Settling an Old Score

by Delores Fossen

  “Jack’s okay,” Eli answered, but he had no idea if that was even true. That’s because the one person who could tell them their father’s killer was Caroline, and a head injury prevented her from remembering.

  Ashlyn’s glance was more of a flat look to let him know that she didn’t buy the part about Jack being okay. Or any of them, for that matter. They’d lost their father and couldn’t bring his killer to justice. That ate away at all of them. Eli liked to think that he had less in the eating away department because he was still feeling lower than dirt about Marta’s murder. Both deaths, though, had left plenty of holes in him.

  “It’s all clear,” Gunnar announced when he came back into the living room. He tipped his head to the sofa. “I’ll crash in here for a while. That way, I can hear if anyone drives up.”

  Eli had been about to make the same offer, but since Gunnar got to it first, he’d crash on the floor outside where Ashlyn would be. Jack wouldn’t mind if Eli slept in his bed, but the master was at the end of the hall with the office in between it and the guest room. Until Eli was certain there was no longer a threat, he didn’t want to be that far away from Ashlyn and Cora.

  He led Ashlyn into the guest room and immediately saw a problem. “Sorry, no crib. I can try to get one—”

  “No. It’s okay. We won’t be here that long.”

  It sounded as if she had some other plan in mind. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking. Either way, he didn’t press it.

  “I can put Cora on a quilt on the floor,” Ashlyn added, and she brushed a kiss on the baby’s head. “I don’t want her on the bed because she’s started to roll over, and she might fall off.”

  Since she had her hands full, Eli helped with the bedding issue. There was an extra cover folded on top of the dresser, and he spread it out on the floor. He was pretty sure he’d find some more bedding in the hall closet for Gunnar and him.

  “The bathroom’s attached,” Eli explained, tipping his head to one of the doors. “Don’t know if it’s got what you need, but if not, let me know and I’ll have one of the ranch hands bring it over.”

  Ashlyn nodded again and muttered a thanks. “What happens next?” she asked just as Eli had turned to leave. “About the investigation,” she clarified when he stared at her.

  Hell. For just a split second, he’d let the old heat creep into his body, and it was a reminder of how easy it would be to lose focus.

  “I’ll see if Kellan has any updates. Then I need to make some calls to the hospital and funeral home. I want to talk personally to the folks who dealt with Marta’s records.” And he didn’t give a rat that it was the wee hours of the morning. He wanted answers right away.

  “You’ll let me know if you find anything?” she pressed.

  He nodded and got out of there. The best way to regain focus was to put some distance between Ashlyn and him. Of course, there was no chance his body was going to let him forget that she was just a door away.

  Eli went back into the living area where Gunnar was already stretched out on the sofa. Not asleep yet, but from the looks of it, he soon would be, so Eli went into the laundry room just off the kitchen to make his calls. He tried the contact number at the hospital first.

  No answer. Which didn’t please him.

  That displeasure went up a significant notch when the answering service for the funeral home transferred his call, only to have it unanswered as well. It went to voice mail, and Eli left a scathing message for the person in charge to call him immediately. If he hadn’t heard from them in a few hours, he would have SAPD go to the place with a search warrant. A warrant he was certain that he could get since he could tie it to the attack tonight.

  Eli was about to try Kellan next, but before he could do that, his phone buzzed, and he saw his brother’s name on the screen. Good. Well, maybe. He hoped Kellan wasn’t calling with more bad news.

  “It looks like we got a break,” Kellan said the moment that Eli answered. “I’m sending you something that I’m sure you’ll want to see.”

  * * *

  WHEN CORA GRINNED at her and flailed her arms and legs in excitement, Ashlyn couldn’t help but smile back. She was still shaken from the attack the night before, still trying to get past the fatigue of too little sleep, but it was impossible to stay gloomy when looking at her little girl.

  Ashlyn finished dressing the baby, picking her up from the quilt on the floor and giving her kisses on her cheeks and neck. The sound that Cora made wasn’t quite a laugh, more of a breathy babble. Like the grin, it also lifted Ashlyn’s spirits. Yes, there was a lot of danger and uncertainty right now, but she didn’t have a single doubt about the love she felt for her baby.

  A child she’d thought she would never have.

  It didn’t matter that she hadn’t been the one to give birth to Cora. The little girl was hers in every way that counted, and she would make sure she was not only safe but happy.

  “It’s me,” Eli said a split second before there was a knock on the door.

  “Come in,” Ashlyn answered.

  He did, almost hesitantly, and he seemed relieved that she was up and dressed. Ashlyn had made sure of that. She’d gotten up before Cora so she could grab a quick shower so that she would be ready to go if something went wrong. And so that Eli wouldn’t walk in on her when she was wearing only a T-shirt that she’d slept in.

  With his hands crammed in the pockets of his jeans, Eli walked in. Not too close, though. He stood there eyeing Cora while the baby eyed him. Ashlyn studied him as well and wished that she hadn’t.

  Mercy, no one should look that good after the horrible night they’d had. Yet he managed it in his jeans that were snug and loose in all the right places. The gray shirt also had a too-good fit, and it was nearly the same color as his eyes. The top three buttons were undone, but in her mind it was as if it were fully open so she could see his chest—which she knew was as incredible as the rest of him.

  He followed her gaze, nearly causing her to curse because he’d caught her gawking at him, but then Eli only shrugged. “I raided Jack’s closet for some clean clothes.”

  Oh, so maybe he hadn’t realized the gawking after all. Good. There was enough heat still stirring between them without her adding that to the mix.

  Cora made another of those cooing babbles and reached out a hand to Eli. Apparently, Cora had the knack for making Eli smile, too, because the corner of his mouth hitched, and he went to them, sinking down onto the floor. He stunned Ashlyn when he pulled Cora into his arms.

  “She’s a cute kid,” Eli muttered. “And she smells good.”

  It took Ashlyn a few seconds to get her mouth working. “Baby soap. There was some in the supplies that Gunnar brought in. I bathed Cora in the bathroom sink.” She paused. “You seem pretty comfortable holding a baby.”

  He shrugged again. “I’ve had some practice with Owen’s daughter, Addie. She’s a year and a half old now, and we’ve all taken our turns babysitting.”

  A surprise that Eli would involve himself in that, but then Owen’s wife had died in childbirth so he’d likely needed the help.

  “Don’t puke on me,” Eli playfully told Cora as he lifted her into the air.

  Cora didn’t puke, but she did act as if Eli was the greatest thing since baby formula. The playfulness didn’t seem right, not with everything else going on. Not with the old wounds that were still between Eli and her.

  Not with the heat.

  All the memories began to swirl together, and that’s when Ashlyn knew she had to get this back on track. “Any updates on the investigation?” she asked.

  “A few. One big one,” he added a moment later. He looked at her. “Remy recently came into a lot of money, nearly a hundred grand. It’s an inheritance from his grandmother.”

  She took a moment to process it. That was certainly plenty enough to hire those two gunmen. “When di
d Remy get this money?”

  “A week ago, but he’s known it would be coming for several months now.”

  So he’d had plenty of planning time. Even though she wasn’t a cop, Ashlyn had no trouble figuring out that Remy had means, motive and even the opportunity for the kidnapping and attack. Since Marta had been a criminal informant, Remy could have even used Marta’s old contacts to find the gunmen.

  But Ashlyn immediately rethought that last part.

  “Marta didn’t associate with violent people,” Ashlyn pointed out. “Yes, she’d had an arrest for drug possession when she was eighteen, but she’d turned her life around. She helped the cops. She helped you.”

  “She did,” Eli readily admitted, but then he didn’t say anything else for several seconds. “But drugs and violence overlap. She knew Leon, who in turn knew Drake Zeller.”

  Eli didn’t spell out for her that Drake had certainly been violent, since he’d been the one who’d shot both Marta and her. Even though Leon hadn’t fired any shots, he’d been convicted of setting up the ambush.

  “Of course, Leon claims he didn’t personally know Drake,” Ashlyn reminded him under her breath.

  Eli went silent again, and he handed Cora back to her before he stood. Ashlyn expected him to just walk out and put up that wall between them again. But he didn’t leave. He put his hands on his hips and glanced up at the ceiling before his attention came back to her.

  “I’ve gone over every detail a thousand times of that night Marta was killed,” he said. “I’m sure you have, too.”

  She had, and Ashlyn confirmed it with a nod.

  “I didn’t set up the ambush,” Eli went on. “Neither did you or Marta. That leaves Leon, since Drake couldn’t have put it together on his own. The anonymous tip I got about the drug bust came through official channels, through a number that only the criminal informants used.”

  A number that Eli knew—that’s what she was about to point out. It was the old argument that Ashlyn had used because she hadn’t believed Leon was gutsy enough to do something like that. It was too dangerous, and from everything she’d learned and heard about Leon, he was basically a coward.

  But Marta hadn’t been.

  And now for the first time Ashlyn had to consider this from a different angle. She had to consider the unthinkable. What if Marta had set up the ambush in the alley? And maybe Marta had done that to kill Eli. Of course, Ashlyn couldn’t think of a good reason why Marta would want Eli dead, but it was something she needed to at least admit was possible. Along with admitting something else.

  What if Marta was still alive?

  “Did you find out anything about Marta’s missing records?” she asked.

  Eli stared at her as if he wasn’t pleased with the shift in conversation. Maybe because he’d wanted or hoped for an air-clearing between them. Of course, he probably already knew that the “air” wasn’t as murky between them as it had been before the attack. He’d saved her and Cora’s lives, and that changed things. So did this old attraction rearing its head. Someday, soon, they’d talk that all out, but for now the investigation had to come first.

  He dragged in a long breath before he finally answered. “Terrell Wilburn, the mortician who handled Marta’s remains, is on vacation, but I’m in the process of tracking him down so I can question him. The owner doesn’t understand why the file is missing, but he said Wilburn might have copies of it. They’re looking into it. So am I.”

  That wasn’t a surprise. Eli would dig until he found answers. “And the hospital?” Ashlyn pressed.

  “They’re sticking with the glitch theory. They’re converting from hard copy to digital and think it got lost in the shuffle. I don’t believe it.”

  “You think Marta’s alive and there was a cover-up?” she pressed.

  “No. But someone might want me to think that. I’m having SAPD show Remy’s photo to the employees at both places. Something might pop.”

  Yes, but it was just as likely that Remy would have hired someone to steal those files. If he was the person behind the attack, that is.

  “The cops questioned the families of the two dead gunmen,” Eli went on a moment later. “If they know anything about who hired the men, they’re hiding it well. If there is something to hide, the Rangers will be monitoring their bank accounts to make sure there aren’t any unusual deposits.”

  Good. Because then a deposit like that could be traced back to the source. Hopefully, anyway.

  Eli continued to stare at her as if there was something else he wanted to say. “There’s coffee in the kitchen if you want a cup.”

  She doubted that was what was actually on his mind, but before Ashlyn could press it, his phone dinged with a text message. Whatever he saw on the screen caused his forehead to bunch up.

  “Dominick just came into the sheriff’s office,” Eli relayed. “He’s demanding to see you and the baby.”

  Chapter Six

  Eli was absolutely certain he wouldn’t like anything about this visit to the sheriff’s office. For starters, it put Ashlyn and the baby out of the house and on the road—since she had insisted on making the trip with him.

  It was too big a risk.

  Of course, so was staying put, as Ashlyn had argued. Getting answers was what they needed if they were to figure out what was going on, but Eli wasn’t convinced it was necessary for Ashlyn to go with him to get those answers. Hell, he wasn’t sure they’d be getting any useful information from Dominick.

  The only thing that was certain so far was that Eli despised the man for demanding to see Ashlyn and the baby. Even more, he hated the new round of worry and fear that this had put in Ashlyn’s eyes.

  Eli cursed himself when that thought sank in. Now he was thinking about worry, fear and her eyes. None of that would help this investigation.

  At least Ashlyn had agreed with him about Dominick not seeing the baby. Actually, she’d been as adamant about that as Eli had been. Until they were certain that Dominick had had no part in hiring those thugs, then he wouldn’t have access to his granddaughter.

  Eli was betting that wouldn’t go over well with Dominick.

  And that was the reason he’d taken precautions before they’d left Jack’s house. First, he’d called a sitter, Gloria Coyle. The woman hadn’t actually watched Cora yet, but Gloria was someone they had both known most of their lives. Ashlyn had contacted her shortly before the adoption to ask her if she’d be able to watch the child if ever there was some kind of emergency. This definitely fell into that “emergency” category, so Gloria had agreed to meet them at the sheriff’s office. She could wait with Cora in the break room while Ashlyn chatted with Dominick.

  That wouldn’t be a fun conversation, either.

  After Dominick said whatever it was he had to say to Ashlyn, then Eli wanted a crack at questioning the man. As a Texas Ranger, he didn’t have a set jurisdiction, so it would be perfectly legal for him to do that as long as Kellan agreed. Which he would. His brother was as eager to get to the bottom of this as he was.

  This time when they arrived at the sheriff’s office, Eli had Gunnar park the cruiser at the back of the building. One of the other security measures Eli had taken was to ask Kellan to unlock the back door so he could get Ashlyn and Cora in fast. Kellan had also posted a deputy there to make sure a hired gun hadn’t thought it was a good place to lie in wait for an ambush.

  When Gunnar pulled to a stop, Eli glanced around for any signs of a threat. None. But he saw his other brother Owen waiting in the doorway. So this was the deputy that Kellan had assigned to the protection detail. Owen immediately stepped out, helping Ashlyn get the baby into the break room. The transfer was fast, exactly what Eli wanted.

  Gloria was already there, waiting, and she went to Ashlyn to give her a hug as soon as Owen had shut and locked the door. Ashlyn thanked the woman, and while they talked about the bab
y’s bottle and such, Eli turned to Owen.

  “Dominick’s in the interview room,” Owen said. “He’s got a bad attitude and two lawyers.” He glanced at the baby. “Please tell me he won’t get near that little girl.”

  “Trust me, he won’t,” Eli assured him.

  There must have been something in his tone that got Owen’s attention, because he lifted an eyebrow. “That sounded...personal.”

  Eli scowled. “Don’t read anything into it.”

  Owen’s eyebrow stayed up. “Hey, this is your brother, remember? I used to have to cover for you when you sneaked off with Ashlyn for some...private time.”

  “That was high school,” Eli snapped.

  And if they’d been in high school now, that remark from Owen would have earned him a butt-whipping. Not because it wasn’t true. It was. But Eli didn’t like that smug look on Owen’s face. Still, he supposed it was better than the angry gloom and doom that all of them had been sporting since this whole ordeal had begun.

  Ashlyn handed off the baby to Gloria, but Eli didn’t have to be a mind reader to know that was hard for Ashlyn to do. With the memories still fresh from the attack, she probably didn’t want the baby out of her sight. Something he considered using to try to talk her out of coming here to see Dominick, but her expression was easy to read, too, when she looked at him.

  She was ready to do this.

  “I’ll wait back here with Gloria and the baby,” Owen assured Ashlyn. “We’ll keep the door locked and the security alarm on.”

  Ashlyn thanked him, and as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she brushed a kiss on Owen’s cheek. A reminder that once Ashlyn and his brother had been friends. Heck, maybe they still were. Ashlyn had shut Eli out of her life, but it was possible she hadn’t done the same to the rest of his family.

  She gave the baby one last kiss and then one last glance before she followed Eli out of the break room. He shut that door, too, so that Dominick wouldn’t be able to hear the baby if she cried or fussed.