Saving Hope: Men of the Texas Rangers Book 1

by Margaret Daley

  When it rang two minutes later, Maddie answered her cell.

  “Where are you?” A thread of strain ran through Tyler’s words.

  Maddie tightened her hold on her phone. “I had truck problems.”

  “Why didn’t you call me?”

  “I didn’t—I didn’t know what to do.”

  “Baby, I can come and pick you up and help you.” His voice lowered to a slow drawl that melted her insides.

  She should have called him. Then she wouldn’t be in such trouble with her dad. “It died in the middle of a row in the parking lot and the pickup is blocking several cars. It’s got to be moved as soon as possible or some shoppers will be mad. I panicked and called a friend to come help me.”

  “A friend? Who?”

  “Kate Winslow. She has an auto service that’s coming to get the truck and tow it away. She’s with the truck until they do. Her friend is taking me to school. I didn’t want to call my father, and yet it had to be moved. Dad’s gonna find out and . . .” The words spewing out came to a halt when she thought of the consequences of her actions.

  “You could have called me. I would have helped you.”

  The hurt in his voice nipped at her composure. She was continuing to make more and more bad decisions. “I’m sorry.” Tears swelled into her throat, closing it off. “Bye.” She clicked off. After this he would think she was a little girl.

  When her cell rang again, she checked the number and didn’t answer.

  “Is that the boy?”

  “Yeah. But I wouldn’t say he’s mine anymore.” Her tears flowed down her cheeks. Maddie let them fall onto her lap.

  Gregory clenched his cell, resisting the impulse to throw it. “She isn’t picking up.”

  “What are we gonna do now?” Brad asked as Gregory charged toward the northeast exit in the mall.

  “Call King. See what he wants me to do. We need two more girls to fill the order.” Gregory punched in his uncle’s number.

  “How did it go? Got her already?” King asked.

  Gregory hurried out of the mall and found a secluded area so he could talk to his uncle privately. Brad stood guard. “No. She had car trouble and had Kate Winslow come pick her up. She’s going to school while Kate stays with the pickup until an auto service comes to tow it. I think we’ve lost our chance. Once her dad finds out what she was going to do, he won’t let her out of his sight.”

  “Kate Winslow. That’s great. She’ll do in Maddie’s place. I’ve seen Sheridan with Kate. I think they’re involved. Besides, I can use Kate to bring Rose under control. Go see if she needs any help. Then take her and bring her to the ranch.”

  Gregory glanced up and down the rows near the mall entrance and found Maddie’s pickup stalled in the middle of the back of a row, two over. “Are you sure? She won’t help us fill the order for San Antonio.”

  “Yes, I’m sure. She’s the reason I’m having such a hard time with Rose. I don’t think I can do anything with Rose. Besides, if I get rid of Kate, that’s the end of Beacon of Hope.”

  “Fine. I’ll bring Kate to the ranch.”

  “Thanks, ma’am.” Wyatt tipped his hat at the older woman who had lived next door to the Rhea family whose house burned down six years ago. He descended the steps and walked back to his truck.

  Another dead end. Rose didn’t look anything like the daughter of the deceased couple. Now he would have to wait for the two rangers interviewing the neighbors of the other victims who fit the criteria of what he was looking for.

  He received a call as he drove toward the highway that led back to Dallas. “Sheridan here.”

  “This is Officer Bowen in Silverwood. Our secretary knows the girl in the photo you sent me.”

  “What did she say? Is she there for me to talk to?”

  “She went to lunch but will be back in forty-five minutes. The girl used to come to town with her aunt. She hasn’t seen her around in years.”

  “I’ll be there to talk with her. Probably be at least an hour.”

  “I’ll tell her.”

  Wyatt merged with the traffic on the highway connecting Fort Worth and Dallas. The hairs on his neck tingled. When a case began to come together, he always got this feeling. He tried to tamp down his excitement. It could just mean that Rose visited one of her aunts occasionally. He didn’t know if she had lived in the Silverwood area.

  Kate leaned back against the front of the pickup, the sun beating down on her. Even waving her hand in front of her face did nothing to relieve the heat. The tow truck should be here in the next half an hour. Maybe she should go into the mall for a while to cool off. But what if he came sooner than he thought he could get there?

  She pushed off the hood and looked longingly at the mall where air-conditioning existed for days like today.

  A blond teen, wearing sunglasses, headed toward her. Was one of these blocked cars his?

  The guy frowned and stopped a few feet from her. “That’s my Firebird. Can you move the pickup?”

  “Sorry. It’s stalled. I’ve got a tow truck coming soon.”

  “How soon?” He checked his watch. “I’ve got a job interview. I can’t be late.”

  Kate’s gaze flicked down his tall length. Well, then he should have dressed a little better if he was looking for a job. “If you want to try and push it out of the way, I’ll steer.”

  He grumbled under his breath and started toward the back of the pickup. “I guess I have no choice.”

  Kate moved toward the driver’s door. A blue car turned into the row and drove toward them. She flattened herself against the pickup to let the person go on by, but he braked. Before Kate could react, the blond teen had the blue car’s rear door open and the boy driving jumped out and pushed her toward the back seat.

  Kate swung her fist toward the blond as the other climbed back in the front. She connected with the teen’s jaw, knocking his sunglasses off. She stared into brown eyes that reminded her of pieces of rich milk chocolate. It was only seconds but long enough that he brought a rag up and covered her nose and mouth. A sickly sweet smell of chloroform assailed her, shoving her toward a void.

  18

  Wyatt arrived at the Silverwood’s police station and approached the officer behind the counter. “Where’s Bowen?”

  “He’s gone on a call. Probably be gone for a while.”

  “Did he said anything about me coming by?”

  “No, but then I wasn’t here when he left.”

  “Where is your secretary?”

  “Which one? We have two.”

  Wyatt noticed one at the copier and pointed toward her. “I need to speak with her.” If she wasn’t the one Officer Bowen was talking about then he would find the other secretary.

  “Betty, a ranger is here to talk to you.”

  The young woman looked across the main room at Wyatt. When she saw him, she smiled and said, “Come on back.” She brushed her long black hair behind her ears. When Wyatt was a few feet from her, she put her papers down and squared her shoulders. “What can I do for you?”

  He removed a picture of Rose from the envelope he carried with him and showed it to the woman. “Do you recognize her?”

  She studied the photo of a younger version of Rose. “No.”

  Wyatt passed her the other one of Rose after she arrived at Beacon of Hope.

  She shook her head. “No. Sorry.”

  Wyatt peered over his shoulder at the officer at the counter watching them. Wyatt stepped closer to the young woman and lowered his voice, “Where’s the other secretary?”

  “Gladys is in the back. I’ll go get her for you.”

  The officer strolled over to Wyatt when Betty left. “Is there a problem? Maybe I can help you.”

  Wyatt showed him both photos. “Have you seen this girl around here? It would have been several years ago.”

  “I can’t rightly say. I’ve only been here for a year.”

  Wyatt spied an older lady coming from a back room. Her gaze la
tched onto his, and for a brief few seconds he thought he glimpsed fear in her eyes. But a smile spread slowly over her features, and she held out her hand for him to shake.

  “Officer Bowen told me you might want to see me,” the woman said, her gaze darting to the other officer next to Wyatt.

  “Yes. I thought he would be here.”

  “The police chief needed some backup. He went to help.”

  “Can you tell me about seeing this girl here? Bowen said you recognized her.”

  “I saw her a couple of times in town with her aunt, but I don’t know her name. That was years ago.”

  “How many?”

  “I can’t rightly remember—maybe five or six.”

  “Who is her aunt?”

  “Lydia Johnson.”

  “Where does she live?”

  “She doesn’t. She died several years ago.”

  “She’s dead?” Was this going to be another dead end?

  The sounds of his ring tone blasted the air. Gladys chuckled. “I’m a Western fan. Good movie.”

  Wyatt walked away a few paces and turned his back, then answered his cell.

  “Mr. Sheridan, this is Ashland Mall’s security. A black pickup registered to you is parked in the middle of a row blocking several cars from leaving.”

  Black pickup? The old one is at the ranch? “Is it pretty beat up with rust spots in the hood and back left side?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  “Thank you, Gladys.” He handed her his card. “If you can think of anything else regarding this girl, please let me know.” Wyatt strode toward the exit, paused halfway, and swung back toward the older secretary. “Was Lydia Johnson married?’

  Gladys glanced from the officer at the counter to Wyatt. “No.”

  Wyatt tipped his hat, saying, “Thanks, ma’am,” and continued his trek to the front door.

  The officer behind the counter asked, “Did you get what you needed?”

  “Yes.” Wyatt didn’t break stride. Outside, he quickened his pace even more toward his truck, deciding he would be back to talk with the police chief and Gladys without that officer looking on. The glance she’d sent the man at the counter bothered him. Something didn’t feel right, but, at the moment, he had to see about why his ranch pickup was stalled at the mall.

  As he drove away from the police station, he phoned his mom. “Where are you?”

  “At church.”

  “I just got a call from an Ashland Mall security officer. Our pickup is stalled in their parking lot. I need you to go home and see if it’s gone, then let me know.” Although from what the man said, it was. “You’re closer than I am. If it’s gone, check for the spare keys in the kitchen and for anything else missing.”

  All kinds of alarms were going off in his head. None of them good. Next, he called Maddie’s school because he couldn’t see someone coming to the ranch and stealing that beat-up truck even if he had left the keys in the ignition—which he hadn’t. He prayed she was there, and this was all a mistake.

  But when the secretary at the school notified him that Maddie wasn’t there, his heart began slamming against his chest. What has Maddie done?

  Maddie stared at her house as it came into view. When Susan stopped the car, Maddie sighed and pushed the passenger side door open. “I won’t be long.”

  “Good.” Susan climbed from the car and followed Maddie to the porch. “I’m calling Kate while you change. I thought I would hear something by now.”

  “Maybe she forgot.” Maddie headed for her bedroom.

  “Not Kate. More likely, the tow truck hasn’t come yet.”

  Maddie hurried to her room and grabbed what she had on earlier when her dad made her change. Dorky, but at least it would be acceptable at school. Why are there so many rules I have to follow? Like I don’t have a mind of my own?

  She pulled on her jeans. Her cell rang, and she saw her dad’s number. He never called during school hours since all cells had to be turned off. Did Kate call him after all before she had a chance to tell her dad? Anger seeded itself in her heart and grew.

  “Yes?”

  “Where are you?”

  The tightly controlled voice of her father made her shiver, then her body stiffened. “I’m at home.”

  “Why?”

  “I skipped school today.”

  “Did you drive the pickup to the mall and leave it?”

  Her legs going weak, Maddie sank onto her bed. “Yes, but Kate was going to take care of it. Have a tow truck take it to a garage. I was going to tell you about it this afternoon.” When her dad didn’t say anything to her explanation so far, she plunged forward. “Her friend, Susan, from Beacon of Hope, brought me home to change and she is taking me to school.”

  Again, a silence that knotted her stomach fell between her and her dad. Her grip tightened about the cell. “Dad? Are you there?”

  “I had to pull over so I can continue this conversation. Let me see if I get this straight. You skipped school and drove without a license to the mall in the pickup. What was so important that you would do something like that?”

  Maddie could imagine the fury on her father’s face. Every word he said dripped with it. “I was meeting a boy.” She closed her eyes and waited for the explosion.

  “Nana is coming home. You wait there and do not go to school. Ask Susan to wait until your grandmother comes before she leaves.”

  “I can stay by myself,” she said before she really thought about it.

  “You can? Only someone I can trust can do that. Follow my directions to the letter. I’ll take care of the pickup then be home. Understand? Don’t go anywhere.”

  “Yes.” When she disconnected, the cell slipped from her fingers and fell into her lap. Any anger in her vanished as she heard the disappointment in her father’s voice. Would he ever forgive her?

  Wyatt pulled back into traffic. He was now fifteen minutes away from the mall. At the first stoplight, he called Kate’s cell. It rang and rang until he was asked if he wanted to leave a message.

  “Kate, this is Wyatt. I’m heading to the mall. I got a call about the pickup from security. Call me if you get this before I arrive.”

  Later when he drove into the north end of the mall, he headed for the northeast entrance. He saw the security officer next to his car behind the black pickup. An angry customer gestured wildly at the stalled vehicle. When Wyatt parked behind the mall vehicle, he climbed from his cab and strode toward the security officer and a petite lady with her white hair in a bun. Her words blistered the air.

  The security cop saw Wyatt and gave him a weak smile. “Ma’am, we’re trying to move it. A tow truck is on its way.”

  “Officer, why don’t we push it out of the way so she can back out? I’m Ranger Sheridan.”

  Relief washed over the man’s face. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “I’ll push. You steer.”

  Five minutes later the petite lady backed her Lexus out of the parking space, gunned her accelerator, and sped away.

  The security cop shook his head. “I had been listening to her for ten minutes about how she was going to be late for her doctor’s appointment, and if he charged her for not making her appointment, she was going to send the bill to the mall to pay.”

  “My daughter said that a friend of mine was staying with the pickup. Where did she go?” He needed some answers to what was going on.

  “There was no one here when I arrived thirty minutes ago. In fact, the driver side door was slightly open.”

  “Who called the tow truck?” Wyatt nodded at one coming down the row toward them.

  “That’s not the one I called. The mall uses Mulligan and Sons.”

  When the truck stopped next to them, Wyatt walked over to the driver, a man in his fifties. “Who called you?”

  “Miss Winslow. I would have been here sooner, but there was a wreck I got caught behind. Where is Miss Winslow? Is that the pickup she wanted me to to
w to my garage?”

  “Yes. Did she say she was going to be here waiting for you?”

  “Yeah. I can’t imagine her leaving without calling me. I have to have her permission to transport the pickup.”

  “How long ago did she call you?”

  “Fifty minutes ago.”

  So, there was twenty minutes between her calling for the tow truck and the security officer’s appearance. What happened in that time? Acid roiled his stomach. In the heat of an early afternoon, a chill blanketed him as though it was suddenly winter. Something was wrong. But what?

  “I’ll sign for the truck to be towed. It’s my pickup. I’m Wyatt Sheridan.”

  The man shook Wyatt’s hand. “I’m Bud Masters. Do you want me to see what’s wrong with it and give you an estimate to fix it?”

  “Yes.” Wyatt withdrew a card and passed it to the tow truck driver. “Call my cell when you know it, or if you hear from Kate Winslow.”

  As Masters hooked the pickup to his tow truck, Wyatt swung toward the security officer and gave him a card, too. “If you hear from Kate Winslow, please let me know and have her call me. If you hear anything about where she might be, please let me know. Also, I need you to send me any security coverage from this area of the parking lot for the past hour and ten minutes until you arrived on the scene. The email address is on the back.”

  Then Wyatt climbed into his vehicle and immediately placed a call to Beacon of Hope. Maybe she had to get back there and didn’t have her cell with her. But even as he thought that, he knew what Harriet, who answered, would say.

  “No, the last thing we knew was Kate and Susan were going to pick up your daughter. We haven’t heard from either Kate or Susan. Do you want me to try calling both of them?”

  “I’ll take care of it. Susan is at my ranch. I’m on my way there now.” To get answers from my daughter.

  Her mind a blur, her head pounding, Kate slowly opened her eyes to pitch blackness. A stone floor lay beneath her back. The fear of being trapped in a small space shot a rush of adrenaline through her. She lifted her arms and swept them in a wide arc. Hitting flesh—a leg.