The stillness didn’t last inside Eli. A new wave of grief came, and it was just as raw and fresh as it had been the night Marta had been gunned down. For a few hours, he’d allowed some part of himself to believe that she might be alive. But she wasn’t.
“How’d you get Marta’s body?” Eli pressed.
“The mortician,” Remy answered after a long pause. “I bribed him, but I didn’t kill him. I swear, I didn’t.”
Eli wasn’t going to take the man’s word for that. “And what about Marta’s hospital records?”
“I didn’t take those. There would have been no use in me doing that because she was dead. I only wanted her body so she could be close to me.”
Eli tried to think of a reason why Remy wouldn’t admit to stealing records when he’d just confessed to much worse, but he couldn’t come up with anything. Well, unless Remy was just so upset that he had no idea what he was saying.
Ashlyn nudged Eli’s arm again and showed him Garcia’s latest text. Remy’s walking toward a small barn that’s off the backyard. You think he’s in danger from himself?
Eli had to shrug. He had no idea what was going on in Remy’s mind right now. “Tell Garcia to keep watching,” he mouthed. “When I get there, we’ll go inside the barn and arrest Remy.”
And that would be just the start.
He’d need to do a tough interrogation with Remy and put in a call to Gus to let him know what was going on. Oh, and arrange for the body to be exhumed. Judging from Remy’s extreme reaction and his confession, Eli figured this time they would indeed find Marta.
“Remy?” Eli asked.
No answer. And a moment later, Remy ended the call.
“We’re almost there,” Gunnar whispered as he took a turn off the main road. “We’re only a couple of minutes out.”
Good, because if Remy truly was suicidal, they needed to stop him. Maybe they would get there in time.
Gunnar’s phone rang. Not a text this time, but a call from Garcia. Eli took the cell from Ashlyn and put the call on speaker.
“We’ve got a problem,” Garcia immediately said. “Some guy just came out from the trees that aren’t too far from the barn. He’s got a gun.”
Hell.
Eli had no trouble hearing what Garcia had said, and he felt the immediate slash of fresh adrenaline. Not again. Not another attack.
“Gunnar, turn off your headlights,” Eli instructed. “When you reach Garcia’s car, pull in behind him.”
Eli looked ahead and spotted the unmarked sedan, and Gunnar came to a stop behind it. He saw the deputy crouched behind his door, and he had night goggles pressed to his eyes. The house and barn were in the distance, not far at all, but there were no signs of Remy or a gunman.
“I’m sorry,” Eli said to Ashlyn, causing her to look at him. “We have to stay. We have to give Garcia backup.”
“Of course you do.” She kept her shoulders straight, trying to show him that she was a lot stronger than she likely felt. “I know the drill. I’ll stay in the cruiser and will keep down.”
It wasn’t enough. Nowhere near it. But maybe this “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation would end without Ashlyn getting hurt.
“Stay here with Ashlyn and call for backup,” Eli told Gunnar, and Eli brushed a quick kiss on her mouth before he reached for the door.
“Be careful.” Her voice was shaky now, and even in the dim light he saw the fear in her eyes.
“I will be,” he promised her as he hurried out.
He eased the door shut so that it wouldn’t make any noise, and he heard the clicks of Gunnar locking it. Eli trusted the deputy and knew he’d do whatever it took to keep Ashlyn safe, but Eli hated that he couldn’t be in two places at once.
“The guy with the gun is on the left side of the barn,” Garcia told him when Eli reached him, and he passed his goggles to Eli.
Eli didn’t have any trouble spotting the man. Tall, lanky, dressed all in black. And he did indeed have a gun.
“Remy’s still in the barn,” Garcia added.
He hoped Remy wasn’t doing something dangerous in there, but for now Eli had to go with the immediate threat—the gunman. The guy wasn’t moving, but that didn’t mean he soon wouldn’t be. But who was his target?
Remy?
Or had the gunman known that Remy would lead them here?
“I’m going to cut around on foot and try to come up behind the thug,” Eli instructed Garcia. “You move closer to the barn—also on foot—but try to keep an eye on the cruiser. I don’t want them getting ambushed.”
Garcia made a sound of agreement, and keeping low, the deputy started moving—fast. Eli did the same, after he put his phone on vibrate, and he tried to push aside any thoughts of all the things that could go wrong. So far, all the breaks had gone against them, and something had to go their way.
Despite it being past sunset, it was still hot, and it didn’t take long for the sweat to start trickling down Eli’s back. He swiped his forehead with the back of his hand and kept going. Kept listening. And watching. There was still no sign of Remy, but once Eli reached the house, he got a better look at the gunman. His attention was fastened to the barn.
And that’s where he had his weapon aimed.
So, he was after Remy. Well, maybe. Since the guy hadn’t fired a shot, it could be that this was a setup to make them believe that Remy was a target.
As Eli got closer, he tamped down the thud of his heart so that it wouldn’t interfere with his hearing, and took extra care to make sure his footsteps stayed light. He definitely didn’t want to do anything to alert this clown.
He threaded his way through the trees, cursing when the underbrush crunched beneath his boots. The gunman immediately whipped in the direction of the sound—just as Eli managed to duck out of sight.
Eli stayed still, but thankfully he didn’t hear the gunman coming his way. When he peeked out, he saw that the guy’s focus was back on the barn.
Blowing out a quick breath of relief, Eli started moving again, and he made sure he maneuvered himself behind the man. That’s when he realized the guy didn’t have his weapon actually pointed at the barn. He was just watching.
Why?
Had someone sent him here to keep an eye on Remy, or was this going to be another attempted murder? Eli hoped he got the chance to find out.
He stopped just long enough to glance across the yard to see if he could spot Garcia. No sign of him, which was a good thing. It meant the deputy was managing to stay hidden enough while he made his way to the barn.
Soon, very soon, backup would be arriving, and they would make a silent approach. Maybe it wouldn’t catch the attention of the gunman, because Eli didn’t want the guy even looking in Ashlyn’s direction. He wanted her safe, and the best way to do that was to stop this potential threat.
Eli crept closer, thankful for a gust of wind that muffled his move. Thankful, too, when the gunman’s next glance was in the wrong direction. Eli was on his blind side, and he took full advantage of that.
“I’m Sergeant Eli Slater, Texas Ranger. Drop that gun or you’re a dead man,” Eli warned him.
The gunman spun around, getting ready to take aim, but Eli already had him beat. His weapon was ready to blast the snake to smithereens. Plus, Eli was still partly behind cover of one of the trees.
The man froze. Cursed. And Eli saw the exact moment the guy realized he was outgunned and outsmarted. Still cursing, he dropped the gun and without prompting, he lifted his hands in the air.
“Get facedown on the ground,” Eli instructed. “Hands tucked behind your head—though I’m pretty sure you know how this all works. I’m guessing this isn’t your first rodeo.”
Eli kicked the guy’s weapon away so that he wouldn’t be able to reach it, took out a pair of plastic cuffs from his back pocket, and he res
trained him while he read him his rights.
“I’m remaining silent,” the man snarled.
Eli would do everything possible to change his mind during interrogation. For now, he texted Gunnar to let him know he had the gunman. Something that Gunnar had likely figured out since he had no doubt been watching. Gunnar would send the backup to help haul the man back to the sheriff’s office.
Any word from Garcia? Eli added in his text.
Eli didn’t have to wait long for a response. His phone vibrated with an incoming call, and he saw Garcia’s name on the screen. Maybe this meant Garcia had Remy in custody.
Or not...
When Eli answered the call, he heard Garcia’s single word of raw profanity, followed by, “Remy’s not here. He got away.”
Chapter Thirteen
From the doorway of Kellan’s office, Ashlyn just stood back and watched the chaos in the squad room. Gunnar was booking the gunman while Eli was on the phone, barking out orders to the team of Rangers and deputies that he had out looking for Remy.
So far, there’d been so sign of the man.
Since no one had heard the sounds of a vehicle after Remy disappeared into the barn, it meant he’d fled on foot. Ashlyn doubted he’d done that solely because he was so upset over being at Marta’s grave. No. Remy had run because there would be charges brought against him.
Maybe murder charges.
After all, someone had murdered the mortician, and right now Remy had the strongest motive for that. With the mortician dead and those files missing, there’d be no proof that Remy had indeed stolen Marta’s body. Well, no proof other than the body itself. But what if it wasn’t there?
She immediately shook her head, rethinking that. Remy had been very upset as he stood by that headstone. She’d practically been able to feel his grief, and Ashlyn didn’t think he’d be able to fake that.
Ashlyn continued to watch as Gunnar stood with the still-cuffed gunman, and Gunnar motioned for Garcia to follow him. The two deputies led the man not toward lockup but in the direction of the interview room. Maybe that meant the guy was willing to talk. A few minutes later, Gunnar returned with Kellan. Eli quickly ended his call and joined them in Kellan’s office.
“The guy’s name is Al Waite,” Gunnar said. “And you were right about him having a record,” he added to Eli. “B&E, assault, drug possession. He’s only thirty-one, and he’s already spent nearly seven years behind bars.”
“Did he say who hired him?” Eli immediately asked.
“No, but you’ll be able to press him on that. I put him in interview room one since Dominick and his lawyer are still in the other.”
Shortly after she’d arrived back at the sheriff’s office, Ashlyn had heard that Kellan was still in interview, but she hadn’t known if he was with Oscar or Dominick. She hoped that Dominick would just leave quietly because she wasn’t up to another confrontation—with anyone. She just wanted to get all of this resolved so she could get back to the ranch with the baby.
“Waite had a tranquilizer gun on him,” Gunnar went on, snagging Ashlyn’s attention again.
Eli’s head jerked back, and Ashlyn knew the reason for his surprise. Maybe he hadn’t gone there to kill Remy after all.
“You think Waite was waiting for Remy to come out of the barn so he could kidnap him?” Ashlyn asked.
“It’s looking that way. In addition to the tranquilizer gun, he had some tape and restraints on him.”
“But he didn’t go closer to the barn when Remy went inside it,” Eli said as if thinking out loud. “Unless he didn’t see Remy go in.”
True. Garcia didn’t spot Waite until after he’d told them about Remy leaving the backyard and going to the barn.
“Waite could have been waiting for Remy to come back out, too,” Kellan suggested.
That was a possibility as well, but she figured they had all considered something else, and it was Eli who voiced it.
“Remy could have used Waite to distract us so he could get away. And so it would make him look like a potential victim rather than the person who hired Waite.”
Both Gunnar and Kellan made sounds of agreement.
“When I moved up behind Waite to take him,” Eli went on, “his attention was on the barn. I believe he knew Remy was in there.”
And that meant Remy had maybe played them all. Including Waite. The gunman might not have known that the evening would end with his arrest.
“What can you charge Waite with?” she asked.
Gunnar scrubbed his hand over his face. “Parole violation for carrying a weapon. That would send him back to jail to finish out his five-year sentence.”
So, not too much time. If Remy had paid him well, that might be enough to set up this ruse. But why?
“If Remy wanted to escape, why didn’t he just try to drive off?” she pressed.
“That’s what I’ll ask Remy when we find him,” Eli assured her. He checked his watch. “Let me question Waite, and then I can drive you back to the ranch. Is Cora okay?”
“She’s fine. Gloria said she’s already tucked in for the night.”
Eli nodded. “I’ll try to hurry so you can get back to see her.”
She wanted to jump at that offer, but more than that, she wanted answers. “Take your time. I want to know who hired him.” She looked at Kellan. “I’m guessing Oscar or Dominick didn’t make any confessions?”
“Nothing,” Kellan answered on a weary sigh. “But then they both know there’s only circumstantial evidence against them. Neither of them is running scared like Remy.”
Yes, but that didn’t mean one of them wasn’t guilty.
Eli started out, heading for the interview room, but his phone rang after he’d only made it a few steps. He hesitated for just a couple of seconds when he looked at the screen, and Ashlyn didn’t think it was her imagination that he was steeling himself.
“It’s the CSIs,” Eli relayed to them. He took the call, but this time he didn’t put it on speaker.
The moments crawled by, and while she could hear the chatter on the other end of the line, Ashlyn couldn’t make out what the caller was saying. Gunnar and Kellan stayed put, too, obviously waiting to hear.
“You’re sure?” Eli asked the caller, and he gave a resigned nod before he ended the call. “The Rangers sent in imaging equipment. Ground-penetrating radar.” He paused, his gaze locking with Ashlyn’s. “There’s a body buried beneath the headstone at Remy’s place.”
A body.
Marta.
Ashlyn hadn’t expected the news to hit her as hard as it did. After all, Remy had told them he’d had her buried there. Still, she’d held on to a thin thread of hope that he’d lied, that Marta was out there somewhere and alive.
“They’ll exhume the body,” Eli went on, “so that we’ll have confirmation.”
Yes, that was a legal necessity, but all four of them knew the truth. They hadn’t been mistaken about Marta being gunned down in that alley.
“I can take the interview with Waite,” Kellan offered.
But Eli shook his head. “You’re about to drop on your feet. Get some rest, and I’ll have a go at him.”
Kellan didn’t refuse. “I’ll catch a nap in the break room.” He looked at Gunnar. “Come and get me if anything breaks.”
Gunnar assured him that he would, and Kellan walked out. Eli stayed put, and he caught on to her hand. “Are you okay?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing,” she admitted.
He gave a dry smile that didn’t make it to his eyes, and he pulled her into his arms. “Having hope can make you end up feeling like you took a punch to the gut, huh?”
Yes, it could.
“I replay that night all the time,” he went on, not waiting for her to answer. “I go over all the things I should have done. If I’d just seen how
things were going to play out, I could have stopped it. Marta would be alive, and you wouldn’t have been shot. In my mind, I undo the mistakes and make it all right.”
Ashlyn tightened her grip on him, eased him closer. “I do the same thing. Not just with what went on that night but how I dealt with the aftermath.” She looked up at him. “I was wrong to blame you, but you were alive and an easy target.”
Eli shrugged, but she knew there was nothing casual or dismissive about it. Her blame had hurt him. Maybe even crushed him. She could see that now, and while it wouldn’t go back and undo those scars, she hoped the kiss she brushed on his mouth would help with the healing.
“I’m in love with you, Eli,” she said. “I have been for years.” Then she winced at his stunned expression. “Yes, I know. The timing sucks.” Ashlyn huffed, kissed him again and then eased him back away from her. “Go ahead and talk to Waite. I’ll be in the observation room, and when we’re done, we can finish this conversation.”
Because he didn’t budge, she thought he might refuse, but then he cursed, caught on to her hand and headed toward the hall. They were nearly at observation when Dominick and his lawyer came out of the interview room.
Ashlyn groaned before she could stop herself. She was emotionally wrung out, and she was positive that showed on her face. It certainly showed on Dominick’s. Over the past couple of months, she’d seen him angry and combative, but she’d never seen him look exhausted.
“Ashlyn.” The weariness was in his voice, too. “My lawyer and I were just going over my statement. I just signed it,” he added to Eli.
Eli made a sound that could have meant anything, and he would have moved Ashlyn past them if Dominick hadn’t stepped in front of her.
“It’s not a good time to annoy me,” Eli warned him, and every part of him was dark and dangerous.
Dominick nodded, and if he was bothered by Eli’s show of temper, he didn’t react. “I only wanted to tell Ashlyn that I was sorry. I can’t imagine how stressful the attacks have been for her.”
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