Texas Ranger Showdown

by Margaret Daley

  “Kelli’s daughter said you do help people. Focus on that. You counsel people with problems. Tonight, we’ll also need to start considering who might have a grudge against you.” He rubbed his hand up and down her spine as though that would take the sting out of what he was implying. “You make a difference in your patients’ lives, but there may be one you couldn’t reach and he snapped.”

  “I’d hope I would be able to see that.”

  When the sheriff and three deputies arrived, Ian quickly stepped away from Caitlyn and filled Tom in on what he’d done so far. “I’ll be back after informing the victim’s daughter and taking Caitlyn to my grandma’s. I believe Caitlyn somehow holds the key to who murdered these women. I don’t want us sharing that with the press, though.”

  Tom nodded. “But I’ll be warning all women in the area to be extra vigilant. I’ll be working with Chief Franklin, and we’ll piece this together.”

  When Ian rejoined Caitlyn, he took her hand and started for his parked SUV. “Let’s go.”

  Halfway to his car, Caitlyn asked, “Why is he playing some kind of cruel game? Why didn’t he just come after me, if I’m the true target?”

  “We don’t know that for sure yet. If we can figure out what his reason for toying with you is, we can probably come up with a short list of suspects.”

  “While right now it could be anyone. We came here because Sean said Jane’s name last night in his sleep. What are you going to do about Sean?”

  “Try to figure out what’s going on. Get help for him.” And pray it wasn’t Sean. His brother didn’t have a connection to Kelli—at least one he knew about.

  Caitlyn stopped at his vehicle, leaning back against the passenger door. “I wish he really wanted help to stop.”

  “So do I, but I don’t think so.” He stared at Caitlyn for a couple of seconds and, as though his hands had a will of their own, he cupped her face, wanting to take away the fear lurking in her eyes. He’d been in dangerous situations countless times but Caitlyn hadn’t. He wanted to protect her and keep her shielded from the evil he’d seen as a law enforcement officer.

  She lifted her big, worry-filled eyes to his. “I’d help him if he let me.”

  Ian bent his head closer to her. “I’ve missed...our friendship.”

  “I came back to Longhorn for good seven and half years ago and set up my practice. You’re the one that moved all around. I had a hard time keeping up with where you were posted.”

  He couldn’t tell her that once he became comfortable in a town, he moved on before he wanted to settle there—and possibly find a woman to share his life with. He’d tried that once, and it hadn’t ended well. He couldn’t let personal feelings get in the way of doing his job. “I’ll be here for a while. As long as Nana and Sean need me.”

  Her gaze snagged his. “What if I need you?”

  Her question prevented him from having a coherent answer. What did she mean by that? Years ago, she’d been the one who left Longhorn the summer after high school without any explanation, except for a message saying she needed to go to college a month early. She stayed away for a year before returning for school breaks and by that time he’d joined the Texas Highway Patrol and was assigned in Brownsville. For over seventeen years they’d rarely seen each other. He’d come into town. She would be gone. Had she been avoiding him all this time? If so, why?

  * * *

  Later that night, Caitlyn sat in a lounge chair at Emma’s house and went through patient files on her laptop. She had more detailed ones in hard copy at her office, but they would be hard to transport to and from here, considering the number of cases she’d had.

  The sound of footsteps disturbed the quiet, and she peered up as Ian entered the den. “Since you’ve been gone, I’ve read another patient’s file out of hundreds.”

  “While I only have two.” He eased into the other lounge chair on the right side of the end table between them. “Our grandmothers have gone to bed, and the house is locked up.”

  “What did the sheriff have to say?”

  “Just filling me in on evidence collected from Kelli’s car. Not much. Most surfaces were wiped clean. No fingerprints on handles, the trunk or the steering wheel.”

  “In other words, a dead end.”

  “Yep.” Ian picked up Jane’s file. “So far not a lot of physical evidence to tie anyone to either death. Nothing on the photos. And the words Stop me! were written differently on the two photos.”

  “Did you find Kelli’s cell phone?”

  “No, but wherever it is, it’s turned off. I can’t trace it. The same with Jane’s.”

  “How about the switchblade at my house?”

  “It was the murder weapon for Jane, but it’s a common brand sold widely in stores and on the internet. Once the killer is apprehended, we can use the purchase of a similar switchblade as a piece of evidence at his trial. It looks like he used the same type on both women, although the knife from your house only had one blood type on it. The wounds match.”

  A dull ache pounded against her temples. “Who was killed first?”

  “Kelli, by one day.”

  “Then why did I get a photo of Jane first?”

  “If the person is trying to get attention, Jane’s death would garnish more.”

  “Because of who her father is. Does that mean Jane was really the target and Kelli a trial run?”

  “I don’t know. Jane’s body was disposed of more visibly. Chances were she would be discovered before Kelli, but I think her car and body were placed where she was found probably on Tuesday. It might even be the reason he burned Jane’s car in a pasture near where Kelli was.”

  “So that could be important.” Caitlyn massaged her temples, her eyes tired from staring at the computer screen most of the evening.

  “Or not.”

  She swung her attention to him. “How do you do this day after day? How do you manage all the data?”

  “This case is more complicated than others I’ve investigated. The sheriff is setting up a murder board with the victims and elements of evidence on it. I’m also going to do one here, since I’ll be spending a lot of time here rather than my office.”

  When he looked at her, goose bumps covered her from head to toe. The intensity in his hazel eyes—more brown than green—made her feel safe and sad at the same time. Half a lifetime ago, she’d been a scared young woman who had fled Longhorn rather than tell anyone about what had happened to her. Later, she told Granny. She was the only person who knew.

  “Have you found anyone you think is capable of these murders?”

  “No, but I’m generalizing their psychological problems. There won’t be any name attached to my description. I’m almost through the first year. This is time-consuming, but I have to protect my patients’ privacy. Thankfully, tomorrow is Friday, and I’ll have the weekend to finish going through the files.”

  “After you see your patients and do your show?”

  “Yes. I have a full day tomorrow, starting at eight.”

  He chuckled. “I guess I’ll miss my beauty sleep.”

  Their gazes linked across the short space that separated them. “Oh, I don’t think you need that. You have enough beauty to put most men to shame.”

  His cheeks reddened. “Beauty? I object to that word.”

  “On the outside you’re handsome, and on the inside you have a deep beauty about you.”

  His face flushed further with embarrassment, he lowered his head and fixed his attention on the file folder lying in his lap.

  She laughed. “I can say that because I’ve known you many years.”

  “But not recently.”

  “You haven’t changed from when you were a teenager. You fight for the underdog and believe in being fair, and that’s not just in the past but the present too. I still remember when you stepped in at sch
ool when that ninth grader was being bullied by some seniors. You took them all on.”

  “And I got suspended along with them.”

  “But only for two days. They got a week.”

  “Okay. Break time is over.”

  Caitlyn tried to concentrate on the file she had in front of her. Missy Quinn. She’d been working with her for a few months, and she still hadn’t gotten to the core of the young woman’s condition. Lately, Missy had seemed close to telling her but would suddenly shut down before she did. It reminded Caitlyn of how she’d been at eighteen after going through trauma. For months, she wouldn’t say a word to anyone about it. Only when she broke down and sobbed over the phone with Granny did she reveal she’d been raped by a guy she’d thought she’d known and liked. After that, she was able to get the counseling she needed to move forward.

  After reviewing Missy’s file, she wrote down a description on her notepad for Ian. People like Missy were why she’d become a therapist. Although she had a killer interested in her for some reason at the moment, she wouldn’t change her career for something safer.

  When Caitlyn finished the last file for the past year, she needed to get up and stretch. Her back hurt, and all her muscles felt stiff. She rose and raised her arms above her head, then twisted from side to side.

  “There aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.” Ian set Kelli Williams’s folder on the end table. Then he too stood. “The only possible lead from what I read about Kelli is her ex-husband.”

  “I agree he would be a good candidate for her. He wasn’t happy at all when she finally filed for divorce. Thankfully for Kelli, the company he worked for transferred him to a new position, and he moved away from Longhorn six months ago.”

  “Do you know where?”

  “To Atlanta, according to Kelli, but you should see if Allison knows if he’s still there. I spent the past months with Kelli building up her self-esteem, and she was making good progress.” Caitlyn remembered the older woman’s smile their last session when she told Caitlyn about her work with the Shephard Foundation. “Kelli helped with the foundation and got a lot out of volunteering, but why would Clark Williams murder Jane, especially after his ex-wife?” She arched her back to try to coax the last of the stiffness from her body.

  “Sometimes a killer’s motive doesn’t make sense to others. Here.” He drew a circle in the air. “Turn around.”

  After she did, he put his hands on her shoulders and kneaded the tightness created by sitting hunched over her work for hours. “Perfect. Until I stood, I didn’t realize how stiff I was. I always get up and walk around my office between patients.” She glanced back at him, not realizing how close his head was to her—only inches apart.

  His lime-scented aftershave overwhelmed her senses and stirred feelings in her from when he’d brought her home on their third and last date before her world turned upside down. Something happened between them that night, making it clear to her they could be more than friends. She lifted her gaze to his, mesmerized by the golden flecks in his eyes.

  He leaned closer, their breaths tangling. She wanted him to kiss her. Her eyelids closed, anticipation of recapturing the kiss they’d shared all those years ago urging her to close the small gap between them.

  The sound of a cough propelled Caitlyn back a few steps and her eyes flew open. Ian spun around to the doorway of the den. Granny and Emma were trying to sneak away.

  Emma waved at them. “Sorry to interrupt y’all. We didn’t mean to. Return to what you were doing.”

  They disappeared around the corner, but Granny could be heard saying, “You picked a great time to cough.”

  “Couldn’t help it,” Emma said in a disgruntled voice.

  Caitlyn and Ian looked at each other and burst out laughing.

  “We hear you,” Granny shouted. “Y’all need to get some sleep. You don’t want to be late tomorrow.”

  Caitlyn pressed her lips together at her grandmother’s chiding.

  “You mean today, Sally. It’s one o’clock.” The sound of a door closing followed Emma’s last words.

  Caitlyn’s face burned with embarrassment. If they had kissed each other, she and Ian would never have heard the end of it.

  He pivoted back to her. “They’re right. I didn’t realize it was so late.” Moving nearer, he grazed a thumb across her cheek. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead he snapped it closed.

  “Yeah, both of us will have a lot to do.”

  Ian switched off most of the lights throughout the house as they headed to the hallway with the bedrooms. As he strolled toward the end, his arm brushed against hers. His touch reminded her of their near kiss, and disappointment wove through her. She slowed her pace. This was the absolute worst time to be attracted to him. They both needed to focus on who had killed two women and was possibly trying to destroy her practice and her.

  He stopped at the door to the room she and Granny were sharing. “Good night.”

  His intense look robbed her of a reply. She turned and reached for the doorknob of the guest room.

  He clasped her left arm, swung her around toward him and tugged her against him. As he cupped her head, he kissed her with a gentle exploration that quickly intensified. When he finally pulled back, his hands still on her face, her legs grew weak.

  He smiled. “Good night.”

  Caitlyn stepped away until her back flattened against the door. She couldn’t think of anything to say.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that again for seventeen years,” he murmured.

  To prevent throwing herself at him, she whirled, grasped the doorknob and hurried into the guest bedroom. She wasn’t sure how she was going to get to sleep now, but she quickly got ready for bed in the dark and fumbled her way to the twin bed.

  The touch of his mouth on hers stayed with her as she fell asleep, and the kiss was the first thing she thought about when she woke up the next morning as Granny shook her shoulder.

  “Honey, breakfast is almost ready. It’s seven.”

  “Thanks, Granny. I’ll be there shortly.” She had to concentrate on what she needed to do today rather than on what happened last night. Would he kiss her again? That question kept flitting in and out of her mind as she dressed in navy blue pants, a matching jacket and a white shirt. She hoped she presented a professional facade because right now she felt like her life was falling apart. After the past two days, she was afraid of what might happen today.

  She left the bedroom and headed to the kitchen where Emma, Granny and Ian were already seated. Slicing a glance at Ian, she caught him looking at her. She hurried to the counter and poured coffee into a large to-go mug before taking the seat across from him.

  “What are you two going to be doing today?” Caitlyn put strawberry jam on her piece of toast.

  “Ian is coming back to get us at nine.” Emma peered at her grandson. “We’ll be at the church all day. With the deaths of Jane and Kelli, there’ll be a lot to do.”

  “I wish I could help.” Caitlyn scooped up a spoonful of scrambled eggs from a serving bowl.

  Granny patted her hand on the table. “Honey, you have even more important work to do. You have to help Ian figure out who’s killing your patients.”

  “Granny! You can’t say anything to anyone about Kelli and Jane being my patients. It’s not a secret, but I don’t want y’all involved at all. Ian doesn’t know what the motive is. The less said about the case the better.”

  “Ladies, I agree with Caitlyn. I want the community to be vigilant but not to go to any extreme measures that could lead to a tragedy.”

  Emma splayed her hand over her chest. “Oh my! We won’t do that, Ian.”

  Granny harrumphed but kept her head down as though the most important thing she could do was eat her breakfast.

  When Caitlyn finished her hasty meal, she pus
hed back her chair and rose. “I’d like to get to the office early to prepare for my first patient.” She topped off her to-go mug with steaming, hot coffee that smelled wonderful. Right now, she could drink the whole pot following the restless night she’d had. She probably hadn’t fallen asleep until five.

  Once she’d gathered her notes and laptop from the den, Caitlyn and Ian left. Outside she took a deep breath of air, laced with the scent of flowers. “At least it’s going to be a beautiful day.”

  “I hope a whole lot better than the past two,” Ian said as he settled into his SUV and started the engine.

  “The same police officer will be at your office this morning. I’ll pick you up and take you to the station.”

  “Is this going to become our daily routine?”

  “Consider me your chauffeur and bodyguard.”

  “I’m not used to being chauffeured around.”

  He slid her a smile that sent her heart beating faster. “But you’re used to having a bodyguard?”

  She chuckled. “No, thankfully.” As the medical clinic came into view, she sobered. “And I don’t want to get used to one. I want this case solved today.”

  “So do I. I don’t want to think my brother could have a link to the case. I can’t dismiss his link to Jane. Why was their relationship a secret?”

  “Have you asked him?”

  “No, but I will today. He’s on my list of people to talk to this morning.” Ian parked next to building, the lot already filling up. “When does the clinic open?”

  “A few of the doctors start as early as seven. The day Jane was murdered I came in early for her appointment.”

  “Was she agitated about anything?”

  “She was restless, prowling around a lot when she talked. I was seeing her because the doctor said her blood pressure had skyrocketed, likely from stress. She put undue pressure on herself, and she was trying to deal with not taking on all the problems of the world. Sometimes I think she just needed an outsider to listen to her.”

  “How long had she been a patient?”

  “Seven months. The Shephard Foundation was expanding, and she didn’t feel she was keeping up like she should. It was important to her and her father that she do a good job. She never once mentioned Sean in our sessions.”