Summer Rain (Lightning Strikes Book 3)

by Barbara Freethy

  "Everyone thought my father was crazy. My own mother was convinced of it, and I kind of thought so, too, at times." She moved around the desk and sat down in a chair, feeling like she might fall over from the overwhelming force of her emotions. She didn't just feel sad now; she also felt guilty. "Alicia defended him all the time, but I never did."

  "You didn't have the information you have now."

  "I should have had more faith."

  He frowned. "Dani, you told me that something of your father's was found at the ranch in Mexico, right? It was a medallion or something…"

  She nodded. "It was a medallion on a chain that he always wore around his neck, and we were sure he was wearing it the night his plane went down. But we have no idea how the medallion would have gotten to Mexico. Unless, of course, his plane didn't go down in the Gulf, but crashed in Mexico."

  "Maybe it didn't even crash," Patrick suggested.

  "Why would you say that?"

  "Because there's a note from your father's friend, Jerry," he said, handing her another piece of paper. "He doesn't address any one person, but read what it says."

  "Wyatt is becoming a nuisance," she read out loud. "He's talking to too many people. There are going to be more questions. Even if we move operations, he could be a problem. He told me he took photos on his last flight. I'm going to have him meet me—you know where. You do the rest."

  She sucked in a quick breath as the reality of what she'd just read sank in. "Jerry must have lured him to Mexico."

  "That would make sense since that's where your brother found the medallion," Patrick said. "It's possible his plane didn't crash, Dani."

  "But he was flying that night. He was coming back from Florida. He had a flight plan to return home. Wouldn't someone have known if he changed it?"

  "Maybe he didn't tell anyone. He had no reason to distrust his friend Jerry, did he?"

  "I don't think so." She paused, holding Patrick's gaze. "How do you think they killed him?"

  His lips tightened, his gaze filling with compassion. "I don't know, and I don't think you need to know."

  "Says the man who wants to know everything." She thought for a moment. "My great-grandmother told Jake, in her very dramatic Mayan way, that my dad's bones weren't where they were supposed to be. She must have sensed he wasn't in the Gulf. He must have been killed and buried in Mexico. Alicia and Jake both think that. I was holding on to the other story."

  "I'm surprised they didn't tear up the land around that ranch in Mexico."

  "We couldn't get the authorities to do that. Alicia tried, but the Mexican government wasn't willing to cooperate, based on our lack of evidence. But maybe I have more now." She stood up. "Why do you think Tania left this file for me?"

  "She probably knew that your real goal was to find out about your father."

  "So you don't think she believed me when I said I slept with Reid?"

  "I'm not sure. Maybe she thought you slept with him because you believed he had information on your dad. Your cover story might have held up, just not your original motivation. As to why she left you the file here and now…I have no idea. She must have come out here before she met you for breakfast. There's no way this file was actually here. She put it here for you to find. She wanted you to see this ranch. I think she's giving you what you asked for—ammunition to use against Reid."

  "It's not enough. Unless there's more here to be found."

  "I don't think so. I'm betting this ranch hasn't been used in a while. That's why Tania felt safe enough to use it. Probably no one comes out here anymore." He paused. "I think we should get out of here, Dani. This place is really remote."

  She could see the tension in his body, and she suddenly became aware of how vulnerable they might be. As they walked out of the barn, she felt a prickle of uneasiness, but they made it to the truck without any problems. Her tension didn't decrease until they left the narrow roads behind and returned to the highway.

  "I'm going to call Tania," she said. "Maybe she'll talk to me more about the file."

  "Give it a shot."

  She connected to Tania's number. It rang four times, and she thought it was about to go to voice mail when Tania finally answered.

  "Hello?" she said.

  "It's Dani. I was just at the ranch," she said, putting the phone on speaker. "Why did you leave me the file on my father?"

  "I knew that's what you really wanted to know. You might want revenge on Reid for his part in it, but what you want is the truth about your dad. I knew that as soon as you told me your last name. Reid thought that once they'd taken care of your father, no one would ever find out about the ranch or the tests or your dad. For years, it seemed that they were right. Then your sister started poking around last year, and Jerry made a huge mistake by going after her. Then your brother went to Mexico and blew up that operation. Now, it's you. I don't think you hooked up with Reid. He wouldn't be stupid enough to sleep with you after being responsible for your father's death. But I know why you want to get back at him."

  "It was Reid?" she asked. "He killed my dad?"

  "He ordered it. He doesn't actually do anything himself. He's too smart for that. And you'll never be able to pin it on him. I'm telling you so you can sleep at night."

  "I don't think that's why you're telling me," she said. "What's the real reason? You've been tight with Reid for years. Why betray him now?"

  "Because I'm tired, Dani. Tired of the lies and the pretense. Tired of believing things will change. Tired of looking at the calendar and realizing how many years have passed and how long I've been waiting. I don't know how you knew I was the one to approach; I'm not sure I want to know." She took a breath, then continued. "This whole thing has become so much bigger, so much more dangerous than I ever imagined it would. When it first started, I was just a small player, and I understood Reid's motivation. It's hard to be passed up for someone else. It's hard to be second best or not recognized by your own father. But I had no idea the level of insanity that was actually driving everything. So many people have died. And there are so many more to come. You have no idea of the magnitude of destruction that could happen."

  "Help me stop him, Tania. I can take the file to the police and to the press, but I need more."

  "I can't give you any more. I told you about your father so you could have closure, but I have blood on my hands, too. I'll go down with them. Or they'll sell me out."

  "Sell them out instead. You might be able to get immunity in exchange for information," she said, wildly grabbing at anything to get Tania's trust. "Reid is the most important player, not you. You can use that."

  "If we had more time—maybe. But it's too late. I won't be able to escape my part in this, not after tomorrow."

  "What's happening tomorrow?" she asked worriedly, hearing both resignation and fear in Tania's voice.

  "You'll find out then. Be grateful that I gave you this. I know it won't prove anything. If you take it to the police, it will be scandalous, and there will be rumors, but there's no one mentioned by name except Jerry, and he's dead," Tania said. "Your father knew too much, and he paid with his life. Don't make the same mistake he did. Don't waste your life trying to shut this down. You can't do it."

  "I want to bring the people who killed my father to justice. I want to know exactly how it happened—where it happened. Was it in Mexico?"

  "I don't know the details. I only know that he was taken care of. You need to move on, Dani. You'll never end this. It's too big. It's too complicated. Men tell so many lies. They never end. Even the good ones turn out to be bad. If you can learn anything from me, Dani, it's don't trust anyone. Everyone has an agenda, even the people you think care about you. Everyone has a price. Everyone is weak. Greed and ambition take down even the best men."

  "What do you mean?" she asked, her pulse speeding up. "Are you talking about Reid? Or about someone else? Who else is involved in this? I know Reid couldn't be managing an operation of this size without help."

&
nbsp; Tania didn't answer.

  "What about the plane crash?" she asked, changing tactics. "You said Reid didn't kill the senator, but he did, didn't he?"

  "He did everything you imagined he did," Tania said. "Oh, God."

  "What? Tania, are you there? We need to meet again. We need to talk more."

  "Someone is following me," Tania said, terror in her voice. "I thought I was careful. But they know what I did. They know I went to the ranch. I was such a fool. I tried to help you. I knew I shouldn't have done it. I just felt so bad, because I saw you at the funeral. You and your siblings were crying so hard. It was that day that I realized exactly what I'd gotten myself into. I never thought people were going to die. You have to believe me. I thought it was just about making money. I knew that day I could never leave. If I tried, I'd be dead, too."

  "You were at the funeral?" she asked in shock. Now that Tania had brought it up, she remembered that Jerry had been there as well. In fact, there had been a large crowd at the church. She'd thought at the time that she never knew her father had that many friends. "Tania," she said, when the woman didn't answer.

  "I have to go. I have to get away," Tania said, desperation in her voice.

  "Who's following you? Where are you? I can help you. I'll come to you."

  There was a clatter, as if the phone had been dropped, and then the call cut off.

  Dani swallowed hard and looked over at Patrick. By the hard profile of his jaw, she could see that he was thinking the same thing she was—Tania was in bad trouble.

  She punched in the number again. It rang until it went to voice mail. "She's not answering. Do you think something has happened to her?"

  "I hope not," he said heavily, giving her a bleak look. "But I think so."

  Nineteen

  Dani tried Tania's number a dozen more times on the way back to the cabin, but there was no answer. On her last try, the phone didn't even ring or go to voice mail—an even worse sign.

  She thought about everything Tania had told her, realizing that the other woman might have just risked her life to give her the truth about her father. She hoped Tania was okay, but she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn't get past.

  She went over the rest of their conversation in her head, one point sticking out. "What do you think she meant when she said something was going to happen tomorrow?" she asked Patrick.

  "Tomorrow is the Fourth of July. Could they be making some sort of a statement?"

  "Like what?"

  "I don't know, Dani, but it's time we bring a few more people into the conversation—your family, for one, maybe the FBI or the police…"

  As much as she didn't want to involve her family, she knew he was right. There was no way she could just sit on the information she'd gotten about her father. "I agree. I need to show them this file. I think my great-grandmother was right. I may have just gotten the last piece of the puzzle."

  "You did well, Dani. You got Tania to trust you enough to share a piece of vital information."

  "She didn't really trust me. She knew I was lying the whole time. I just caught her at the right moment. The whistleblower was right. She was ripe for an approach." Dani paused. "I know she's probably done some really bad things, but I hope she escapes. I think she could help us if she does."

  "That's a big if, Dani."

  "I know. I'm going to use my real phone to text Alicia. I'm not sure my presence in Texas is a big secret anymore."

  "No," he said tersely.

  She frowned at his tone. "Why not? What aren't you saying?"

  "I'm just wondering when Tania was first followed. Was it when she met you for breakfast? Was it when she went to the ranch beforehand? Was it later?"

  "She thought someone saw her leave the file, which means…" Her voice drifted away as she realized exactly what it meant. "They could have seen her with me at the Waffle House."

  "That's what I'm concerned about."

  "But no one followed us to the ranch. No one is behind us now." She looked in her sideview mirror. There wasn't another car for miles.

  "I haven't seen anyone, so maybe we're fine. It's possible they were tracking Tania long before you met up with her."

  She hoped that was the case. Pulling out the phone from the whistleblower, she texted Alicia: It's me, Dani. Are you and Michael back in Texas yet?

  Her sister replied almost immediately: Yes. Had a great time. What happened to your phone?

  She replied: Long story. I'm in Corpus Christi today. Got info on Dad. Can you meet me away from house? Don't want to talk to Mom yet.

  Alicia said: Are you serious? Yes! Mom isn't home. She's at a wedding, so come to the house. She won't be back til 6. Should I call Jake?

  She said: Yes, super important. Be there in 20.

  Dani set down the phone. "Alicia will meet us at the house. My mom is at a wedding, so we don't need to deal with her yet."

  "You don't think she'll want to hear this?"

  "I'm sure she won't want to hear it, but we will speak to her, just not yet. I want to tell my brother and sister first. My mom is still convinced it was an accident, and she hates talking about my dad. She'll be a distraction."

  "Whatever you want."

  "Patrick—I feel like we've gotten a little away from your mom's death. I should have asked Tania more about the crash."

  "You tried. She told you that Reid did everything we imagine he did."

  "But that's not good enough. I just want you to know that I'm still very invested in helping you find out the truth."

  "Thanks. I think I knew from the beginning that their deaths were tied together."

  "It's a morbid connection we have."

  "Well, that's only a small part of our connection," he said with a smile.

  He extended his hand to her, and she took it, feeling the instant heat between them when their fingers touched. Patrick was right; there was so much more between them than the mystery of their parents' deaths.

  They drove the last few miles holding hands, because just like every other time they touched, they both had a hard time letting go.

  * * *

  Patrick finally released her hand when he parked the truck in front of her mother's house. But when she saw her sister fly out the front door, she wished she was still hanging on to him; what she was about to do was going to be difficult.

  Alicia hugged her and then gave Patrick a curious look. "Hello. I'm Alicia, Dani's sister."

  "Patrick Kane," he said, shaking Alicia's hand.

  As Michael came down the stairs, Alicia introduced her husband to Patrick.

  "Nice to meet both of you," Patrick said. "I've heard a lot about you."

  "That's interesting, because we've heard nothing about you," Alicia said with a speculative gleam in her eyes.

  "It's quite a story, but I'm going to let Dani tell it."

  "Are Jake and Katherine on their way?" she asked as they walked up to the house.

  "They should be here soon," Alicia replied.

  "Great." She was relieved that she'd be able to tell them both what she'd learned at the same time. "How was the honeymoon?"

  "It was amazing," Alicia said, sending Michael a beaming smile. "Everything I imagined and more."

  "Same for me," Michael said.

  "It's good to see you both so happy," Dani commented, thinking that marriage certainly agreed with her sister. She was as glowingly pretty today as she'd been at her wedding last weekend. It was difficult to believe only a week had passed; so much had happened since then.

  "Where did you go for your honeymoon?" Patrick asked.

  "We went to Maui," Alicia replied. "We had incredible weather. We snorkeled, sat in the sun, and did next to nothing. It was heaven." Alicia paused, giving Dani a questioning look. "I know Jake said for you to wait until he got here to tell us what's going on, but I'm super curious. Can you give me a hint?"

  "I'd rather just say it once. Sorry."

  "All right," Alicia said w
ith a sigh. "I was just making some sandwiches in the kitchen. I'll finish them up and bring them in, all right?"

  "I'll help you," Michael said, leaving Dani and Patrick alone in the living room.

  "They're in such a good mood. I'm going to change all that," she said regretfully.

  His eyes filled with empathy. "You are going to change that, but your sister has been haunted by the mystery. In the long run, this is what she wants."

  "I suppose, but it's one thing to believe something is true and another to know it's true."

  He put his arms around her and looked into her eyes. "All the pain is coming back, isn't it?"

  "It's why I didn't go down this road," she admitted.

  "It's hard to open the old wounds. You think they're scarred over and too tough to break, but then someone says something and you remember, and it's like it happened yesterday."

  "Will we ever get past it?"

  "Past it—no. Accepting, remembering the good times more than the bad—definitely yes. We've both tried to move on. In my case it was easier. I didn't think there was a mystery involving my mother until a few weeks ago, but you've been living with uncertainty for a long time."

  "We're going to find out what really happened to your mom's plane, too."

  "I have no doubt. We're getting closer every day." He let go of her as he looked around the room. "So this is the house where you grew up?"

  "This is it. It's small, but it's always been home. As you can tell, my mother loves neutral colors—everything is beige or cream or tan, with the occasional gray thrown in. She says they're calming colors. When my father was alive, the wall behind the couch was painted maroon. There were colorful crocheted or knitted blankets on chairs and paintings from Mexico on the walls; it was chaotic and loud but also warm and vibrant. And when my dad was here, everyone noticed. He filled a room." She paused. "Alicia takes after him. She's definitely got his passion and imagination and creative tendencies. I'm really more like my mom."

  "You're not beige, Dani. And you've got a lot of passion, trust me."

  She flushed at his intimate look. "I wasn't talking about that kind of passion."