Texas Reckless

by Gerry Bartlett

  * * * *

  Rhett pulled out the contents of the thin file. “Born in Oklahoma. High school dropout.” He looked the application over. “Pretty bare bones. He left the next of kin blank.”

  “No surprise there for a thirty-eight-year-old man. He used Will Jackson as another reference. That was enough for me.” Sierra sat with a sigh.

  “Did you call Jackson?” Rhett raised an eyebrow.

  “No need. I figured just putting down that name meant it would pan out. Everyone knows Will around here. I don’t talk to Will unless I have to. You saw his attitude toward me.” She made a face.

  “He came on to you. Right in front of his mother-in-law. Proved to me he was a first-class jerk even before he acted that way about Billy. Wouldn’t be surprised if he cheated on his wife.” Rhett remembered how Will had touched Sierra familiarly. She’d reacted like a snake had crawled on her.

  “He’d have to do it elsewhere. In this town, it would be impossible to keep it secret. I haven’t heard news of it.” Sierra was clearly thinking. “He’d risk a lot in a divorce. Though his family owned the dealership before they married. Not sure how much of their money she’d be entitled to, even though this is a community property state.”

  “You two have a history? Ever date before Sally Ann caught him?” Rhett got up to throw the file on the desk but not before he saw Sierra flinch. “You did, didn’t you?”

  “Remember the boy I told you I liked? The one who’d supposedly come by to see me at the arena?” Sierra leaned forward, not looking at him. “That was Will Jackson. We met at a barbeque my folks threw that summer. His dad owned the dealership then. Daddy invited him and his family over to meet some people in from Houston. Will came on to me and I was flattered. He was cute back then. And did drive a snappy car. You remember what teenagers are like?”

  “A snappy car is a big draw.” Rhett realized his fists were clenched. Sierra and Will. The man would have made moves. Sierra might have been dazzled.

  “Hey, quit glaring. I didn’t put out for him either, though he certainly expected it.” Sierra got up to grab his fists. “We’d only gone out a couple of times when the accident happened.”

  “It wasn’t an accident.” Rhett opened his hands to hold on to hers. “I’m more sure of that than ever.”

  “Okay.” She looked down to where he realized he was holding a little too tight. “You were telling me about your theory. Darrel might have started the barn fire. You think he could have done it because Sally Ann put him up to it?”

  “Come sit and listen to what I’m thinking.” Rhett guided her to the couch again. She needed to get off that leg. He still couldn’t get over how scarred it was. How much pain she must have gone through. But that was her history. He needed to concentrate on the current situation. Whoever wanted her to sell out probably wasn’t through trying to scare her into it.

  “I just cannot believe Darrel would betray me like that.” She shook her head.

  “I hope you’re right. Now here’s what I’m thinking about the three amigas. Sally Ann is married to a man who has money. Does she? We just heard her say she’s on a budget. So she probably doesn’t have much she can call her own. What about Marty?”

  “You heard her say her husband has an auto repair shop. It must not be doing well since she’s still stuck in that waitressing job, working nights. She wants kids but they’re still putting it off. I doubt she has much money of her own either.” Sierra bit her lip.

  “What about Ellie? Clearly she has an interest in that Oxcart deal going through. She didn’t hide that when she went off at the café.”

  “Everyone knows she’s working her butt off trying to keep her café running. Mark makes no secret of the fact that his pharmacy does a thriving business, but it doesn’t make enough to see two kids through med school. You heard what her waitress said. Ellie’s café isn’t doing so well.” Sierra looked thoughtful.

  “Clearly, from the name they chose, these three women could have pooled what resources they had for a chance at a big return. This might be their one chance to make some decent money of their own. I don’t know if Marty or Ellie are happy in their marriages, but I doubt Sally Ann is. The little I saw of her interactions with Jackson seemed volatile. She didn’t hesitate to go off on him in front of a crowd, even accusing him of having an affair.” Rhett waited for Sierra to react to that. She just nodded.

  “That’s Sally Ann all right. If Will does have someone on the side, he could be thinking of moving on. This fast-food franchise he’s talking about could be part of a bigger plan he has. If Sally Ann’s not bothering to placate Will, then she might have figured out her own exit strategy.” Sierra gripped Rhett’s leg. “But would she really hire Darrel to burn down my barn?”

  “You never know, Sierra.” Rhett put his hand over hers. “If the senior citizen development really takes off, returns on an investment could be huge. You’re holding up the deal. They may be sick of waiting and Darrel obviously knows Sally Ann, at least.”

  “Exit strategies.” Sierra’s eyes were big as she turned to Rhett. “I guess they all might need one. Marty’s husband is opinionated. She had dreams of becoming a fashion designer when we were teenagers. Maybe own a dress shop. Buddy laughed at that idea. She used to make her own clothes and they were great. I told her once I’d like her to design something for me—I had a special event in Houston to go to—even offered to pay well for it. Buddy told her I was mocking her. That no big-city ‘broad’ would wear anything with her name on it. Marty turned me down flat and never showed me her stuff again.” Sierra frowned.

  “There you go. Motive for Marty.” Rhett picked up his laptop and began making notes again. “You already told me Ellie never got to finish college. She might feel trapped by that café and we’ve already heard she’s desperate for money, with two kids dreaming of medical school. Just because her folks started the café, doesn’t make it her dream. You told me her brother works in Dallas. Not involved in this Oxcart thing, is he?” Rhett saw Sierra bite her lip again. It was a sexy move that could distract him if he wasn’t careful. “That would be way too easy.”

  “No, he’s a sports analyst for a TV station there. It’s the kind of glamorous job Ellie always dreamed of. You can see how pretty she is. She started in communications at Texas State University in San Marcos. She really wanted to go into TV or something with the media. In high school she made jokes about the café. She hated working there after school. She was always starring in their class plays and was the senior class president. She made great speeches to the student body. I saw video of them in the hospital.” Sierra blinked, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I missed my senior year, getting classes at the Texas Medical Center. I’d almost forgotten Ellie and Marty came to see me and brought those videos to show me.”

  “Hey, they were your friends. Sally Ann didn’t come?” Rhett pulled her close. She was looking vulnerable, not like the tough woman who had chased cattle all day in a four-wheeler.

  “No, she was working then and dating Will. He was in college and coming home weekends. The girls were full of gossip about it.” She took a steadying breath. “It’s good to remember that they did reach out back then. It makes me doubt this theory of yours.”

  “People and circumstances change, Sierra. But I hope you’re right. Now, what were you saying about Ellie? Anything else?” Rhett rubbed her arms, warming her. She’d shivered, but then Sierra did that when she was upset.

  “Just that she loves Mark, but her husband doesn’t let people, Ellie included, forget that he has a couple of degrees from a prestigious college. If anyone asks, he says his wife is a cook, not a business owner. He’s kind of a jerk about it.”

  “Motives all around.” Rhett noted that in his laptop. “Let’s call your brother again. He has got to get access to more than just a list of the local investors. I’d like to know how much they stand to lose if this de
al goes south. The bigger the investment, the more frantic people will be to get you to sell your place. It may be you’re right and the Tres Amigas have nothing to do with what’s going on.”

  “Dylan said something about confidentiality agreements, but I know his private investigator can work around that.” Sierra walked into the kitchen and came back with her cell phone. “When I tell him I almost fell into a hole, he’ll put pressure on his guy to dig some more.” She hit a button for speed dial.

  “It’s late, Sierra.” Rhett sat on the fireplace hearth near the dog. “What’s he going to do tonight?”

  “Make a list of things he can do first thing tomorrow.” She paced in front of him, pausing to rub Tramp’s ears. “Dylan! Surely I didn’t wake you.” She put the phone on speaker.

  “I fell asleep over a pile of paperwork. What do you want?”

  “We have an idea. I’ll let Rhett tell you.” Sierra handed Rhett the phone then collapsed into the recliner.

  “Hall, this had better be good.” They heard water running.

  “Just listen to him, Dylan.” Sierra joined the conversation.

  “I’m trying to wake up. Go on. Tell me your brilliant idea.”

  “Did you look at that list of investors? We think the Tres Amigas might have hired Sierra’s ranch hand Darrel to burn down her barn. Then he tried to injure her last night by arranging a way for her to fall.” Damn, when Rhett thought of how Sierra could have hurt her leg again… Well, it made him crazy.

  “Tried to injure her?” Dylan’s voice got louder. “What the fuck, Sierra? Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. Darrel is the one who ended up in the hospital. It’s a conspiracy, bro. We’ve figured out who we think the Amigas are, but we’d like confirmation. Can you get more information for us? Clearly the people most hurt by my stubborn refusal to sell are those locals who invested the most in the development. If they put their life savings in it, they must be getting desperate to see it through.” Sierra looked over at Rhett. “Really desperate.”

  “You’re right about that. So who do you think the Tres Amigas are?”

  Rhett told him the names.

  “Shit, I dated one of them, know all three. You accuse them without solid proof and you’ll have everyone in town mad at you, Sierra.”

  “That’s why we’re calling you. Plus, we’re going to the sheriff in the morning. We think if she hits Darrel hard, questioning him while he’s still in the hospital, he’ll cave and tell her who was giving him orders. I can’t imagine he did any of this on his own.” Rhett heard Dylan curse.

  “No, that guy doesn’t strike me as the brightest bulb. They probably paid him to do it. We need to look for the money trail.”

  “I hope you can get your PI to look at bank accounts too. Someone on your list of investors should have records of payments to Darrel Lockhart if our theory holds water.” Rhett itched to do a search for all of that, but he was no forensic accountant. If Sierra was right, her brother knew the right people for the job.

  “Yes. I’m calling him as soon as we hang up. He’s got a guy who can find just about anything to do with money. Don’t worry. Someone comes after my sister and all bets are off.”

  “Check out Oxcart’s financials too, Dylan. Maybe they paid Darrel.” Sierra spoke loudly, and Rhett was sure her brother heard her.

  “Way ahead of you. I don’t care what time it is, I’m calling as soon as I hang up. First, tell me what Darrel did. How were you threatened, sis? When was this and where were you, Hall? You’re supposed to be watching my sister.”

  “I was with her.” Rhett got up and handed Sierra the phone. He couldn’t sit still another minute. Yeah, he’d been with her and she’d almost fallen. Shit. What if it had been her in the bottom of that hole? He sat on the arm of the recliner. “I’ll stay with her, too. Until this is settled.”

  “He’s been great! Listen. Darrel had dug a trench, I guess you’d call it. This was last night. I was supposed to fall into it but Darrel stumbled into it instead. It would be funny if it wasn’t so damned serious.” Sierra waited while Dylan cursed. “Rhett grabbed me and saved me from falling in.”

  “I should hope so. You say Darrel’s in the hospital? Anyone watching to make sure he doesn’t make a run for it?”

  “How could he? Darrel just had surgery for a complex fracture today, Dylan. When I talked to him, he was drugged up. I don’t think he’s capable of running anywhere.” Sierra looked at Rhett.

  “Listen to me. And I don’t care if the Yankee hears me say this. I will never forget when you were hurt all those years ago. I can’t go through anything like that again.” Dylan cleared his throat. “I swore then I’d take care of my family. Whatever you do, wherever you go, I’m there for you. These people try to hurt you again? They can’t run far enough, fast enough. Now take me off speaker and hand Hall the phone.”

  * * * *

  Sierra’s hand was shaking when she passed the phone to Rhett. God, her brother had never sounded so serious. She knew the family had been affected by the accident, but not how much. She wanted to have it out with Sally Ann. Somehow she needed the truth from the woman. It was way too late for justice, but she could at least get some closure. And if Sally Ann had been behind Darrel setting fire to her barn and then digging that hole? Well, this was just too much to take in right now. Just too much.

  Rhett hung up and looked serious. “Your brother’s right. We can’t wait until tomorrow to call the sheriff. We have to call her now.”

  “Darrel isn’t capable of going anywhere tonight, Rhett. I’ve been where he is. After a surgery like that, you’re drugged and in pain. He may even be in intensive care.” Sierra didn’t look forward to laying this conspiracy theory out to Myra. In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised if the sheriff herself wasn’t an investor in the Oxcart venture. She reached for the list and looked it over again. No, Myra Watkins wasn’t on it. Well, that was a relief. But there was another group name—Wranglers. That could be anyone in town. Just thinking about tracking down another list of suspects made her head hurt. She got to her feet, staggering a little when her leg gave out. Rhett caught her and pulled her close.

  “You okay?” His eyes were full of concern.

  “Just tired. Now tell me why we can’t wait on this.” She glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost midnight. Whoever they called wasn’t going to be happy to hear from them.

  “Sally Ann and Marty left here with Darrel’s truck. They might take it straight to the hospital. To Darrel. Now that they know we’ve connected them to the ranch hand, they could also try to pay him off and get him to head out of town.” Rhett guided her to the couch then pulled out his own phone. “I’m calling the sheriff, or I can call a Ranger I know in Austin. He can go by the hospital and check to make sure Darrel is down for the night.”

  “It’s late. But I see your point. Still, even if we’re right and Sally Ann or all three paid Darrel to do these dirty tricks to me, how could they possibly get him moving in the shape he’s in?” Sierra remembered how hard it had been for her the days after her surgeries.

  “I know why you don’t want to have this conversation with Myra this late. It’s opening a big can of ‘What the hell?’ I need to know Darrel’s not skipping out on us and it is probably too late to call my Ranger friend. He helped my sister when she was in trouble, but I shouldn’t take advantage of him now. Why don’t we go check on Darrel ourselves?” Rhett sat beside her and looked up the hospital on an app. “I can drive and you can nap in the car. It’s not that far to Austin. An hour and a half and we’re there.”

  “You make it seem so simple.” Sierra let him pull her to her feet. Simple. But nothing ever was. “First? I’d like to take a look in the bunkhouse. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find some evidence that will help us.”

  “It’s worth a try.” Rhett followed her out. They left the dog inside, much to h
is disappointment. “I’ll drive. Then we can take off for the hospital from there.”

  Sierra didn’t argue. The idea of driving ninety miles after the day she’d had exhausted her. When the automatic lights came on as soon as they parked in front of the bunkhouse, everything looked normal. The large building was dark inside and locked.

  “No wonder Sally Ann didn’t come inside to get Darrel a few things. She might not have had a key.” Sierra unlocked the door and flipped on the light. “Jeez, if I’d known he lived like a pig, I would have thought twice about keeping him on.” There was a row of beds but only one with linens. That mattress on the single bed was off the box springs and the bedding had hit the floor. Clothing was strewn about and drawers hung open.

  “Honey, this isn’t messy. This place has been tossed. Someone had a key and has been here looking for something.” Rhett walked over to the kitchenette and picked up a fork from where the silverware drawer had been dumped. He then used it to lift up pieces of clothing to look under them. “I’d say they did a pretty thorough search.”

  “I don’t think Sally Ann and Marty had time to do this. Tramp started barking as soon as they drove in.” Sierra guessed the fork technique was to keep from leaving fingerprints. Now she had something else to tell the sheriff. Unless the sheriff had ordered the search. Unlikely. As far as Myra knew, Darrel wasn’t yet considered a suspect in the barn fire. The sheriff would have told Sierra if the police had searched a building on her property.

  “Do you know of any good hiding places in here?” Rhett had made a quick circuit of the room. “You practically grew up on this ranch. Ever explore the bunkhouse as a kid?”