Splitting Aces

by Carolina Mac

  The waiting room was virtually empty and the short chunky girl behind the front counter was clearing it off and putting things away. Behind her on the wall were pictures of all different breeds of dogs and cats with their names underneath. Above the pictures a sign read ‘Happy Customers.’

  All the other tips he had checked out, he had walked in, shown the sketch and then verified that it was close but not a match. Instinct told him not to do that here. If the killer worked here, the wrong move could put him on alert and he’d be in the wind.

  How will I get a look at people who work here without showing her the sketch?

  Farrell smiled at the girl and began asking questions about Red for want of an opening line. “I have a big bloodhound and I was wondering if I was feeding him enough. Do you have one of those charts like—for how much your dog weighs you should give him so many cups of food? Like that.”

  The girl smiled at him. “Sure, we have a chart that gives you all that information. What’s your dog’s name?”

  “Big Red.”

  “I like bloodhounds,” she said, as she looked through a pile of pamphlets on the credenza behind her.

  “Are you the only one here?” asked Farrell.

  “Closing time. There were no more appointments and Doctor Kingsley went home early.” She found the pamphlet and handed it to Farrell.

  “Thanks tons,” said Farrell and booked it through the door. He ran around the building, jumped into his red Silverado and called Blacky. “Got a possible, boss. A vet named Kingsley. Could be him or somebody that works for him. I didn’t show the sketch for a positive ID because I didn’t want to sound any alarms—but I got the vibe, boss. Know what I’m say’n?”

  “Fantastic, Farrell. Jesse told me to check the vets.”

  ANNIE STROLLED DOWN the lane to meet the school bus like she did every day. She hadn’t come to grips with anything that had happened in the past few weeks. When she and Jesse had been in Hawaii her life had been perfect. Jesse was a good man, a wonderful lover and an upstanding role model for Jackson. What the hell had gone wrong?

  Why did I let Jesse go in favor of Race staying at the ranch? I must have been temporarily nuts.

  Why did Race try to kill Blaine? She’d asked herself that question at least a hundred times and there was no answer that made any sense. She put her depressing thoughts aside and smiled as Jackson jumped off the school bus.

  “Hey, honey, did you have a fun day at school?”

  “Yep, we learned stuff today and the teacher said I was good at adding.”

  Annie stroked his black hair as they began the long walk to the house.

  “Don’t forget the mail, Mommy. We’ll have to walk all the way back, like that other day you forgot.”

  “Right.” Annie turned and ran back to the mailbox. When she pulled the envelope out from Powell and Associates her breath caught in her throat and she began to cry.

  Jackson was alarmed. “Mommy, why are you crying? Is it bad mail?”

  She nodded and tried her best to stop. “Bad mail. Yep.”

  Once Jackson was safely in the house and Sarah was giving him a snack, Annie took off. Barely able to see the road for the flood of tears streaming from her eyes, she drove to La Grange, found her way to the hospital and parked.

  RACE LAY in his bed, peacefully sleeping. The new meds made him so groggy, he’d barely been awake all day. As long as he slept, the pain didn’t bother him—and that’s the way he liked it.

  The noise outside the door of his room startled him into awareness and he tried to sit up to see what was going on. He didn’t have to wait or wonder for long. Annie came blasting through the door yelling at him and cursing the air blue.

  “Hold on, girl. What are you saying? You’re not making any sense. Sit down and talk to me.”

  “I’m not talking to you ever again, Race Ogilvie. You’ve turned my life inside out, killed people that I loved, tried to kill Travis and Blaine, and now you’ve wrecked my marriage to Jesse. I hate you, Race.” She leaned in closer and shouted, “Hate you.”

  The guard appeared from outside. “Mrs. Powell, it would be better if you left.”

  “Yeah, I’m going.” She pointed at Race, “I’m going straight to Quantrall and I’m going to get down on my knees and beg Jesse Quantrall to take me back.”

  The guard took her by the elbow and edged her towards the door. Annie called over her shoulder, “I hope you rot in hell, Race. Rot in hell.”

  Quantrall will take her back. He’d be an idiot not to, but a big mistake on his part. His last mistake.

  JESSE WAS IN CHARITY’S room changing her diaper when Annie charged in unannounced. “Hey, sweetheart, I didn’t know you were coming. I’m getting the baby ready for bed.”

  “Can I help you, Jesse? I want to be part of your life and your daughter’s life too.”

  “We’re friends, Ace. We’ll always be friends.”

  Annie began to sob. “I got the divorce papers today, Jesse. I don’t want to be divorced from you. I love you. I’ve always loved you. I want to start over.”

  Jesse finished putting Charity’s sleepers on and laid her in her crib. “We’ve been over this before, Ace. You picked Race, and you were sleeping with him before my side of the bed was even cold.” He covered the baby with a blanket and tucked it in around her. “And yes, I got the papers today too. Any failed marriage is sad, but one as short as ours was is downright pitiful.” Jesse turned out the light and pointed to the hallway.

  Downstairs Annie continued her plea in front of Tyler. He was the only one in the great room and he was watching a game on the flat screen. “Please take me back, Jesse. I’ll move over here to Quantrall with Jackson. I’ll sell Coulter-Ross. I’ll move to Idaho and plant potatoes if that’s what you want to do. Whatever it takes. I’ll do it.”

  Tyler smiled, even though he was trying not to listen in on the argument.

  Jesse sat down on the sofa and shook his head. “I can’t, Ace. My life is cut and dried now, and my heart can’t take another upheaval. All my time is taken up with Charity and running Quantrall. Tyler and I barely have time for a brew anymore.”

  Annie moved closer and sat down next to Jesse. “Once she gets bigger, you’ll have more time. Maybe you need a nanny. I can help with that. I know how to care for a baby. You need me, Jesse.”

  Jesse smiled and used a gentle tone. “I don’t need you any more, Ace, and I’ve come to accept it. I can see that now as clearly as I’ve ever seen anything in my entire life. Our marriage is over—your call—and for me, a good call. Brian says my overall health has improved considerably since I moved home. Home is where I intend to stay.”

  Annie began sobbing uncontrollably and Jesse stood up. “I’ve got work to do at the barn.”

  TYLER MOTIONED Annie to sit on his knee after Jesse left the house. He cuddled her and tried to comfort her. It had been years since Tyler had a thing for Annie and he’d given up hope of a future with her long ago. In his heart, he knew he was better off without her, but they had remained friends and still talked now and then.

  “Come on, Annie, stop crying. Crying ain’t gonna change a thing. Jesse made up his mind when you picked Race over him. You hurt him bad—almost fuckin killed him—that’s what you did, and I for one wouldn’t stand by and let the two of you hook up again for anything.”

  “I’m sorry Jesse got hurt. I love him so much.”

  “But you didn’t love him enough to tell Race to hit the road, did you?”

  “No.” Annie was into the crying again.

  “Enough.” Tyler pushed her off his knee and stood up. “Let’s go to Boots, have a beer and get you cheered up.”

  Annie nodded and wiped her eyes on Tyler’s sleeve.

  BOOTS AND SADDLES on a Monday night offered lots of empty booths. Tyler pointed and Annie walked ahead of him to the back corner. A few of the tables lining the dance floor were full of dancers waiting to two-step to recorded music. No live bands during the week.r />
  Tyler ordered a pitcher of Lone Star and held Annie’s hand across the table. “You made a huge mistake, Annie, and you have to deal with it. You can’t blame Jesse for any of it.”

  “No, I don’t blame Jesse. I’m blaming it on temporary insanity. It was all me and that’s why I feel so much guilt.”

  The waitress brought the beer and Tyler filled both their glasses. “Been a long time since we were here together, Annie.”

  She tipped up her glass and chugged it. “Too long, Tyler. It’s been way too long, and too many terrible things have happened since Race got out of Huntsville.”

  “Let’s not talk about Race, or all the bad things that happened,” said Tyler. “Let’s try to lighten up.” He stood up. “Come on, let’s dance.”

  Tyler and Annie danced for a long while then came back to the table and drank another pitcher of beer. “That was fun. You were right, Ty. We need to let go of the bad stuff and have some fuckin fun.”

  Annie’s getting drunk.

  The waitress plunked the third pitcher on their table and Ty stood up. “Men’s room,” he said.

  Annie nodded and filled her glass from the fresh supply.

  While Tyler was gone, a biker ambled over and asked her to dance. “Hey, beautiful, haven’t seen you in here before.”

  Annie smiled and got to her feet. “Haven’t been here for a long while.”

  The song ended and Annie turned to go back to her table. “One more song,” said the biker.

  “Okay, one more,” she said. “I’m with someone.”

  “Maybe you won’t be with him after this song. Maybe you’ll be with me.”

  Annie giggled a drunken giggle and two-stepped across the plank floor.

  At the end of the song, Tyler was at her side. “The lady is with me,” he said.

  “Not any more, she ain’t.” The biker let go of Annie’s hand and took a healthy swing at Tyler.

  Tyler ducked, hit the biker in his big gut and doubled him over. He grabbed Annie’s arm, but before he took two steps, one of the biker’s buddies was on him like hot glue pounding and punching.

  Annie tried to pull the second biker off, but she wasn’t strong enough and had no luck. The bouncer flew across the floor from behind the bar and broke up the fight, but not before the two bikers got some good licks in on Tyler.

  “Come on, sweetheart.” Annie supported a wounded and bleeding Tyler to his truck. He sat in the passenger seat, his head in his hands and a wad of saturated napkins over his bleeding nose.

  “Drive us home, Annie. I can’t see out my fuckin eyes. They’ll be black by morning.”

  “Yep, I’ll get you home, baby.” Annie started the truck and took off out of the roadhouse parking lot like a bat out of hell.

  “Take it easy,” said Ty. “I don’t want to die on the way home. I feel bad enough already.”

  Annie giggled and headed north. As she roared through the lights at Giddings, she picked up a tail and a mile up the road lights flashed and a squad car pulled her over.

  “License and registration, please, ma’am,” said the officer at the window.

  Annie dug her license out of her purse and handed it over. Ty reached into the glove box and came up with the registration.

  “Would you step out of the truck ma’am? I’d like you to take a breathalyzer test.”

  “I’m not drunk,” said Annie, “and I don’t have time for this bullshit. Tyler’s hurt. I have to get him home.”

  The officer repeated his request and Annie jumped out of the truck. “Want me to walk the white line or one of those crazy-ass, fuckin tests?”

  “Just a breathalyzer will do ma’am.”

  He did the test and showed her the result. “Driving under the influence ma’am. Get into the squad.”

  “No, I’m taking Tyler home. I’m not going with you.”

  Tyler was out of the truck and pushing her towards the squad car. “Don’t make it any worse, Annie. Get in the car. When we get to the police station, we’ll call somebody.”

  BLAINE WOKE when his cell rang on the nightstand. He looked at the time on his phone. Ten after two. The screen said Giddings Sheriff’s Office.

  “Blackmore.” Blaine barked his name into the phone.

  “Rafe Cumberland, here Blacky. One of my deputies brought your momma in on a DUI. She needs a ride home.”

  “Fuck, Sheriff. What the hell?”

  Sheriff Cumberland gave a little chuckle. “I guess Tyler Quantrall took her out for a drink and things got out of hand. Tyler’s beat up and they’re both drunk.”

  “Jesus in a handcart. It’ll take me an hour to get there.”

  “You’re not at Coulter-Ross?”

  “Nope, I’m in Austin.”

  “See you in an hour.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Tuesday, December 12th.

  BLAINE OPENED HIS EYES and wondered where in hell he was. It had been so long since he’d slept in his own room at Coulter-Ross, he didn’t recognize it.

  Thoughts of the night before came flooding back and gave him an instant headache. Annie raving drunk and in jail, poor Tyler beat up and needing his bed, and then after he’d driven Tyler home to Quantrall, Annie’s wailing all the way to Coulter-Ross over the divorce papers that had come in the mail. Shit, what a mess.

  Tired and miserable, he stood under the shower and tried to organize his day. Now they had a legitimate suspect, the work was about to begin. They needed solid evidence to convict him, but would they get it? Kingsley was smart and careful and left nothing at the scene.

  Blaine dressed in the same clothes he’d taken off and headed to the kitchen for coffee hoping Annie would sleep late after her wild night out. No such luck. Coffee was already brewed, and Annie sat at the island drinking a large mugful—black—no cream. Her black hair was unbrushed and hanging over her face, hiding her misery.

  “Morning, Mom, feeling better?”

  “Nope. Can’t feel better ever again.”

  Blaine pulled a mug from the cupboard and filled it. He took the cream carton from the Sub-Zero and sat down next to her. He added cream and studied her red-rimmed eyes.

  She’s been up all night, crying.

  “Sorry you had to come and get me. Made you tired for today and I know y’all are on a big case.”

  He kissed her on the cheek and gave her a hug. “It’s okay.”

  “I feel bad for Tyler,” she said. “He was trying to make me feel better and he got beat up.”

  “Ty’s been in lots of dust-ups. He’ll survive.”

  “One good thing came out of it,” she said, “you’re back home where you belong.”

  “I was too tired to drive all the way to Austin. Doesn’t mean I’m back for good.”

  She argued her point. “You left because of Race, and he’s gone. He’ll never come back here. When can you come home to stay?”

  “Umm… I’m not sure.”

  THE KITCHEN LIGHT was on when he parked in the driveway beside Carm’s house. He had to stop in to change into clean clothes. Very few of his belongings were at the ranch any more. It made him sad to see Annie in such a state and all he wanted to do was run back to Coulter-Ross and take care of her, but should he do that? He was supposed to be an adult now. Life sucked in so many ways.

  As he trudged up onto the porch Misty waved to him from next door. Misty is one of the bright spots in my life.

  He backtracked down the steps and crossed the lawn between the two houses. “Hey, beautiful girl. Sorry I haven’t been calling. A lot of stuff is going down.”

  “I saw the paper and the news reports. Did my sketch help at all?”

  “We got hundreds of calls and that’s where we’ve been. All the legitimate ones had to be checked out.”

  “Just need one to be right,” said Misty. “I was hoping.”

  “One might be the guy. A veterinarian named Kingsley. Who do you take Hoodoo to?”

  “Not Kingsley. I’ve heard he was expensive.�
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  “As soon as I talk to each of the husbands and make a solid connection we’ll be off and running.”

  “Can you come in for a coffee?”

  “I can’t sweetheart, the boys will be at the office. How about dinner? We’ve got a lot to catch up on.”

  Misty slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I miss you when you’re not around.”

  “Dinner. I promise.”

  MRS FLORES had the table set by the window and although he didn’t have time for a sit-down breakfast, he had to take time. He hadn’t been here much in the last few days.

  “I heard you go out in the night,” she said in Spanish, “was there trouble for you?”

  “My mother was in trouble and I had to help her.”

  “Si.” She pointed at the table and brought his breakfast over from the stove. She poured coffee for each of them, sat down across from him and sighed.

  Blaine looked up from his eggs. “Is there something wrong? Are you feeling well?”

  Her eyes filled with tears as she told him about her sick sister in Brownsville. She explained that now Fabiana was gone, she needed her family.” She sobbed for a few minutes over the loss of Fabiana, then pulled herself together and told him the real problem. Her sister was poor and now sick. Carm wanted to sell the house so both of them would have enough money to live on.

  “Don’t worry.” He reached across the table and touched her hand. “I’ll buy the house and put the money in the bank for you. When do you need to leave?”

  “Pronto.”

  LILY LIFTED HER blonde head from her keyboard and smiled at Blaine as he walked through the door of his office.

  “Yeah, I know I’m late. Annie got herself into a bit of a bind last night and I was up half the night getting her straightened out.”

  “You can be late, boss,” said Lily with a big smile. “You’re the boss after all.”

  “The boys been in?”

  “Uh huh, they were here. I gave them the address you sent to my email and they’re on the veterinarian.”