Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4)

by Olivia Jaymes

  Tom was already in the kitchen eating eggs and toast when Jenna went downstairs the next morning, craving a cup of coffee. She wasn't in the best of moods. Knox had left to go see one of his brothers. He'd slipped a note under her bedroom door sometime early this morning. She'd wanted to go with him, of course, but he'd said in his note that he needed to speak to his family on his own.

  She wasn't angry. Not really. She was frustrated, though, that he seemed to think that she was going to be nasty or accusatory with his siblings. He hadn't said so out loud or even in the note but she could see that he didn't quite trust her.

  "The coffee's made," Tom said. He was sitting at the table in the breakfast nook, the newspaper spread out in front of him. "You can have the comic section."

  Jenna had never been much of a morning paper person but she did like to read the funny pages. Garfield was her favorite.

  "Thanks, I'm going to take you up on that." She poured herself some coffee and added cream and sugar before joining him at the table. "I'm surprised to see you still here. I know you like to be in the office early."

  "I have a meeting on this side of town," he explained. "It didn't make sense to go all the way to the office and then drive all the back. I'll go into the office afterward."

  He closed the paper and turned all of his attention on Jenna. "Actually, I was hoping you'd be up early. I wanted to talk to you while Michelle is still asleep."

  Wrapping her hands around the warm mug, she braced herself for the coming conversation. Tom wasn't much of a talker. He was a quiet man who only spoke when he had something important to say.

  "What did you want to talk about? Is...everything okay?"

  His mouth turned down and he took an audible breath. "We need to talk, Jen. Really talk. I know that you have your friend here now to help find out what happened to Lori. This is what we've been waiting and hoping for. For someone to finally take us seriously and look into this. But..."

  "But?"

  He'd been looking down at his empty cup but now he looked up at her. His eyes were shiny with tears. "We have to be realistic. The chances of finding Lori...alive..."

  He broke off, clearing his throat a few times. A large lump had taken up residence in Jenna's throat as well. Her stomach tightened painfully and she was glad she hadn't tried to eat anything yet.

  "I know," she replied quietly. "I know the odds are against us."

  "I know we don't talk about it," he said, his voice shaking. "We pretend that we just need someone to find her and that everything will all be okay again but Jen, I just don't think that's going to happen. I haven't said anything to Michelle. It would break her. She needs to believe, but I know that you're stronger. Tougher. More realistic. You have to know that even if your friend finds Lori. She's..."

  "Probably dead," Jenna finished for him. "I know. But I have hope. I have to have that or I think I'd go insane."

  "I have hope too. I do. But with each passing day it's getting a little harder. You know? I just didn't want you to be heartbroken if this doesn't turn out exactly the way we hope it does."

  "I'll be okay. But what about Michelle? She's going to be devastated."

  He nodded in agreement, his expression somber. "She will be, and I wish I knew some way to spare her what she's going to go through but I just don't know. I've tried to talk to her before, bring it up, but she shuts me down right away. She doesn't want any negative thoughts. She says it's bad luck."

  "We'll be here for her," Jenna vowed. "If the worst happens."

  Tom reached across the table and placed his own hand on hers, giving her a weak smile. "We'll be here for each other. We're a family. Together we can get through this."

  Her chest tight, Jenna gave him the best smile back that she could muster. "Family."

  Clearing his throat again, Tom stood to refill his coffee mug. "Speaking of family, are you going to see Anita today?"

  "Yes, I'm going this morning." She checked the clock on the wall. It was eight -thirty. If she hurried and showered, she could be there in an hour. "I was hoping I could borrow a car but if not, I can call a ride share or taxi."

  "Take the Civic in the garage. The keys are on the peg next to the back door."

  "Thanks, I may do that." Draining her coffee, she stood and placed her cup in the sink. "I better get dressed. Knox and I have a busy day ahead."

  It was time to get to the truth. No matter how painful it might be.

  11

  "You really don't have to go in with me. I'll be fine on my own."

  Jenna had repeated that statement at least three times in the last twenty minutes, but Knox wasn't deterred in the least. He'd shown up at the house just as she'd been about to leave to see Anita and had insisted on driving her there.

  "I'd really like to meet and talk to her," he said. "Ask her about the last time she saw or spoke with Lori."

  "She may not remember. Her memory isn't what it was."

  "You never know," he replied, parking the SUV in a shady spot in front of the house. "It's the smallest details that can be the most help."

  "I'll just warn you again that her memory isn't good. She gets confused easily. She has a nurse that lives in with her to make sure that she takes her medicines and eats every day."

  Knox frowned. "Why doesn't she live in the family house with Tom and Michelle?"

  "That's not our family home. That's Tom's house. He inherited it from his mother. Michelle moved in a few years ago when she sold her condo. It was going to be temporary but they got along well and they decided she would stay." Jenna pointed to the Tudor style dwelling. "This is the family home."

  "I keep forgetting that Tom is from your father's first marriage." Knox paused on the walkway to the front door. "I was actually surprised to meet him. You don't talk about him much."

  "He was so much older than us, I really didn't spend any time with him. He's always been nice though and it was clear that he loved Tom, his father."

  "How did he and Anita get on?"

  "Quite well, although it was rocky in the beginning from what Michelle and Lori said. Anita always said that she wouldn't try and replace his mother."

  The front door opened and Anita stepped out onto the front step, her arms wide open and wearing a smile. Jenna didn't hesitate. She'd had very little affection in her life until she'd come into Tom and Anita's home, but now she realized that it was important to her. She flew into her adopted mother's arms and gave her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her chest swelled with love and a few tears began to well up into her eyes. She needed to spend more time here. She'd been gone too often because of her career.

  "I missed you," she said, hugging Anita again.

  "I missed you too, sweetheart. It's good to see you." Anita looked over Jenna's shoulder. "And who do we have here?"

  Jenna stepped back. "This is my friend, Knox."

  "What an interesting name. Come in, Knox. Do you like iced tea?"

  As usual, Anita didn't wait for an answer. Knox was going to get that iced tea whether he liked it or not. When they walked into the living room, the nurse had already set out a tray of cookies, a pitcher of tea, and two glasses.

  "I'll have Mary get an extra glass," Anita said, sinking into her favorite chair by the front window. She liked to watch the neighborhood hustle and bustle.

  "I'll get it," Jenna offered. Mary usually took the opportunity to run an errand or rest while one of Anita's children were there. "It will only take a minute."

  "Your young man can tell me how he got such an interesting name while you're doing that."

  To be honest, Jenna wouldn't mind hearing that story too. She dashed into the kitchen and grabbed an extra glass before hurrying back into the living room.

  "I'm named after Fort Knox," he was explaining with a big smile. "My grandmother thought it sounded like a strong name since Fort Knox is supposed to be the most secure place ever."

  Jenna poured everyone a glass of tea and then grabbed a cookie. She hadn't eaten any
breakfast this morning. She also made a mental note to ask Knox about his grandmother. For once when speaking about his family, he actually looked happy.

  Anita launched into a story about how she'd come up with names for Michelle and Lori. There was a wistful tone in her voice when she talked about Tom. It was clear that she still missed her late husband greatly.

  "What about you two?" Anita's gaze went from Jenna to Knox and then back to Jenna. "Are you two a couple?"

  Nope, and that's my fault.

  "Just friends," Jenna replied quickly, not wanting to look directly at Knox. She had a bad feeling that her cheeks were bright red. "He's actually helping us with finding Lori."

  Anita's smile immediately fell and her hands twisted together in her lap. "Lori will show up when she's ready. She just needs some time alone. That's what she said."

  Except that Jenna didn't believe that Lori sent that text. Anita wasn't that great with technology and was convinced that they couldn't have received the text unless Lori specifically sent it. They couldn't seem to get her to understand that if someone had Lori's phone, they could send any message they wanted.

  "It's been months, Anita," Jenna said, keeping her tone soft. "We want to be sure that she's okay."

  "She's fine. She's an intelligent girl." Anita nodded and turned her attention to Knox. "Did you ever meet my daughter Lori? She's a smart one. Pretty too."

  "I didn't have the pleasure but she sounds like she's a wonderful daughter, Mrs. Waters."

  "Call me Anita. Everyone does."

  Shifting on the sofa cushion, Knox pulled his phone from his pocket. "Before Lori left, did she ever visit you with a boyfriend named Callum? Cal?"

  "I don't know. That name doesn't sound familiar."

  Anita's voice was shaky and she was paler than only a few minutes before. She was getting tired and that strained her memory. This line of questioning was stressing her out.

  Knox held out the phone. "Could you take a look at the photo, Anita? Did Lori ever come here with a man that looked like that? Did she ever say anything about Cal Owens?"

  With a frown, Anita accepted the phone, studying the photo. "He doesn't look familiar. Should he? I don't think Lori ever mentioned him. Why would she? She already has a nice boyfriend, Will. They're planning to get married next year."

  Tears burned in the back of Jenna's eyes. It had all been going so well. Then...bam. Reality reared its ugly head.

  "Anita, Lori dated Will when they were in college. They broke up several years ago."

  Anita scowled at Jenna. "Lori and Will were here at Easter."

  "Not last Easter," Jenna explained as gently as possible. "Last Easter Michelle and I cooked dinner here for all of us. Tom Junior, too. We had ham and I made my famous macaroni and cheese."

  Anita nodded slowly but Jenna could tell that she didn't remember. She could easily remember little details from their school years but the more recent she didn't seem to retain as well.

  "Where is Will then?"

  "He's in the Army. He's stationed in North Carolina, last I heard."

  "The Army," Anita repeated, her brow furrowed. "That's right. The Army."

  "He might come home at Christmas. If he does, I'm sure he'll stop by to say hello."

  Will had adored Anita and he did stop by when he was visiting his folks.

  "Sometimes I forget things," Anita said to Knox. "My memory isn't what it used to be. Luckily, I have Mary here to help me. And my girls, of course. They take good care of me too."

  "No need to apologize." Knox gave Anita one of his dazzling smiles that Jenna was sure had melted a thousand female hearts. Her adopted mother was no different, smiling back at his show of charm. "We all forget things from time to time."

  They chatted about the weather for the next few minutes and then Mary came downstairs to remind Anita that it was time for her medication. And perhaps she might like to rest for awhile as well?

  "I think that's a good idea," Anita said, rising from her chair. "I am a bit tired. Please excuse me, Knox. I hope you won't think me rude."

  "Not at all," Knox replied, standing also. "It was very nice to meet you, ma'am."

  "Come see me again and bring your friend. I like looking at handsome men," Anita whispered in Jenna's ear when they were hugging goodbye. "Are you sure he's just a friend? I think he could be more."

  Thank heavens Knox didn't hear that. She didn't need him to think that she was pining over him. Because she wasn't. If he didn't want to be a couple, that was fine. Just fine.

  That charming rogue even gave Anita a peck on the cheek before they left. He knew exactly what he was doing. And to women of all ages. There ought to be a law or something.

  "Proud of yourself?" Jenna asked when they climbed back in the SUV. "You've got Anita eating out of the palm of your hand."

  "I was just being nice," he said with a laugh as they pulled out into traffic. "She's a lovely woman."

  "Who thinks you're handsome."

  He shrugged carelessly. "A gene pool accident. But she has good taste."

  They were quiet for awhile before Jenna spoke again. "She has some memory issues. The doctors say it's early onset. She's only sixty-two."

  "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you better before we went in. I apologize for that. Clearly, talking about her daughter upsets her."

  Jenna picked at the hem of her shirt, her gaze on the floor. "Last time I saw her we talked about Lori and she was fine but...she's not getting better, you know? She's only going to get worse as time goes on. It gets bad when she's tired. She may not have slept well last night. She has good days and bad. Today wasn't great."

  "I am sorry I brought it up. I should have listened to you."

  "It's not the first time," she said without thinking. The words came out before she could stop them.

  His gaze didn't stray from the road ahead. "Can we not talk about that? I don't want to argue with you today. We need to work together."

  "I don't want to argue either. Just forget it."

  "I already have."

  "Good. It's no big deal. I get it. I'm a terrible person. Case closed."

  It hurt. She couldn't deny it.

  "You're not– Shit, can we just change the subject?"

  "I already agreed to do that. Where are we going next?"

  "To talk to the detective that looked into your sister's disappearance."

  Jenna laughed but it wasn't with happiness. "I think I should warn you right now that the detective definitely thinks that I'm a terrible person. All because I asked him to do his damn job."

  "Then let me do the talking."

  "Gladly."

  Knox was going to find out that this trip to the police station was a grand waste of time. No one had helped them and no one had cared that Lori had disappeared.

  They were truly on their own.

  12

  Despite what Jenna might think, Knox had modest expectations regarding his meeting with Detective Bauer in Douglas. It was already established that the police had decided not to pursue the investigation after the text that Michelle had received from Lori's phone. As far as Knox was concerned, he had enough doubt not to be completely sure that Lori was the author of that text. All these months later she hadn't attempted to get in touch with her family? It didn't make much sense to him.

  The town of Douglas was about an hour drive away. Knox loved to drive so he sat back in his leather seat and turned on the satellite radio to his favorite country station. His fingers tapped out the rhythm on the steering wheel as the tires ate up the miles to their destination.

  Jenna didn't say much for most of the trip, seemingly content to watch out of the windows and enjoy the scenery. That was something that he liked about her from the very first. She didn't feel the need to fill in all the silences with talking. She spoke when she had something to say. That was it. She was a good listener too. She didn't interrupt him, instead listening intently and only chiming in when he was finished. Anita had been like that t
oo, letting Knox finish his thoughts before she spoke.

  "I noticed that you call your adopted mom by her first name."

  It was really none of his business but for some reason he wanted to know more about Jenna and her family.

  It's because of the investigation. I need to know all I can. It's not because I want to know more about her specifically.

  "Yes, I do. Anita and Tom always said that I could call them Mom and Dad, but...I don't know. I just never did. I think that I have some negative connotations to those designations because of my parents. I should probably seek therapy about it or something before I have kids."

  Jenna would be a good mother. She had patience and kindness.

  "How did Michelle and Lori feel about you calling their parents Mom and Dad?"

  Chuckling, Jenna shook her head. "Still trying to find the family issues? They always encouraged me to do it, but once I explained they backed off. Honestly, we're not dysfunctional. We all get along really well."

  "I wouldn't know a thing about that. I spend as little time with my family as possible."

  "But you basically did the same thing I did. You created your own family."

  "I don't know what you mean. How did I create my own family?"

  Turning in her seat, Jenna faced him. "The way you talk about your co-workers is like a family."

  "I hate that shit," Knox replied. "That whole this office is like a family crap. I have a family. They just suck. Well, most of them do. My younger brother Randy is pretty normal."

  Tilting her head, she tapped her chin. "If your family is such a nightmare, how did you turn out so normal? Or at least almost-normal?"

  "My grandmother. The one who named me. She was great."

  She'd also passed on when Knox was a teenager. She'd made the best apple pies in the universe. He could still taste them in his mind.

  "Did you spend a lot of time with her?"

  "As much as I could, but she didn't live close by. What about you? Any grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins?"

  "I'm sure that I have some but I'm not aware of where or who they are. My mom was an only child and my dad didn't talk to his family. Or rather, they didn't talk to him. For obvious reasons."