at a long-distance relationship made me a coward? Was I willing to give up before I’d even started, just to avoid possible future heartache? I hated myself, but I did not run after him.

  Chapter 4

  BARS AND BOYFRIENDS

  Colin did not return that afternoon, not even for Thanksgiving dinner. Considering the circumstances, I thought he’d made a wise choice. Kel and Elaine had fallen into a grim silence that spread a pall over the company. Uncle Herman, on the other hand, seemed to be preparing for battle. He’d appeared at the table wearing a pressed shirt and dress pants with a crease that could be used to slice bread. It was true that the pants were held up by both a belt and suspenders, but he’d left his walker in his room, a fact that had caused Aunt Elaine some alarm. She’d hurried to his side, but he just glared from under bushy eyebrows and she backed off. I hadn’t seen him so upright since the days when he’d still been running the ranch himself, and wasn’t sure what to make of it. On the one hand, I liked seeing him so much like his younger self, but on the other, I suspected he was making plans that would almost certainly bite one or more of us in the butt.

  However, as the afternoon wore away, my fears seemed groundless. After we’d finished the turkey and all the fixings, Elaine produced an enormous birthday cake with enough candles to trigger a smoke detector. Uncle Herman ate his cake with pleasure, told an off-color story about his visit to Paris after the war, and then retired to his rooms for a rest. With a collective sigh of relief, Will, Sam, Christy, and Uncle Scotty returned to the living room for more football, and Gladys suggested a game of Monopoly for the rest of us. Kyla met my eyes with a look of panic. Both of us would rather chew broken glass than play Monopoly.

  “We’ll do dishes!” I announced, and urged Elaine to join the game.

  Kyla gave me a sour look, then with a philosophical shrug joined me.

  Half an hour later, the dishes were done, and I started thinking about Colin again.

  “Where do you think he is?” I asked, rinsing off a plate and placing it in the dishwasher.

  “Your boyfriend? Who knows. I don’t know why he has to stick his nose in around here anyway.”

  “Sheriff Bob needed the help. Besides, it’s probably better to have Colin keeping an eye on what’s going on. I can just see Bob getting it into his head to arrest Kel.”

  “You could hardly blame him. But I still don’t think it’s any of Colin’s business. He should be here making eyes at you.”

  “Yeah. Well.”

  “You did it again, didn’t you? Told him to back off?”

  I didn’t answer. I did begin pacing.

  Kyla, with her usual tact, said, “You’ve gone batshit crazy, and you’re trying to take me with you. Let’s go see what’s happening in town.”

  “Nothing’s happening in town. It’s Thanksgiving and it’s after six. Even on a weekend, the streets would already be rolled up. Today they’re rolled up and watching football.”

  “We’ll go for a drive then. Look, for all you know, Monkey Boy’s been trying to call you. We can at least drive up to the top of the hill to see if we can get some bars on the phones.”

  “Monkey Boy? Why Monkey Boy?”

  “He dances for you,” she answered.

  “No, he doesn’t. I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

  “Yes, you do. Come on, let’s go for a drive.”

  I considered. I was so used to my cell phone being useless near the ranch house that I’d forgotten to check it, but there were several places on higher ground where reception was possible. Maybe Colin had been trying to call after all.

  We slipped out of the house quietly as we could to avoid detection. Outside, the temperature had dropped noticeably. The sky was a black void and outside the warm glow of the house lights, the darkness seemed immense.

  “It’s a lot darker out here than it is in the city,” observed Kyla, holding out her hand to me.

  I looked at her. “No shit. And what do you want?”

  “Keys. I’m driving.”

  “It’s my car,” I protested. “It could have been your car, but you insisted we take mine so yours wouldn’t get dirty.”

  “Yeah, well I’m tired of opening gates. So gimme.” When I didn’t immediately hand them over, she added, “This way you can check your phone while I drive.”

  I dropped the key ring in her hand and went to the passenger side. She slid in and immediately adjusted the seat position, the lumbar support, the rearview mirrors, the side-view mirrors, and the heater controls. I stared.

  “What the hell are you doing? We’re the same height. My settings would work perfectly for you.”

  “This is better. You’ll probably thank me later.”

  At the top of the hill, I opened my phone. A single green reception bar flickered halfheartedly at the top of the display. Kyla glanced at it as we bumped up the uneven road.

  “A flip phone? Are you kidding me?”

  “Hey, it works. And it was free.”

  “I bet it was.”

  “It’s a phone. It makes phone calls.”

  She shook her head, but decided to let it go. “So any message from Monkey Boy?”

  “And no, I don’t see a message, but I’m not convinced I’ve really got reception.”

  “Dig mine out of my purse. It was made in this century, so it might work better.”

  “Yeah, but he’s not calling you.”

  “So seriously, what’s up? You guys are crazy about each other. Why aren’t you doing something about it?”

  “We haven’t been dating long enough to know if we’re crazy about each other.”

  “Really? And how long do you have to date to know that? Is there a magic timer somewhere, and you’re waiting for the big ding?”

  She pulled up to a gate, and I took the opportunity to hop out without answering. I glanced back the way we’d come, wondering just how long it would take me to walk back, but it was cold so I reluctantly abandoned that idea. Instead, I unlatched the chain a
nd swung the metal gate wide enough to allow the car to pass through.

  She appeared to still be waiting for an answer when I got back in.

  I said, “So where are we going?”

  “To town and don’t try to change the subject. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, so I know the problem isn’t him. What’s up with you? Is it because he’s a cop?”

  “What? No.”

  She shrugged. “Scary job. You might have concerns about it.”

  “No, that’s not it. Although thanks for putting that in my head.”

  “Then what?”

  “Look, I don’t know, all right? Leave it alone.”

  She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. “He’s not Mike. He’s not going to transform into a giant douche and leave you for some blond bimbo.”

  Mike Karawski, lawyer, asshole, ex-husband. “Kyla, you’re driving me crazy. I know he’s not Mike.”

  “Then what? Is it the Ranger thing? Are you worried he’s going to transform into Alan and get too busy to see you?”

  Yes, I was, but I wasn’t going to talk about it with her when I hadn’t even discussed it with Colin. I gritted my teeth and stared out the windshield into the wedge-shaped glow cast by headlights into the inky blackness. Visibility to either side of the car was almost zero.

  “Or is it that you’re still wanting to make it work with Alan?”

  “I’m dating, all right? Dating. That means you spend some time with someone so you can get to know them. I’m dating Colin because I don’t know him yet.”

  “What about Alan? You know him by now, right? You’re keeping him dangling, too.”

  Alan. That was far more complicated. I thought I’d loved him. No, if I were honest with myself, I was absolutely sure I had loved him. And then somehow we’d started drifting apart. I blamed the distance at first. Dallas was three and a half hours away, close enough to spend weekends together, but too far to be spontaneous. And over time, the daily or twice daily phone calls had dwindled to a couple a week. Every weekend had become every other weekend, then even less. It was as though the relationship had run out of fuel. But I still had feelings for him, didn’t I? And now he was doing everything in his power to make things work between us. Should I discard a man like a used tissue because circumstances made seeing him inconvenient? Or because I’d met someone else who made me want to jump on him every time he walked into the room?