Texas Sheriff's Deadly Mission

by Karen Whiddon

  One thing she never wanted to do was lie to him. “I can’t rule it out. Honestly, Parker. She disappeared and has been gone way too long. On top of that, the MO is the same as the other two. Her age, the fact that she, like the others, is an out-of-towner, and her cell phone and car disappeared also.”

  “Put like that, I don’t understand how I can possibly see another outcome, but I do.” He shrugged. “It looks bad, I agree. And yes, I’ll try to be as prepared as anyone could be in this situation. But for whatever reason, I feel Nicole is still alive.”

  Though she’d seen it before, she had to admire his determination to continue to believe in a positive outcome. Maybe she was too jaded, or she’d seen the worst side of humanity in her years as a law enforcement officer, but she couldn’t see how this could possibly end well.

  She took a deep breath and then doggedly continued. “Don’t give up all hope. I want you to understand, though, that we’ve turned this town inside out looking for her. My officers viewed security camera footage of downtown businesses, interviewed waitstaff and gas station attendants, as many townspeople as we could, and have nothing to show she even visited Getaway. If not for that social media post she made with our city-limits sign, I’d be inclined to believe she never even stopped here.”

  The bleak look on his face tore at her heart. “I can’t give up hope. I just can’t.”

  Feeling awful, she touched his arm. “I understand. And if she’s alive and in Getaway, we will find her. I promise.”

  Normally, the drive into Abilene relaxed her. Today, though, she couldn’t seem to let go of some sort of supercharged tension. Glancing at the big man sitting silently in her passenger seat, she swallowed hard. She knew of one way to dissipate that tension, but it sure as hell didn’t involve food or leaving town.

  Maybe later. If she had anything to say about it, definitely later.

  As predicted, the only people in the restaurant were the happy-hour crowd taking up half the bar. A few older patrons occupied the dining room, but there were plenty of tables and they were seated immediately.

  Drinks were ordered—beer for him and a glass of Shiraz for her while they studied the menu. He ordered a T-bone steak, medium rare, with baked potato and the house salad. Once the waitress left, Parker leaned forward. Something in his expression, a glint in his eye, made her catch her breath.

  “I’d like to tell you about myself,” he said quietly, leaning back in his chair and regarding her with a serious expression. “You’ve never asked, and I always wondered if you performed a background check or something.”

  This made her wince. “I didn’t. Everything happened too fast. And since we’re keeping things casual, I didn’t think I needed to. Not only are you ex-military, but Sam would have said something if you were a criminal.”

  “I met John, Nicole’s brother in Afghanistan,” he continued. “We served together and became good friends.”

  She nodded. “I remember you telling me that. I don’t think I ever said thank you for your service, so I’ll say that now.”

  Now it was his turn to wince. “Since I got out, I’ve picked up a few odd jobs here and there, but mostly I’ve been living on my savings. I saved quite a bit while in the Marines.”

  “What do you do for a trade?”

  “I’m a damn good auto mechanic. And I’m even better at restoring cars. Someday, I plan to open my own shop.”

  Their salads arrived, giving her a minute or two to collect her thoughts. Heaven help her if she hadn’t been on the verge of suggesting he return to Getaway and open his business here. Luckily, she’d caught herself in time.

  “What about motorcycles?” she asked instead. “Do you customize them, too?”

  “I have.” He shrugged. “While I love my Harley, my passion is restoring cars.”

  His passion. Hearing the thread of excitement in his voice made her entire body tingle. To distract herself, she focused on her salad, eating with single-minded determination.

  “What about you?” he asked, when she didn’t speak again. “Have you always wanted to be a cop?”

  “Pretty much.” Looking up, she smiled. “Actually, I wanted to be like one of those detectives in the television shows. Where lab test results come back in a day and people work around the clock, scouring camera footage until a perp is located. I learned really quickly how unrealistic those were.”

  “Where did you go to police academy?” he asked.

  His question made her tense up, searching his face to see if he knew. When he only continued to eat his salad, occasionally glancing up at her, she relaxed slightly. “Houston. It was tough but enjoyable. I got a job offer from Houston PD, but I ended up going to work in one of the suburbs.”

  “Sounds like that would be less dangerous,” he said.

  “It was.” Bracing herself in case he decided to ask for specifics, she considered what she might say. Sam knew, of course. He’d been fully aware of the circumstances of her internal-affairs investigation when he’d called to offer her a job as patrol officer in Getaway. For all she knew, he might have mentioned it to his nephew, though unlikely. Sam had never been one to break confidences or gossip.

  Should she come clean with Parker? After all, she hadn’t done anything wrong except be too trusting and naive. She hated to imagine what he’d think of her, the normally competent and efficient law enforcement officer making such a terrible mistake.

  Did Parker even have a right to know? After all, they’d made it clear they weren’t embarking on any kind of relationship.

  She couldn’t decide. To her relief, the steaks arrived.

  “This looks perfect.” Parker smiled at the waitress, making her blush.

  Trying not to roll her eyes, Rayna shook her head instead, smiling. She couldn’t blame the waitress. With his rugged masculinity, and bad-boy good looks, Parker tended to have that effect on women. At least, she amended silently, he had that effect on her.

  Though the steak had been perfectly cooked and melted in her mouth, Rayna had to force herself to eat. This angst over her past wasn’t like her. The only people who knew of her mistake were her mother and Sam. She really didn’t intend on widening that circle.

  “You don’t like yours?” Parker looked up from his half-eaten meal. “Isn’t it cooked right? Let me call the waitress.”

  “No need.” She waved his concerns away. “It’s fine. I’m just stressing a bit, that’s all. Ignore me and eat your delicious steak.”

  Instead, he put his fork down. “What’s stressing you?”

  Wishing she’d never brought it up, she shook her head. “I don’t want to discuss it. Enjoy your dinner. Maybe we’ll talk about it on the way home.”

  Chapter 8

  As they left the restaurant, Parker took a chance and reached for her hand. She glanced at him, clearly surprised, but kept her fingers laced with his until they reached her car.

  The simple gesture made warmth blossom inside him that stayed with him long after she pulled her hand free and they got in the cruiser.

  He suspected what had been bothering her in the restaurant. He’d pried a little too much, made her uncomfortable, and figured she questioned her decision to go to dinner with him. She had no idea that he’d done a little digging and already knew the details of her past relationship. Well, maybe not all of them. This guy must have been something, to pull one over on a woman as sharp as Rayna. No wonder she had trouble letting down her guard.

  He tried not to mind.

  “Did y’all ever have any luck locating Talinthia Dowling’s family?” he asked.

  “No.” She shot him a quick, curious glance. “I’m surprised you remembered her name.”

  “How could anyone forget a name like that? It’s pretty uncommon.”

  “It is. We even located her social media accounts.” Rayna drummed her fingers on the steering wheel
as she drove. “None of them have been touched since the day she disappeared. I’ve got people talking to people she had listed as friends, but as far as anyone knew, she had no immediate family. No parents or siblings, at least that she knew of. She recently aged out of the foster care system. She worked part-time to help put herself through college.”

  “She sounds like she was driven,” Parker commented. “Someone determined to make a future for herself.”

  “I agree. And then to have it end like this.” Rayna shook her head. “I’m still waiting to learn the identity of the first victim.”

  She drove like she did everything else, with quiet competence. Parker allowed himself to admire her profile, hoping he wasn’t being too obvious about it.

  When they arrived back in Getaway, she drove straight to his motel and parked. “I enjoyed it,” she said, smiling with ease. “Now I’ve got to get home to my family.”

  He nodded, about to get out before he reconsidered. Leaning over, he kissed her. One quick, firm press of his mouth on hers. “See you around,” he said before exiting the car.

  After that, he forced himself to go to his room without looking back, even though she remained parked until he opened the door and stepped inside. Then and only then did she drive away.

  Time to call John. He’d put it off long enough, aware he couldn’t lie to his best friend, but afraid of what knowing the truth might do to him.

  Taking a deep breath, he dialed the number for John’s cell phone. The call went straight to voice mail. This in itself wasn’t unusual, as John might be having a medical test, a shower or meeting with a physician.

  Parker left a message and then tried the number for the hospital room. Someone answered on the second ring.

  “Room 802.” A feminine voice, sounding professional and slightly detached. “How may I help you?”

  Damn. His heart stuttered in his chest. “I’m trying to reach John Wilson. Is he available?” All the while bracing himself, hoping John hadn’t died.

  “He’s undergoing some tests right now,” she said. “You might try again in an hour.”

  The relief that flooded through him left him weak in the knees. “Thank you. I’ll do that.”

  After ending the call, he dropped onto his bed. They had to find Nicole. Had to. He wasn’t sure how much longer John had left.

  To be on the safe side, he waited two hours before trying John again. This time, his friend answered, his voice weak. His tone lightened when he realized it was Parker and he spent a couple minutes detailing the results of the last round of tests.

  “The tumor has shrunk,” he said. “Enough that they’re going ahead and sending me home.”

  “Home?” Privately, Parker wondered if John would be strong enough to go home.

  “Yep. There’s nothing more they can do for me here. Actually, the only reason they didn’t kick me out sooner is because I started having seizures.”

  Damn. Parker momentarily closed his eyes. “Did they figure out what was causing them?”

  “Yep. The cancer has metastasized to my brain.” John sounded so cheerful that it took a minute for his words to register.

  Parker swallowed back a curse. This was bad. Very bad. For far too long it seemed he’d been watching his best friend slowly die. Now, things had accelerated.

  “I’m sorry, man,” Parker managed to say. “Really sorry.”

  “You ought to be. Where’s my sister?” John asked jokingly. “It’s taking way too much time for you to find her. Has she been in some kind of trouble?”

  Though Parker hated to lie to his friend, he also didn’t want to add to John’s worries. Part of him thought the time had arrived to come clean, fill John in on Nicole’s disappearance. The other part, the side that still held out hope that Nicole would be found safe, preferred to simply show up in Dallas with her by his side.

  In the end, Parker went with what he’d have wanted John to do if their situations had been reversed. He told the truth. Or at least some of it.

  “I don’t know, John. I can’t find her.”

  Silence. Then, predictably, John thought Parker might be joking. “Come on, man. I’m serious. What’s taking so long?”

  “I’m telling you the truth. Nicole disappeared. The last time anything was posted on any of her social media accounts was two weeks ago, at a welcome sign on the city limits of a small town near Abilene. The sheriff’s office has looked, but can’t find anything.” He kept talking, filling the stunned silence with words, as if that could somehow make things better.

  “I’m here now,” he continued, when John still didn’t speak. “I’m looking for her, too. Making sure the sheriff’s office stays on top of things.”

  “Nicole...disappeared?” The hollowness in John’s tone was a knife in Parker’s heart. “I wondered what was going on, but...how is that possible? Did you find her car, her phone, anything that might show you where she went?”

  “No. There hasn’t been any sign of her.”

  “That’s why she hasn’t been returning my calls. I’ve probably left her three or four messages a day over the last week.” John made a sound, a cross between a curse and a sob. “Find her, Parker. Please, I thought I had more time.”

  “I’m trying my best,” Parker replied, well aware that wasn’t enough. “If it helps any, the local psychic says Nicole is still alive.” The instant he heard himself, he inwardly cringed.

  “A psychic?” John asked. “Now I know you’re truly desperate.”

  Since Parker still hadn’t revealed that two shallow graves with female remains had been discovered and the very real possibility that Nicole had been grabbed by this same person, he understood John’s disbelief. They had always been skeptics when it came to things like psychics and paranormal activities.

  “It can’t hurt, right?” Parker said. “I’m going to let you go. I promise I’ll call you the instant I have news.”

  “It’s been two weeks.” Not only did John sound exhausted, but defeated, too. “Where the hell could she have gone?”

  “I don’t know.” No way in hell did Parker plan to mention the suspected serial killer. He managed to get off the phone but then sat with his head in his hands, trying not to despair.

  That night, his dreams were a strange mixture of happiness and sorrow. Rayna danced in and out of them, sometimes remote and professional and other times, sensual and beguiling. He hated himself for wanting her, for allowing that desire to distract him from what he needed to do most of all—find Nicole.

  He went out for breakfast, needing to be around other people, though he couldn’t really pour his heart out to a total stranger. Three times he reached for his phone to call Rayna, knowing she’d understand, but didn’t go through with it. After his conversation with John, he knew taking a step back from this undefined thing with Rayna would be wise. After all, his best friend was dying, Nicole was still missing and yet he was spending time with a beautiful woman.

  After breakfast, he took his bike for a spin, riding out to the field where the two women’s remains had been found. He pulled up and parked, staring at the yellow crime scene tape fluttering in the breeze. Though the sheriff’s office and the coroner had finished, the area still remained blocked off, as if in warning to any casual passerby.

  Walking to the edge of the area, he stood and looked out over the field. Were there other bodies buried there? He’d read somewhere that serial killers generally stuck to the same area. No doubt Rayna or the FBI would begin searching. He wondered what they’d find. He couldn’t help but hope Nicole wasn’t buried there.

  Jamming his hands into his jean pockets, he sighed. Despite all his skepticism in the past, he couldn’t help but hope Serenity’s prediction would turn out to be correct. Nicole was alive. She had to be. He just needed to locate her and get her to her brother’s bedside before John passed away.

 
* * *

  Once the ME had provided identification of the first victim—another stranger named Marilyn Gull, also from out of town and who had gone missing two months ago—Rayna performed the painful and unpleasant task of notifying her next of kin. Marilyn had been young, twenty-six, and had lived in Odessa. She’d been reported missing three months ago by her parents, who’d become alarmed when she didn’t show up for church one Sunday morning. No trace of her had been found, not even her vehicle or cell phone. Rayna found the similarities between her and Nicole Wilson alarming, to say the least. Still, she took care not to mention anything of her concern to Parker.

  Making these kind of awful phone calls made Rayna queasy. Still, she dialed the number, took a deep breath and got ready to break a total stranger’s heart.

  Once it was over—the anguished sobs, the anger and, finally, the acceptance—she hung up the phone and cradled her head in her hands, on the verge of tears herself.

  She took a deep breath, trying to steady her shaken nerves. It didn’t help. Finally, she got up, grabbed her car keys and decided to go for a drive. Sometimes driving around on back roads with her windows down and country music blasting helped her feel better.

  “I’m going out,” she said to Mary as she rushed past. Mary, who’d known what kind of phone call Rayna had made, simply nodded.

  Pulling out of the parking lot, Rayna took every shortcut she knew to put town behind her. She didn’t want to go anywhere near where the two bodies had been found, so she headed north and east, aiming her car for the least-populated area in the county.

  When she passed the last farmhouse on the left, she knew there’d be nothing but open fields for miles. She rolled down the windows, cranked up the radio, singing along to Brooks & Dunn’s classic song “My Maria.”

  She felt better almost immediately. Nothing could take away what had happened to poor Talinthia Dowling. But Rayna was in the unique position of being able to do one thing to help give the family closure. She would find the killer and bring him or her to justice.