Severed Trust: The Men of the Texas Rangers | Book 4

by Margaret Daley

  “Jared Montgomery was found dead this morning. I received a call from his father. He knew it wouldn’t be long before the rumors would be flying around town. We’ll have a faculty meeting tomorrow before school to discuss how to handle this crisis. Be at the school an hour early.”

  Sadie listened to Maxwell’s talk, but the words barely registered. Jared’s dead. She’d never had one of her students die. “What happened to him?”

  “Don’t know the details. Bradley will let me know when he hears from the police.”

  “He wasn’t found at home?”

  Cord scowled.

  “No, at Summerton Lake. That’s all I know, and I don’t want to be responsible for spreading unfounded rumors. Just as I know my staff doesn’t.”

  “Yes, you’re right.” When Sadie hung up, she tossed her cell phone on a cushion. “That’s what you were going to tell me. Jared was found dead this morning.”

  Cord nodded, the scowl deepening. “It hasn’t been long, but I shouldn’t be surprised. In a few hours, the whole town will know.”

  “I wouldn’t even give it that long.”

  “Yeah. I need to get to the station. I’m sure I’ll get all kinds of calls about it.”

  “What do you know?”

  “Not much. Not even the cause of death at the moment.”

  “The scene wasn’t clear?”

  “Nope.” Cord started for the front door, stopped, and turned back. “I’ll pay Harris a call. I don’t care who he works for. He needs to know to leave you alone. I wish I had done something about him fourteen years ago.”

  “There wouldn’t have been much you could do. I thought I was in love.” She rose. “How wrong I was. My kids weren’t too happy to hear about their dad.”

  “Where have they thought he was all this time?”

  “I let them believe he was dead.”

  Cord sucked in a deep breath.

  “I know. I was wrong to do that, but it stopped them from asking a lot of questions I didn’t want to answer.”

  “You married him. There had to be some good times.”

  “Don’t remind me. I have to live with that mistake, but I don’t want my kids to.”

  “They may have another idea about that. It’ll be hard to keep them apart if they want to get to know him. I’ve seen him turn on the charm when he wants something.” Cord strode into the foyer.

  That’s what I’m afraid of. Sadie heard the front door shut. She cherished the silence, knowing it wouldn’t last. It didn’t. A minute later, she received a call—the first in a string of them, all focused on the tragedy of losing such a wonderful young man.

  As soon as Kelly hung up from talking with Lexie, her cell phone rang. Lying on her bed, she rolled over to face the ceiling while she answered. Kids had been calling and texting nonstop since this afternoon. “Hello.”

  “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep your mouth shut about last night,” a male with a raspy voice, as if he were disguising it, spoke low into the phone.

  “Who is this?”

  “Not a word to anyone, or you’ll pay for your sins.” He clicked off.

  Kelly stared at her cell to see the number the person called from. It was listed unknown. She quickly turned her phone off and put it in a drawer. His last sentence kept playing through her mind: Not a word to anyone, or you’ll pay for your sins.

  Kelly sat in the middle of her bed and wrapped her arms around her legs, hugging them close to her chest. Trembling started in her hands and quickly spread to her whole body.

  What if he finds out I spoke to Lexie?

  First thing Monday morning, Sadie filed into the auditorium with her friend and fellow English teacher, Robin David. “I’m not looking forward to this week. This is going to hit the students hard. Jared was so popular.”

  Robin leaned toward Sadie. “I’ve heard it could be murder. Jared? Can you believe that?”

  “Murder? I thought it was accidental.”

  “Driving into Summerton Lake? Someone would have to do that on purpose. And he had so much going for him. I can’t see suicide. Besides, I heard there wasn’t a note.”

  Cynthia Proctor, the school nurse, came up on Sadie’s other side. “I heard drugs were involved. That would be awful for the Montgomery family, big supporters of the school’s anti-drug campaign.”

  Though her brother was the chief of police, Sadie felt out of the loop. “Where did you hear that, Cynthia?”

  “Around. A parent called me first thing this morning and wanted to know what we’re going to do about it.”

  “Are you going to do something about it?” Robin asked as she sat in a chair.

  “I’m meeting with Maxwell after he talks to the faculty to discuss a plan of action before the whole crisis team gets together. We want to be ready for the students when we open the doors in an hour.”

  After most of the faculty was seated, except for a few stragglers, Maxwell Howard, also the head of the Crisis Team, stood at the front of the auditorium with the head principal next to him. “Everyone hurry in. This meeting won’t take long. I’ll give you the latest I’ve heard from Chief Thompson fifteen minutes ago. We need to stop the rumors from flying around.”

  The audience quieted while the principal said a prayer for the Montgomery family and Jared’s friends, then he turned the meeting over to Maxwell.

  “The findings of the autopsy haven’t been released yet, but will be in the next day or two. So at the moment nothing has been ruled out. However, the police don’t feel it’s a suicide.”

  Sadie heaved a sigh while others whispered to the person next to them. Then she thought if it wasn’t suicide, which probably meant it was murder. A chill flashed through her body.

  “Please encourage any student needing to see a counselor to come to the office,” Maxwell continued, bolstering the volume of his voice over the murmurs. “We’ll have extra crisis counselors here for the next few days to talk with anyone who needs to. Try to keep your routine the same as much as you can. All teachers need to be in the halls between classes. If you see a student breaking down, escort him to the office where he can get help. The funeral will be Wednesday afternoon at three. We’ll end school a little early that day to accommodate the students and staff who want to go to the funeral. Any questions?”

  A teacher in front raised her hand. While she asked about what the school could do for the family, Robin whispered, “You know it most likely means murder, because as I said, I can’t see Jared driving himself accidentally into the lake. The parking lot and boating ramp are separated.”

  Cynthia bent forward. “We can’t let the students hear us speculating about Jared’s death. Let’s wait until the autopsy is released to the public before saying what it is.”

  At the end of the meeting, Maxwell finished with, “Texas Ranger Stone will be here to interview various members of the staff. If Jared’s teachers would stay behind, he’ll see you all first.”

  Robin stood. “I get to escape. See you later, Sadie.”

  As her friend hurried toward the exit, Sadie caught sight of Ethan Stone coming into the auditorium. His long strides and confident bearing gave the impression of a take-charge kind of man. From what Cord had said about Ethan, that was exactly what he’d done. He’d developed quite a reputation in the San Antonio area. Watching him highlighted all the reasons she used to have a crush on him as a teen. Commanding. Calm in the midst of chaos. Dedicated to what he did.

  For a second, her heart fluttered. Then she remembered Harris and all feelings shut down.

  Ethan strode toward the front of the auditorium, threading his way through the exiting crowd. He spied Sadie Thompson in the seven people remaining. Since he’d been home, he’d seen Cord’s little sister a few times from a distance. She’d grown up nicely. He could remember when she used to bug him and Cord, following them around, trying to find out what they were doing so she could tattle on Cord. He smiled at the thought and faced Jared’s teachers and the foo
tball coach.

  “I’ll be interviewing each of you today. I would like you all to think about Jared’s friends, have you ever suspected drug or alcohol use with Jared, and has he had a problem with anyone?”

  “Then this is murder?” Sadie asked, remembering what Robin had said to her during the short faculty meeting.

  “I haven’t said it is, and I don’t want you to leave thinking it has been ruled a murder. We don’t have the autopsy yet. We need to know what Jared was doing the last hours of his life. That will help us.”

  The football coach shot to his feet. “Jared was a leader. He wouldn’t use drugs. Football was everything to him. He knew if I discovered it, he would have been out the door.”

  Ethan came around the front of the podium, resting his elbow on its top. “The question still has to be asked, or I wouldn’t be doing my job. Think back to last week with any of your interactions with Jared. Maybe you overheard him say something to someone who could help us reconstruct his whereabouts Saturday night.”

  “Talk to his girlfriend. She should know. When I saw them in the hall on Friday, they were tight. I mean I had to break them apart and tell them to move on,” a lady he didn’t know said from the first row.

  “I’m aware of his girlfriend and have already spoken to Kelly Winston. Also, as you listen to the students talk over the next week or so, if you hear anything you think would help, please contact me. When I meet with you, I’ll give you my card with my cell phone number. The Montgomery family is devastated and wants answers to what happened to Jared. Thank you for staying. I know how hard today will be.”

  As everyone rose, Ethan approached Sadie. “I understand you have first hour planning period.”

  She paused at the end of the row, stepped out of the way for the football coach to get around her, then said, “Yes. Where do you want to talk?”

  “Mr. Howard gave me an office to use. I want to find out all I can about Jared. Was he involved in something that got him killed?”

  “You think he was murdered?”

  “He’s dead, and most likely he didn’t accidentally end up in Summerton Lake, plus everyone says Jared had no reason to kill himself.” Ethan studied Cord’s little sister with her platinum blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, her warm brown eyes full of concern and her full lips set in a straight line—not a smile or a frown. “The few kids I’ve talked with haven’t been as forthcoming as they could be. It wasn’t that long ago I went to this high school. I haven’t forgotten what it’s like to be a teenager.” He started toward the exit with Sadie next to him. “Cord said you have twins—a boy and a girl, thirteen.”

  “Yes. They’re beginning the challenging years.”

  “That’s one way to put it.” “The Eyes of Texas” sounded, and he unclipped his cell phone from his belt. “It’s the office next to Mr. Howard’s.” He noticed the number was Cord’s. “I’ve got to take this, so I’ll be along in a minute.”

  As Sadie left, he answered, “Has the autopsy come back?”

  “No, hi, good morning?” Cord asked on the other end of the phone.

  “I think we’re past that. Has it?”

  “Yes, and it’s not good.”

  4

  He was murdered?” Ethan clamped his fingers so tightly about his cell his hand ached.

  “The evidence isn’t conclusive, but he wasn’t dead when he hit the water. Drowning is the cause of death. The ME says the abrasions on his body indicate he tried to get out but couldn’t. The seatbelt was jammed and wouldn’t open. I’m having a mechanic we trust and use all the time look at it and tell me what happened.”

  “Had he been drinking or using drugs?” Ethan glanced around to make sure no one else was in the auditorium.

  “The tox screen will be back later. That’ll give us a better picture of what went down. But I’m leaning toward murder.”

  “I agree. This is going to cause far reaching ripples.”

  “Where are you?”

  “The high school auditorium. I’m going to interview his teachers today and other staff members who had contact with Jared.” Ethan began to walk toward the double doors at the back. “I’m talking with Sadie first, then I’ll go see Bradley about the autopsy. Let me know when the tox screen comes back. I’ll try to wait for that and work my interviews here around informing Bradley. He needs to know right away.”

  “Has it only been twenty-four hours since Jared was discovered? Seems longer. When you finish at the school, come by the station.”

  “Will do.” Ethan started to hang up when Cord stopped him.

  “Be gentle with my sister. Her ex has shown up in town and is giving her a hard time. After thirteen years of absence, he finally decided he wants to get to know his kids.”

  “I was thinking of giving her the third degree for the times she spied on us as kids,” Ethan said in a mockingly serious voice.

  Cord laughed. “She was a nuisance. I’d forgotten about that.”

  He hadn’t. He remembered a cute girl with pigtails and freckles who made life difficult for Cord and him. A chuckle bubbled to the surface and escaped as Ethan pushed the door to the hallway open.

  Teenagers poured into the building from each end of the corridor. Instead of the noise level rising, it was subdued. Too quiet. Glimpses of the kids’ faces showed sadness and disbelief. The ones talking did so in whispers. Two girls hugged each other and burst out crying.

  Sadie hurried to the pair and ushered them toward the counseling office around the corner. He waited by the auditorium for her and studied the students as they filed by him, some scrutinizing him as they passed. Groups of teens headed straight for the counseling office. Another teacher escorted four students past him, two openly weeping while the others’ eyes shone with unshed tears.

  Sadie came back in the hallway, and he strode toward her. “Ready?”

  She looked around at the scene in the commons. “As much as I can be. It’s going to be a long day. A long week. Jared was well-liked, and these students don’t understand how he was fine one day and gone the next. It makes them realize they aren’t immortal.”

  But was Jared really well-liked? Did someone kill him? Or help it along somehow? Ethan pointed toward the office he’d been assigned. “I won’t keep you long. I can see you’ll be needed out here.”

  She smiled, a light in her eyes completely wiped the picture of a cute little girl from his mind. Sadie Thompson was a grown woman who dealt with serious issues, especially if Harris Blackburn returned to town. He was a people user—taking what he could from a person, especially emotionally. He’d been a few years younger than Ethan, but he’d seen how the guy had operated in high school. When he’d heard from Cord that Sadie ran off with Harris, he’d prayed things would work out for her, but in his heart he’d known they wouldn’t.

  In the office, Ethan waited until Sadie took a chair then he sat across from her. “I noticed Jared’s grades last year were good, but how was he doing so far this year?”

  “Without looking at my grade book, I can’t say exactly, but he did what was expected of him—barely. I had him right before football. Maybe his mind wasn’t on English.”

  “Was he in jeopardy of not being able to play?”

  “No, but I know he has—had a lot of potential, but I didn’t see him working as hard as he’s capable of this year. I even talked with some of his other teachers recently about it, and they said the same thing.”

  “Could it be because he was having problems with someone?”

  “Like girlfriend problems?”

  “That or with someone else.”

  “He was usually surrounded by a ton of kids, vying for his attention. I’ve seen him and Kelly in the hall, and it appeared he was really into her and she was into him. What did she say?”

  “Do you have her in class?”

  She smiled. “When Cord doesn’t want to answer a question, he throws out another question. I get it. This is an investigation, and I’m not part of the tea
m.” A twinkle glinted in her eyes. “No, Kelly isn’t in any of my classes. I do have your niece, though. She and Kelly are really good friends.”

  “I’ve talked with Lexie.”

  “And you won’t tell me what she said,” she murmured with a laugh.

  “I always knew you were sharp.”

  She leaned forward. “Then can I tell you something that has been bothering me?”

  The space shrank between them. He noticed she only had a few freckles now on her nose. “Anytime.”

  “This may not have anything to do with your case, but last Friday as class was dismissed for the day, Luke Adams passed Jared a note as Luke walked by his desk. Jared read the paper, balled it up, and threw it away. When the room was cleared, I picked it up.”

  “Why?”

  Deep lines grooved her forehead. “I can’t honestly say. Maybe a look that passed over Jared’s face—relief.”

  “What did the note say?”

  “She’s been approved. Bring her.”

  “Nothing else?”

  “No.”

  “Who do you think Luke was talking about? Kelly?”

  “Probably, but it’s a guess. And before you ask, I have no idea what the female was approved for. But the note bothered me. Since I heard he died, I’ve been wondering if there’s a connection.”

  “Do you still have the note?”

  “Yes, upstairs.”

  “Good. If you can get it for me by the end of the day, I’d appreciate it.” He rose, allowing himself to relax completely for a few seconds while he shook her hand, the feel of hers, warm and soft. His pulse quickened. “If you hear anything else strange, please let me know even if you don’t think it’s important. I could use someone here informing me about what’s going on. What are the kids talking about? I can remember rumors flying around school when I was here. The thing is, some of them were true.”

  “It hasn’t changed.”

  “It does seem strange that Luke wrote him a note and didn’t text Jared instead.”