The Missing McCullen

by Rita Herron

  “That must have made you angry,” BJ said.

  “Damn right it did,” Nix said. “Wife was devastated over losing our house. We lived there for forty years. Raised our boys on that land.”

  BJ’s heart squeezed. “I’m sorry. I’m sure that was difficult.”

  “Broke her spirit. She had a heart attack the week we moved.”

  “You hated Elmore, didn’t you?” Cash cut in. “You blamed him for her death.”

  Nix narrowed his eyes at Cash. “Sure did. Elmore refused me water rights, made it impossible for me to keep up my land and herd. That’s why I couldn’t pay the bills.”

  “Did you know his daughter, Sondra?” BJ asked.

  Nix scowled. “I knew he had one, but I never met her. Heard in town he was mighty protective of her.”

  “He was,” Cash said.

  Suspicion flared in Nix’s eyes. “What is this really about?”

  BJ debated on how to approach him, then decided to be direct. “Mr. Elmore’s daughter, Sondra, was murdered.”

  Nix pulled a hand down his chin. “I heard about that. That was too bad.”

  “Whoever killed her kidnapped her son, Tyler,” Cash said bluntly.

  Nix’s eyes widened in alarm, then with the realization that he was a suspect.

  “I hated Elmore,” the man said. “But ain’t no way I’d kill a woman or kidnap no kid.” He jerked his thumb toward the parking lot. “Now leave, and don’t come back.”

  A second later, he slammed the door in their faces.

  BJ’s phone buzzed with a text.

  Ransom drop tonight. Midnight. Stone Gap.

  She angled the phone so Cash could read the text.

  “I want to be there,” Cash said.

  BJ shook her head. “Cash, let Maddox handle this.”

  A muscle jumped in his cheek. “If the kidnapper brings Tyler, he’ll be scared. He needs a friendly face.”

  He was right. But convincing Maddox would be a challenge. She punched in his number.

  “What exactly did the kidnapper say? Is he bringing Tyler to the drop site?” she asked.

  “He didn’t give details,” Maddox said. “Instructions were for Elmore to come alone.”

  “Could be a setup,” BJ said. “He takes the money and kills Elmore.”

  “I know.”

  Cash grabbed the phone from her. “If you think this is a setup, let me go as Elmore,” Cash said. “I’ll wear his hat and clothes and make the drop.”

  BJ clenched his arm. “That’s too dangerous, Cash.”

  “I don’t give a damn. All that matters is saving Tyler.”

  * * *

  CASH MET MADDOX at Elmore’s door, braced for an argument.

  Maddox led him and BJ into the study, where Elmore was pacing, his cell phone gripped in his hand. “I don’t give a damn if I’m penalized by pulling money from that account,” he bellowed. “I need cash and I need it tonight.”

  Sheriff Jasper was standing close by, his arms folded. He looked up at Maddox and Cash with a scowl. “What are you doing here?” Jasper bellowed.

  “Working a kidnapping case,” Maddox said bluntly.

  Jasper cursed. “I can handle it.”

  “No way,” Maddox said. “This is my jurisdiction.”

  Rage flared in Jasper’s eyes, rage directed toward Cash. “And what are you doing here?”

  Cash cleared his throat as Elmore hung up and faced them. “Trying to find a missing little boy.”

  “Or trying to make sure Elmore pays,” Jasper said.

  Cash barely held back from slugging the bastard. “I want to deliver the ransom,” Cash said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to bring Tyler home safely.”

  Elmore hung up the phone, his nostrils flaring. “Maybe you’re offering ’cause you set this whole thing up and you know who has my grandson.”

  Cash whirled on him. “That’s ridiculous, Elmore. You know I cared about Tyler. I spent a hell of a lot more time with him than you did.”

  Elmore went ashen-faced. “Is that why you did this? So you could be the hero? You thought if you saved him, I’d let you see him whenever you wanted.”

  Cash balled his hands into fists. “I would never have hurt Sondra or scared Tyler. We were friends.” Fear clogged his throat. “If you let me help you get him back, I’ll walk away and you’ll never see me again.”

  An undercurrent of anxiety and distrust charged the air as Elmore studied him.

  Maddox cleared his throat. “Cash didn’t take the boy or kill your daughter.”

  “He’s been with me ever since he was released from jail,” BJ stated, backing up Maddox.

  “Let me do this for you,” Cash said. “If it’s a trap, you could get hurt, Mr. Elmore. Then Tyler would have lost all his family. He’s going to need you when he comes home and learns his mother’s gone. If he doesn’t already know.”

  Jasper put his hand on Elmore’s shoulder. “Don’t listen to him.”

  Elmore scrubbed a shaky hand over his face, then sank onto the leather sofa in the seating area. “What if the kidnapper recognizes it’s not me?”

  “I’ll wear your clothes, your hat, your glasses,” Cash said.

  “No, Cash, I’ll do it,” Maddox said.

  Cash shook his head. “That won’t work, Maddox. You’re too tall. I’m more Elmore’s height.”

  Maddox seemed to stew over that for a second.

  “Besides, you need to be there to make the arrest,” Cash pointed out.

  Maddox sighed heavily. He couldn’t argue with that.

  Cash’s pulse jumped. “Now, let’s make a plan.”

  Maddox shifted and crossed his arms again. “The instructions said to leave the duffel bag of money at Stone Gap. When they confirm it’s there, the kidnapper will send Tyler to you,” Maddox said. “That means he’ll probably be watching from a distance. He won’t be close enough to tell that it’s Cash instead of you.”

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” Jasper said.

  Elmore threw up a warning hand. “Stay out of it, Jasper. Right now I just want Tyler back.”

  Jasper muttered an oath, shot Cash and Maddox and BJ a dark look, then stormed out the door.

  Elmore pressed his knuckles to his eyes and rubbed them. He looked weak. Frail. Broken.

  Nothing like the astute arrogant bastard who’d fired Cash and pressured his daughter to give away her child.

  “You’ll bring the boy back to me,” Elmore said.

  Cash nodded. “Yes, sir.” He’d bring him back or die trying.

  * * *

  BJ DIDN’T LIKE the situation. Although, if Elmore paid the ransom, hopefully they’d get his grandson back. They might even get lucky and catch the kidnapper.

  Elmore’s phone buzzed again. He glanced at the number. “My accountant. I have to take this. He’s working on securing the ransom money.”

  He stepped over to his desk, and BJ motioned to Maddox that she wanted to talk. Cash joined them in the hallway. “Did you check out Elmore’s financials?” she murmured.

  “Of course I did, but he appears clean,” Maddox said. “Why? Do you have information?”

  BJ tucked a strand of hair behind one ear. “No. He seems truly upset and worried about the little boy. But he might have taken out an insurance policy on Sondra and Tyler. If he was in financial trouble, he could have agreed to a kidnapping. But things went south. Sondra might have been killed trying to keep that kidnapping from happening.”

  “No kidnapping insurance on the child,” Maddox said. “He did have a life insurance policy on Sondra, but Tyler was the recipient.”

  BJ arched a brow. “And if Tyler’s gone?”

  “Money goes to Elmore,” Ma
ddox said.

  Cash made a low sound in his throat. “If that man killed his own daughter and put Tyler through this, he’s a monster.”

  “If he did, he’ll pay,” Maddox said. “But we have to go by the book. Elmore agreed to having his phones tapped so we can monitor all communication between him and anyone else. So far, there’s nothing to indicate that Elmore set this up.”

  “He’d better not have,” Cash muttered.

  Maddox adjusted his Stetson, worry creasing his face. “You’re going to make the drop, Cash, but I’ll be close by, watching your back. Whitefeather is staying with Elmore, and Brett agreed to keep an eye on Nix.”

  Elmore appeared in the doorway, wiping sweat from his forehead with a monogrammed handkerchief. “My accountant got the cash. He’ll be here in half an hour.”

  “Let’s go over the plan,” Maddox said. “Mr. Elmore, please get some of your clothes, one of your hats, something recognizable so we can pull this switch off.”

  Elmore gave Cash a sharp look, but removed his signet ring. “This was specially made for me by the Cattleman’s Club in honor of my achievements and leadership. I never go anywhere without it.”

  Cash’s jaw snapped tight as he accepted the ring. It was snug but he managed to get it on. “I’ll bring it back, sir.”

  “Don’t worry about the ring. Just bring my grandson home.”

  BJ bit her lower lip. She had to consider Elmore as a suspect, but the fear and anguish in his voice sounded real.

  Cash’s eyes darkened with worry, too.

  Her heart stuttered. God, he was just the kind of man she admired. He loved the land, the outdoors, and even though he’d never had a break in his life, he still fought for what was right.

  Admiration for him stirred along with concern. What if this meet was a setup and he got hurt?

  Fear seized her. She’d vowed not to care about another man. Not to fall for Cash’s sexy, bad-boy looks.

  But how could she not fall for Cash? He was the sexiest and bravest man she’d ever met.

  He’d risked his life to save hers. She couldn’t ignore the importance of that.

  And he was willing to give up his life for this child, a child who wasn’t even his son.

  * * *

  THE EVENING DRAGGED by as they finalized the plans for the drop. Elmore’s accountant showed up with the money, marked bills tucked between unmarked ones, to enable them to eventually trace the kidnapper—if he escaped.

  Elmore shocked Cash by venturing into the guesthouse and retrieving pictures of Tyler—a scrapbook of memories Sondra had put together. Elmore’s hand shook as he flipped the pages.

  It seemed the fear of losing Tyler was sinking in, and he was probably regretting not being part of the boy’s life while he had the chance.

  Cash disappeared into one of the guest rooms and dressed in Elmore’s clothing: a pair of expensive jeans that Cash wouldn’t be caught dead in and a custom-tailored Western shirt that bore a symbol for the ranch. Both fit snugly, especially with the bullet proof vest Maddox insisted he wear, but he could make it work.

  Maddox attached a wire to Cash’s chest before he buttoned the shirt, then gave him a tiny earphone so Maddox could communicate with him.

  Elmore’s Stetson and a pair of sunglasses helped camouflage his face. Elmore’s boots, slightly too tight, were trimmed with gold spurs that sparkled, and probably cost a small fortune.

  Cash and Maddox descended the steps and joined BJ, Elmore and Whitefeather in the study. BJ fidgeted, her expression anxious, but Whitefeather gave him a small smile of approval as if he thought the disguise might work.

  Elmore lifted a tumbler of Scotch and took a sip, his eyes assessing. “Square your shoulders and act like you’re somebody,” he grunted.

  Cash glared at the man, but stiffened and stood more erect.

  “The money’s in that bag,” Elmore said. “Go get my grandson.”

  “I will.” Cash grabbed the keys to his truck, but Elmore shook his head. Then he pulled a set of keys from his pocket. “Show up in that piece of junk and whoever has Tyler will know it’s not me.” He shoved the keys at Cash. “Take mine.”

  Cash sucked in a breath. Elmore’s Cadillac was pricey. What if he wrecked the damn thing?

  BJ approached, her eyes dark with concern. “Maddox and I are going with you.”

  Cash shook his head. “The instructions said for Elmore to come alone. If the kidnapper’s watching, he’ll see you.”

  “I’ll be hunched in the backseat,” BJ said.

  “No way,” Cash said. “I won’t put you in danger.”

  “He’s right,” Maddox said to BJ. “I’ll park a safe distance away in some bushes, then hike in on foot and cover you, Cash.”

  Nervous tension knotted Cash’s stomach. Tyler’s life might lie in his hands. What if he messed this up?

  BJ squeezed his arm. “You can do this, Cash. Tyler needs you.”

  Cash swallowed hard. Her faith in him made his chest ache. No one had ever believed in him before.

  Maddox checked his watch. “It’s time. Are you ready, Cash?”

  Cash nodded. “Let’s do it.”

  Elmore started to follow them outside, but Maddox pressed a hand to his chest. “Stay inside until you hear from me. If this perp is watching your house, we don’t want him to see that we made a switch.”

  Elmore hesitated but agreed. “Just don’t let Tyler get hurt.”

  Maddox offered a tentative smile. “We’ll do our best.”

  Cash and Maddox stepped aside for a moment to check the mike before he got into the car.

  “Don’t try to be a hero, Cash,” Maddox said. “Just park, get out and drop the money where the kidnapper instructed you to, then sit tight in the car. Hopefully, the kidnapper will send Tyler in on foot. If not, he should send us word where to find him.”

  “I understand.”

  Cash started the engine, eased from Elmore’s drive, then followed the GPS directions to the drop spot. As he maneuvered the rocky road to Stone Gap, a desolate stretch of Wyoming with a natural ravine and giant boulders and trails that led through the scrub, a dozen possible scenarios traipsed through his mind.

  So many things could go wrong.

  No. Nothing could go wrong.

  Cash steered the Cadillac around a curve, then passed the sign for Stone Gap and drove along the graveled road to the drop-off spot. He scanned the area in search of a car or someone hovering in the bushes.

  Someone who planned to kill Elmore, take his money and run.

  A noise jarred him. Was someone out there? Maybe they were coming up behind him?

  He glanced in the rearview mirror, then cursed. Dammit, BJ had stowed away in the back floor.

  “What are you doing?” he barked. “I told you to stay at Elmore’s.”

  BJ released a breath. “I wanted to be with you in case you get Tyler.”

  “It’s too dangerous, BJ.” He checked his watch. Dammit. He didn’t have time to take her back to Elmore’s.

  “I’ll stay in the car,” BJ whispered. “But if Tyler’s scared and upset, I can help.”

  That was true. But he didn’t like it one bit.

  And now he had to worry about keeping BJ safe.

  Sweat beaded on his lower lip as he parked. The sky was gloomy, the wind picking up, stirring dust and sending tumbleweed across the desolate terrain. An animal’s howl echoed from the deep cluster of bushes on the hill. He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the trees and rocks.

  “What’s going on?” Maddox said into his ear piece.

  Cash gritted his teeth. “BJ stowed away in the back seat.”

  A litany of profanity spewed from Maddox. “That was stupid.”

  Cash bit back a comment of ag
reement. “She thinks she can help if we get Tyler and he’s frightened.”

  “Tell her to stay in the damn car,” Maddox said. “This kidnapper is not playing games.”

  “I know that,” BJ snapped from the back seat.

  “I’ll make sure she stays put,” Cash said.

  Maddox heaved a sigh of frustration. “All right, it’s too late to turn back now. We might create suspicion. Go ahead and make the drop.”

  Cash tugged the hat low on his head to shadow his face, grabbed the bag, opened the car door and slowly climbed out. Elmore’s ring felt heavy on his hand as he gripped the duffel bag.

  With every breath he took, he visually searched for an ambush.

  The animal howled again—a mountain lion?

  He went still, afraid to move too quickly in case it was waiting to attack. Seconds passed. The bushes parted and a streak of orange flashed past, quickly gliding from one rock to another.

  Pulse pounding, he slowly inched up the small hill to the rock formation.

  Elmore’s boots dug into the dirt, the wind swirling dust at his feet as he lowered the bag to the ground. Just as he descended the small hill, a shot rang out.

  The bullet skimmed past his head, then another one sailed at him. He ducked to avoid it, his gaze scanning the bushes.

  The bullet zinged by his head and nearly clipped him.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Cash braced his gun at the ready, then peered above the rocks where he’d hidden, searching for the shooter.

  The shots had come from his left. Higher. On the hill, he spotted a giant boulder where the shooter could be hiding.

  He fired his weapon toward it. A bullet pinged off the rock and hit the ground.

  He watched, waiting on the shooter to move or fire back.

  Instead, tree branches swayed above. The bastard was getting away!

  He swung a glance at the duffel bag. It was gone.

  “Cash?” Maddox bellowed in his ear. “Are you hit, man?”

  “No, I’m good,” he said, as he continued to peruse the area. “Where is the son of a bitch?”

  “Headed toward the top of the ridge. Must have a car there.”