The Missing McCullen

by Rita Herron

  He lifted his shoulders in a defeated shrug. “I called 911, and then I phoned Sondra’s father. I...thought I was doing the right thing.”

  He had done the right thing. That is, if he hadn’t sliced Sondra’s throat.

  But BJ couldn’t imagine him killing a woman in cold blood.

  Maybe a crime of passion?

  She needed to question the ranch hands and find out if Cash was violent. If they thought he’d had an affair with Sondra.

  If he wanted to get back at Elmore.

  Another possibility hit her, one she didn’t want to consider. But one the DA definitely would.

  What if Cash was in love with Sondra, and wanted to marry her and adopt Tyler? She could have met with him to tell him to leave her alone. Maybe she’d even fallen for another man and planned to cut Cash out of the boy’s life. He could have flown into a jealous rage.

  Indecision warred with the instinct that Cash was telling the truth and needed help. That either Cash or Elmore had enemies.

  That one of those enemies had killed Sondra and kidnapped Tyler to get revenge.

  But what had they done with Tyler?

  * * *

  CASH COULD SEE the wheels turning in the lawyer’s head. She was trying to decide whether he was innocent or guilty.

  He wasn’t sure which way she was leaning.

  “Miss Alexander, even if you decide not to represent me, please make sure the police search for Tyler. If Jasper thinks I did something with him, he may be dragging his feet, thinking I’ll confess. Tyler could be in danger.”

  “I’m sure he’s doing everything he can to find him,” she said. “An Amber Alert has been issued and NCMEC, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, has been notified.”

  Cash still didn’t trust Jasper.

  An image of the precocious three-year-old teased his mind. Tyler liked to trail ride with him. He could feel the little boy’s arms locked around his waist, hear him giggling when the horse broke into a canter.

  He even had a Western shirt like one of Cash’s and wore it when they were together.

  Miss Alexander gathered the photos of Sondra and stuffed them in her briefcase. She stood, her posture rigid, her lips pressed into a thin line.

  “Don’t take Jasper’s word for it.” Cash touched her arm.

  She went stone still and stared at his fingers as if he’d burned her. He released her abruptly.

  Just like Elmore, she’d put him in his place with a condescending look.

  Hell, he’d never be good enough for a man like Elmore or a woman like her.

  It didn’t matter, though. All that mattered was making sure little Tyler was safe.

  “Please,” he said in a gruff voice. “Find Tyler. He needs your help more than I do.”

  Her gaze locked with his, and he swallowed hard. He could lose himself in those damn beautiful eyes.

  But those eyes were cold and serious, assessing.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll alert authorities to look for Tyler,” she said, her voice cracking slightly. “We’re meeting with the judge in an hour for a bail hearing.”

  Hope and despair crawled through Cash. He badly wanted out of this jail. But he was broke. All he had was a little bit of savings for the ranch he’d been dreaming about.

  He was determined to have his own spread someday. Then he’d never have to bow down to bigwig ranchers like Elmore again.

  “I appreciate you coming,” he said, biting back his pride. “But I can’t make bail.”

  She angled her head to look at him, her mouth forming a thin line. “Your bail money and my fee have been taken care of.”

  Without another word, she left, and closed the door behind her.

  Cash’s heart hammered as the lock clicked into place. Who the hell had paid her? And who was posting his bail?

  His ranch hand buddies didn’t have money. And he didn’t have family to turn to.

  He refused to take charity, too.

  But what choice did he have? He needed to find out who’d set him up. He sure as hell couldn’t do that from the inside of a cell.

  And he trusted her a hell of a lot more than he would some court appointed attorney who might know Elmore or be in his pocket.

  * * *

  BJ LEFT CASH with unanswered questions. The sheriff frowned at her, but stepped into the room to escort Cash to the cell.

  She needed to speak to Maddox before she revealed Cash’s connection to the McCullens.

  The pain in his eyes ripped at her. She was still straddling the fence about his innocence or guilt, although she was leaning on the innocent side.

  One thing she knew for sure, though. He loved that little boy.

  And he was seriously worried about him.

  Which roused her own fear for Tyler.

  She rushed into the restroom, grabbed a paper towel and wetted it just as the first wave of dizziness assaulted her.

  Three-year-old Tyler Elmore was missing.

  She’d had no idea when she took the case. All she was told was that Cash Koker had been arrested for murder.

  Panic gnawed at her as she recalled Cash’s last words. He wanted her to look for the little boy. He’d chosen that over his own release.

  Even though he’d denied being the child’s father, he was frightened for him.

  Tears blurred her eyes, and she removed the rainbow drawing she kept with her. Her son had been obsessed with rainbows and had made this one for her for Mother’s Day.

  Time faded and she was back with her son.

  “Mommy, tuck me in.”

  She wiped her hands on the dish towel, then went to Aaron’s room. He was in his cartoon pj’s, snuggled with his stuffed lion, holding his favorite book. She crawled on the bed and he nuzzled up against her as she began to read.

  Seconds later, he fell asleep on her arm.

  Two days later—the call that had shattered her heart. A highway patrol officer.

  Her ex had taken Aaron on a camping trip, but they’d had a terrible accident.

  Neither one of them had survived.

  BJ wiped the tears from her eyes, folded the drawing and put it back in her pocket. It hurt too much to think about Aaron’s little innocent face looking up at her as if she’d protect him from the world, when she’d failed.

  If Tyler was in danger, she had to help.

  She left the bathroom, then walked up front to talk to Sheriff Jasper. “Has Mr. Elmore located his grandson?”

  A vein throbbed in the lawman’s neck. “No, all the more reason you tell us what that Koker guy did with Tyler.”

  BJ bit the inside of her cheek. The sheriff definitely had made up his mind about Cash. He’d probably lynch him if he didn’t think he’d get caught.

  “My conversation with my client is confidential, although I don’t believe he took the child or knows where he is. He seems genuinely concerned. If you haven’t followed up on the Amber Alert, do so immediately.”

  “I know how to do my job.” Jasper’s sarcastic tone implied she didn’t. “You just need to push Koker to talk.”

  Anger mushroomed inside BJ. “I told you he didn’t take the boy. Have you spoken with Mr. Elmore to see if he received a ransom call?”

  “He hasn’t.”

  BJ tensed. That wasn’t a good sign. “For a moment, let’s just say I’m right, Sheriff. The first forty-eight hours are critical for a missing child case.” She tapped her watch. “Every minute counts. So while you’re sitting here on your butt, whoever abducted Tyler is getting farther and farther away.”

  Which meant they might not get the little boy back alive.

  That terrified her more than anything.

  Chapter Three

  B
J stopped at the diner in town and ordered coffee and a muffin. Her stomach was too knotted to eat much, but she needed something before Cash’s bail hearing.

  She ran a search on her computer and found articles about Lester Elmore and his ranch, along with a story on his success. A photo of Sondra accompanying her father to a state fund-raiser when she was seventeen revealed the depth of the young woman’s beauty. Her father was looking at her in adoration.

  Her Facebook page revealed a photo of Sondra and Tyler. The kid had sandy-brown hair, was freckle-faced and so adorable that tears pricked her eyes. “Where are you, little guy?”

  She quickly searched Sondra’s friends and posts, hoping to find a clue as to someone Sondra may have left the boy with but came up empty. Although she had a close girlfriend named Diane who’d ridden with her when Sondra had been into showing horses. Those posts were dated two years before though.

  She punched in Sheriff Maddox McCullen’s phone number, sipping her coffee while she waited. The phone rang three times, then a male voice answered. “Sheriff McCullen speaking.”

  “Sheriff, it’s BJ Alexander.”

  A heartbeat passed. “Call me Maddox. You met Cash Koker?”

  “I did,” BJ said.

  “What do you think?” Maddox asked.

  BJ hesitated. “I don’t think he has a clue that he has brothers or any family.”

  Maddox heaved a sigh. “I figured as much. If he did, he would have probably called or shown up at Horseshoe Creek.”

  Cash didn’t strike her as the type to ask for handouts. “The bail hearing is soon.” BJ fidgeted. “Have you read the sheriff’s report?”

  “No, but when I spoke to Sheriff Jasper, he was adamant that he had the right man.”

  “He’s made up his mind,” BJ said. “I don’t think he’s even considered that Cash might be innocent.”

  “So he’s not investigating or looking for another suspect?” Maddox said with disgust.

  “No.”

  “Do you think Cash is guilty?” Maddox asked.

  BJ stared into her coffee, willing an answer to come to her. “I’m not sure,” she said honestly. “He claims that he cared about Sondra, but denies that they were lovers. Sondra had a three-year-old little boy. That child is missing.”

  Maddox murmured something beneath his breath. “The sheriff thinks Cash did something with the kid?”

  “Yes, but I don’t.”

  Maddox’s gruff voice jerked her from her thoughts. “What did Cash say about the boy?”

  BJ massaged her temple where a headache pulsed. Kids were her soft spot. Sometimes she missed her own son so badly she could hardly breathe.

  “Finding Tyler seems more important to Cash than his own defense.”

  “Hmm. Interesting.” Maddox paused. “Who is the boy’s father?”

  “He claims he doesn’t know.” BJ sighed and recounted her conversation with Cash. Maddox was paying her, but she still had to be careful with client/attorney privilege.

  “So Cash is either lying or someone drugged him and framed him,” Maddox said matter-of-factly.

  “Exactly.”

  Only to clear him, she’d have to prove it.

  “Ray’s still looking for the other twin. I’ll have the DNA tests run on Cash and compare them to Tyler’s. And I’ll dig up what I can find on the Elmore family,” Maddox offered. “Then I’ll have that camera footage analyzed.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Meanwhile she’d talk to Elmore and get hold of Tyler’s birth certificate.

  After the bail hearing, she’d pay a visit to Cash’s current boss and the place where he’d been living. There might be something in his room to tell her more about Cash.

  Good or bad, she had to know before she committed to his defense.

  * * *

  CASH WISHED TO hell he’d had a shower and clean clothes before standing in front of the judge. But he’d had no choice. The sheriff had confiscated his clothing as evidence and given him a county jumpsuit.

  Sheriff Jasper shot him a sinister glare as he shoved him in the back of the police car.

  Cash had racked his brain to figure out who was bailing him out, and who’d paid for the lawyer, but he didn’t dare ask Sheriff Jasper.

  He kept his mouth shut on the short drive to the courthouse. Outside, dark clouds hovered as if a storm was gathering on the horizon.

  “Judge’ll go easier on you if you tell us where the kid is,” Sheriff Jasper growled.

  Cash choked back a curse. He had to remain calm or the bastard would make things worse for him. “If I knew where he was, I’d tell you.”

  The sheriff grunted. “If he turns up dead, we’re gonna fry you.”

  Sweat trickled down the side of Cash’s face. Outside, the trees swayed in the wind. Even with the breeze, it had to be a hundred degrees.

  “Instead of blaming me, why don’t you search for Tyler?” Cash said. “If he’s with Sondra’s killer, he could be in danger. Then that’s on you, not me.”

  Jasper met his gaze in the rearview mirror. Anger slashed the man’s jaw. “I got the man who killed his mother right here.”

  Cash sent him a mutinous look, but remained silent. No use defending himself. Jasper had one mind-set—send him to prison.

  They reached the courthouse, and the sheriff parked, then lumbered to the back door to let Cash out. The handcuffs and manacles around his ankles jangled as he walked, but he forced his head up high.

  Still, humiliation washed over him as he entered the building. The pretty lawyer lady was waiting. She maintained that professional mask, every damn strand of hair tucked into place.

  Did she really believe he was innocent, or was she just doing a job?

  It didn’t matter. As long as she cleared him, he’d find a way to repay her. Then he’d find Tyler and make sure the kid was safe.

  Seconds later, Cash took a seat beside her, his nerves on edge as the bailiff announced the judge’s entrance. Silence descended for a moment as the judge, a tall, imposing man with suspicious eyes, reviewed the case file.

  Finally, he pounded his gavel and called the session to order. His gaze penetrated Cash like he was pond scum.

  Cash’s gut churned as the charges were read.

  BJ gestured for Cash to stand and he inhaled a breath, willing his legs not to give way.

  “Your honor, my name is BJ Alexander. I’m representing Cash Koker. Due to the fact that he has no priors, and that he’s not a flight risk, we’re requesting bail be set at ten thousand dollars.”

  A dark chuckle rumbled from the fiftysomething district attorney. “Your honor, Mr. Koker has been arrested for a brutal murder. Although Miss Alexander claims he’s not a flight risk, Mr. Koker has no ties to the community and no family. According to his work history, he’s traveled from town to town, even state to state, working odd jobs on different ranches.”

  Cash tapped his boot on the floor. He hadn’t thought his nomadic lifestyle would come back to bite him in the butt.

  “For all we know, he may have escape plans in place,” the DA continued, “We are requesting bail be denied, and that Mr. Koker be remanded until trial.”

  The judge checked his notes, then removed his reading glasses and studied Cash.

  Cash’s breath stalled in his chest. The judge had obviously seen the bloody pictures of Sondra and was going to deny bail.

  The door in the back burst open, jarring them. Cash turned to see three men enter, all dressed in Western attire, all big, broad shouldered and tough looking. One wore a sheriff’s uniform.

  “Your honor, my name is Sheriff Maddox McCullen of Pistol Whip,” the tallest of the man said in a deep voice. “May I approach the bench?”

  The judge arched his brows in question. “If it pertains to t
his case, yes.”

  Sheriff Jasper blustered a protest, but the judge silenced him with a single pound of the gavel. “Approach.”

  Sheriff McCullen strode toward the judge’s galley, the other two men flanking him. As they passed Cash, each of them paused a second to scrutinize him.

  Cash tightened his jaw. What the hell was going on?

  Did this sheriff have some other trumped-up charges to make sure Cash stayed locked up?

  * * *

  BJ STOOD RAMROD straight in front of the judge beside the McCullens. “Your honor, I’ve spoken with my client and not only does he claim innocence, he’s sincerely worried about the victim’s son. The absence of the boy’s birth father and his identity suggests that he is a possible suspect.”

  The judge waved his hand. “We are not trying the case today Miss Alexander. We’re here to establish bail.”

  “Judge,” Sheriff McCullen said. “May we speak in chambers?”

  The judge rubbed the collar of his robe but nodded. “All right, but you’d better have good reason for this.”

  “Yes, sir, I do,” Maddox said.

  BJ and Maddox followed him into his private quarters, leaving Cash looking dumbfounded.

  “Now someone explain what’s going on?” the judge said as soon as the door was shut.

  Maddox cleared his throat. “I realize that you’re concerned about Mr. Koker being a flight risk, but I can assure you that he won’t flee.”

  “Just how do you propose to do that?” the judge asked.

  “By taking him into my custody,” Sheriff McCullen said.

  The judge leaned forward. “May I ask why you would do that? What is your involvement with Cash Koker? Has he committed a crime in your jurisdiction?”

  “No.” Maddox spoke in a low voice. “My brothers and I recently learned that we have twin brothers who were kidnapped at birth. We believe Cash Koker is one of those lost brothers.”

  The judge raised a brow with interest. “I see. And you plan to blindly take this stranger, who has been accused of murder, into your home? Are you sure that’s a wise idea?”

  Maddox glanced at BJ, then back to the judge. He was obviously considering her opinion on whether or not Cash was guilty or innocent.