by June Faver
There was nothing Leah could do about it at this point. She just hoped the violence had come to an end. And there was nothing she wanted more than to forget about the Carters and concentrate on making a good life here with her family.
She smiled, knowing the word family also included Ty, at least in her own mind.
Leah was still smiling when she turned onto the caliche road that dead-ended at Gran’s place. Almost home. She thought she would change into her old, beat-up jeans and a T-shirt to see if she could help Ty with anything or maybe just sit on the porch and listen to him sing.
With a sickening lurch to her stomach, she spied the blue truck just ahead. The breath seemed to be caught in her throat. “Oh no! Oh no!” she moaned over and over again. “Please don’t let them cause any trouble.” Realizing the truck was stopped and the door open, she stomped on the brake with both feet. What are they up to?
Making sure the doors were locked, she peered around anxiously. The truck’s driver side door was open, as though someone had jumped out, intending to get back in hurriedly. She had a suspicion they were up to their usual tricks, or worse. They had cut the fences in the past. What would they do this time? The fields were fallow, overgrown with high weeds. It would be easy to start a fire with all the dry grasses growing by the side of the road and into the fields. She realized a fire would be impossible to stop, spreading rapidly to the barns and outbuildings…to the little farmhouse.
Leah’s imagination played out worsening disasters. No, not going to let them get away with it. She sucked in a breath and clicked her seat belt open. The sound of the wind rustling through the high grass sent a prickle of fear along her skin. Stepping out, she heard something else and glanced up. Birds…big ones. They were flying overhead, circling around with their big wings spread. She saw where the dried grass had been parted. Yes, the fence had been cut, and someone had stomped right through into the field. She was frightened, but more than that, she was furious. Her heart pumped out righteous anger in a tempo she could hear in her ears. I’m not going to let them get away with this. Not again.
Her foot collided with a large rock and she stumbled. She swallowed hard, picking it up with both hands as she stepped through the same gap in the fence. Although she tried to move soundlessly, her approach through the tall rustling grass would be heard by anyone in the area. The path veered to the left and she followed it, hoping to avert any damage to her Gran’s property. Gripping the rock, she mentally rehearsed how she would clobber any Carter if she found him up to no good. What else could he be doing here?
She tightened her grip on the large rock as she crept forward. One of the birds swooped down just ahead of her. She heard it scratching around in the grass. When she stepped into a clear space where the grass had been beaten down, she froze. The rock fell from her hand into a pool of blood.
A man lay sprawled before her, his face bloodied and a gaping wound slashed from his chest all the way down to his stomach. He appeared to have been eviscerated. Giant black birds were gathered around him, picking at his entrails.
A tremor seized her, shaking her from head to foot. She couldn’t draw a breath. Her gag reflex went into overdrive as she choked back the bile rising in her throat. She thought she screamed, but it came out as a whimper.
She looked down at her feet and saw that she was standing in the blood. Turning, she ran blindly back through the brush to her car and started it with shaking hands. I have to get away. I have to get away.
She peeled out and around the blue truck, her tires skidding in the dry, dusty road. What if whoever did this has been to the house? What if my family… She wheeled in at Gran’s place and threw the car into park. Looking up, she saw Ty come out onto the porch, his brows knit into a frown.
She covered her face with both hands, giving in to the horror she had just discovered. How could something like this happen?
“Honey? What’s wrong?” Ty opened the car door and pulled her to her feet. She collapsed against him, and he lifted her in his arms. “Baby, what happened? Are you all right?” He carried her toward the house.
“No! Don’t go in there,” she whispered. “There’s a dead man.”
“No, there’s not,” he assured her. “Everyone is fine.”
“Please listen to me,” she moaned, her voice trailing down to a whine. “You have to call the sheriff. There’s a dead man out in the field. I saw him.”
Ty stopped in his tracks. “You found a dead man?”
“Yes, and I don’t want to scare Gracie. It was awful. Just call the sheriff.”
Ty set her on the porch, and she collapsed into the old wicker rocking chair. She heard him make the call as she stared blindly in front of her. What would this mean to her grandmother? Did she know the dead man? What about the Carters’ truck abandoned on the road? Could it be one of them?
Her grandmother came out onto the porch, looking worried, but Ty put a hand on her shoulder. Speaking in a low tone, he brought her up to speed and asked her to keep Gracie distracted. She nodded and hurried inside.
In a short time, the scream of sirens split the air. As they drew closer, Leah’s panic grew until she felt she was being strangled. Suddenly, the sound stopped as two cruisers from the sheriff’s office careened into the yard. The sheriff and two deputies spilled out of the cars and came running onto the porch where Ty stood beside Leah.
“What’s this about a body?” the sheriff demanded.
“Me. I found it.” Leah raised her hand like a schoolgirl. “It’s all chewed up. I mean there are birds…eating on him…” She gave in to a violent shudder.
Ty put his arm around her shoulder and squatted down beside her.
“Where?” the sheriff asked. “In the house?”
“No, no,” she insisted. “By the truck.”
Puzzled, the sheriff looked over at Ty’s truck.
Ty frowned at her. “That old blue truck sitting down the road? I passed by that earlier.”
She nodded. “Yes. That’s the one. It belongs to the Carters. They went after me with their truck. I’ll never forget.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms to chase away the gooseflesh.
“Dean Carter is still in custody.” The sheriff cocked his head to one side. “Just exactly where is this body?”
“In the field. I saw the fence was cut. The Carters did that before, and Ty repaired it. When I saw the truck and the cut wire, I went to see…” She covered her mouth with both hands and stifled a shiver.
Ty squeezed her shoulder. “You knew it was the Carters’ truck, and you went there anyway? What were you thinking? Those men are dangerous.”
She nodded helplessly. “I know. I just wanted to see what they were doing. I followed their trail, and when I got to the end, I found this dead man, his insides spilled out all around him.” This vision in her head caused her to flinch.
“You two stay here,” the sheriff ordered and returned to his vehicle. He backed out, followed by the deputies in the other car.
She sat staring at the place where the flashing lights stopped.
Ty kissed her temple. “I can’t believe you got out of your car to go after one of the Carters. Honey, that was just foolhardy.”
“I know. But I was really angry they would come around here again, even with the restraining order in place.”
He stroked his hand over her hair. “What did you hope to accomplish? Either one of them could have snapped your neck in a second.”
She nodded, unable to comprehend that she had been in danger; she’d just wanted to protect her family. She sat and waited, not wanting to take her anguish inside the house, knowing the sheriff would be back with more questions, knowing he too would want to know what she had been thinking when she jumped out of her car to challenge the trespasser.
* * *
Ty was dumbfounded. How could she do something like going alone
to confront one of the Carters? Why didn’t she come up to the house to get me?
He huffed out a breath. Of course, he hadn’t known whose truck it was. If he had, he might have done the same thing. He was a lot better equipped to deal with the scumbag Carters. But then, he’d had Gracie with him, so even had he known, he would have continued on to the house…but he would have gone right back to find out what was going on. He supposed he could see her perspective.
“Was it—” He cleared his suddenly husky throat. “Was it one of the Carters?”
She shrugged, continued to stare off into the distance. “Could be. I—I couldn’t tell. His face was all bloody. Crushed really. And there was blood everywhere.”
What a day. He recalled coming home to Gran looking distraught because she thought Leah’s boogeyman had come to call. Could there be a connection between the arrival of this Caine guy and the death in the field? And if it wasn’t one of the Carters, what was their truck doing abandoned by the side of the road?
The sun was starting to cast long shadows, and dusk was coming on strong.
Ty’s cell phone sounded and he checked the caller. Will. He sucked in a deep breath and let it all out. He wasn’t in the mood to take a big helping of guilt over returning to Langston. He glanced at Leah, but she was still staring off into space. He moved to the opposite end of the porch and squatted down.
“Hey,” Ty said by way of greeting when he answered the call.
“Hey, man! Just got the call. You made it!”
For a moment, Ty sat back on his haunches with a puzzled expression on his face. “What are you talking about?”
“The show. The producer called, and you’re in. You’re on your way to being the next Country Idol.”
This news rocked Ty. He rolled down to sit with his back against the front of the house. “Whoa! You don’t mean it.”
“Yep, I do. So get your ass back here to Dallas as soon as possible. We need to plan your launch. Every minute is precious. Ticktock, man…ticktock.”
Stunned, Ty remained where he was after he had disconnected from Will. He was all at once thrilled and petrified. What would happen if he left Leah alone now? Too much could go wrong.
First, there was the entire Carter family, and now this Caine guy.
Ty thought about taking Leah with him, but that was insane. Gracie still had to go to school, and Gran needed protection too. He couldn’t leave them alone and vulnerable. Will would have to understand.
Ty sat back down beside Leah as the sky darkened, enveloping them in a comforting late-summer world. Crickets chirped and frogs peeped. The air was heavy with the scent of impending rain. That’s what we need. A good rain to wash away the dust…and the blood.
At dusk, the sheriff returned and told them the body was being removed to the medical examiner’s office in Amarillo. He turned on his flashlight and asked them to stand up.
Ty climbed to his feet and held out a hand to Leah. She stood beside him, looking small and frightened.
The flashlight beam traveled over both of them. He asked them to turn around and examined their clothing in detail. “Young lady,” his deep voice boomed. “I’m gonna need those shoes.”
Leah looked down at her feet, and so did Ty. The white summer slip-ons had dark spatters on them and the same dark goo caked on the sides.
“Oh no!” she wailed.
The sheriff put her shoes in a plastic bag and returned to glare at them, a stern expression on his face. “Considering the history of bad feelings between the Carters and the Davises and that dustup between Tyler and the Carter brothers, I’m gonna have to ask both of you not to leave town anytime soon.”
Chapter 12
The next morning, Leah related the entire story to Breck.
He frowned and asked lots of questions, things she had never considered. Had she touched anything? Could there have been anyone else there in the area? Did she pass any other vehicles on the road that might have been coming from the crime scene? Was there a weapon left behind? Describe the wound…
Breck’s frown grew even more intense, especially when he learned the sheriff had confiscated her shoes. “You stay right here. I’ll be back.” He grabbed his Stetson and jammed it on his head before storming out the front door. He slammed it so hard the beveled glass panel rattled in his wake.
Leah sat behind her desk and clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. Now what? She was almost through with the estate files. She went back to the sorting table and surveyed the array of somewhat controlled chaos strewn across it. At least this would keep her brain occupied so she didn’t have a complete meltdown.
Breck returned about an hour later. He tossed his Stetson on the coatrack and came to sit across from her at the table she used for sorting files. He leaned back in his chair and propped his boots on the edge of the table. His expression was so grim it sucked the air right out of her lungs.
“What?” She wheezed out the breathy question.
“The body has been identified as that of Ray Carter.”
Leah clasped her hands over her heart, as if that would keep it from jumping out of her chest.
“When the medical examiner’s men removed the body, they found a pair of very sharp shears underneath him. It must have been what Ray was using to cut the fence line.”
“Shears? Like scissors?” she asked.
“No, these were antique shears, like they used to cut sheep’s wool before modern electric clippers were invented.” A muscle in Breck’s jaw twitched. “It was strong enough to go through twisted wire…or flesh. Someone used them to open him up from stem to stern.”
Leah yelped. “Oh, how horrible!” Even someone as vicious as Ray Carter didn’t deserve to be brutalized in such a manner.
“The ME hasn’t returned his preliminary report yet, but the sheriff talked to him when I was there, and the doc is thinking maybe Ray was dead before he was cut open.”
“Dead? How?”
“He had extensive facial injuries. He thinks Ray died from blunt force trauma, and the slashing was the aftermath.”
Leah recalled Ray’s face the last time she had seen him, bloody and swollen from the pounding Ty had given him. She swallowed against the bile at the back of her throat. “What kind of person could do something like that?”
Breck cocked his brow at her. “Well, your boyfriend, Tyler Garrett, was the first one who came to mind. He did just get through giving Ray quite a pounding this past Sunday.”
Leah shook her head vigorously. “No way! Ty would never do something like that. He’s the sweetest, most gentle man I’ve ever known. It’s just not in him to be cruel.”
“I hope you’re right. Ray’s father is telling anybody who will listen that it must have been Ty or maybe all the Garrett brothers. He’s making Ty out to be the killer.”
Her stomach twisted into a knot. “Surely no one will believe that. Not anyone who knows Ty.”
Breck shook his head. “Hope not, but it’s still worrisome.” He swung his boots off the table and righted his chair. “Ty stated that he was in Amarillo yesterday. That he took your daughter to get some school clothes, and that he saw the truck but didn’t know it belonged to the Carters.”
Leah swallowed hard. “So it couldn’t have been him. He was with Gracie all day. He stopped by here after lunch to let me know he was leaving town with her.”
Breck stood, staring down at her and rubbing his chin. “Hope that will clear him. It all depends on the time of death. We just have to wait for the medical examiner to make his ruling.”
* * *
Ty called Will to let him know he wouldn’t be able to leave Langston. He had expected Will to be upset, but Will went ballistic.
“You’re shittin’ me!” Will yelled. “This is going to wreck any chance you have to make it on Texas Country Star. The other contestants have
been building their fan bases for years. Now you’re stuck there in Hicksville because some dude got killed. That just doesn’t make any sense.”
Ty listened to the tirade, knowing Will was right. He was scuttling any possibility of success on the show. “I know, but it can’t be helped.” The sheriff had told him to stay put, and he had no choice but to follow orders.
Will released a raspy groan. “You’ve gotta get with it. I mean, are you even on Twitter or Instagram?”
“Um, no.”
“Surely you have a YouTube channel? How about Snapchat? Or something as old-school as Facebook? That’s where you’ll pick up the grandmas and grandpas.”
“I’m not there,” Ty admitted.
A loud sigh hissed through the phone. “Ty, Ty, Ty… What am I going to do with you?”
“Beats me,” Ty said. “Look, if you want to back out of this, I understand.”
There was a long silence. “No, I can’t do that. Dammit, Ty. I’m going to make you a star in spite of yourself. Let me get started on building some social media platforms. Is there a decent photographer in that one-horse town?”
Ty raked his fingers through his hair. “Not that I recall. I can ask around.”
“No, never mind. I’ll send one from Dallas. That way, I’ll know what I’m getting.” Will disconnected abruptly, leaving Ty to stare at his cell, the dead air invading his senses like an ominous warning.
He silenced it and slipped it in his pocket. Grabbing his Stetson, he shoved it on his head and went outside. He had tuned up the tractor, and he intended to till at least one field today. Planting winter rye grass would be an easy and economical way for Gran to feed her small herd through the winter. He climbed up into the seat and started her up. Purrs like a kitten…well, maybe more like a big old jungle cat…with the croup. But it was running.
