by Lynn Shannon
Keeping watch. There was an alarm system on the house, but his dad wouldn’t count on it alone. Grady understood. He’d been making his own rounds at night.
“I feel bad,” Tara continued. “I hate putting your family in this position.”
“You didn’t do anything. The only person to blame is the monster doing this. Besides, my dad would lose a whole lot more sleep worrying about you and Maddy if you weren’t here where he can keep you safe. He cares about you. We all do.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You have a way of putting things in a whole new perspective and making me feel better.”
“Good.”
He cupped her face, brushed his thumb against the curve of her cheek. Their gazes met. Held. His pulse kicked higher.
Tara’s focus shifted to his lips. “If you keep distracting me, I’m going to burn your omelet.”
“It’ll be worth it.”
He tilted his head down and captured her mouth with his. She leaned into him, bringing her body closer. Her lips were soft and he lingered, relishing the stolen moment, pouring all of the emotions he couldn’t put into words in his kiss.
Something wet and slimy touched his neck. He broke the embrace, his nose wrinkling. “I think she oozed me.”
Tara laughed. She ripped off a few paper towels and handed them over. “Sorry.”
“I’ve been covered in worse.” He wiped Maddy’s chin before mopping the spit up from his neck. “Try to keep it in the tummy, kid.”
She blinked at him. Her eyes were glazed and red. Poor thing really didn’t feel good. He kissed her forehead. “Tara, do you need to go into the office today?”
“No. Carol is amazing. After I called last night, she managed to reach everyone who had an appointment. Thankfully, most of them were routine issues we can put off for a few days. If anyone has anything urgent, they can call my cell.”
The scent of sizzling bacon filled the kitchen. Grady’s stomach growled. “If we need, we can make house calls. I’ll go with you.”
“Thanks. We’ll play it by ear and see how it goes. Right now, I want to put as much energy as possible into catching this guy.” Her hand tightened on the spatula, the knuckles turning white. “Last night proved to me he isn’t going to go away.”
Grady had come to the same conclusion. “I had a forensic team out to Vikki’s house. They didn’t find fingerprints, but we might get DNA from the cigarettes.”
The problem was DNA took time. And they needed something to match it to. If they were lucky, the guy was already in the system. Maddy shifted against him. The baby had fallen asleep, her long lashes casting shadows on her cheeks.
I’m gonna get him, baby girl. I’m not going to let anything happen to you or your momma.
“What can we do in the meantime?” Tara asked. “What about talking to Vikki’s other friends?”
“Officers are going through the list you gave. However, I want to talk to your next-door neighbor Ken Hastings.”
“Ken?” Tara slid the omelet onto a plate and divided it into two. She added bacon and toast. “Why?”
“I came across his interview in Vikki’s file. Apparently, he went to high school with her.”
“That’s not surprising. They are about the same age and Sweetgrass only has one high school.”
She reached out to take his hand and bowed her head. Grady blessed their food. He used his fork to cut the omelet. Taste exploded in his mouth. Cheese, peppers, and tomatoes.
“This is fantastic.” He cut another piece. “What was Vikki and Ken’s relationship like?”
She lifted a shoulder. “They used to go out sometimes, but Vikki told me it was just as friends. She liked him, but I don’t think there was anything romantic between them.”
“What about Ken?”
“I know he cared about her. Whatever was going on between them, there wasn’t any bad blood. Why?”
“Ken told the detectives there was trouble between Vikki and her brother. He specifically said they should take a hard look at Dan.”
Her mouth popped open. “He’s never said anything to me. I know he isn’t fond of Dan, but…I told him about the reward I’d put up for any information into Vikki’s murder. He knows I was determined to get to the truth. Why wouldn’t he have told me about his suspicions?”
“That’s a good question.” Grady’s hand tightened around the fork. “And it’s one we should ask.”
Eleven
Grady took a chance, hoping Ken would be at home, and was rewarded when the front door swung open revealing a man in his late twenties wearing sweatpants and a Patriots T-shirt. His face was clean-shaven and angular with a large nose. Ken’s attention landed on Tara and his eyes lit up behind his glasses.
“Hey, Tara. How are you? I knocked on your door the other day, but you didn’t answer. I heard about Maddy. Is everything okay?”
“Maddy’s fine, thank goodness. I haven’t been at home much. I’m staying with friends.”
Grady stepped forward to shake the other man’s hand. “Texas Ranger Grady West. Do you mind if we come in and talk to you?”
Concern flickered across the other man’s expression, but he didn’t hesitate to open the door wider. “Of course not. Although I should warn you, I have to get to work soon.”
“We’ll try and keep it short.”
The house was a two-story, modeled after Tara’s own with an open floor plan. A book on cybersecurity sat on the coffee table next to an empty plate with a few crumbs, and a comedy re-run played on the flat-screen television.
Ken picked up the remote, and clicked the TV off. “What has my brother done this time?”
“What makes you think this has anything to do with your brother?”
He snorted. “When doesn’t it? Wayne’s been in and out of jail since he was seventeen- years-old. He’s caused enough trouble for ten lifetimes.”
“It’s not about Wayne,” Tara assured him. “It’s about Vikki.”
Ken let out a breath and his shoulders dropped. “Oh. Well, that’s a relief.”
He seemed to realize the reaction was a touch dismissive because he quickly added, “Sorry, that came out wrong. It’s just I’ve gotten so used to police showing up on my doorstep because of Wayne.” Ken gestured to the couch. “Take a seat. Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee?”
“Nothing for me, thanks,” Grady said.
“Me either. Thank you for the offer,” Tara said.
Grady removed his hat and gestured toward the book. “You like cybersecurity?”
“I’m a Security Specialist for Freeman so I work hard to keep up on the latest vulnerabilities.”
Freeman Security provided everything from home alarm systems to cybersecurity programs. Grady joined Tara on the couch. “Do you like it?”
“They pay well, which is important. My mom has diabetes and my brother isn’t any help. Keeping up with her medical bills isn’t easy.” Ken folded his frame into the recliner and swiveled to face the couch. “I don’t know how much I can help you with Vikki’s murder. I’ve already told the other detectives everything I know.”
“We’re just making sure nothing has been missed. As I understand it, you knew Vikki for a long time.”
“Kinda…” He pushed his glasses further up on his nose. “We went to high school together, but it wasn’t until she moved in next door that we became friends.”
“Did she ever mention any trouble to you? Anything that was bothering her?”
Grady purposefully left out the information he already knew. He wanted to see how much of Ken’s statement would match the previous one he’d given to the detectives shortly after Vikki’s murder.
The other man hesitated. He let out a breath. “She was having issues with her brother, Dan. He was constantly after her for money. She gave him some for a while, but it never seemed to end. Dan’s had a problem with gambling as well as drugs. He stole stuff from their parents and, after they died, blew through his inheri
tance. That’s when he started getting arrested for breaking and entering.”
“She never mentioned any of this to me,” Tara said.
“No, Vikki was private about it. She probably wouldn’t have told me either except we were at the movies one night when Dan confronted her. He wanted money, and she refused to give it to him. The conversation got heated before he drove off. Vikki started crying. I comforted her and we got to talking about our brothers. I think it made her feel better to know she wasn’t the only one with a screwed-up family.”
“How long ago was this confrontation?” Grady asked.
“It was right after he got out of prison, about a year before her death. Vikki wanted Dan to turn his life around. She convinced him to go to church and the pastor talked with him. After that, she said their relationship got a lot better.”
“But you still think Dan had something to do with her murder?”
Ken held up his hands. “I didn’t say that exactly. I told the detectives it was an avenue to pursue. Listen, addicts have a habit of falling off the wagon. Even if things between Dan and Vikki were fine, it was always possible they could take a turn for the worse.”
True enough. Grady made a mental note to reach out to his counterparts. He knew first-hand illegal gambling rings were hard to track. Even if Dan hadn’t been arrested at one, it didn’t mean he wasn’t using them.
“If you thought Dan might be responsible, why didn’t you say anything to me?” Tara asked.
His brow wrinkled. “Because I told the detectives. I assumed they would pursue the lead, and when nothing happened, I figured I was wrong. Are you telling me they didn’t?”
“No, they did,” Grady said. “Again, we’re just trying to ensure nothing was missed.”
“I’m sorry, Tara. Maybe I should have said something, but I didn’t want to smear his name. Sweetgrass is a small town and rumors can run wild. Goodness knows, I’ve been on the wrong end of a few with Wayne’s criminal history.”
His reasoning made sense. Grady could understand why he would hesitate to share the information. Everything Ken had said so far tracked with the statement he’d given to police earlier. But there were a few new questions Grady needed to ask.
“Did you and Vikki ever date?”
“We went out as friends but nothing more than that.” He sighed. “Between work and my mom, I don’t have the time for relationships.”
“Did Vikki ever talk about Travis Cobb?”
Ken’s mouth tightened. “I warned her away from him. The guy is bad news. He’s been arrested a few times, and he’s married. The last thing Vikki needed was to get involved with a married man.”
There was something in Ken’s tone. A protectiveness. Had he been jealous of Travis? Maybe. Or maybe it was exactly as he said. He didn’t want Vikki to make a bad decision.
“What about Maddy’s father?” Tara asked. “Did Vikki ever talk about him?”
“It was some guy she’d met. A soldier.”
Grady leaned forward. “She ever mention his name?”
“No. Like I said, Vikki was private.” Ken checked the watch on his wrist. “Listen, I hate to do this, but I have to finish getting ready for work. I don’t want to be late.”
“Of course.” Grady rose and pulled out a business card. “If you think of anything else, even if it’s small, give me a call.”
“I will.”
He escorted them to the door and opened it. Grady paused. “Hey, Ken, one more thing. Have you noticed anyone hanging around Vikki’s house? Since her death, I mean.”
“Yeah. I’ve seen Dan coming and going from time to time.” His brow furrowed. “He has a key. Vikki gave it to him.”
Tara wiped a drop of milk from the bottom of Maddy’s lip and laid her in the crib. The baby sighed, tossing her hands over her head. They drifted to the mattress as she settled in. The nightlight caressed her face.
Tara’s heart squeezed. Maddy was so small and defenseless. They were making headway on the case, but every step forward created more questions than answers. She bent over and kissed Maddy’s forehead before raising the crib’s side. She grabbed the baby monitor, taking it with her from the room.
A tea kettle whistled. Her feet made no sound against the tile floor, but still Grady turned as she entered the kitchen. The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile that didn’t quite manage to reach his eyes. “Maddy sleeping?”
“Finally. Where is everyone?”
“Mom and Dad went to bed. Janet had work in the morning, so she left a while ago.” He removed the kettle from the stove. “I dug around inside the cabinets and scrounged up some tea. It’s not green, though. And I don’t have cookies.”
A lump formed in the middle of her throat at his thoughtfulness. “Never mind. Your mom made enough food for an army. I might not eat until next week.”
“Crisis management Tatum-style. Problems are a lot easier to solve when your belly is full of fried chicken and apple pie.”
She chuckled. “Mind if we walk outside a little? It would be nice to work off a bit of this meal before I sleep.” Tara lifted the baby monitor. “This reaches all the way to the fence line, and I’ll have some tea when we get back.”
“Sure thing.”
She grabbed a light jacket and they went outside. The brisk air was scented with the faint smell of woodsmoke and grass. Tara took several deep breaths. Her shoulders relaxed. Overhead, stars sprinkled across the night sky.
“Gosh, it’s beautiful here. Hard to believe there’s more rain predicted tonight with the sky so clear.” She tucked her hands in her pockets. She dreaded opening the conversation, but delaying wasn’t going to make it any easier. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what Ken told us today, but I can’t make heads or tails of it. I have a hard time believing Dan is behind all of this. Honestly, I can’t figure out what motive he would have to kill Vikki and then months later try to kidnap Maddy. None of it makes sense.”
“How many people knew about the guardianship arrangement?”
His question threw her. She blinked. “The lawyer did, but I’m not sure about anyone else. I didn’t even know.”
“I contacted our Criminal Division. Dan’s name has been linked with a gambling ring running in the area. There’s no proof, just rumors, but it confirms what Ken told us.” They reached the fence line, and Grady leaned against it. “I suspect Dan didn’t know you were made Maddy’s guardian. Without those papers, he would’ve been her next of kin.”
“You think he murdered his sister in cold blood because he wanted her money? Vikki didn’t have any.”
“She had more than Dan. Ken told us he confronted her at the movies. Maybe he lured her to that country road to ask for money. When she refused, he shot her.”
“But he didn’t rob her. Her cell phone and purse were still in the vehicle.”
“Too easy to trace. Dan’s been arrested for burglary several times. He knows how the game is played. He wouldn’t have risked it. We may have been approaching this from the wrong angle. We assumed ransom wasn’t the motive because Maddy didn’t inherit any money. But you’re her mother now. How much would you pay to get her back?”
Tara stepped away from him. She didn’t need to answer. He already knew.
Everything. She would give everything she had to get Maddy back.
She shook her head. Logically, she was following him, but emotionally…Tara wasn’t ready to go down that road. “Dan’s impulsive. I can’t believe he would have the discipline to pull this off.”
“He may have learned his lesson from his previous crimes. Criminals in jail talk. Teach each other things. We shouldn’t underestimate him. I think Dan’s a lot smarter than people give him credit for.”
“Where did he get the truck? The one that ran us off the road? The police looked at his, and it didn’t have a scratch on it.”
“Travis. They’re friends. It could explain why Travis was worried when we pulled him in for questioning and why he refused to let us i
nspect his shop.” Grady sighed. “There’s something else, Tara. Officers went out to Dan’s house to bring him in for questioning. They couldn’t find him. His truck was missing, and he hasn’t been to work in three days.”
She hugged herself. The swirling emotions were hard to decipher. Inexplicably, tears welled, making the stretch of land beyond the fence blur.
“I’m sorry,” Grady whispered. “I don’t want to cause you more pain.”
“It’s not your fault. I don’t know why I’m so upset.”
His hands clasped her shoulders. “Because you can’t stand the thought of someone you know doing this.”
No. She couldn’t. Especially Maddy’s uncle.
Grady’s gaze met hers. The moonlight caressed his features, casting them in a pale blue glow. His jaw was scruffy with whiskers. She raised her hand and cupped his face. Her thumb traced the curve of his jaw, lightly skipping over the scrape on his skin.
His fingers encircled her forearm, drawing her closer, until their mouths met.
The kiss heated her from the inside out. This man was a mass of contradictions. He threw himself in front of trucks to save children and rumbled with some of the roughest criminals in Texas, but he could also be tender and gentle. One hand pressed against her back. The other cradled her head. She felt feminine in his arms. Desired. He touched her like she was everything he needed.
It made her want. Want for things she wasn’t sure were even possible. Or smart. Tara broke the kiss and dropped her head to his chest. “What are we doing? Grady, I don’t want to ruin our friendship or mess up my relationship with your family.”
“Let’s get one thing straight right now. We will always be friends. As far as my family goes, no one knows about us and that’s exactly how it can stay if you don’t want to take things any further.”
“That all sounds good, Grady, but it isn’t realistic. You know. I know. It changes things.”
“Sweetheart, I’ve been hiding my feelings for you for the last eight months. I’ve gotten pretty good at it.”