Lone Star Christmas Witness

by Margaret Daley

  An elderly man with a head of white hair stood in the entrance, looking past Taylor. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m Texas Ranger Taylor Blackburn. I just have a few questions for you.”

  “I’m Clyde Zoller.” He leaned on his cane, his shoulder against the door frame.

  Taylor showed him Richardson’s photo. “Is this your neighbor across the street?”

  “Yep. Why?”

  “There’s a bomb in the trunk of Max Richardson’s car.”

  “Do I have to leave?”

  “No, the bomb squad is dealing with it. Have you seen Richardson today?”

  “Yep. Early this morning when he arrived home. I’m an early riser and always come outside on the porch and drink a cup of coffee. I’ve been doing it for the past twenty years.”

  “Did he go into his house?”

  “Yes, but he left in a car not twenty minutes later.”

  “What kind of car?”

  “Actually, a white pickup.”

  “Did you get the license plate number or make?”

  Clyde shook his head.

  “Do you know where he might have gone?”

  “Nope. He hasn’t said a word to me in the past two years. Just a few weeks ago, he walked right by me with his eyes downcast. He nearly knocked my cane out from under me. Thankfully I caught myself before going down. He wouldn’t have helped me up.”

  “Does he have family around here or friends he might go see?”

  Clyde’s eyes widened. “He’s the guy everyone is looking for, isn’t he? I came in this morning at the end of a news broadcast. I only got a fuzzy glimpse of the picture. I didn’t have my glasses on yet. Is that the same guy?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know any of his friends or family?” Taylor asked again, impatient. He hated being gone too long from Sierra and Ben. When he’d left his dad’s home earlier, he’d actually had hope that the case would be wrapped up today. He should have known better. He just hated seeing how afraid Sierra was while trying not to show it.

  The older man rubbed his chin. “There used to be people coming and going from his house. That stopped when his daughter died. And then a month ago, his wife died, too. He got downright mean after that. He certainly is angry.”

  Taylor withdrew a card with his contact information on it and handed it to Clyde. “I’d love your help. Give me a call if you see Max Richardson.”

  “Will do. But I don’t see him coming back. I said he was angry, but he’s also intense and very smart.”

  “Thanks. That’s good to know.” Taylor noticed the police officer still at the other house two doors down. “Who’s your neighbor?” He gestured toward the place next door, the last one to be canvassed.

  “That’s Nanny Bee. If there’s anything you want to know about Max, she might know. She knows everything that goes on around here and loves to share with others. She loves to talk.”

  “Is she at home?”

  “She’s always there. She never leaves her house.”

  Taylor tipped his hat and left the front porch. “Good.” He headed to Nanny Bee’s home. Maybe she would have an idea where Richardson could have gone.

  He rang the bell. According to Clyde, she was here. Maybe she didn’t open the door to a stranger. “Ms. Nanny Bee,” he called through the door, “I’m Texas Ranger Blackburn. Clyde told me you’re home. I need to talk to you.”

  A couple of minutes later, the door opened a few inches.

  “Where’s your identification?” asked a woman in her seventies wearing a long terry cloth robe, her arms crossed over her chest.

  He showed her his badge, and she parted the door a couple of more inches.

  “What do you need? I was in the middle of a TV show I’d like to see.”

  He took out the photo and held it up. “Do you know who he is?”

  “Max Richardson, although he’s usually wearing glasses. Can’t see much in front of him.”

  “Do you know where he is?”

  “At his house. I haven’t seen him leave.”

  She must not be as vigilant as Clyde thought. “No, he isn’t home.”

  “I’m rarely wrong.” With her forehead scrunched, she looked at him with doubt. “Is that why the police are at his house? Did something happen to him?”

  “There was a bomb found in the trunk of his car. But he isn’t at his house. Do you know anywhere he could be?”

  The older woman shook her head. “I can’t help you. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to my show.”

  She shut the door before Taylor could say anything. She must be really into that TV program.

  As he walked across the street, he sensed someone watching him. He stopped and swung around. Clyde stood in the front window and waved to him.

  The bomb squad was packing up to leave after they deactivated the bomb. He met Nash by his car and compared notes about what they heard from the people on the block. “The neighbors I talked to don’t know where Richardson is. With him out there somewhere, I need to leave to pick up Sierra and Ben. I want to make sure they are protected. Can you come by my dad’s tonight to go over the case?”

  Nash nodded.

  Taylor climbed into his rented SUV and headed toward the ranch. He’d wanted Richardson arrested today. Sierra and Ben had already gone through so much. He wanted their nightmare to end.

  One thought intruded into his mind as he drove. What would it be like if he and Sierra had met under normal circumstances?

  * * *

  Sierra held Ben’s hand as they walked with Dallas, Rachel Young, his fiancée, and Michelle, his daughter, to the barn on Rachel’s father’s ranch. Ben actually was tugging Sierra along because apparently she wasn’t walking fast enough.

  “C’mon, Ben. I’ll race you to the barn,” Michelle said.

  Ben dropped Sierra’s hand and raced toward the black building and reached the double doors before the teenager. He pivoted toward her with a huge grin on his face.

  “Thank you, Rachel, for letting us come today,” Sierra told the woman walking beside her. “I don’t think I could have sat around Robert’s house waiting to see what happened when Taylor and Nash went to arrest the suspect.”

  “I certainly understand. Besides, Dad is thrilled someone wants to adopt one of the puppies. He’s taking more and more animals in, which means he needs more people to adopt them. People even leave abandoned animals at the ranch gate all the time.”

  Dallas slipped his arm along Rachel’s shoulders. “Believe me, it’s hard to refuse Bill when he asks. I’ve taken a few to care for. Michelle loves it. She even comes and helps Bill with the animals on the weekend.”

  When Sierra entered the barn, she spied her nephew in a small enclosure sitting on the ground as puppies crawled all over him. The smile hadn’t left his face, especially when he tried to hold two wiggly dogs, both feverishly licking him.

  “They’ve been weaned for a few days. Two males and two females. Ben, you can pick anyone you want,” Rachel said when the group stopped on the other side of the pen.

  He giggled when one snuggled against his ear.

  While Sierra watched him play with each puppy, she kept checking her watch.

  Dallas came to her side. “He can take care of himself. He’ll be all right.”

  “I know. I just want this all over with and this man behind bars.”

  “Believe me, every law enforcement officer in the area is looking for this man.”

  “Waiting is hard to do.”

  Rachel leaned forward. “I’ve been on both ends of it. I’m the sheriff, so Dallas has had to wait for me and I have for him. Neither is fun.”

  “What kind of dog do you think these puppies are?” Sierra asked, needing to take the conversation away from what was happening with the hunt fo
r Max Richardson.

  “Not sure. The mother has a lot of corgi in her. The father might have been one of the terrier breeds.”

  Ben finally stood up with a brown-and-white puppy in his arms. He brought him to Rachel.

  “Is this the one you want?”

  He nodded.

  “Then he’s yours.” Rachel looked at Sierra. “Are you taking him today?”

  Before Sierra could answer, Ben looked between her and Rachel, then took off running toward the open barn doors, cuddling the puppy against his chest. Heart racing, Sierra whirled around, ready to defend her nephew. Instead, relief trembled through her when she saw who stood there.

  “Yes, we’re taking the puppy today.” Taylor entered the barn, looking tired and worn out. But alive!

  She headed toward Taylor as Ben showed him the puppy he picked.

  Taylor knelt in front of Ben and took the dog from him, holding the puppy up. “What are you going to name him?”

  Ben’s lower lip stuck out while he looked up in deep thought.

  “Tell you what, Ben. It took me some time before I decided on Oscar’s name. You should think about it for a while.”

  Ben nodded and took the puppy from Taylor.

  Dallas, Rachel and Michelle joined them at the entrance.

  “I’ve got some Christmas cookies and hot chocolate waiting for y’all at the house. Want some?” Michelle asked Ben.

  Ben started out for the house. Michelle quickly followed.

  “I’ll let y’all discuss the case. I’ll catch up with them.” Rachel took off after Ben and Michelle.

  When they were out of earshot, Taylor turned his back on the house and faced Dallas and Sierra. “Richardson has left his house. We haven’t found him yet. I interviewed some of the neighbors. According to one, Richardson wasn’t home and had been gone since early this morning. He thought it was strange that he left his car and drove away in a pickup that the man across the street hadn’t seen before. I showed the man the picture we have of our suspect, and he identified Max Richardson.”

  “Any indication where Richardson went?” Dallas asked.

  Taylor shook his head. “Richardson used to be social with his neighbors, but ever since his daughter died, he kept to himself and his wife. But since she died a month ago, the neighbors have hardly seen him.”

  “His wife’s death could have been his trigger.” Dallas adjusted his cowboy hat.

  “I’d say definitely. I checked on her death on my way here. She committed suicide.”

  “Are the police sure it was a suicide?” Dallas asked.

  “Yes, she was visiting her mom in Austin. She left a note, then took sleeping pills.”

  While Sierra listened to them discuss the wife’s death, a chilly wind swept through her. The killer was still out there, possibly planning more. Now she could only hope his photo being splashed all over the news would lead to his capture. “So, what do we do now?”

  “Follow the leads. The tip line has been busy. The police are following up on all credible tips. We’ll dig into his past. Interview people who know him. He’ll make a mistake.” Taylor turned toward the house. “We need to leave. I want to be back at Dad’s before dark.”

  Sierra walked between the two Texas Rangers to the kitchen door. When she entered the home, the scent of chocolate filled the air. Ben sat by Michelle at a table for six, stuffing a cookie into his mouth, then washing it down with a swallow of hot chocolate that left a brown moustache over his upper lip. In front of him was a piece of paper he’d been drawing on while Michelle was doing the same thing, her pencil moving quickly over the sheet.

  Rachel approached Sierra. “Michelle suggested they draw a picture of the puppies. And they’ve been doing that since coming in here, only stopping long enough to have a bite of a cookie and a drink of hot chocolate. Why don’t we take ours into the living room?”

  “We can’t stay too long, but I hate ending this,” Sierra replied. The smile on Ben’s face as he drew his picture and petted his new puppy curled on his lap gave Sierra hope that her nephew would be all right with time.

  * * *

  After Nash left later that evening, Taylor pored over any information he could find on Max Richardson for the second time. Still nothing about where he could have gone. Nor was there anything at his house to indicate a hiding place. As the neighbors had said and others who knew Richardson had corroborated, he had withdrawn from all his friends and had even lost his job six weeks before the shooting. The police were now worried that the killer would next attack the grocery store where he’d been an assistant manager. Nash had contacted the place of business about his concerns.

  Taylor had gone through Richardson’s bank and credit card records, as well as the call log on the cell phone he’d left on his kitchen table. But he’d come up with nothing of import. His car was too old to track its GPS to see where he’d gone in the past weeks. He didn’t own property other than his house the police had scoured for evidence. But they’d found nothing. Only the car had yielded any evidence. Not only was a bomb in the trunk but so were some bomb-making ingredients. Nash was tracking down friends and associates, and Taylor hoped the lieutenant would find a lead to Richardson’s whereabouts because he was coming up with nothing useful on his end.

  He stood and stretched. He’d been sitting for hours. He needed to move around. Perhaps that would help him connect the dots with all the information he’d collected about Richardson. He walked into the kitchen to refill his mug.

  As he poured his coffee, he wondered if Richardson was finished with his vengeance. Had he slipped through the dragnet they had around San Antonio, and was he already states away? His photo had made national TV news. Someone out there might know something about where he was. Many other criminals had been apprehended because of a tip from the public.

  As Taylor turned from the counter, Ben stood in front of him with his puppy in his arms and Oscar next to him. The boy pointed at the door.

  “You think both of them need to go outside?”

  Ben nodded.

  “Then let’s go.” Taylor crossed to the back door and opened it.

  Ben stepped outside and put his unnamed puppy on the ground. Oscar nudged the dog, then trotted a few yards away with the pup following.

  “Oscar is a good role model for your pet. Are you still thinking of a name? He’s going to need one.”

  Ben nodded again.

  “Having a pet is a big responsibility. You’re going to do a good job.”

  Oscar headed back toward them with Ben’s dog running to keep up. The boy scooped up his puppy, and they all returned to the house.

  Sierra was next to the refrigerator, waiting for them. “It’s time to put your pet into his crate. Until he’s house trained, he can’t sleep with you. Remember, that’s why we bought a crate for him. He has bedding in there.”

  Ben frowned.

  The child hadn’t been happy at the pet store they had stopped at on the way back to this house. Taylor ruffled his hair. “You still have Oscar.”

  Ben plodded to the crate and put the puppy inside.

  “Let’s go. It’s past your bedtime.” Sierra clasped his shoulder and guided him toward the door.

  “Ben, tomorrow we’ll play fetch outside with both of them.” Taylor watched them leave the kitchen, and then he snatched up his mug and returned to the dining room.

  He retook his chair and stared at the computer, wondering if going through the information on Richardson for a third time would help. He felt like he was missing something, and yet he couldn’t figure it out. Frustration churned his stomach.

  “Ben is finally asleep, I think because I told him the faster he goes to bed the faster tomorrow morning will come and he can see his pet.”

  Taylor glanced over his shoulder and smiled at Sierra. “That’s good. We probably should take
that advice, too. Tomorrow will be a busy day.”

  Sierra sat in the chair catty-corner from Taylor, looked at the computer and sighed.

  “I think we both need a break from staring at the screen. One good thing came out of today. We know who the shooter is and most likely the reason.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “There is no justification for what that man did. We did what we could. I looked at the bills the Richardsons received. Kat stopped charging him even the copayments for those last months. She did that for people who were struggling to pay their medical bills.”

  Taylor came to his feet and held out his hand. “Let’s sit on the couch and look at the Christmas tree lights and unwind before we call it a day. We can start back tomorrow morning.”

  In the living room, Sierra cuddled next to Taylor. They kept the room dark, lit only by the twinkling tree lights. “There’s something calming about only the Christmas tree lights being on. It reminds me of God being the light in the dark, showing us the way.”

  “I like the quiet and peace. It’s been a hectic day.”

  “A hectic week. So much has happened in a short time.”

  Taylor slid his arm around Sierra, thinking about all that had occurred and how it was altering him. There was one big change. For the first time since his wife died, he was attracted to a woman. “When the case is solved, and I intend for it to be soon, I don’t want to lose contact with you.”

  For a few seconds Sierra tensed, then pulled back. “I’ve mentioned how Kat saved me going down the wrong path when I was teenager, but I never told you why I did it. What triggered my anger and rebellion.”

  In the soft lighting from the tree, Taylor could see concern in her eyes. She moved back a few inches as though to distance herself. Her gaze fell on a spot between them on the couch.

  “When I was twelve, my sister was dating this guy in college. Kat was eight years older than me and also buried in her books or working to earn enough to feed us and put a roof over our heads. I was still mourning Mom. I don’t think Kat ever got a chance to. She became more a mother to me than a big sis.” Sierra pressed her lips together and stared at the twinkling lights on the tree, opening and closing her hands.