True-Blue Texas Cowboy

by Janalyn Knight

  She met Jesse half way down the hallway and he frowned at her. "Just what do you think you're doing out of bed, missy?"

  "Hey, I'll get better if I move around and limber up my muscles."

  He shook his head and huffed. "Okay, but only as far as the couch. You're taking it easy today if I have to hog tie you and string you up." Putting his arm around her, he escorted her to the living room like she'd break into a million pieces. The way her head felt, she just might.

  Jesse gave her a couple of crackers and some soda to wash them down with and watched until she took her aspirin. She felt like such a baby. Before he let her lie down, he carefully inspected her wounds. "Did they say to put ointment on them or anything?"

  "Um, I don't really remember."

  "Dammit, Lee. I should have been there with you. I wish you had called me sooner. That reminds me. I want you to memorize my number today, and I'll do the same with yours." He pursed his lips. "We're putting antibiotic ointment on these cuts for the next few days. That river water gets nasty. We don't want infection setting in."

  She leaned her head back after Jesse put the ointment on, her limbs kind of weak and shaky. Dammit, she hated this.

  Before he left to feed, Jesse pointed his finger at her and ordered, "Don't move a muscle, missy, or you're in big trouble when I get back."

  Grinning, she saluted on the not-sore side of her head. "Yes, sir!"

  A couple of minutes later, her phone rang.

  A voice whispered. "This is Rachel. The girl you've been asking about did live with us. Her name was Jessica Childers. The sheriff saw me when he was out there the first time and told me that she'd been found dead."

  Rachel took a deep, shaky breath. "I talked to people about her, and Pastor found out that we knew she was dead. He was really angry. The thing is, when the sheriff came out to talk to all of us, we couldn't say anything. Pastor Theron didn't tell us we could answer the sheriff’s questions. The first rule you learn when you join the church family is that what goes on here is private and we're not supposed to talk with anyone about it. After the sheriff left, Pastor Theron made it known that he didn't want us talking about her. He wanted us to go on as if nothing had happened."

  She continued anxiously. "I didn’t want to believe anything bad. I didn’t want to think anything was wrong. I love it here at my church home. But I can’t quit thinking about Jessica and what happened to her. I know something bad is going on, Mrs. Granger. Jessica isn't the only girl who's gone missing. There have been three others that didn't show up, and nobody knew where they went. I've memorized their names. I think something horrible may have happened to them."

  Ice raced from Lee's heart to her limbs. Three more girls missing? Oh my God ... Lee took a long, slow breath and exhaled. "Rachel, can you tell me those names right now, hon? I'd sure appreciate it."

  "Yes."

  Lee got up and grabbed a pen and paper from the bar. "Okay, tell me in order of disappearance."

  "The first was Diane Lamb, then Amy Fuller, and then there was Jade Morgan."

  "That's good. Now what kind of time period are we talking here, from when the first one went missing to the last one?"

  "Well, Diane was about ... seven months ago, and Jade was about two months ago."

  "One last thing. Can you think of anywhere secluded or private at the compound where a girl could be hidden if she were abducted?"

  Hanna was quiet for several moments. "The living quarters are basic. It couldn't be there. I may not know about every single place, but I'm familiar with the layout here. We have a basement under the kitchen, but someone goes down there occasionally. Not often, but it does happen. We also have a basement under the main hall, but people go there fairly regularly for supplies."

  She paused a moment. "The buildings are all used for one thing or another, but I've heard that they built a basement under the garage area, and it's not in use right now. It's supposed to be used in the next year or two when we have an excess of canned food from the orchard and gardens."

  "Are these places locked?"

  "The one under the kitchen is and the one under the hall isn't. I would assume the one under the garage, if it actually exists, wouldn't be, since it's not being used."

  "That's such a big help, Rachel. Now, honey, don't tell anyone that you've talked to me. I'll let you go so nobody sees you on the phone. I don't want you in any danger. Please, act like your normal self, and don't try to find out anything on your own. I'll handle this and so will Sheriff Clearwater, okay?"

  Lee bit her lip. "I guess there's one exception. If another girl goes missing, you let me know."

  "I'll do it."

  "Okay, call me or call 911. We need to stop them from doing to anyone else what they probably did to poor Jessica." Lee sighed. "Honey, thank you for being so brave. These girls don't have anyone out there on their side but you."

  Lee hung up and called the sheriff's office, asking if Cody was in. He was gone, so she called him on his cell.

  "Sheriff Clearwater."

  "Hey, Cody, this is Lee. Listen, I just talked to a woman who's a major player over at the compound. I've spoken to her several times before. She told me some scary stuff."

  Cody sighed. "Lee—"

  "Hear me out. Turns out three other young women have gone missing in the past seven months. She's scared that something horrible has happened to them. Those are her words. She gave me the name of the girl I found. She was from there after all. If you have something to write with, I can give you all the names, starting with hers."

  "Son of a bitch, Lee! What the hell is going on out there? Hang on. Let me pull over, and I'll write it all down."

  Lee waited while Cody got ready.

  He came back on the line. "Okay, tell me our girl's name first, and then give me the rest in order of disappearance, if you have that."

  "I do. I want to go on record now and say I don't want this witness put in any danger." She gave him the information, but she was only half-concentrating. The other part of her mind was figuring out how the hell that rat bastard Rubek carried all this off under the noses of hundreds of people.

  She considered the areas of interest at the compound that Rachel knew about, and the garage was the only likely place they could be held. There might be places Rachel didn't know of, however.

  Cody said, "Lee, I'll run these names through the missing persons database and see if I come up with any hits. I'm warning you, though, you stay away from there, you hear me? I'll say this, and don't get mad. We've already lost Wess. I don't want to lose you too."

  Sighing, she said, "Okay. But you get back to me as soon as you get your info from the database. And, what are we going to do about this, huh?"

  "I'm pulling that bastard in. He's going to talk this time."

  KENNETH HALE PEERED at the number on caller I.D. and answered his phone. "What's going on?" He hurried out of his office and down the stairs.

  Burke said triumphantly, "I done it. The bitch is no longer a problem."

  "Oh yeah? Like how did you 'done it'?" Kenneth exited the doors of the main hall and climbed into the privacy of his black SUV.

  "She's at the bottom of the river, dead as a doornail, that's how. I shot at her, and she ran off the road yesterday. I waited a long time, and she never came up," he bragged.

  "Anybody see you?"

  "Just the bitch, and she's out of the picture. I drove the truck back here to Cisco and dumped it on the side of the road so it would look like it was stolen. Wiped it clean of prints. Got a ride into town from a biker bitch I know."

  Kenneth considered. "Okay, why don't I meet you at the same place tonight, at six, and we'll settle up."

  Kenneth hung up and picked at a piece of skin near one of his manicured nails. That was one problem taken care of. Burke had better not turn into another.

  LEE LAY ON THE COUCH, feeling better after a good night’s rest. Jesse had gone out to feed and her mind worried at the problem Burke presented.

&
nbsp; Jesse came back in and fixed them both breakfast, giving Lee more pain meds.

  When she was settled, he said, "I'm going outside to make a phone call. I'll be back in in a little while. You rest. I'm not working at the pond, if it's okay with you, boss lady?" He raised his eyebrows.

  She grinned. "Whatever you say, cowboy. You're the boss man today." She liked the sound of that.

  "You got that right, so don't argue with me." Smiling, he headed out the front door.

  In a few minutes, he walked back inside. "Cody's coming over."

  And he had to make that call outside? "Well, you better talk in here, because I'm part of that conversation. Don't even think about leaving me out."

  Jesse stared at her. "You're not in any shape—"

  "I said, don't even think about leaving me out! I have a bigger stake in this than either one of you. It's my hide Burke's after, and I'll be a part of whatever you two put together. Period."

  Jesse paused, then nodded. "Fair enough."

  He sat down beside her, and gently scratched her back.

  She knew he sensed how vulnerable she felt—two attacks out of nowhere and no way to tell when the next one might happen.

  Jesse was red hot on the warpath for Burke.

  Soon Cody's car spit gravel up the drive, and Jesse opened the front door. Waving, he told Cody to come on in.

  Cody walked through the door, and he and Jesse shook hands before Cody noticed the condition of her face. "Jesus, Lee, how are you, honey?"

  "Like I got hit with a baseball bat and thrown under a truck." She grinned.

  Cody came over and pushed the hair off her brow. "Missy, why can't you tangle with somebody your own size, huh?"

  She squeezed his hand. "I'll be okay, Cody. Thanks, though."

  Cody sat in the old recliner. "I put out an APB on Burke's motorcycle and took a run by his place last evening. No sign of the bastard, though. Can you tell me anything about his truck, Lee?"

  Closing her eyes, she thought back to when she bashed her truck into Burke as he aimed his gun at her. "It was an old Chevy, light colored. It had a darker panel down the sides. You know, like the older ones had. I'm not sure what the panel color was—maybe a dark blue. It all happened so fast, then he slammed me and ran me off into the river."

  Jesse swore and clenched her hand.

  She smiled and reassured him. "I'm fine, honey. I'll be all right by tonight."

  He shook his head, unable to speak.

  Cody said, "I've set Sonny to make regular drive-by's at the bastard's house so we'll catch him if he tries to go home. I've also talked to the neighbors on the east side of his place. They're none too happy that he's suspected of injuring a woman. They're keeping their eyes peeled for me, too."

  Cody ran his hand through his hair. "I've asked the Judge for a warrant to search his house and vehicles. Hopefully we'll turn up that rifle. We didn’t find any slugs from his gun in Lee’s truck when we pulled it out of the water, so we can’t make a match on that. Anyway, Sonny worked the warrant up, and I should have it any time now."

  Jesse said, "Swear me in, I want to be there when you have that bastard cornered."

  Cody frowned. "I can't do that. You're way too close to this. Anyway, you're needed here, protecting Lee. I can't do that while I'm out looking for this asshole. It's the most important thing right now, while we don't know where he is."

  Not liking it one bit, Jesse nodded. "Okay, but you need to keep me updated. I can't stand the thought of him hurting Lee again."

  "I will, I promise."

  After Cody left, she sat up, hugging Jesse and kissing him slowly so her head wouldn't pound.

  He lifted her on his lap.

  She brushed a lock of dark hair off his forehead. "Honey, you've got to quit worrying yourself sick. I'll be okay. It's only stitches. Believe me, I've had worse. One year, a damn bull kicked me and broke my leg. Much worse, let me tell you. Ten weeks on crutches sucked. This is small potatoes."

  Eyes closed, Jesse hugged her, shaking his head. "I'm never letting that bastard get to you again." He kissed her and laid her back down. "It's time for some more aspirin, sweetheart."

  SEVERAL THINGS HAPPENED that afternoon. Cody called, and the warrant came through. He and Sonny executed the search and found a .30/.06 rifle at Burke’s house. There was also some pot and a bag of meth in the dresser drawer. The bastard's bike was parked at the house in his shop. That gave credence to the idea that he'd been driving the truck since he'd been AWOL from the house for a night and day.

  Figuring that Burke would be coming back for his bike, Cody decided to ask the neighbors if Sonny could hang out at their place and keep a watch. They agreed.

  BY AROUND FIVE, LEE was better. The aspirin regimen had helped. She still hurt, but her head didn't pound every time she moved. She told Jesse that he was doing a good job. Surveying the contents of the fridge, she called out, "How about some steaks tonight?"

  Jesse walked in. "Great, as long as you don't think you're cooking."

  "Hey, buster, I'm fine so Nurse Ratchet needs to consider retirement."

  He laughed. "I'm cooking the steaks and working in the kitchen. You can watch and pitch in a little. You're not overdoing it just because you're feeling a little better. That's an order from Nurse Ratchet. He ain't retiring yet."

  She smiled and gave him a kiss.

  Jesse cooked the steaks to perfection—juicy and tender, with just the right seasoning. She'd hardly eaten anything the day before and planned on catching up.

  They sat down, and Jesse clasped her hand, bowing his head. "Father, I thank you again for keeping Lee safe yesterday and for allowing me to share my life with her. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost her. Please continue to keep her safe for me. I'll do my best, but without your help, Lord, I may fail. Thank you for this wonderful food and for our ability to provide it. In Your Son's Name, Amen."

  She was quiet during dinner. How lucky she was. And, thanks to Jesse, she was beginning to sense God's presence in her life again, in a good way. She closed her eyes and said a brief prayer of her own.

  At about eight that evening, Jesse got a call from Cody and put the phone on speaker. That rat bastard Burke had come back to his place, and they'd arrested him. The out-of-work asshole was loaded with cash. Sonny was taking him back to the station for questioning.

  Jesse spoke quickly. "I want to be there. Don't you have some of that two-way glass that I can look through or something? I want to hear what the bastard has to say."

  After a few seconds, Cody said, "We do have one room like that. I know how I'd feel if I were you, and Lee's one of my best friends. You can come observe, but no interference, Jesse. I'm warning you. You screw up, and you're out of there."

  She looked at Jesse. "I'm going with you. No way are you leaving me here."

  He started to protest.

  "Nope. Nope, don't even say it. I'm going. You can keep an eye on me there. I'm not staying home while you see all the action."

  They dressed in a hurry and headed into Bentwood. When they arrived at the station, Burke was still in booking. She was so revved up she wanted to punch her fist through the wall.

  Jesse wasn't much better. In the foyer, they alternately paced the floor and held hands. Eventually, Cody came out and beckoned them to the back.

  They threaded between a few desks, walked down a hall, and finally passed through a door and stopped before a large window. Inside a room, the fat rat bastard was sitting at a table, chewing on a fingernail. Lee wanted to jump through the glass and slap the shit out of him. Jesse looked like he wanted to do the same.

  Cody gave them a stern what for look, and they put on innocent faces. He shook his head and walked over and picked up a manila folder and recorder before going into the adjoining room.

  They listened through the speaker as Cody sat across from Burke and turned on the recorder, reciting the date and time, his name and Burke's full name and the purpose of the recording. "Mr. Burke, S
onny tells me he's read you your rights. Is this true?"

  "Hell, yes, but I ain't done nothing, the asshole."

  "Did he also inform you why you were arrested?"

  "Yeah, he said something about a shooting I don't know nothing about and some shit he found in my house that ain't mine. I never lock my house. Anybody could've put that shit there."

  "Where were you on Saturday afternoon, the second of July?"

  He assumed a studious look. "Let's see, it was Saturday, so I was probably hanging around my house, sleeping and drinking beer. I might have worked on my bike. I like tinkering with it."

  Cody stared at him. "Uh, huh. Don't suppose anyone can verify that?"

  "Why, no, Sheriff. I'm one of those solitary guys." He gave Cody a smart-ass smile.

  Cody ignored it. "Well, that's interesting because we have tire tracks that go into Lee Granger's place that afternoon, and they're from a motorcycle. I'll bet when we compare them to the tracks from your bike, we'll have a match."

  Cody opened his folder. "And, guess what else we have, Burke? We have shell casings we picked up off a ridge at Lee's place that day. Now we have your rifle and a box of bullets under a search warrant. We also took a bullet from Lee's truck door. I'll bet we'll get a real nice match when we compare it with your rifle. We've got boot prints from the ridge where the shots came from, and I'll bet they match something of yours. We have all sorts of stuff we'll be doing in the next few days."

  Cody grinned. "Now here's the real zinger, Burke. I know you're the one that shot at Lee Granger and ran her off into the river. We pulled her truck out last night. You want to know how I know? Because she got a good look at your fat face while you were ramming her off the road. She's still alive, you stupid bastard. If you had her balls you wouldn't be spending your time picking on women half your size."

  Burke slouched in his chair, gripping his head.