Comeback Trail

by Carolina Mac

  “You have to go, Logy,” said Jack. “I’ll give you a full report when I get home to the ranch.”

  “Yep, I’m going.” I took one last look at Linda looking a lot like a fish out of water, then I left for the hospital.

  Preston Hospital.

  BONNIE Sue’s chair was pulled up close to Clay’s bed and she was holding his hand when I arrived. “I’ll let you have a turn, Logan.” She gave up her spot to let me talk to my brother.

  “How are you doing today, Clay?”

  “Better. I’m transferring to my own room this afternoon so you guys can visit me there tonight. I’m hoping I don’t have to stay much longer. I want to go home.”

  “Doctor mention that yet?”

  “A few more days,” he said.

  “Listen to him, Clay, and don’t be in a rush to leave the hospital. “He doesn’t want you moving around until it’s time. The stitches might come apart and you’ll have to start healing all over again.”

  Clay made a face. “Not doing that.”

  “Bonnie Sue did well on her testimony,” I said. “Shaver was rough on her.”

  “She said he made it look like Harper was in mortal danger.”

  “That’s his job. It’s what the jury thinks that counts and Shaver tried his best to convince them. Sheriff Tucker will tell the true story and he won’t be bullied by Big Sandy Shaver.”

  “Hope not. I don’t want this all to be for nothing.”

  Stiverson Vet Clinic. Preston.

  BEFORE driving back to the ranch, I stopped in at Doc Stiverson’s office and told him about our bull breeding business. He was friendly and seemed more than anxious to take us on as a new customer. I promised to send him a copy of our birthing schedule, so he’d be on alert when the cows started coming in a few months from now.

  I sure wasn’t going to use Doctor Lonnigan. I didn’t want her within ten miles of our ranch. Now she’d charged Linda with assault and opened another whole can of worms.

  There wasn’t a damned thing I could do to help Linda. She’d punched Fiona in front of witnesses, and even though I felt bad she was sitting in jail, it was her lawyer who had to help her, not me.

  McKenna Ranch.

  GLAD to be home after all the stress of the morning, I poured myself a glass of sweet tea, made a sandwich and turned on the TV in the next room. I choked on my first bite when a picture of Fiona, Linda and me flashed on the screen and the news woman said, “Champion barrel racer, Linda Loudon, can sure pack a punch.”

  She rambled on about Linda hitting Doctor Lonnigan outside the courthouse and said the sheriff’s office had laid charges against the beautiful barrel racer.

  “Shit,” I mumbled to myself as I finished my sandwich. I was ready to come undone.

  Trying to escape the drama and bullshit circling around me and my family, I ran to the barn, saddled Bowie, grabbed my rope and galloped straight down the lane to the field to practice.

  When I was working in the field with my horse and my rope, trying to get my time back to where it used to be, I forgot about everything else. I felt like myself again.

  I might never be ready to go back into competition, but the workouts were good for me, physically and mentally. The sun had come out brutally hot, but I paid no mind to the heat. I pushed myself through my routine over and over until I was exhausted.

  I headed to the barn to cool Bowie out and reward him with a carrot. He looked for one at the end of every practice session.

  I rewarded myself with a beer on the porch.

  Preston Hospital.

  AFTER work, Jack and Bonnie Sue headed to the hospital to see Ivan. He was in a room with a guy who’d been in a car accident and was pretty bashed up. Despite their conditions both patients seemed to be in good spirits.

  “Hey, Ivan,” said Jack. “You okay, buddy?”

  “Yep, I’m good, Jack. Going home in the morning and I’ve got lots of pain killers. Tell me all about what happened at the motel after I left, and I missed court this morning too. I didn’t get to hear you testify, Bonnie Sue.”

  They sat next to Ivan’s bed and filled him on everything he’d missed, and Ivan seemed cheered up considerably by their visit. He was especially pumped hearing that Jack had managed to put a bullet into Micky Swain’s leg.

  From Ivan’s room, Jack and Bonnie Sue went to see Clay in his new room. He was happy to be out of intensive care and mentioned going home more than once.

  “I’m going to be sitting in that chair tomorrow.” He pointed with a smile on his face. “Once I can get up and get to the bathroom on my own, I can go home.”

  “I’m gonna get Swain for doing this to you, Clay,” said Jack. “He’s not going to get away with it.”

  McKenna Ranch.

  JACK showed up at home after work and filled me in on everything that happened after I left Preston. The thing that worried me the most was Linda being in the same cell as Kate and Laney. I was hoping her lawyer showed up quickly and got her out of there.

  “Is she safe locked up with Kate and Laney?” I asked trying to slow my heart rate down.

  “Oh, yeah.” Jack sounded confident. “Sheriff Tucker’s there in his office right next to the run and if there’s any yelling or screaming, he’ll be sure to tune the wildcats up.”

  “Wildcats, that’s what I’m worried about, Jacky. Linda isn’t tough like they are. She might get hurt.”

  “She was tough enough to smash Doctor Lonnigan’s nose,” said Jack. “That’s what got her in there in the first place.”

  “Don’t I know it. I was right beside her when she did it. All because of me and because Fiona is stalking me.” I hooked a thumb over my shoulder towards the TV. “The worst part for me was showing up on the news.”

  Jack grinned. “I saw it but I wasn’t going to mention it, Logy. You did look a little dazzled.”

  “I wanted to run away from both of them, especially Fiona.”

  “We have to prove it, Logy. Stalking is hard to prove. Fiona can say she came to watch the court case like everybody else in Preston and we can’t prove she didn’t.”

  “Damn it, Jack. I want her out of my life. She’s messing me up.”

  “We need to get pictures of her stalking you, Logy. It’s the only way. We need a Private Investigator to follow her and get the pictures—dates and times and like that. Something we can use to convince a judge.”

  “Do we know any PI’s?”

  “Nope, but Bonnie Sue might. She’s been a cop for a long time. I’ll ask her tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Jack. I need help with this problem before I go right off the freakin track.”

  “I’ll help you, Logy. You can always count on me.”

  “Get us a couple more beers, then I’ll make an attempt at grilling us some burgers.”

  Jack grinned. “Your burgers are always good, Logy. You’re like a grill master—like that.”

  I chuckled, then chugged down another Lone Star.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Wednesday, May 27th.

  McKenna Ranch.

  JACK ran on ahead of me from the barn to the house in a big hurry to shower and get to work. I was amazed at the enthusiasm Jack had for his new career. Before becoming a deputy sheriff, he’d never been keen to do much of anything except hang at the Spur, drink beer by the pitcher and pick up girls.

  Maybe Wade Tucker had been right about Jacky. Miss Jane didn’t think so and I wasn’t sure. See what happened by the end of his month probation period.

  I poured myself a coffee in the kitchen while I made Jacky boy a fried egg sandwich he could eat in the truck on the way to Preston. I had another hour before I needed to meet him at the courthouse for the arraignment of Carson Wagoner, Kate Gabriel and Laney Wagoner.

  I wondered if Linda would be on the list for a bail hearing this morning as well. I hoped she was, then I could find out firsthand how her night in jail had panned out.

  Jack tore into the kitchen in his uniform, his hair hanging damp
around his face. I handed him the sandwich wrapped in waxed paper and a travel mug of coffee.

  “Thanks, Logy. You’re the best. I’ll meet you at the courthouse. Bonnie Sue and I have a plan to follow Carson and see if she leads us to Swain.”

  “Sheriff Tucker in on this plan?”

  Jack grinned. “He sure is. He hates Swain. Sheriff still has the blue marks on his neck from the handcuff chain.” Jack chuckled. “He curses Swain up, down and sideways and has a lot of personal reasons to want him caught and in jail. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the sheriff shot Micky Swain on sight.”

  I personally wouldn’t be opposed to that.

  Preston Courthouse.

  THE girls were arraigned in a different courtroom from where the last day of Harper Gabriel’s trial was taking place. Not many spectators were on hand to witness the process, but a couple of reporters sat near the back waiting and hoping for some kind of a juicy story to come their way.

  The cases were called by number and first up was Laney Wagoner or Laney Swain—whatever last name she went by. She had a long list of charges against her but aiding and abetting a fugitive—who happened to be her father—might have been the strongest one. I wasn’t sure.

  She pleaded ‘not guilty’ to all the charges and was granted bail in the amount of fifteen thousand dollars. Same for Kate who stood before the judge right after Laney. Then came Carson Wagoner and she was the one we were most interested in. She was bad news with a capital ‘B’.

  Jack and Bonnie Sue had joined me in my seat and listened to the list of charges against Carson. She was piling charges up as high as manure behind the barn. I figured her being married to Micky Swain was her biggest problem.

  The judge asked Carson for her plea.

  “Not guilty, judge. I’m not guilty of anything except trying to keep my family together. I’m going to sue the Preston sheriff’s office and I’m going to sue the pants right off Sheriff Tucker for the way he’s treated me and my girls in his scurvy jail.”

  The judge stared and waited until the tirade was over. “Bail is granted in the amount of fifty thousand dollars.”

  Carson screamed and the judge whacked the gavel down to shut her up. The bailiff hustled her out of the courtroom before she was fined in comtemp.

  Jack and Bonnie Sue vacated the seat beside me and hurried to follow Carson to the bail bondsman. I stayed behind waiting to see if Linda was up next and she was.

  The bailiff brought her in looking more than a little bedraggled. Her clothes were rumpled, and her long hair was unbrushed and hanging in her eyes. She stood in front of the judge and pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge of simple assault.

  The judge granted her bail and that was that. I stood up and walked to the back of the courtroom and that’s when I saw Fiona sitting in the back row smiling like a Cheshire cat. Fiona’s face was black and blue and her nose was a little off center. Linda had clocked her a good one.

  I hurried past her and went to find Linda.

  JACK and Bonnie Sue followed Carson to the bail bondsman’s office, and it was crowded in there. A small room with one desk, a filing cabinet and a couple of vinyl guest chairs. Laney and Kate were sitting on chairs with one bailiff watching over them, then Carson came in with another bailiff.

  Carson marched up to the desk and arranged her bond, then turned to Laney and Kate and said. There’s not enough money to cover you girls too. Y’all will have to stay in jail for now.”

  Laney started to cry. “No, Mother. I want out of jail. Please pay my bail money.”

  “I can’t, Laney. Sorry. I don’t have enough room on my credit card.”

  “I’ll pay my own,” said Kate. She waited her turn and didn’t have enough room on her credit card either.

  The bailiff took Laney and Kate back to the courthouse lockup. They’d have to wait there until they were transferred back to the county jail.

  Carson left the room without a backward glance at her daughter and her niece and headed for the exit. Jack and Bonnie Sue were waiting in the corridor to follow her. Intent on making her escape, Carson didn’t see them lurking behind the coffee machine.

  LINDA and I got to the bail bond room as Carson was booking it through the door. Jack gave me a wink as he and Bonnie Sue fell into step behind Carson, following her to the exit.

  I waited while Linda arranged her bail and was told she was free to go. “Come on, Linda, I’ll walk you to your truck.”

  “I’m sorry to embarrass you like this, Logan.”

  “This part isn’t as embarrassing as being on the news,” I said. “That wasn’t a good feeling.”

  Tears rolled down Linda’s cheeks and I wanted to take my words back. “I’m so sorry, Logan. I didn’t know they filmed it.”

  “There were a lot of news people in the parking lot at the time,” I said, “Don’t worry about it.”

  “I have to worry about it and I’m worrying more about when I go to court to fight the charges. I’ll be on the news again. I’m wondering what bad publicity will do to my endorsements.”

  This is all about you? What about me?

  We walked out to the parking lot together and I kissed her beside her truck. My usual passion for kissing her seemed to have disappeared. “Go home and get some rest. Call me later when you feel better.”

  She nodded and slid behind the wheel. I walked to my truck thinking I hardly knew Linda Loudon and what made her tick.

  Did I still love her or was I kidding myself?

  JACK followed Carson Wagoner out of town with Bonnie Sue riding shotgun in his truck. They weren’t driving the squad because they were keeping a low profile at Sheriff Tucker’s suggestion.

  “Looks like she’s going straight home to the trailer,” said Bonnie Sue. “Do you think Micky is back home?”

  “Don’t know,” said Jack. “Guess we’ll find out.” He pulled his truck across the end of the short gravel drive and blocked Carson’s old Volkswagen Golf in. They were halfway out of the truck when Carson walked out onto the deck and started hollering at them.

  “If you wannabees think I’m leading you to my husband, you’ve got it all wrong. Beat it. Get out of here and leave me alone.”

  “Why did you leave your daughter in jail?” hollered Bonnie Sue trying for some action. “What kind of a mother would do that?”

  Carson spun around and went inside the trailer slamming the door behind her.

  “What if Micky is in there?” asked Jack. “Can we go inside and look around?”

  “We’d better call Sheriff Tucker. We can’t barge in. We need the sheriff with us and a copy of the arrest warrant.”

  “Yep,” said Jack. “We better talk to the boss.”

  Jack called from the truck to get the sheriff’s opinion on what they should do.

  “Sit tight, son. I’m on my way with the warrant. I want to be there when you take him down.”

  “What if he’s not here, Sheriff? Carson said he wasn’t in the trailer.”

  “Like I believe liars like her? We have to look. It only makes sense.”

  Ten minutes later the sheriff arrived and the three of them stomped up onto the deck. Sheriff Tucker held the warrant in front of Carson’s face, and she protested loudly, but she had to let them in.

  “He’s not here. I told your punk deputies that already, Tucker. Go ahead and look. Look under the bed and in the closets. She was grinning the whole time they searched.

  Jack figured Swain wasn’t there and he was right. His wife had stashed him someplace else and she was staying in the trailer as a diversionary tactic. Carson Wagoner was crooked, tricky and as underhanded as they came, but she was home alone.

  On the way out, Sheriff Tucker took a stance in front of Carson. “I cannot wait to testify at your trial, ma’am. The things you have done in my county are disgusting. You need to be locked up for a long, long time.”

  Carson smiled. “That won’t happen, Sheriff. Never happened before and won’t happen this time
.”

  “I wouldn’t bet on it,” said the sheriff.

  McKenna Ranch.

  RIP and Chuck were right on time for their practice session. The lessons were pretty well over with, but I had opened up the ranch for them to practice whenever they wanted to, and today I was going to practice with them. It would be a great workout for all of us and a stress reliever for me.

  I had entered a couple of events in the Saturday rodeo in the next county over and I wasn’t sure if I was going to compete or withdraw because of all that was doing on. Ever since the minute Daddy passed away, my life had gone for slide down the slippery slope.

  Linda was racing in the rodeo on Saturday, and that was one of the reasons I had picked it. Now I wasn’t even sure about Linda anymore. Our relationship felt shaky at best. Oh, well. Wait and see what happened on the weekend and how worried she was about her endorsements.

  I couldn’t believe she said that.

  AFTER a long, sweaty practice session, I was taking Bowie’s saddle off at the corral fence when a dark blue Lexus pulled into the yard and parked.

  A tall cowboy stepped out and gave me a wave and I was fairly sure I’d never seen him before. He swaggered over to the corral where I was standing and handed me his card. “Ace Livingston, Mr. McKenna. Deputy Dempster sent me. She said you were in need of a P.I.”

  I stared at the card and listened to what the big tanned cowboy was saying then nodded my head. “I am. Let’s go inside. I’ve been practicing for two hours and I need a drink.”

  Both of us sat with a Lone Star in our hand and discussed the problem I was having with Doctor Fiona Lonnigan.

  “Stalking is a common problem these days,” Ace said. “Lots of phone stalking too. Hard to get the goods on them.” He chugged down all of his beer in one long go and set the bottle down. “Got a picture of her?”

  I shrugged and went for it. “Only the one.” I showed him the nudie Fiona had sent me and he smiled.