Protected by the Lawman

by Carver, Rhonda Lee

  “It makes no sense to someone outside of Cox, unless the other evidence is found.”

  “I was right about one thing. Leandra Watson did know Cox outside of the studio. I visited the apartment building she was living in. What graduate student living on a part time assistant’s salary can afford a place over in Harmony District? The place is for the rich. That’s beside the point though. The neighbors said she wasn’t home very often, although she did have a man visiting and spending the night. Guess who?”

  “Mason Cox.”

  Phoenix nodded. “The plot thickens. One of the neighbors also stated that here recently a young girl was staying too, about the same time Tammy, Willow’s daughter, disappeared. Just so happened I had her picture tucked in my jacket, and bingo... the neighbor recognized her.” He reached into the open drawer and took out Tammy’s diary, opened it to the dog-eared page and pushed it over to Connor. “This is her diary. Look at what she wrote inside.”

  “How’d you get this?”

  “Willow gave it to me.”

  Connor read the page and blew out a long breath. “She has several of these names from the list written down in her diary, along with dates and times. Was the girl prostituting?”

  “I don’t know, but I want you to speak to a few of Tammy’s friends and see what you can find out. If we find her, we might get some answers.”

  “Great thing you’re a great detective, Sheriff. We didn’t find one fingerprint or clue to who these men are who broke into Miss Portman’s place. We found lots of men nicknamed Snake with records in our database, but none from this area or up north who aren’t in prison right now.”

  “I didn’t think we would. I have a feeling he isn’t known as Snake, but maybe only with his boss. Find Tammy, Connor. We need her.”

  “What about any clues in the assistants’ condo? Did you find anything?”

  “It appeared Miss Watson not only liked comfortable living accommodations, she also had a taste for expensive clothing and jewelry. Deputy Holloway pointed out the designer brands. That isn’t all. Holloway called the med school Miss Watson was attending. She hadn’t taken out one loan for tuition.”

  “Fuck. What med school student can pull that kind of cash out of their pocket? She either had a rich benefactor or a hidden talent. How well do you know Ria Portman?”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Hell, man, you don’t need me to tell you this but everyone’s a suspect until you have absolute reason to check them off the list. Sure, she might seem innocent, but how could all this be going on right under her nose without her suspecting?”

  Phoenix didn’t like the direction of this conversation. “I know her well enough. She’s been upfront.”

  “Or so it seems.”

  “You’re barking up the wrong tree.”

  “Maybe, but keep your eyes wide open.”

  “You mean like I didn’t with Katy?” He reached for the folder and closed it, dropping it back into the drawer.

  “Come on, you know that’s not what I meant.”

  He wasn’t sure why he was agitated. “Yeah, I know. Maybe I need a good night’s sleep. I want to find the bastards who did this and put them away.”

  “We will.” He and Connor had a lot in common. Both were committed to wiping bad people off the face of Wyoming. “What about talking to the men on the list?”

  “We can’t bank on getting any of them to talk, even if they know anything like who the “boss” is. If I was a betting man I’d say we’re looking at a list of future divorces if their names get out. Maybe it’s just a matter of finding the weakest link. I want you and Deputy Holloway to give it a shot. Start with the bottom of the list and work your way up.”

  CHAPTER 6

  RIA CUPPED THE warm surface of the coffee cup as she listened to Sheriff Cade explain what he’d been investigating. “That’s not possible, Phoenix. Leandra wasn’t involved with Mason. I would know.”

  “With all due respect, you didn’t know that Cox was a felon.”

  “But Leandra was my assistant as well as my friend. Why would she not tell me? Not only not tell me, but why lie?”

  “If she was hiding something.”

  “Because you think she and Mason were doing something illegal.”

  “If I had to guess, I’d say whatever Mason was in to, your assistant knew about it. Maybe even had her hands dirty.”

  Sitting back in the cracked vinyl seat of the booth, she tried to wrap her brain around what exactly he was telling her. “I feel there’s something you’re not telling me.”

  There was a long, awkward hesitation. “Perceptive.”

  “Call it intuition. I have a right to know everything.”

  “I found a list of names that Cox had uploaded onto your computer. It was under a disguised file.”

  “A list of names? I don’t understand.”

  “I compared the names with those in your online scheduler and none match.”

  She placed her hands flat on the table top, still trying to understand what he was telling her. “Okay, so that I’m clear, my assistant was seeing Mason Cox who was an ex-con who had hidden a file on my computer that had a list of names. Why, Sheriff Cade?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

  “But you have suspicions, right?”

  He blew out a long breath. “It appears the names could be linked to a prostitution ring.”

  “What? I-I’m lost.”

  “So am I. We’re still trying to find more evidence. Cox was smart. He didn’t keep all his eggs in one basket so to speak.”

  “Do you think he planted more secret information in my house?”

  “No. We’ve searched everything, twice. I thought maybe he’d hidden something at Leandra’s apartment, but nothing there connects her to the names on the list. Her apartment looked clean, almost as if she wasn’t living there. It’ll take time to put the puzzle pieces together. Things are a bit more complicated than when we first started.”

  She breathed in deeply, trying to calm her nerves. Tears stung the backs of her eyes, but she refused to let him see her cry—refused to weaken. It seemed she had been used, and how much was unclear. Ria didn’t want to believe that Leandra, someone she’d relied upon and cared for, could have been involved in something illegal. “So, you believe my computer was just one place?” It was more matter of fact than a question.

  “Logically, that’s what would make sense.”

  Running her hands up and down her arms, the short-sleeved blouse suddenly felt too thin. “This is a lot to take in,” she admitted.

  “I know it is, but there’s more.”

  “More than finding out that my assistant, the woman who knew as much about my life as I did, could be part of a prostitution ring? That is what you’re saying, right?”

  He cleared his throat and she could hear by the shuffling of his feet that he didn’t like what he was about to say. “Once the killers get wind they left behind a witness, you will be in danger.”

  The air hissed from her lungs “I didn’t see their faces.” She dropped back into the seat.

  “No, but you gave me enough information that I think you could identify them.”

  “How long do you think we have before they realize I was in the house?”

  “About as long as it takes for one of them to read a newspaper.”

  She wrapped her arms around her waist. “The paper printed the story? How did I not know any of this? About Mason and his dealings. Mostly that Leandra wasn’t who she said she was.”

  “Cut yourself some slack. Cox was a criminal—a sly, smart one at that. I know it’s hard to accept that your assistant had lied, but I do think her intentions were in the right place when it came to you.”

  “But these criminals, they’re going to kill me.” She placed her trembling hands in her lap.

  “No, they won’t. I won’t let them.”

  “Explain again about the corrupted file on my computer.”<
br />
  “He had used a disguised recycle bin folder. Are you aware of how they work?”

  She shook her head. “I use the recycle bin every day.”

  “Cox used the Delta program as a ploy to get access to your computer.”

  “It seems like so much trouble to go through for just a list of names,” she said in a soft voice. “Who’s on that list?”

  “Hang on a second,” he said just as Ria heard the waitress ask, “Can I get you both another cup of coffee?”

  “No, thanks,” Ria and Phoenix answered in unison.

  Hearing the waitresses’ squeaky shoes fade, she leaned closer. “Who’s on the list, Phoenix?”

  “I want to tell you, but not here.”

  “I can’t stay with my friend, Phyllis. I can’t put her and her family in danger. She has a husband and kids.”

  “It’s for the best you don’t stay where you usually go.”

  Working her bottom lip, her head spun. “That leaves nowhere.”

  “I have a place in mind.”

  “Where?”

  “My family has a cabin on Blue Ridge. You’ll be safe there. It’s off the beaten path—”

  “Wait. I appreciate the offer of your cabin, but…well, it’s not as simple as just picking up and settling into another place for me.”

  He reached across the table and laid his hand on hers. The touch sent an electrical jolt through her. The gesture calmed her. “I thought far enough ahead, Ria. I wouldn’t take you somewhere and drop you off. I’ll be there with you. It’ll take some adjustment time, sure, but the place isn’t big and you’ll get the lay of the cabin.”

  “You have an investigation to run. You don’t have the time to watch over me.”

  “No worries. I’ll still be working the case. Blue Ridge is about an hour outside of town so I can come back as needed.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Unless you have another option, this might be your only choice. I have my deputies working hard on finding any leads. Considering there are very few, and I doubt any of the men on the list will confess to any misconduct, this could take some time….and…”

  “What, Phoenix?”

  “I’m guessing this case is bigger, more complex, than just the killing of your assistant and client. Cases like this aren’t solved overnight, or even months, because they protect one another…like a family.”

  “Are you talking about drug dealers?”

  “Maybe, and human trafficking. A few years back we had a problem here in Abbie with prostitution, and we thought we had pushed out most of those issues, but it would seem the bad blood has trickled back in.”

  “You really believe Leandra was prostituting?”

  “I’m thinking she liked the term “escort.” Assuming Miss Watson earned a modest income, she was living in a fairly upscale apartment, which might not raise any flags considering how one looks at it.”

  “But something did.”

  His hand tightened on hers. “Inside her apartment we found a walk-in closet full of expensive designer clothes and jewelry. Had she ever said anything to you that seemed odd? Maybe out of the ordinary?”

  “The last I knew she lived only a few miles from me. I didn’t know she had moved. She’d never said anything to me that would make me think she was in trouble or hiding a secret. Yes, her income was modest, and I know she was working her way through med school.”

  He cleared his throat. She realized it was a habit when he was about to mention something undesirable. “I checked. Miss Watson didn’t have a single student loan.”

  “When I first hired her, she was always on time, or early, and over the last six months I found that she seemed preoccupied—scatterbrained. Just like the day that she was murdered, she had been running late and I called her. I felt guilty because I thought maybe if I hadn’t called her, she wouldn’t have shown up at the studio when she did.”

  He patted her hand. “You had no clue.”

  She tilted her chin. “She had family, Phoenix. Are they in danger too?”

  “I don’t think they are. They don’t live in the area and I wouldn’t see Miss Watson sharing her, well, after-hours activities with her parents. Typically, these types of killers want to get rid of those who have crossed them along with any witnesses. That day, it was Cox and Miss Watson—”

  “And me,” she said.

  “Yes, and you. Unfortunately, it’s hard to keep details about a double homicide out of the paper. Which brings us back to keeping you safe.”

  Being blind meant being logical. She couldn’t go to Phyllis’s house. And she couldn’t go home no matter how much she wanted to. Phoenix offered refuge, and what other choice did she have? As much as she cared about her safety, she also cared about finding the men who did this, those who dared to come into her home. Leandra might have gotten involved in something illegal to work her way through school, but that didn’t mean she deserved to be killed. She had a future ahead of her that was abruptly taken.

  Ria’s sense of peace and safety had been taken too.

  Little did she know that when she’d danced with Phoenix he would become such an intricate part of her wellbeing. She had learned from her mistakes with Jamie and she didn’t want to rely on any man ever again. It was safer to only depend on herself.

  She moved her hand and hit the cup, spilling the coffee over the side and onto her skin.

  “Are you okay? Here’s a napkin.” Instead of handing it over, he gently dabbed her wrist.

  “This entire situation makes no sense to me. I need fresh air.” She slid out of the booth, grabbed her cane, and found her way through the tables.

  “Wait for me,” Phoenix called out.

  When he caught up to her, he took her wrist and led her the rest of the way to the door. The bell dinged loudly as they stepped through and out onto the sidewalk. The sun was shining, but there was a chill in the air that matched the feeling inside her bones. “Here, let’s sit down on the bench for a minute.” Again, he guided her, but this time he’d moved his hand to the small of her back that eased some of her worry.

  Ria held out her hand until she touched the back of the bench, then felt her way into a seated position, securing her cane beside her. He sat down next to her and suddenly the air wasn’t as cold.

  Her mind was on a roller coaster and she wanted to get off, but she was stuck to endure all the loops and twists. She wanted her calm life back, even if she had to endure the suffocating presence of her sister. A part of Ria ached to hear Kora’s voice, but if she called, how could she resist asking her sister to come home? Eventually, she would call and Ria would have to pretend everything was okay.

  “We have a problem.”

  “Many of them,” she added.

  “I won’t try and minimize the threat here. You deserve the truth. These men, they will look for you with the intention to harm you, but I can say without a doubt I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  The slight worry in his voice made the hairs on the back of her neck stand. “I’m not your responsibility.”

  “I beg to differ. You’re the only witness I have to help catch these assholes.”

  “I don’t want to rely on anyone, and you shouldn’t rely on me. I’m blind,” she said, recognizing the trembling in her voice.

  His hand was on her again, his long fingers easily wrapping around her wrist. Her heart picked up in speed, but somehow, he calmed her. “That’s not a choice here. We’re in this together.”

  “We’re not even safe sitting here, are we?” She moistened her lips. “What if they kill you to get to me?” The last thing she wanted was for more people to be put in danger. “I’m a lousy witness. If I could see you’d have me looking at mug shots of bad guys, or doing something besides wanting to whisk me off to safety. How could I get caught up in such a mess?”

  “Let’s take one thing at a time.”

  “That’s easy for you to say.”

  “I understand this is a lot to abso
rb, but the quickest way we can get your life back to normal is finding the men who turned your life in an upheaval. We’ll be creative in how we catch them. Help me help you, Ria.”

  She clasped her hands tightly in her lap and he removed his touch. “What can I do?”

  “Don’t discount yourself as a witness. What you heard, smelled, the killers’ voices are all a part of the puzzle. You’re a bigger help than you can ever imagine, but I’d never put you in more danger to solve this case.”

  “I’m glad to help, but…” her shoulders slumped.

  “Go on,” he urged.

  “Who can I trust?”

  “You can trust me. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

  Goosebumps popped up on her arms. Over the years she’d gotten skilled at listening to a person’s voice to understand their emotions and he seemed sincere. From what Kora had told her he had a reputation of being a hard-ass that got the job done. More than ever she needed someone like him on her side.

  “Now, how about let’s get off the street. Okay?”

  “I’ll go with you to the cabin, but I want to make it clear that I don’t want to take you away from your investigation. I don’t need a sitter.”

  “Think of me less as a sitter and more of a bodyguard.” His light chuckle made her smile.

  ~~~**~~~

  Phoenix had never made a promise that he couldn’t keep, but when it came to Ria things were far riskier than many of the cases he’d faced over the last ten years. He didn’t want to admit it, even to himself, but he liked her. A lot. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Lawmen took an oath to protect, not to allow their emotions to get involved because feelings were like Kryptonite to Superman. Not only did he have to find the killers, but he had to find Tammy too because she wasn’t safe either, all the while protecting Ria and making sure she had everything she needed. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure exactly what those things were, but he hoped she trusted him enough to tell him.