Colton 911--Deadly Texas Reunion

by Beth Cornelison

  Barry made a take-it-easy hand gesture to Charlie before he began. “The last night we saw Patrice, Tyler made a pass at her. We’d gone to Bailey’s after class for drinks and to shoot a little pool.”

  Summer made note of the local bar with the intention of speaking to the employees about what they might have observed that night, then raised her gaze to Barry again as he continued, “Tyler said he kissed her in the back hall by the restrooms, and she got upset with him and walked out.”

  “She left the bar?” she asked for clarification. “Alone?” That would match up with what police reports said the security cameras showed.

  “Normally when we go out after class, at least one of us would take Patrice home, make sure she got home all right.” Barry stroked the side of his cup idly as he spoke. “You know, for safety.”

  “That was good of you,” she said, smiling her encouragement.

  “But that night you didn’t?” Nolan asked, his tone nonaccusatory.

  “No. She left early,” Barry explained. “Took an Uber or something. Tyler said she was mad at him. She’d said she made it clear she didn’t want to hook up with him, and he wouldn’t let up. She wasn’t at class the next day...or the next. She was officially declared missing by that weekend, then her body was found and...” He scrubbed both hands over his face. “So... Tyler blamed himself for what happened to her. If he hadn’t kissed her, if he hadn’t let her leave the bar by herself...maybe she wouldn’t have disappeared.”

  “Did either of you actually see her leave the bar? Actually, physically, walk out the door, alive and well?” Nolan pressed.

  Both of Patrice’s friends frowned. They looked at each other and hesitated.

  “I...” Charlie started, then shook his head. “I don’t remember.”

  Barry shrugged. “Same here. Can’t say for sure.” Then clearly understanding the reason behind the question, he added, “But Tyler was with us the rest of the night. I drove him home, because he got wasted after she left. He was in love with her and kept saying that eventually she’d change her mind about him.” He flipped up a hand. “That’s all I know.”

  “What time was it when Patrice left the bar? Did any of you happen to notice? Pinning down the time when she was last seen is important.”

  Barry twisted his mouth and scratched his cheek as he thought. “Well, we got out of class about four thirty, grabbed a burger on the way to Bailey’s, ’cause their food sucks.” He hesitated, apparently still calculating. “I’d say we’d been there a couple hours having drinks.”

  “De Astros game had started ahready. ’Twas playing on de TV behind de bar. I was watching dat more than I was watchin’ de door.” Charlie added, “So... I’d say sometime after eight. It was early like dat. I remember thinkin’ it was odd dat she split before de party got started good.”

  Summer made note of the timetable the guys laid out and specific details about the Astros game as a time marker.

  “Man, you wanna find her killer?” Charlie said, leveling a hard stare on Nolan. “Go talk to her hard-ass father. He was crazy strict wid her. He’s de reason she moved to her own apartment. She hated his rules.”

  Nolan straightened. “She ever tell you anything that made you suspect her father was abusive? See any evidence of bruises or scars?”

  “Naw, but...dere’s a first time for everyding, right?” Charlie said. “Just sayin’, her father or brother is as likely de ones offed her as Tyler. Maybe he found out she was sneaking out to drink with us after class. Got mad.” He shrugged and raised his hands. “Just sayin’.”

  Summer chewed the tip of her pen. “Okay. Fair enough. Anyone else Patrice mentioned that could have been trouble? Someone harassing her on social media? Another guy hitting on her at the bar? Someone she might have been dating on the down low?”

  Charlie tongued his teeth and made a sucking noise as he thought. “No one I know of.”

  She glanced to Barry, and he shook his head. “Nope.”

  Summer pulled in a deep breath. “Okay. Well, thanks for your time.”

  Charlie stood and, taking the top off his coffee, downed it in a few gulps. After chucking the cup in a nearby trash can, he said, “Listen, I hope you guys find de bastard who killed Patrice and nail his ass to de wall. She was a good girl, funny, sweet and a great mechanic. She didn’t deserve what dat guy did to her.”

  Summer nodded. “We’ll do our best.” She started to close her notepad as Patrice’s classmates stepped away. “Oh, wait! One last thing?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Tyler’s last name?”

  Again the two consulted each other with a slow glance. Charlie rolled his eyes, and Barry said, “Whitmore.”

  Summer bobbed a nod. “Thanks, guys.”

  Shoving their hands in their pockets, the two sauntered toward the lobby door.

  “So we’re agreed?” Summer watched Patrice’s classmates leave the building. “We need to find Tyler and have a talk with him?”

  “Damn straight.” Nolan stood aside so she could precede him out of the conversation nook. “If he was the last person to have contact with her while she was alive, we absolutely need to question him.”

  As they headed back to his truck, he placed a hand low on her back to gently steer her through the swarm of students. The gentlemanly gesture was one she’d seen her father use to establish a link to her mother on many occasions. She’d always viewed it as practical, a way to keep them casually connected in a crowd. But the warmth and weight of Nolan’s hand settled just above her fanny spread a wonderfully fuzzy feeling through her. His touch spoke of possession. Affection. Intimacy.

  Her mouth dried even thinking the word intimacy in connection to Nolan. Her childhood friend, with whom she’d spent so many summer days full of innocent adventure and camaraderie, had become a virile man who radiated confidence and sex appeal.

  Down, girl. As much as she wanted to pant at his feet, maybe roll over and get a belly rub, he’d plainly stated his terms that they keep their relationship platonic. She would honor his request if it killed her. Because she understood his reasons—he’d been burned by his fling with Charlotte and had his hands full dealing with that fallout. Because she respected Nolan—he was an honorable man, a consummate professional and deserved her cooperation. And because she couldn’t bear the notion of harming the friendship she cherished so much.

  Even after they’d lost touch in recent years, her friendship with Nolan was an unvarnished bright spot in her life that she valued. Now that they’d reconnected, how could she do anything to cause a rift?

  As they wove through the hive of bodies, they passed a couple in a serious lip-lock. Summer’s steps faltered when she spotted them, and in her peripheral vision she saw Nolan turn to glance in that direction. The guy’s hands were all over the woman, and her fingers wound passionately through his hair. The erotic display did little to quell the yearning that coursed through her own veins. She might have even moaned softly. Either way, Nolan snatched his hand from her back as if scalded, cleared his throat and pushed on through the milling students at a more determined pace. Summer had to jog to keep up with his long-legged stride.

  By the time they reached his truck, she was winded from the brisk pace. She gulped air and said, “Hey, Bullfrog...where’s the fire?”

  He blinked as he faced her as if roused from deep thoughts. “Huh? Oh. Sorry.” He flashed a small, lopsided grin. “I forget how short your legs are.”

  She play punched him in the arm, the way she used to as kids, and stuck her tongue out.

  “Where to?” he asked, once they were in the front seat and buckling up.

  She checked the time on her phone. “Isn’t the barbecue at your family’s ranch starting soon?”

  He glanced at the Jeep clock and bobbed his chin. “To the ranch then?”

  “To the ranch.”

&nbs
p; Chapter 10

  When they arrived at the Colton Ranch and knocked at the front door of the main house, the matriarch of the clan, Josephine Colton, answered the summons with a bright smile. “Nolan, hi! And could this beauty be Summer Davies? My goodness, it has been ages!”

  Nolan pressed a kiss on Josephine’s temple. Late-afternoon sunlight caught strands of gray in the older woman’s blond hair and highlighted the perennial flush on her apple cheeks. Josephine stepped back and scrunched her face in an apologetic moue. “I’m afraid dinner isn’t quite ready. We got a late start thanks to some issues with the herd. We’ll eat in about an hour to ninety minutes.”

  “What sort of trouble with the herd?” Nolan asked.

  “I said issues, not trouble. And it’s nothing you need to worry yourself about, dear. Just the sort of ranching business that comes up every day. In the meantime, why don’t you and Summer enjoy this beautiful fall weather and go for a ride?” Turning to Summer with a smile, Josephine said, “I bet it’s been a long time since you sat a horse. Am I right, Summer?”

  “Yes, you would be right. I think the last time I rode a horse was with my family on a vacation in Colorado. I hope it’s like riding a bicycle, and I’ll remember what to do.”

  “If not,” Josephine replied, a twinkle in her eyes, “I’m sure Nolan here will be happy to show you what you need to know.”

  “That I will,” Nolan said with a nod. “What do you think? Wanna go for a ride?”

  “It sounds like fun.” Summer’s expression, however, was skeptical. “But, um...didn’t we come tonight to talk to the family about the case? Maybe we should find Forrest and talk to him about those buttons and the coroner’s report first.”

  “Gracious, honey!” Josephine gave her a side hug. “Have you never heard the saying about all work and no play? Take a break and enjoy yourself for a little while. There’ll be time to talk shop after dinner. We’re planning a bonfire to let the neighbors’ kids make s’mores.”

  “Just the kids?” Summer asked, a sparkle in her eye. “This girl loves a good s’more.”

  Josephine laughed. “The big kids are welcome to s’mores, too. Now scat!” She waved them toward the door, then pivoted to head back into the kitchen. “Go for a ride with your man and have fun.”

  Nolan opened his mouth to tell Josephine he and Summer weren’t a couple in a romantic way, as her your man indicated. But the denial stuck in his throat. For one thing, contradicting her seemed rude. And for another, he kind of liked imagining himself as Summer’s date. They might be keeping things platonic, but friends could be a couple for a relaxed family night, couldn’t they?

  Summer shrugged. “Fine. Talking shop can wait. Lead the way.” She swept her arm toward the door.

  Placing a hand at the small of her back, he steered her outside and across the ranch yard to the stables, where they found Hays and Jonah, the oldest of Josephine and Hays’s sons, deep in conversation.

  “Knock, knock,” Nolan said as entered the main alley. “I heard we could rent a horse or two here for a little prebarbecue ride?”

  “Nolan, my boy!” Hays said brightly, clapping him on the shoulder.

  Jonah grinned broadly and shook Nolan’s hand. “Hey, man. What’s up?”

  “Come in!” Hays said, then facing Summer, “And who is this lovely lady with you?”

  “You remember Summer Davies and her family? Used to live across the lake? She hung out with us boys in the summers when we were kids.”

  “Little Tadpole Davies?” Jonah’s laugh spoke of his delight. “Oh my God! How the hell are you?” Jonah stepped over to wrap her in a bear hug. Again, Nolan told himself he was not, definitely not, uneasy with the show of affection from one of his cousins. Even if Jonah continued to hold Summer’s shoulders as he talked with her after the longer-than-necessary hug.

  Chill, Nolan. Jonah is happily engaged to Maggie. He’s not making a move on her. Nolan inhaled deeply, filling his nose with the scents of horse manure, hay and leather that were redolent in the air. Summer flashed one of her sunny smiles at Jonah and Hays, and the three exchanged pleasantries and caught up in generalities on the last two decades.

  Finally Hays and Jonah helped them saddle Cody, Jonah’s horse, and Ginger, Josephine’s favorite mare, and Nolan and Summer set out, cantering across the ranch property toward their favorite swimming hole from days gone by. The late-afternoon sun cast the world in a golden glow, and a cool autumn breeze rustled the leaves of the cottonwoods and spindly black willow trees that lined the creek. The peace and beauty of this corner of the Colton Ranch, where so many of his best memories from those long-ago summers had been made, helped him relax. The murmur of water over the creek stones made it easy to forget the rest of the world, the stress of the FBI’s investigation of Charlotte’s accusations, the grim case he was working with Summer. A large dragonfly buzzed by, and Nolan tracked its path, darting from one plant to another, its gossamer wings catching the sunlight.

  Summer reined Ginger in and sighed. “Wow. Nothing about this place has changed. The trees may be a bit bigger, but everything else is just the way I remember it.” She swung her leg over the russet mare and dismounted. When she loosely wrapped her reins around the low branch of a tree, Nolan followed suit. He stroked Cody’s neck as he stepped away, and the horse snorted contentedly.

  Summer brushed aside weeds and scrub bush limbs as she made her way out to the edge of the stream and the large flat rock where, as kids, they’d sunned themselves after swimming on hot days. Swatting away a bee that buzzed in his face, Nolan ducked through the overgrowth and joined her. She sat cross-legged and surveyed the creek, the trees, the sky with an encompassing glance. With a gasp, she pointed across the stream and laughed. “Look, Nolan! Our failed tree house is still there!”

  He turned to look where she pointed. Sure enough, a warped sheet of plywood was still wedged in the low V of a large oak’s massive branches. Rotting pieces of two-by-four were nailed to the trunk to create a makeshift ladder.

  “Well, I’ll be.” He chuckled and settled next to her, stretching his legs out in front of him and leaning back on his elbows. “Why didn’t we finish that thing? Looks like we had a good start.”

  “As I recall, it started raining the last day we worked on it, and by the end of the week, the creek was swollen and flooding. We were warned not to go near it until it receded, and in the meantime, we got distracted playing with the Xbox Forrest got for his birthday.”

  “Oh, yeah. Then didn’t someone have the idea to build a fort in the hayloft?” He glanced at her, one eyebrow cocked.

  “Where we used the old hay pulley to make a rope swing,” she added, completing the memory.

  “That’s right!”

  She laughed, the sound tripping along his nerves in a most delicious way. His body hummed with contentment and a heady lethargy.

  “Good times,” she said. “Until Donovan broke his leg, and we were forbidden to play on it anymore.”

  Nolan scrunched his face. “Was it Donovan? I thought that was Forrest. Maybe my memory’s blurred because of Forrest’s more recent injury.”

  Summer cocked her head. “What injury is that? I didn’t hear anything about it.”

  Nolan cut a side glance to her, and the dappled shade played over her face, deepening the frown that dented her brow. “He was shot in the line of duty. In the leg. You may notice he still has a limp. That’s one of the reasons he moved back here. But Chief Thompson saw that he still had excellent investigative skills, bum leg or not, and he hired him to help with the Mummy Killer case.”

  “So that’s why he left Austin? I thought he just wanted to be closer to family and get involved with the Cowboy Heroes.”

  Nolan arched an eyebrow. “Sorry? Now you’ve confused me. What or who are the Cowboy Heroes?”

  “Really? I’m surprised your cousins didn’t mention the
organization to you. It’s a search-and-rescue group that they got involved with when Hurricane Brooke hit this summer. Ranchers and EMTs trained in rescue techniques head out on horseback to reach areas vehicles can’t go. They help in rescue operations when resources are stretched thin like they were in July. I think all of the Coltons are involved in some way. Some more than others. Avery told me about it. Dallas will be working with them full-time when his paternity leave is over.”

  “Horseback search and rescue,” he said, as if testing the weight of the words on his tongue. “Interesting. I like it.”

  She sat up and turned to face him. “The group is looking at expanding into more parts of Texas and other states. I’m surprised no one mentioned it to you.” Her expression grew speculative. “You’d be good at it. If...well, if things don’t work out the way you’re hoping at the FBI, you should talk to them about helping out.”

  Search-and-rescue work? Intriguing. He mulled the notion until Summer lay back on the rock again and moved close to him. With a satisfied hum, she leaned her head against his shoulder. Without considering why, he reached for her hand and laced their fingers. The simple act seemed as natural and obvious to him as taking his next breath. Only when she tipped her head to smile at him and tightened her grip on his did he realize the implied intimacy. In the beat that followed, when his analytical brain might have kicked in and spoiled the moment, Summer sighed contentedly.

  “This is nice, huh? Quiet and calm. Relaxing.”

  He shoved away the niggling concern about breaching the invisible wall he’d erected between them and inhaled a deep breath of autumn air. Fallen leaves and damp earth mingled with the floral scent that Summer wore. Intoxicating. He could definitely get used to spending stolen hours alone with Summer, especially if they escaped to tranquil places like this corner of the Coltons’ ranch. He hummed his agreement and closed his eyes to listen to the babbling of the creek water.

  “Where do you see yourself in ten years?” He heard, felt, more than saw Summer shift to her side to face him.