Murder and Mistletoe

by Barb Han

  “Dalton wanted me to tell you he’s on the back porch,” May said.

  “I can take Hampton with me,” Leanne said. Although, she half feared he’d cry the minute she tried to pull him away from his toys. And May. She had a calming presence that Leanne appreciated.

  “Don’t worry about us, right, Hampton?” The older woman handed him a red car.

  “No way.” He took the toy, rewarding May with another toothy ear-to-ear smile.

  Leanne let a small sigh escape. This ranch had a magic she’d never known. A family magic that she’d never experienced with a mother who worked two jobs just to keep food on the table. Leanne and her mother had been close and she loved her mother. They had been more like sisters than parent and child. Her mother had done what was necessary to make ends meet.

  The outside of the ranch was decorated to the nines for Christmas and the smell of fresh-baked bread filled the kitchen. The best thing about Christmas to Leanne’s mother had been the extra seasonal jobs she could pick up so they could stay ahead of the bills. Leanne had worked from her earliest memories and the two had gotten by all right, combining funds to keep the lights on.

  Her mother had kept a solid roof over their heads, clothes on their backs and food on the table. She was a practical woman who’d had no patience for emotions. Abigail West lived hard and took care of business. She never trusted men after Leanne’s father had walked out despite bringing home several “uncles.”

  Her death had left a hole in Leanne’s life, in her heart.

  Life was hard. Kids were simple.

  When she really thought about life, adults made it complicated. In her own case, she could acknowledge that her mother had never forgiven Leanne’s father for walking out on her during her pregnancy. And, in little ways, she’d most likely blamed her daughter for their struggles, for how hard she’d had to work.

  Her mother never would’ve said anything outright, save for the occasional outburst of angry words in the heat of the moment, which she later apologized for. She’d try to make it up to Leanne by making her favorite dessert. But Leanne had always known that she was the reason her mother had had a difficult life.

  “Shout if you need help with him.” Leanne wrapped lean fingers around the mug to warm them as she walked to the back door leading to an enclosed porch. Dalton was there. His long legs were stretched out in front of him. He stood the minute he heard the door creak.

  “Morning,” he said. “Come on out.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t want to disturb you,” she said. The screened-in porch was grand in scale, like everything at the ranch. There had to be half a dozen pairs of white rocking chairs. A small table with a checkerboard on top and two chairs nestled underneath sat on one side of the room.

  The sun was rising in the east, not yet visible over the tree line, but casting a warm glow in that part of the sky. Dalton motioned for her to take the seat next to his. A small table was nestled in between.

  “I was thinking about what we know so far,” he said.

  Taking her seat, she said, “I woke up thinking about it, too.”

  He shot her a glance that said he understood. It was a small gesture, really, but even so, it sent warmth circulating through her.

  “Going over the sheriff’s initial assessment, I can’t make sense of his line of thinking. Christmas break is almost here. Clara would have gotten time off from school. Why would she commit suicide now?” he asked.

  “Exactly.”

  “She and her stepdad didn’t get along.” Dalton restated what they already knew.

  “Not a bit.” She took a sip of the steaming brew. “I can admit that she wasn’t in a good place about a lot of things. She missed her friends in San Antonio. She didn’t feel like she fit in here in such a small town with nothing to do besides help her mother and work at the whim of her stepfather.”

  “We know she wasn’t making new friends here in Cattle Barge. What about a boyfriend?” he asked.

  “His name is Christian,” she said. “And he lives in San Antonio.”

  “Have you spoken to him?”

  “Not since this all started. No.” She took a sip of fresh brew.

  “How long have they been together?” His forehead creased and she realized why he’d be concerned about the boyfriend.

  “A year, I think. At least, she told me about him last Christmas and I got the impression it was a new thing,” she detailed. “He works three mornings a week plus weekends in a bagel shop in order to save money for college, going in at four o’clock in the morning before school. From everything Clara said about him, he’s a good guy.”

  “He shouldn’t find out something like this about his girlfriend on the news.” His deep voice was low and his jaw clenched. There was so much pain. “If they’re like every other young couple, he’s already worried that she isn’t answering his texts.”

  Having gone through something similar, Dalton would know what to say. Leanne drew a blank, which wasn’t normally an issue for her but this wasn’t an ordinary situation. She was too personally involved and shutting out her feelings—again, something she’d learned to do in order to survive—wasn’t an option. She felt for Christian. “We’ll make the call in a few hours when he wakes up.”

  “I can talk to him.”

  “That would be nice,” she offered.

  “What else do you know about her home life?” he asked, refocusing toward the landscape beyond the screen.

  “Gary’s punishments were becoming worse. That’s why she wanted to stay with me. She needed to escape and figured he would cool down if she was gone for a while,” she admitted with that now-familiar guilt.

  “It’s not uncommon for teenagers to rebel,” he offered.

  “I’m not saying my niece was perfect by any means. I’ve heard her snap at her mom. But she wanted her mom to be happy and for Hampton to have both of his parents in the home. She tried to get along with Gary and not create any friction, and I think she felt like it was her fault they didn’t click.”

  “Kids have a way of blaming themselves for everything.” He paused for a couple of beats. “Which is another reason it’s important for us to speak to Christian. He’ll walk around the rest of his life with the guilt that he didn’t realize what was going on and help her.”

  Based on what she knew about Dalton so far, he most likely fell into that same category. Would he ever be able to let go of the guilt that caused dark circles to cradle his too-serious-for-his-age blue eyes?

  It struck her that while most people their ages were settled down and well into establishing their own families, she and Dalton were single and grieving. She had Mila and that was the beginning of more of a home life. Before the baby, all Leanne did was work and eat out. She didn’t cook, not that that was a requirement, especially since she worked. But wasn’t it a little odd that she couldn’t melt butter on a stove if she had to?

  Did it even matter? Would Mila notice? Or would her daughter have a similar childhood as her mother? The thought hit deep. By twelve, it wasn’t uncommon for Leanne to stay in the apartment alone overnight while her mother spent time with an “uncle” when most kids her age were having sleepovers.

  Last night, when she’d pulled the covers over her, she went to sleep thinking about Dalton’s easy relationship with his sister and what growing up in a supportive family might feel like.

  There was something intimate about sitting on the porch with Dalton, being able to read some of his thoughts.

  The kiss they’d shared, their embrace, trickled into her thoughts, too. She’d felt something stir when she’d been in his arms, and it was something that had been absent in physical contact with all her past relationships combined...chemistry?

  With Keith, sex had been more about being together so much they’d felt like a couple. They’d had a similar sense of humor and work schedule.
r />   Speaking of which, she wondered how she’d ever put the pieces of her life back together. The past couple of days had felt like an out-of-control Ferris wheel, spinning and churning. And nothing would ever be the same without her niece.

  There was no room in her life for a man, no matter how much her body wanted to feel Dalton’s on top of her, blanketing her with his athletic frame.

  Talk about lost causes. This man was haunted by a ghost from his past. Even if they decided to date—and that was a ridiculous notion for more than just logistical reasons—how could she ever compete with the memory of the girl from his past?

  She didn’t even want to try. The two of them had been together when they were barely more than kids; life was about what to wear to prom. It was all promise and young love. Pure. Nothing was complicated.

  Dalton had hinted at a difficult relationship with his father but Leanne couldn’t imagine that it could’ve been too difficult, considering he grew up in a warm place like this with siblings around. She could already see that his and Ella’s relationship was special.

  Leanne knew nothing about siblings. She hadn’t even known about her sister until she’d turned sixteen and her mother sat her down and told her. It had taken another half a dozen years to decide to track Bethany down.

  Leanne’s cell buzzed, breaking through her revelry.

  She fished it out of her pocket, looked at the screen and gasped.

  “It’s Gary.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Hello?” A beat passed and Leanne’s body tensed. Her face muscles pulled taut, tension written in the lines of her forehead. “I’m not telling you where she is, Gary.”

  He’d made his one mandatory phone call last night. Unless Dalton was missing something, the man must’ve been released.

  “She doesn’t have her phone right now.” Leanne’s voice was a study in simmering anger.

  Dalton sipped his coffee, listening to one side of the conversation.

  “No, I won’t go get her. I didn’t say we were in the same place,” she said tersely. And then seemed to realize she might be making things worse for her sister when she added, “She just lost her daughter. She needs a little time. Surely, you can underst—”

  He must’ve cut her off and said something to offend her because her shoulders flew back and her posture became rigid.

  “I’m sorry if you can’t understand what’s happening. All I can tell you is that she’s safe and—”

  Leanne blew out a frustrated-sounding breath. “No, the best place for her isn’t home.” She paused. “The reporters are one thing—” Another beat passed. “Maybe if you’d listen instead of flying off—”

  She set her phone down in her lap. Dalton could hear the yelling even though the words were difficult to make out.

  After taking a sip of her coffee, she picked up the phone. “You do realize that you just threatened a law enforcement officer. That’s a felony offense in case you were unclear, and I won’t care who you’re married to when I file a complaint against you.”

  Now the line was quiet.

  “Not exactly your brightest move, considering you’re still under suspicion for my niece’s murder. And I will testify against you to get the truth, Gary. Harass my sister and I’ll haul you in myself,” she bit out. “If you ever hurt her again, you won’t make it that far.”

  Gary seemed to be taking in that last comment based on the silence that followed. That was the funny thing about bullies. They usually knew when they’d met their match and it didn’t take long to buckle. Dalton felt nothing but pride for Leanne standing up for her sister, for herself. His chest swelled with it.

  Leanne ended the call and looked at Dalton with defeat. “She might not be answering now because she’s asleep, but the minute she realizes he’s out, she’ll go home.”

  “Maybe not.”

  “Past behavior is always the best predictor. She always jumps as soon as he snaps his fingers. That’s what Clara told me,” she said.

  “I wish they’d held him longer, given us more time.” He couldn’t argue her point, so he didn’t. But he hoped recent events had caused Bethany to rethink her home situation. And maybe make a better choice moving forward.

  “Seventy-two hours was the maximum. I’m not surprised he’s out. We should speak to the sheriff and do some damage control,” she said and he agreed.

  She pulled up his direct line on her smartphone, tapped the name and then put the call on speaker.

  “I have Dalton Butler here and he’s on the call with us,” she informed the sheriff after the perfunctory greetings.

  “Dalton,” the sheriff said by way of acknowledgment. It was short and his voice was tight, signaling he wasn’t thrilled with the photo of the two of them from the parking lot the other morning.

  “Morning, Sheriff.”

  “Sir, you released Gary Schmidt this morning,” she began.

  “My office has a strict policy of not commenting publicly on an ongoing investigation,” Sawmill said in that matter-of-fact voice Dalton had heard used before with the media.

  “I understand your position but I’m not a run-of-the-mill citizen or media outlet,” she defended.

  “That may be. However, I’d advise you to call your supervisor if you want more details. I agreed to release information to him in my report as a professional courtesy, which I’ll have to him later this morning.” Dalton had also heard that tone before. This issue was done. Over. Applying more pressure wouldn’t help.

  “Will you at least tell me how you’re classifying this case?” Tension lines creased her forehead as she brought her hand up to cup it.

  “I’m not at liberty to discuss the details with you.” She seemed to realize at the same time he did that Bethany was most likely the only one who could get more information. Even that was questionable, considering her husband had been interviewed as a possible suspect.

  Talking to Sawmill was as productive as trying to climb a wall wearing mittens.

  “Can you tell me if my niece was violated?”

  He stalled for a long moment and Dalton figured he was debating with himself about telling her. On the one hand, Leanne had a right to know if her niece had been assaulted.

  The sheriff finally said, “She was not.”

  “Thank you for your time, sir,” Leanne said before ending the call and turning to Dalton. He could see the relief moving behind her honey-brown eyes.

  “That boyfriend of Clara’s. Any chance he’s up and working a shift at the bagel shop today?”

  “It’s possible.” She glanced at the clock on her phone.

  “San Antonio isn’t that far of a drive.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’d like to be there in person. See his reaction to the news about Clara.”

  “You don’t think he’s involved, do you?”

  “No.”

  “I’ll get dressed.” She stood and then hesitated before entering the house. “I leave Bethany here and she’ll be out the door the second her eyes open.”

  “That’s highly possible.” He rose to his feet. “But we have other problems to deal with right now.”

  * * *

  LEANNE FEARED THE minute she walked out the front door her sister would wake up, see the messages from Gary and run right back to him. That line of thinking almost had her canceling the visit to see Christian.

  There were no guarantees that Bethany would stick around, even if Leanne stayed inside the house and waited for her to rouse. She could wake her sister up. But, again, that wouldn’t do any good once Bethany heard one of Gary’s messages. She must’ve turned off her phone or she would’ve already been gone. But then, she’d assumed that Gary was going to be in jail for a few days.

  There was no telling how Bethany would react to finding out he’d been released. But Leanne was pretty sure t
his was the last time she would see her sister. Gary would never allow the two to communicate again after the way she’d threatened him and with Clara out of the picture, there was less of a reason to. Gary would never allow Leanne to be as close to Hampton.

  With a deep sigh, she brushed her hair and pulled it off her face into a ponytail before dressing in jeans that were a size too big. She belted them and put on the shirt, grateful her undergarments had been washed and folded and were waiting on the bed. Then, she put on her shoulder holster and covered it with her blazer.

  Before leaving, she cracked the door to her sister’s room and peeked inside. Bethany’s slow, even breathing said she was still asleep. A peaceful sleep? Not with the way her covers were bunched around her, making it look like a tornado had blown over the bed and somehow missed everything else in the room.

  She prayed recent events wouldn’t overwhelm her sister, causing her to slide into old patterns. Hampton needed his mother. And, dammit, Leanne needed a sister. Losing her mother and being faced with having no family ties left had been the reason Leanne had tracked her half sister down in the first place.

  Bethany had been teetering on the edge when Leanne located her. Leanne found a rehab facility that she could afford and threw her energy into finding parenting classes for her sister. She’d gone to a few with her just to ensure Bethany showed up. Despite growing up in difficult circumstances, Clara had been such a bright light. Her life had been filled with so much promise.

  It wasn’t an easy road but Clara had been thriving in San Antonio. She and her mother had been on a good path when Bethany met Gary. The unexpected pregnancy threw in a few wrinkles but Gary came off like he was happy about it. He seemed to make an attempt to have a relationship with Clara by driving her to school every morning on his way to work. Everything had seemed fine on the surface.

  Until he’d lost his job and started drinking.

  Clara had protected the situation when Leanne first noticed the changes and asked about them. Her niece had defended his actions, saying she thought it was better if she caught a ride to school with a friend instead of getting a ride with him, so he would have more time to look for a job. She’d had a solid group of friends in San Antonio where she’d grown up. It was one of the reasons Clara had wanted to stay home—and, in hindsight, why Clara had covered her stepfather’s actions—when Leanne asked about their home life.