Trail of Lies (11 page)

Kaitlyn whirled around and faced her mother, her hand on her waist. “What are you gonna do with his stuff?”

Melora walked to her daughter, a smile spreading across her features. “I'm saving them for you. When you get older, you can decide what we do with them. Okay?”

“Okay.” Kaitlyn hurried from the office.

Daniel wiped his brow. “Whew! There for a moment I thought you were going to have a fight on your hands.”

“Kaitlyn hasn't said too much about her daddy being gone. He wasn't around that much. When he was home, he usually holed himself up in here and didn't see her a lot.”

“So work consumed him, too.”

“Not so much work as his life. Axle did what he wanted to do. Nothing more than that. Sometimes it was work. Sometimes it was play. We were an aside to him.”

With three strides, he cut the distance between them. “I'm sorry.”

“You aren't like him,” she said in a voice that made him wonder if she was trying to convince herself or him.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes.” Her voice was fierce.

Neither said or did a thing for a good minute until the doorbell's chimes sliced the tension in the air.

Melora pivoted and started for the door. Daniel snagged her arm and stopped her progress.

“Let me answer it.” Steel threaded through his words. He didn't like the picture of himself materializing in his mind—someone like her deceased husband who neglected his family and did what he wanted.

Melora stood back a few feet while Daniel checked who was at the door then opened it. Her uncle filled the entrance into her house. His expression, full of worry, froze her. She'd never seen such concern in his eyes as she did today. Something was terribly wrong.

“What's the matter, Uncle Tyler?” She finally moved forward. Even at her parents' funeral he'd been in control of his emotions. Now she sensed he barely had them reined in.

“We need to talk.” Her uncle stabbed Daniel with a hard look. “Alone.”

Daniel closed the door. “I'll be in the kitchen trying to get one of those cookies I smell baking.”

After he left the foyer, Uncle Tyler strode to the office and went into the room, only to come to a halt a few feet inside. “What have you been doing?”

Melora came up behind him. “Boxing up all of Axle's possessions. I thought it was about time.”

“What are you going to do with them?”

“Store them somewhere. I hadn't thought that far ahead.”

The frown she used to dread carved his features. “Obviously, you haven't. What is a Texas Ranger doing here? I leave town for a couple of days and you two have become inseparable.” He paced toward the window and looked out to the stable. “Why?”

She hadn't wanted her uncle to be dragged into what was going wrong with her life, but she had to tell him something. She moved toward him. “He's protecting me.”

He swept around. “From who?”

She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “Someone broke into my house last week.”

“And that warrants the attention of a Texas Ranger?” He shook his head as though ridding his mind of some unwanted thoughts.

“Axle was into some illegal activities that they are interested in.”

Uncle Tyler stepped closer. “I can hire bodyguards—a whole army of them—if you want. Let me protect you. Please stop what you're doing before something happens to you or Kaitlyn.”

The vehemence in his voice stole her words. She stared at him for a long moment before finally asking, “Has someone threatened you?”

“It's not me I'm worried about. It's you. I can't protect you anymore. I've tried since Axle's death.”

“What are you talking about?”

His tanned features drained of all color at the same time as a thud resonated through the office. When he opened his mouth to reply, Uncle Tyler's eyes going wide froze Melora for a few seconds. A bright spot of red on his chest fanned outward as he crumbled to the floor.

M
elora opened her mouth, but no sound came from her throat. Finally, her muscles began to work, and she knelt next to her uncle. With trembling hands, she reached toward him. His eyelids fluttered, then he looked right at her.

“I'm sorry. If we could—have found the…” he rasped, the light fading from his eyes as they stared at her.

A scream erupted from deep inside her. Seconds later, Daniel slammed the door wide and rushed into the room, his gun drawn. With a quick visual sweep, he assessed the situation, holstered his weapon and hurried toward her.

“Are you all right?” he asked as he stooped to feel for Uncle Tyler's pulse at his neck, then closed the older man's eyes.

Tears blurred Melora's vision while she stared at her uncle, blood pooling on the floor about him. Everything inside her iced. He'd raised her. Now he was gone, too. Because of her.

Vaguely she saw Daniel check the window with a bullet hole in it, then shut the drapes. Then he placed a call about the shooting, but his words jumbled around in her brain, making no sense. Nothing made sense. More tears flooded her eyes and rolled down her cheeks as hands lifted her
from the floor and wrapped about her. The quaking began and quickly spread to envelop her.

“We were…” she gasped in a shallow breath “…he just went down.”

Holding her to him, Daniel guided her from the room into the foyer and sat her on the bottom stair, then went down on his haunches in front of her, grasping her elbows. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

His gaze skimmed over her, and she peered down to see what he was looking at. Blood drops splattered her snowy white blouse. She fixed on some right above her heart, pain, not from a bullet, lanced through it. Her throat crammed with the tears she tried to keep in, she shook her head.

“Where's Kaitlyn?” she asked, locking gazes with him.

“She was in the kitchen with us. I had Juanita take her back to her room and told her not to come out until I told her to.”

She lifted her quivering hand and pointed toward the office. “He's dead because of me. They want me, not Uncle Tyler.”

“What did he want to talk to you about?”

Melora swallowed several times, trying to think back five minutes to what Uncle Tyler had been saying to her. For a few seconds her mind blanked, except for the vision of her uncle right before he collapsed to the floor. Surprise then fear flashed across his face. “He was telling me he could protect me. He was worried about me.” She tapped herself on the chest. “Me, Daniel, and he's the one dead. It should have been me.”

“Did he say anything else?”

The tears returned when she remembered her uncle's last words. “He was telling me he was sorry. He had nothing to be sorry about. He raised me when my parents died. He
didn't have to. I'm the one who is sorry for pulling him into this.” She pushed to her feet. “I need to see Kaitlyn. Make sure she's okay.”

He settled his hands on her shoulders, keeping her in front of him. “You need to change first and wash up.”

Another glance at the blood sent numbing waves through her.
Lord, how am I supposed to deal with all this? Please. I need You.

Then she noticed the blood on Daniel's light blue shirt. She gestured toward it. “I'm sorry,” she murmured the same words her uncle had told her.

Sobs overwhelmed her, and she went into Daniel's arms again, seeking some kind of solace, something to take this pain away. He pressed her against him, whispering over and over that she would be all right, that he was there for her. His words gave her a feeling of safety she hadn't experienced in a long time.

When sirens invaded the quiet, Melora managed to pull herself together and step out of his embrace. She swiped the wet tracks from her cheeks and said, “I'll be all right. I need to change and see about Kaitlyn and Juanita.”

“I'll take care of the sheriff. We'll find who did this, Melora.”

She started up the stairs, her legs wobbly. Clutching the railing, she peered back at Daniel as he made his way toward the front door. What would she have done without him here?

Or was the fact he was here the reason her uncle was dead now?

 

With Melora, Kaitlyn and Juanita upstairs with Gisella, Daniel stood back with Ranger Levi McDonnell while the body of Tyler Madison was taken from the house. The crime scene was being processed, the pictures taken. He
already had someone coming out to replace the window. All the blinds were drawn, and law enforcement officers were out scouring the grounds for any evidence.

“Melora has told me I can do whatever I need to secure this place. Money isn't an object, but she doesn't want to leave until whatever the people are after is found. She wants these people brought to justice.” Daniel shut the front door behind the deputies carrying out the body bag.

Levi frowned. “How are we going to keep her safe if we can't hide her somewhere?”

“By protecting her here and finding the flash drive that people are killing to get a hold of. It wasn't on Axle's body when we found him so maybe he's hidden it somewhere. That's what someone thinks and they want it.” Daniel paced the entry hall, his nerves pulled taut, as though any second they would snap. “We can have people patrol the grounds and replace some of the windows with bullet-resistant glass. With the other ones we can keep the blinds closed, stay out of those rooms. She's got a good security system, and her doors were already reinforced after the break-in.”

“What do you want to do next?”

“They're getting desperate to kill her uncle in her home. Why did they? Another warning? Or was the bullet meant for Melora? No way to tell for sure. I'm going to her uncle's house. She is his heir and has given me permission to do whatever is needed to keep her daughter safe.”

“I wish we knew who the killer intended to shoot.”

“We need to look into her uncle's affairs. See if he was the target or Melora.” Daniel stopped and faced his fellow Company D Ranger. “She was standing a couple of feet away from her uncle. I need to search his home. See if there's a reason someone would want him dead. I can't rule anything out. I want you and Gisella to stay and guard them. I want two Rangers here at all times until we figure
out what's going on. Coordinate the security until I get back and see to any follow-up on searching the grounds. When all the evidence is collected, have Evan hand deliver it to the crime lab in San Antonio.”

“Will do.”

“I'm going to let Melora know what I'm doing, then leave.” Daniel headed toward the stairs and mounted them to the second floor.

With dread he walked toward the den. When he'd left Melora earlier with Gisella, he hated seeing the bleak look in her eyes. She was trying to be upbeat for Kaitlyn, but it was coming out false and the little girl knew it. The child had been unusually quiet.

Stepping just inside the room, he caught Melora's attention while her daughter sat in front of the television watching a movie. Gisella nodded toward him while Melora quickly crossed the room and slipped out into the hall.

“What's going on? Did you all find anything outside?”

Melora's eyes, full of fear, caused his gut to churn. “Not yet but they are still searching. They're through downstairs, however.”

“Can Juanita clean up? She doesn't want Kaitlyn to see anything and neither do I.”

“That's fine. Ranger McDonnell will be stationed downstairs while I'm gone.”

The fright in her gaze took over her whole expression. “Why? Where?”

“I want to check out your uncle's house.”

“You think they were after him, not me?” The creases in her forehead deepened.

“Why did he tell you he was sorry? What was he sorry for?”

“I don't know.” She kneaded her fingertips into her brow.
“Do what you have to. My daughter comes first, and I have to do whatever I can to keep her safe. They may have been threatening Uncle Tyler. He was scared when he talked to me. I've never seen him like that.”

He turned to leave. Her hand on his back stopped his movement, and he pivoted toward her.

“Stay safe. I'll call the housekeeper and tell her you're coming.”

“Don't.” The widening of her eyes caused him to add, “We don't know who to trust.”

“Fine. Call me if you need me to say something to her. Remember she's Juanita's older sister.”

“What's her name?”

“Carmen Perez.”

“Keep Juanita up here with you all. Give me the time to get to your uncle's before telling her she can go downstairs to clean up.”

“You can't think she had anything to do with this. My uncle has been wonderful to her and her sister.”

“I don't know what to think, Melora.” He took her hands in his. “But I do know I'm not taking any chances with your life or Kaitlyn's.”

She nodded, some of the fear dimming for a few seconds as she stared into his eyes. “I know. That's why I've put our lives in your hands.”

With a quick squeeze, he left her to make his way downstairs and to his truck before he did something foolish like drag her into his arms and never let her go. The vulnerable look in her eyes tore at the wall he'd erected around his heart.

Lord, please keep Melora and Kaitlyn safe.

All he could do right now was turn her protection over to God and try to find some clue that would lead him to the person behind killing Axle and her uncle.

Fifteen minutes later he rang Tyler Madison's doorbell and a slightly older version of Juanita positioned herself in the entrance as though he would have to come through her to get into the mansion.

“Carmen, I'm Ranger Daniel Riley.” He showed her his badge. “May I come in to talk?”

“Señor Madison isn't here right now.”

“I know. I need to talk to you.”

A question darkened her brown eyes. “Me?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Carmen stepped to the side to allow him into the foyer.

Daniel entered and headed for the living room visible off the entryway. The housekeeper followed but hung back by the door. Doubt and suspicion molded her features.

“Why do you want to talk to me?”

Daniel waved his hand toward a chair. “I have some news. You might want to take a seat.”

The color leaked from her face. “Has something happened to Melora? Juanita told me you were staying at her house.” She took the nearest chair.

He shook his head as he sat across from her. “It's not Melora, but Mr. Madison. He was murdered today at Melora's.”

“Señor Madison? Murdered? How?”

“Someone shot him through the window while he was talking to Melora. Do you have an idea why anyone would want to kill Mr. Madison?”

Something unreadable flashed in the woman's eyes, before a composed expression descended over her features. She sat up straight, gripping the arms of the chair. “Señor Madison was a good employer.”

“Melora has given me permission to search her uncle's house.”

Carmen opened her mouth to say something but instead snapped it closed.

“You can call her if you want to verify that.” Daniel delved into his pocket and withdrew his cell.

Carmen rose. “What do you need to see?” Stiff formality marked her bearing.

“First Mr. Madison's office. I understand from Melora he usually worked from home.”

The older woman, with hints of gray in her dark hair, pinched her mouth into a frown. “This way. Please don't mess up anything. Señor Madison doesn't like…” Her voice hitched and her lips quivered.

“I'll do my best to leave it as I first saw it.”

She opened a dark walnut door and stepped back. “This is,” she swallowed hard, “his office.”

“Who else is here in the house?”

“No one right now.”

“In this huge house?” It was twice the size of Melora's. He knew how many people it took to take care of a home this size because his parents' was as big as Tyler's.

“Señor Madison sent them all away this morning. I just returned home an hour ago. They won't be back until much later.”

Interesting. “Do you know why?”

She shook her head. “He took a call in his office then came out and told me to give everyone the day off. He insisted I go visit my daughter, too.”

“Please come in and sit while I look through the office.”

Her head held high, she gave him a frosty look. “I'm not going to do anything to interfere with your investigation.”

“I may have questions for you.”

She snorted and settled on to a hardback chair, clasping her hands in her lap.

Daniel felt her gaze on him as he strode to the desk and rummaged through it. Nothing of interest. Glancing at the laptop and seeing it was password protected, he decided to take it with him and give it to one of the Rangers who was a whiz at computers. Next he turned his attention to the filing cabinet behind the desk.

Half an hour later he discovered something that he doubted Melora knew about or she'd kept hidden from him. Her uncle had been a partner in the restaurant chain. What else had Tyler Madison been involved in? The illegal activities taking place through the business? He would have Evan and Oliver dig deeper into Melora's uncle's affairs. There might be a connection to the Lions of Texas. Could that be the reason he'd told her he was sorry? If he were connected to the Lions of Texas, the recent events happening to Melora would have troubled him. He didn't doubt Tyler loved his niece, so did he have a falling-out with someone because he was threatening her?

Daniel continued his search, finishing in the office and moving to the man's bedroom. He wasn't sure how he was going to tell Melora that her uncle might not be an innocent bystander in this whole situation. She was hurting already. This would make it worse.