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

by Margaret Daley

  A scowl darkened his friend’s face. “Sadie had to call an ambulance last night. Steven fell and put a big gash in his head. She couldn’t get him down the stairs to take him to the hospital.”

  “I’d just left there. If only I’d known, I could have helped.” Why hadn’t she called him? He would have turned around and gone back to her house.

  “Steven drank almost a whole bottle of cough syrup, the kind with codeine. I went by the hospital this morning to make sure everything was all right. I knew you could handle picking up Kelly and Mary Lou.”

  “Has Steven said anything about why he did it?” Sadie must be devastated. He wished he could have been there for her.

  “No, he’s sleeping, but you better believe I’ll be asking that question. What was the boy thinking?”

  The urge to make sure Sadie was all right hit him, demanding he forget his job for the time being. But he couldn’t. Kids were being hurt. He tamped down the impulse and said, “I’m going to stop by the hospital after I talk with Luke. Then I’m going back to the warehouse.” A compromise he could live with.

  “I’ll meet you there. Call me when you head for the warehouse. I have another case I have to look into. A couple called in a while ago about someone breaking into their cabin on the lake. I need to check that out.”

  “Is Luke here?”

  Cord pulled a toothpick out of his pocket and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. “Yep. And not too happy. Jeffrey is here representing him.”

  “Is his dad here?”

  “Nope.”

  “Interesting. I would have thought he would be.”

  “Mr. Adams, like Bradley, leaves legal issues to Jeffrey.”

  “When did the Adams family move here?”

  One of Cord’s eyebrows arched. “What are you thinking?”

  “Nothing. Just curious.”

  “Four years ago. He started buying up a lot of property. He came in spending money right and left. Definitely a shark. He didn’t have to pay full price for most of the property he purchased. It was when the market was so depressed. He was like a chocoholic in a chocolate store told to take whatever he could grab.”

  Ethan laughed. “Nice visual. I can relate to that.” He made his way into the hallway. “You’re welcome to join me.”

  “I’ll let you have the fun. A warning, though, Jeffrey isn’t the puny guy you knew in high school. He’s ruthless and will go in for the kill when he sees a weak spot.”

  “That’s what I’ve heard. He certainly looks different from back then.” Something else not the same as when he’d grown up in Summerton. Why couldn’t people and places stay the same?

  “I understand he swims every morning no matter what the weather is.”

  “Even in the winter? I know they are usually mild here, but not that mild.”

  “Yep. I’ve seen him.” Cord went into the room next to the one Ethan would be using to listen in on the conversation.

  Ethan strode toward the front of the station to escort Luke and Jeffrey back to the interview room. He shook Jeffrey’s hand. “It’s good to see you again. I wish it was under different circumstances, though.”

  “So do I.” Jeffrey’s large frame filled out his expensive suit nicely. Tanned, not a hair out of place, the person Ethan had known eighteen years ago had completely changed—not necessarily a bad thing.

  The day he’d first met Jeffrey flashed into his mind. A group of boys were stuffing Jeffrey into his locker. Ethan broke the group up and told them if they ever laid a hand on Jeffrey again they would have to answer to him. At that time, Ethan had grown within a couple of inches of his height today—six feet four. But he’d also been weightlifting to beef up for the football team. Jeffrey had cowered behind Ethan that day, shaking. The lawyer’s bearing now wasn’t anything like that frightened kid. Just another reminder nothing stayed the same.

  Jeffrey set his briefcase on the table as though setting up a barrier between them. “I have a full day. Let’s get this done so I can go to the office and Luke can go to school. You have nothing on Luke. He is here out of a courtesy to you. We want this to end today.”

  “So do I, but for that to occur certain questions need to be answered satisfactorily. I’m sure you want to clear up what happened to Jared. Answer his parents’ questions concerning their son’s death.” He met Jeffrey’s gaze head on, sizing up the new man. Then Ethan turned his attention to Luke. “You lied to me. You did write that note passed to Jared. Why didn’t you tell me the truth? Are you hiding something?”

  Luke glanced at Jeffrey. His lawyer nodded. “I didn’t think it was important. We were planning to go camping one weekend, and our girlfriends were going to meet us. Jared wanted to bring Kelly. We don’t bring anyone on those weekend trips without getting everybody’s okay. We’re a close group, and one person can ruin it if we aren’t careful.”

  The teen spoke as if he had recited his spiel in front of a mirror until it flowed naturally from him. But it was too practiced. “Do your parents know about these—little outings?”

  “We’ve been doing it for a while, but only recently have we taken along our girlfriends. Their parents don’t know, so you can see why I wanted to keep it quiet.” His cheeks reddened, a nice touch to emphasize his embarrassment. “It had nothing to do with what happened to Jared, so I saw no harm in saying what I did.”

  Ethan didn’t believe him. Small tells gave Luke away—his eyes twitching, his finger rubbing the skin above his mouth. “When was the last time you went?”

  “The weekend before school started.”

  “Where did you go?”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m going to check out your story.” Ethan wanted to expose Luke’s lies, force him to tell the truth.

  “What’s this got to do with what happened to Jared?” Jeffrey asked.

  “I’m not sure yet, but Luke lied to me because of the weekend outings. I want to make sure he’s telling me the truth this time.”

  “I am.” Luke raised his voice several levels and clenched his hands.

  “Then you have nothing to worry about. Where did you go before school started? Who went with you?”

  Luke’s face reddened even more, his knuckles taut and white.

  Jeffrey placed his hand on the boy’s arm. “Give him what he wants, then we’re leaving. We will not participate in a fishing expedition.”

  Luke inhaled then exhaled a large breath. “Jared, Kalvin, Brendan, and me. The only girls were Carrie and Missy. Kalvin’s girlfriend, Zoe, couldn’t get away, and Jared hadn’t been dating Kelly long. We camped on the north side of the lake in the woods.”

  Jeffrey rose. “I can tell you my son did go on a camping trip right before school with them. If you have more questions for Luke, contact me.” He indicated to the teen to stand.

  Luke immediately complied, keeping his gaze averted.

  Cord entered the interview room twenty seconds after the pair left. The police chief shook his head. “I’ll have one of my detectives check into this—story.”

  “I think there’ll be truth to at least the camping trip in August. But he rehearsed what he was going to say, because what he said about the last trip that was planned was a lie. When you are planning a lie ground it in as much truth as you can.”

  “So what do you want to do about this?”

  “Have the detective verify the one in August. I’ll be contacting the parents of the girls about the one supposedly planned for now. It’ll be interesting to see what they say. I know the kids are acting as one, but are the adults, especially Bradley and Annabelle? I might even call them all down here together. Have the other parents in the same room as Bradley and Annabelle. Will they keep the pretense up when faced with Jared’s parents?”

  “You know, I think you’re a good match for Jeffrey. You can be ruthless and merciless.” Cord grinned.

  “I don’t want to see other teens die like Jared.”

  “I have a call into Maxwell Ho
ward about doing a program at the high school concerning prescription drug abuse. He usually schedules the assemblies.”

  “Good. I want to be included in that one. Sadie told me that Cynthia Proctor counsels students concerning drugs at the high school. She might want to participate in the assembly.” Ethan picked up his hat he’d placed on a chair against the wall. “I’m going to the hospital. I’ll call you when I head to the warehouse.”

  Twenty minutes later, Ethan poked his head into Steven’s room. Sadie looked up and smiled, motioning for him to come inside. As he passed the bed, Steven lay asleep in a darkened room with streams of light leaking through the blinds—enough that he could read the exhaustion and worry on Sadie’s face. He took the seat next to her on the small couch.

  “How’s he doing?”

  “Finally sleeping peacefully. For part of the night, his stomach was upset. When I helped him into the bathroom, he was wobbly on his feet. “

  “That’s the cough syrup. It can make a person sick when they take so much.”

  “Serves him right. I hope he remembers that.”

  “What are you going to do?” Angling toward her, Ethan settled his arm along the back of the couch.

  “Find out why he did it. Get him some help. And keep a close eye on him. I’m going to find out what’s happening to the kids in Summerton.”

  He took her hand. “That’s my job.”

  “No, it’s every parent’s job, too. I know some of the teachers at the middle school. I want to get their take on this, and I’ll be talking with our nurse. Cynthia might be able to help me deal with this, because right now I’d like to ground him until I’m no longer responsible for him.”

  “Would that change anything? Do you think once he turns eighteen you’ll turn off being his mother?”

  Sadie’s shoulder sagged. “No, it’s a lifetime job. Why can’t they behave like I want them to? Then there would be no problems.”

  Ethan chuckled. “If only that were true.”

  “Cord said you were interviewing Kelly and Luke this morning. Did you discover anything that will help your case?”

  “Kelly is getting more sure of herself when she lies, and Luke has his story down pat. Next time I’m going to have Cord talk with Kelly since my niece is involved.”

  “What did Kelly say?”

  He told her. “The thing is she’s backpedaling from what she said on Sunday when I talked with her. And why would Lexie make up a story? What does she gain by doing that?”

  “I know Lexie. What she told me last night was the truth. She gained nothing by telling me, then you, about the warehouse.” Sadie put her hand over her mouth to stifle a yawn.

  He assessed her, noting the dark circles under her tired eyes. “Did you get any sleep?”

  “Are you kidding? No, I heard every sound last night.”

  He placed his arm around her and tugged her back against him. “Rest. I’ll be here if Steven needs something.”

  “Maybe I will for a short time.” She yawned. “I know you have better things to do than baby-sit me.”

  “Nope, it can wait. Friends help friends. You need your rest if you’re going to handle Steven when he wakes up.” He wanted to be here for her.

  She snuggled against him, laying her head against his shoulder. Her eyelids drifted closed, and the tension he felt in her body gradually eased. For a long time, he watched her sleep, taking in the soft curve of her jaw line, her pert nose, the long, dark lashes dusting the tops of her cheeks.

  When she murmured something and shifted in his embrace, her long blond hair fell forward, hiding her from his view. He smoothed the errant strands behind her ear and continued his perusal. Delicate. Pleasing to the eye.

  How could Harris walk out on their marriage, leaving her with two babies?

  Although layers of grime covered the windows in the warehouse, the lighting was brighter than the night before, making it easier for Ethan to search all the nooks and crannies. As he completed checking the perimeter and began to move closer in, Cord came into the building.

  He started in the center and worked out toward Ethan. “Sorry I’m late. I stayed at the station thinking you’d be calling half an hour or so after you left. When you didn’t, I went to see about the cabin someone broke into.”

  “Sadie was upset. Steven had a restless night. She didn’t sleep at all. I decided to stay and give her a chance to rest. I told her I would let her know if Steven needed her.”

  Surprise flitted across Cord’s face. “She didn’t say anything to me when I was there earlier. What’s going on with you two?”

  Ethan paused in his trek. “Nothing. We’re friends.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since we were young,” Ethan said and tried to ignore Cord’s snort. “Okay, we weren’t exactly friends then because of the age gap, but I’ve known Sadie for years.”

  “Do I need to ask your intentions toward my sister? She’s vulnerable right now.”

  “I know. Harris isn’t making life easier. But we’re just friends. With all that’s going on when would we have time for anything else?” Ethan caught a glimpse of something shiny out of the corner of his eye and squatted to examine a hidey-hole in the wall that he hadn’t seen before.

  “You want there to be something else?”

  “I could ask you the same thing concerning Beth. I’m not blind. I’ve seen the looks you two exchange.”

  “I asked first.”

  Ethan pulled out his flashlight to inspect the place and used a pen to poke into it. “Quit being a big brother and put on your cop hat. Come over here. Look at what I found.”

  After donning latex gloves, Ethan withdrew a silver chain with a heart dangling from it with the letters KAW engraved on it. He opened the locket to see a picture of Jared in it. “Bingo. I’d like to see Kelly explain this to me after her earlier statement. But before we present her with the evidence of her presence here, I want to check for latent prints. Good thing I took her fingerprints to rule out she was at the warehouse since she insisted Lexie was lying.” He gave the evidence bag to Cord. “I’ll let you handle its transport.”

  “Maybe we’ll find something else.”

  “We can only hope.” Ethan resumed his search of the warehouse. “Did you discover anything at the cabin?”

  “Definitely someone used the place without permission but nothing was stolen. A few things were moved around, but the owners met me at the cabin and couldn’t find anything gone.”

  “Was there anything worthwhile to take?”

  “TV and a sound system. Some small appliances in the kitchen.”

  “So someone used the cabin for what?”

  “Partying probably,” Cord said with a frown. “We dusted for latent prints, but it was pretty clean, especially if a party took place there.”

  “Like someone had wiped it down?”

  “That or wore gloves. They’re putting in a silent alarm, in case the person or persons come back.”

  “Is the cabin isolated?”

  “Yes. Woods all around. They routinely check on the place twice a month. Guess when?”

  “The first and the fifteen?”

  “The fifth and the twentieth of the month.”

  Having completed the search, Ethan met Cord at the door. “If anyone knew the owners’ routine, they would know when the cabin would be empty.”

  “That’s my thinking. I told them to keep it quiet about the silent alarm.”

  “So you’re thinking what I’m thinking. It’s kids, maybe even the group who threw the pill party here.”

  “Last Saturday was the fifth.”

  “Who is the couple?”

  Cord grinned. “The Collins.”

  “As in Missy’s parents.”

  “Grandparents.”

  Ethan chuckled. “I hope they keep it from their family. If so, we might actually catch these kids in the act.”

  “That is, if they do it again. After what happened to Jared if they�
�re smart, they won’t.”

  “Who said they’re smart? They’re kids. Invincible. They think bad things won’t happen to them. Remember when we felt that way?”

  Cord nodded and left through the warehouse’s back entrance. “I wish I could protest that statement, but sadly they might not for a while, and I bet they’ll eventually do it again.”

  Ethan slapped his friend on the back. “That’s why we’re here. To stop them before they do it again. And pray to the Lord that we’ll break this wide open before another kid falls victim.”

  On Friday, Lexie stood at the door of the cafeteria, tray in hand, surveying the room. Just one quiet spot in this entire place, was that too much to ask? She shook her head. There was nothing quiet about the large room at lunchtime. But at least she found a table to sit at with only one girl. If it weren’t raining, she’d go outside where she could be by herself in an isolated place on campus.

  “Hi, I’m Susie,” the teenager across from Lexie said.

  “I want to be left alone,” she wanted to shout at the girl who she was sure was a freshman by the books stacked on the table. Instead, she smiled but didn’t reply. She didn’t want to carry on a conversation when her whole world was falling apart around her.

  The teen looked at Lexie for a few seconds, then stuffed the rest of the sandwich in her mouth, gathered her backpack and textbooks, and left.

  Lexie kept her gaze down until the girl was gone. She didn’t even care that she’d made a student mad at her. If the girl knew who she was, she wouldn’t have stayed anyway. With all the rumors about her being a liar flying around the school, Lexie Alexander was a pariah. The memory of the looks she’d received all morning knotted her muscles. Few people had acknowledged she was even at school. It was like she was invisible. She peered at her pizza, but her stomach churned as the odor of congealing cheese hit her.

  A nearby table full of juniors stared at her. Other students leaned close and whispered to each other, then fixed their gazes on her.

  All because she’d finally told her uncle the truth. She should have sooner, but she’d let the years she and Kelly had been best friends sway her to go against what she knew was right.