by Liliana Hart
“What is wrong with this town?” she asked.
“Too many things to ask.”
“Hank,” someone called out.
Agatha turned at the sound of the familiar voice. “What in the world?”
Deputy Karl Johnson waved at them from across the room and jogged toward them. He was about her height, but he’d bulked up with muscle over the past few years. His skin was the color of dark chocolate. She still saw him as the boy she once babysat. In her mind, he was still way too young to be driving, much less carrying a firearm.
“Whew, is it good to see a familiar face,” he said.
There were quite a few officers milling about in the lobby from different cities, but they all looked like cops in the tactical pants and polos that had their city’s name over the breast or on the sleeve.
“What’s going on?” Hank asked as they stepped away from a larger group of officers.
“Sheriff Coil sent me for NCIC certification. I have to have training before I can request information through the National Crime Information Center’s database.”
“Great training certification, Karl. I couldn’t have done anything without access to NCIC. How many days is the class?”
“Three days. This is the last day. They said it wouldn’t be safe around here on Friday for the big game. The instructor said Friday was for Rio Chino alumni only. She might’ve been joking or not, but I’m not taking any chances. This place is a little nutty.” He looked around the lobby, his eyes wide. “I’m just ready to get home.”
“Who’s that?” Agatha asked, nodding toward a woman trying to get Karl’s attention.
“Speaking of nutty,” he said on an exhale. “She’s one of the instructors. She tried to shove her number down the front of my pants yesterday. Just caught her before things got embarrassing for both of us. This place is like a different planet.”
“Hey, Mr. Irresistible,” Agatha said. “You think you could help us out by using your charm?”
“Maybe,” Karl said. “The sheriff told me you guys were investigating something up here and that I might run into you. What do you have in mind?”
“We need information, and we don’t think they’re very likely to help us out.” Agatha slipped Karl the paper where she’d written the date, time, and file number of the 911 transcript they needed. If he could sweet-talk his instructor, the information would lead to the recording from the night McCoy was arrested.
Lights flashed in the lobby and Karl explained that meant class was back in session.
“I’ll do my best on this,” he said. “Catch y’all later.”
“Hello, may I help you?” a lady with a name tag that read Corky greeted them.
“Hi there,” Agatha said. “I’m Agatha, and this is Hank. We’re Karl’s parents.” Hank stepped on her toe and she bit her bottom lip to keep from yelping.
The girl looked confused. As she probably should have at that announcement, but it had been the first thing that had come to mind.
“It’s so nice to meet you. Karl just told us all about you. He said you’re one of the best instructors he’s ever had.”
The woman tossed her blond hair over her shoulder and beamed at them.
“Wow, really? He’s just the sweetest thing.”
“I think he’s got a crush,” Agatha went on. “He never talks to us about women. You must be something special.”
The woman blushed as red as the instructor’s shirt she was wearing.
“Did Karl get a chance to speak to you about the favor he needed?” Hank asked.
She looked confused. “Favor? No, but we’ve been so busy we really haven’t had much time to talk. I’m happy to help however I can though.”
“I’m sure he’d appreciate that,” Hank said. “Why don’t you invite him to dinner tonight? He said this is his last night here.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea,” she said. “Do you know what the favor is?”
“We’re looking for a recording of a tape, and someone told us to check here. Karl’s cousin’s voice is on the tape, and since he’s no longer with us, I know it’d mean a lot for Karl to get a copy of it. They were very close. Like brothers.”
“Do you have the date or log number so I can look it up?”
“You bet,” Agatha said, jotting it down quickly on a torn piece of paper from her purse.
“Y’all hang tight,” Corky said. “I’ll be right back.”
Hank whistled once she’d gone off. “That was way too easy.”
“Never underestimate a desperate woman who’s just a little bit crazy. You could see it in her eyes.”
“A little bit crazy?” Hank said. “If I saw a woman looking at me the way she’s looking at Karl, I’d run screaming in the opposite direction.”
“Yeah, right,” Agatha said, snorting out a laugh. “That woman was hot. Men will put up with a lot of crazy for sex. They just don’t want to end up marrying them.”
Hank’s lips twitched. “No wonder you write such believable characters.”
“Thanks, but I kinda feel guilty.”
Hank raised his hands, “About what?”
“Karl.” She chuckled.
Chapter Thirteen
“Hank, how can this car not have a CD player?”
“I don’t know, why would it? Who listens to CDs anymore?” Hank stabbed at the buttons on the dashboard. “That’s like asking why I don’t have an eight-track tape player.”
“Funny,” Agatha said. “Here comes Chaffe. I bet he’s got one we can use.”
“Don’t even think about asking him. We don’t want anyone to know we have this.”
“Geez, I was kidding. This isn’t my first rodeo, cowboy.”
They climbed out of the BMW as Chaffe approached. They’d decided to meet about five miles out of town near a livestock barn. Hank hated the idea because it would be just a matter of minutes until his allergies made an appearance. Agatha handed him a handkerchief, anticipating the attack like a good partner.
“Hi, Peter,” Agatha said, holding out her hand to Chaffe.
Peter didn’t look so good. His eyes were concealed behind oversized sunglasses, and he looked nervous. It didn’t take an experienced cop to understand they were being monitored in some way. Hank put on his own sunglasses so he could move his eyes undetected as he looked for company along the lone stretch of highway. He also made sure his weapon was immediately accessible.
“Well, if it’s not Harley and Davidson,” Chaffe said, tugging at his shirt collar. “Funny seeing you two out here. Having car trouble?”
Since they’d invited Chaffe to meet them out there, Agatha raised her brows at the statement.
“It’s a good thing you passed by when you did,” Hank said. “There’s no cell service out here either.”
Agatha noticed how tight the muscles were in Hank’s jaw were. His lips had drawn into a thin line across his face and she knew his senses were on high alert. His elbow kept in contact with the pistol strapped to his right side. Hank was angry, but alert for ambush. He signaled behind him and Agatha took it as a sign to move back toward the car. She moved to the driver’s side in case they needed to make a quick escape.
Hank’s signals to Chaffe were slow and purposeful. He had no choice but to see where Chaffe’s loyalties lay. His left hand lifted to his chest before he pointed to his ear, and then his eyes, and finally he used his thumb to point to his ear while his index finger aimed at his eye.
Chaffe nodded and reached up to take off his glasses. When he did he carefully pointed to his ear.
Audio only. Which meant they didn’t have other eyes on them. She grabbed her iPad and a stylus from Hank’s car and returned to the two men. Since they couldn’t talk openly, they’d write it out.
“How can I help y’all? I was on my way over to the stadium to make sure it’s ready for Friday night’s game.”
Agatha wrote her question on the iPad and handed it to Chaffe.
Do firemen carry weapons
on duty?
Chaffe shook his head in the negative.
“There’s something going on with the engine,” Hank said. “When I crank her up steam starts coming out of the hood. Do you know anything about cars?”
“Sure do,” Chaffe said. “Why don’t you start her up and I’ll see if I can figure it out.”
Hank revved up the engine while Chaffe leaned close to drown out the microphone he was wearing, and Agatha continued to write questions.
Does Tony have a gun?
Chaffe shook his head and took the stylus from her.
Used to, he wrote.
Agatha took it back from him. What happened to it?
Hank revved the engine again.
Tony used to be a cop, but lasted less than a year. Gave the gun to Kip. Said he had no use for it.
Agatha bit at her bottom lip. That piece of information hadn’t come up in any of their research. That would explain how he’d have access to police-issued handcuffs.
Do you know where the pistol is?
In command center. Locked in bench.
What kind of weapon is it?
.45
Agatha snuck a look at Hank and nodded at him. He revved the engine again for good measure.
Can you bring it to us?
Maybe. Why?
She looked at Hank and he got out of the car to meet them under the hood. It was a gamble to trust Chaffe, but there was no love lost between him and Tony. With Tony gone, Chaffe’s life would become a whole lot easier.
Possible murder weapon, she wrote.
Chaffe’s eyes got big and he stared at them a few seconds, trying to make a decision. He finally nodded, and Agatha let out a breath of relief, patting him on the shoulder.
Hank killed the engine and closed the hood.
“Well, Chaffe, I’m not sure what you did, but it sure sounds better,” Hank said. “Once again the Rio Chino Fire Department goes above and beyond.”
“We’re here to serve.”
He waved as he mounted his oversized fire marshal’s truck. Agatha and Hank waited as Chaffe drove off, and they continued to keep watch for other cars, but there were none.
“Poor guy,” Agatha said. “Stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
“Yeah, I guess Tony is onto us. I figured we might have a little more time, but word spreads fast, and we’ve been talking to a lot of key people. Our biggest worry is that the gun will go missing.”
“What do we do next?”
“Well, Aggie, I think our best bet is to reach out to the former police chief.”
“Please stop calling me that.” She pushed him playfully, but Hank wasn’t expecting it and stumbled a few steps backward.
Bang.
A shot rang out and the glass in Hank’s driver’s side window exploded. Hank drew his weapon, and shoved Agatha down, dragging her as they bolted for cover behind his car.
“Aggie. Aggie, are you okay?” he asked her.
Agatha’s heart was trying to jump out of her chest, and it had been a long time since she’d felt that kind of fear. “I’m okay.”
Hank moved quickly to open the rear door on the passenger’s side for more cover.
“Get in and lie on the floor.”
She did as he said and stayed low to disappear into the back seat.
“I’m coming through,” he said. “Stay clear.”
In a flash, he dove in through the back door, and shimmied between the console and into the driver’s seat.
“Keep your head down,” he ordered.
Hank revved the engine and it roared like the beast it was designed to be. He stomped on the accelerator and the BMW launched out onto the road, and Hank ducked as he anticipated more gunfire. He peeked over the dash to see where the shooting was coming from, and he noticed a plume of dust in the distance. It wasn’t a car. It was someone on a horse. A dang cowboy.
“Call Reggie Coil,” he said to the voice-controlled system in the car.
“Hank,” Coil said. “I was about to call you.”
“We need help,” Hank shouted.
“What’s wrong?”
“We’re five miles south of Rio Chino. We just met with Peter Chaffe, and he was wired for sound. Tony used to be a cop in the old days and he carried a .45. Same caliber as Julie’s murder weapon. Tony’s pistol is locked in the fire station. A couple of minutes after Chaffe left a rifle round missed my head by less than a foot.”
“What?” Coil asked. “Hang tight. I’m on my way.”
“We’re in the clear unless that cowboy chases us down at over one hundred miles an hour.”
“Cowboy?”
“The shooter’s on a horse.”
“I’m on the police radio with a Texas Ranger. He’s about fifteen miles from your location. Can you wait for him?”
“No,” Agatha said from the back seat.
“It’s not safe to stay put. We’ve got to get that gun,” Hank cut in.
“I’m out of options, Hank. The combo of mayor, fire chief, and prosecutor have that town on lockdown. There’s no way I can get those handcuffs or the pistol.”
“Then call Walker, Texas Ranger,” Agatha said as she climbed to the front seat. “There’s gotta be something we can do.”
“I’ve got an idea,” Hank said.
“What are you up to, Hank?” Coil asked.
“Radio your Ranger friend and give him the description of my sedan. Tell him I’m heading to the fire station. Tell him I’m the shooter and still armed and dangerous.”
“What?” Agatha said, her eyes widening. “Are you nuts?”
“What?” Coil yelled.
“Listen, if a search warrant can’t get us in that fire station, maybe a high-speed chase will.” Hank looked in his rearview mirror for the flashing lights.
“No way,” Coil said. “That’s suicide.”
“If this car is as safe as advertised, then we’ll be okay. Mostly. Once I crash through the sally port door, Aggie can jump out and make a run for the command post to get the pistol. The Ranger can arrest us and take the gun into custody. Then we can match ballistics and the case is solved.”
“I’m not getting arrested or killed over this,” Agatha said. “Unless you think the arrest will help with my research. Wait, this is nuts. Forget I said that. Have you been drinking?”
“I’m not going to sick a Texas Ranger on you,” Coil said.
“He shot at us. What am I supposed to do?” Hank asked furiously.
“You’re not supposed to act like a rookie. This isn’t Philadelphia, and you don’t get what you want because you’re Hammerin’ Hank Davidson. This is like the Wild West, son. The rules are different here.”
Hank ended the call and slammed his fist on the dash.
Chapter Fourteen
“Hank, I know you’re mad,” Agatha said, trying to sound like she was completely calm. “But this isn’t going to help anyone. Don’t do this to us.”
“If you hadn’t pushed me out of the way, I’d be dead right now,” he said.
“Believe me, I know. But being reckless will accomplish nothing.”
“Is that what you think I am too?” he asked. “Nothing?”
There was a desperation in his voice, and she realized this had more to do with him and his retirement than it had to do with his harebrained idea. She read people quickly and easily. It was part of her job. But Hank had done a good job of keeping the mask of control on all these months.
For the first time she truly saw his vulnerability. He wasn’t only not good at being retired, he hated it. His entire identity had been that of a cop, and now that it was gone he felt like he was nothing.
“Hank, you were a great cop, but that’s not all you are. You’re a great man too. And the cop you were doesn’t define the man you are now.”
Agatha felt the car decelerate. She knew he was reconsidering.
“I’m no good away from the job,” he said. “It’s all I’ve ever known. I thought doing these inv
estigations with you would help ease the slide into retirement.”
“I think it has,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean there won’t be bumps in the road.”
“I was fine until that guy shot at us. I’ve got to be able to protect you. I hate feeling helpless.”
“Helpless? You’re anything but helpless.”
Sirens blared from behind them and Hank pulled off to the side of the road. Agatha let out a breath of relief that he’d reconsidered his insane idea.
“Just so you know,” she said. “Chaffe just texted. He got the pistol and hid it in the men’s bathroom. He said he felt he needed to act fast, so he stashed it.”
“Perfect.”
“Driver, step out of the car with your hands in the air,” said the voice over the loudspeaker.
“I guess Coil changed his mind about helping me,” Hank said, grinning.
Hank exited the sedan with his hands raised and quickly headed to the rear of his car to meet the Ranger. Agatha watched them chat for a bit before he called her to join them, and she breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn’t in trouble
“Aggie, this is William Ellis. He’s a Texas Ranger.”
“Howdy, ma’am.” Will tipped his Stetson with the Texas star mounted on the front.
The man was at least three inches taller than Hank’s six feet two inches. He was rail thin and his features were hawkish. But his dark brown eyes were all cop.
“Thanks for not arresting Hank,” she said.
He grinned. “Coil explained the situation. I’m in the area on order of the governor himself. My marching orders are to do whatever it takes to clear this mess up. Looks like working with y’all is the best way to get that done.”
“Nick came through,” she said to Hank.
“Money works in mysterious ways,” Hank said. “We appreciate your help.”
“Can you get me up to speed?”
Agatha listened as Hank ran down all the details from top to bottom.
