Scorned Justice: The Men of Texas Rangers Series #3 (Men of the Texas Rangers)

by Margaret Daley

  Aubrey scrunched her mouth up. “Diet? Tory talks about that. What do you do?”

  “Deny yourself all the food you love to eat.” Rebecca caught Brody’s amused glance.

  The five-year-old tilted her head to the side, which was what she did when she was trying to figure something out. “I wouldn’t like that. Why would you do that?”

  “So you’d be thin, dummy,” Kim said with a huff.

  “I’m not dumb. My teacher says I’m smart.”

  “You’re in kindergarten. What’s there to learn?”

  Aubrey rushed her sister and pounded her with her fists. “You take that back.”

  “Why?” Kim locked her arms around Aubrey to keep her sister from hitting her. “All you’re learning is your letters and numbers. Wait ’til you have to do math and read.”

  Rebecca folded her arms over her chest. “Aubrey. Kim. We’re in a hospital. This is no way to behave. Ever.”

  “She started it.” Kim shoved Aubrey away.

  Brody caught the five-year-old and steadied her. She tried to go after Kim again. He clamped his hands on her shoulders.

  Kim stuck her tongue out.

  “I hate you, Kim. You’re mean.”

  “Stop it. Right now. I certainly can’t bring you two back to the hospital if you’re going to act like this.” Rebecca tightened her grip on Kim to keep her from going after her little sister.

  Both girls quieted and looked away from each other.

  “Maybe Brody needs to take us home now.”

  “No, we’ll be good.” Her head tilted up, Aubrey squinted and stared at Kim.

  Kim nodded.

  As the doors at the lower level swished open, Brody’s cellphone rang. He stepped off the elevator and to the side to take the call. His voice pitched low, he turned away as he talked. Rebecca stood between her nieces. They usually didn’t fight, but she knew they hadn’t slept well the night before. Aubrey had come into her bedroom several times and ended up sleeping with her while Kim paced her room before finally coming into Rebecca’s room, too. She’d lain awake the rest of the night, alert to any movement from her nieces. Except for Aubrey crying out a couple of times, both of the girls finally went to sleep about four in the morning.

  Brody swung around. “The doctor can see me now. Can you all go on without me to the cafe?”

  “Are you sick, too?” Aubrey said, her bottom lip trembling.

  “No. This is about a case I’m working on. Nothing for you two to worry about. I’ll come to the cafe when I’m finished, so I hope you save me some ice cream.”

  “We can’t. It melts too fast. Unless you hurry.” Aubrey took Rebecca’s hand while Kim hurried ahead of them.

  “Just don’t eat all the ice cream they have at the cafe,” Brody called out, then headed down a hallway to his right.

  Aubrey glanced back. “I won’t.”

  Rebecca rushed toward the exit; her niece was already outside. “Kim, wait for us.”

  The girl stopped at the curb, looked both ways, then stepped into the street as though she hadn’t heard Rebecca.

  A screech filled the air as an old white pickup sped around the corner, heading right toward Kim. Rebecca opened her mouth to scream “stop,” but nothing came out.

  6

  Dr. Henderson, thanks for seeing me.” Brody shook the man’s hand. “I have some questions about your observations of the condition of Thomas’s body when he came into the emergency room. I’m investigating his accident to make sure that was all it was.”

  “Yes, Rebecca told me about that, and I’ve been reviewing his records. I’ve thought back to last night, and I can’t think of one wound that probably wasn’t caused by being dragged. No bullet holes or knife cuts. There were several deep gashes in his head—the kind caused by contact with a rock. I suppose someone could have hit him on the head, then tied him up. In which case he either knew the person or he was surprised.”

  “That area on the ranch is rocky ground.”

  “Which accounts for all the bruising and ragged cuts on his backside.”

  “So you didn’t see anything that made you suspect something other than his being dragged by a horse?”

  Dr. Mike Henderson rubbed his chin and thought a moment. “I don’t see too many injuries caused by a horse dragging its rider. His body was a bloody mess when he arrived. If there was something else, it was obscured by the dragging injuries.”

  “In other words, nothing stands out to you, but there’s a possibility it could have been caused by another person. Did you run a tox screen on him?”

  “No. I had no reason to. Besides, we were busy saving his life. He’s still not out of the woods.”

  “Can you run one now?”

  “Yes, if you suspect someone tried to murder him. You think by incapacitating him, then tying him to the horse?” A frown marred the doctor’s craggy features.

  “I need to rule it out.”

  “Thomas has enemies who might want him dead?”

  “Yesterday some cattle were rustled from him. Possibly around the same time.”

  “You think he came upon them and they did this to him?”

  “It doesn’t seem likely since the incidents occurred in different parts of the ranch—a ranch of twenty thousand acres. That’s a lot of ground.”

  “Is Rebecca worried? His wife?”

  “Tory hasn’t taken the news well. She hasn’t said much of anything. Rebecca wants to make sure it was an accident—nothing more. The governor has asked me to look into what happened to his cousin.” Mike Henderson was a Sinclair family friend. His father had been the Sinclairs’ doctor until he’d retired, when his son had taken over. He moved in the same circles as the Sinclairs. “You haven’t heard any rumors about someone having a grudge against the Sinclairs, have you?”

  “No. In Dry Gulch everyone loves them. Their neighbors appreciate their cooperation and helpfulness. Do they know about the cattle rustlers?”

  “Yes, Jake is informing them.”

  “I wish I had some concrete evidence or a definite answer for you, but what I saw fits with an accident.”

  “That’s the way it’s looking right now, but if you think of anything that contradicts that, please let me know. Thanks.” Brody touched the tip of his tan cowboy hat and left the doctor’s lounge.

  He’d already talked with the emergency room nurse who attended Thomas, and she hadn’t had anything different to say. He had another ranger checking Thomas’s cellphone and the calls he’d made and received. Unless something turned up there, he would inform the governor it appeared to be an accident. But his gut clenched each time he thought that. Was he missing something?

  “Kim, stop,” finally shot out of Rebecca’s mouth as she ran toward her niece, who was a few feet from the curb of the two-lane street.

  The child slowed and glanced back at Rebecca. The truck kept coming toward Kim, still speeding.

  Rebecca dove the remaining distance to push her niece out of danger. At the last second, Kim saw the truck and scrambled for the sidewalk on the other side of the street. Rebecca fell down onto the asphalt, pain shooting up her knees.

  The careening pickup was only ten feet from Rebecca.

  As Brody neared the front entrance to the hospital, a loud sound like wheels peeling out echoed through the lobby. He hurried his pace, hitting the glass door with his palms as he raced outside.

  Rebecca launched herself at Kim in the middle of the road and shoved her toward the sidewalk.

  As a white truck with darkened windows came toward Rebecca.

  He darted forward, adrenaline pumping through his body. Passing Aubrey, he yelled, “Get inside the hospital.”

  When Rebecca clambered to her feet, someone tackled her, shoving her out of the way of the pickup as it sped past her. Inches away from her. Her thundering heartbeat overwhelmed all other sounds. A young man helped her stand. He was saying something, but she didn’t hear.

  Her gaze latched onto Kim, frozen,
all color washed from her face, her mouth hanging open.

  “Lady, are you all right?” she finally heard the twentysomething man ask, his face now looming in front of her.

  “Rebecca, what happened?”

  Brody.

  She sank to the sidewalk, all the strength was siphoned from her legs. Her hands began to tremble, and the trembling quickly spread throughout her body.

  “Rebecca? Are you hurt?”

  The urgency in Brody’s voice compelled her to look at the young man who had saved her and then at Brody, his gray eyes shadowed with fear, his mouth pulled into a tight line. He put his hand on her arm and tried to help her up.

  She shook her head, dragging both hands through her hair. “Let me sit here for a moment.”

  Twisting around, she found Kim and motioned for her to come to her. The child didn’t move; shock held her immobile.

  Rebecca scanned the street, her eyes widening when she couldn’t find her younger niece. “Where’s Aubrey?” she asked as she bolted to her feet, a light-headed rush causing the world to swirl before her eyes.

  Brody took hold of her again and supported her. “I sent her inside the hospital. I’ll go get her. You stay here.”

  “I’m not going anywhere except to check on Kim.”

  As Brody jogged toward the hospital entrance, Rebecca slowly swung around and moved toward her niece.

  “Ma’am, if you’re all right, I’ll leave you.”

  Rebecca made it over to Kim and hugged the child against her, the ten-year-old burrowing her face in the crook of Rebecca’s arm, while she turned to face her rescuer. “Thank you. Those words sound so inadequate at the moment. I’m Rebecca Morgan, and this is Kim.”

  The brown-headed man grinned. “You have a pretty daughter. I’m glad I could help. She needs her mother. Thank you is all that is required.” He wore a dark brown cowboy hat and tipped it toward her. “Have a good day.”

  “Wait. Who are you?”

  “Rob Clark.”

  “We were just going into the cafe for ice cream. Please join us. If you don’t want ice crea—and it’s great here—then I’ll treat you to whatever you want. That is, if you have the time. My niece and I won’t take no for an answer.” Rebecca managed a smile that quivered at the corners of her mouth. The residue of fright from the near hit-and-run still pinged through her body at a dizzying speed—much like the speed of the pickup truck.

  “Well, ma’am, I hate to disappoint two pretty ladies, but—”

  Kim peeked at the young man. “Please. You saved Aunt Becky.”

  Rob Clark blushed a deep shade of red, and he lowered his dark eyes. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Yes, I do. Please.” Rebecca spied Brody approaching with Aubrey in tow. “Brody, I’m trying to talk Rob into joining us for some ice cream.”

  Brody made eye contact with the young man. “I hope you can. I couldn’t reach Rebecca in time, but you did.”

  “You were so brave.” Aubrey bent her head back to stare up at Rob, who stood over six feet tall. “I’m having peppermint ice cream. But they have all kinds.”

  “Well, in that case, how can I refuse?”

  Ten minutes later Rebecca settled into a chair between her nieces, with Brody and Rob across from her. Still quiet, Kim dug into her banana split while Aubrey talked nonstop to Rob, except when she shoveled ice cream into her mouth.

  “Honey, give Mr. Clark a chance to answer one of your questions before asking him another one.” Rebecca nursed a tall glass of sweet tea.

  “Are you a cowboy?” Aubrey repeated her last question.

  “I’ve ridden broncos and steers on the rodeo circuit.”

  “Are you in town for the rodeo now?” Not having taken her eyes off Rob since he sat down, Kim licked her spoon and absently tried to scoop up some more of her banana split. Some plopped onto the table.

  Rebecca pressed her lips together. The girl didn’t even notice as Rob answered, “No, I’m here visiting some friends before heading back to Dallas.”

  “Do you live in Dallas?” Rob had brown hair that curled at the nape of his neck and dark, chocolate-colored eyes, and Rebecca could see why her niece, who had discovered boys in the past year, was enthralled with him. It wouldn’t be long before she discarded her tomboy ways totally and became boy crazy like so many of her girlfriends were.

  Rob took a bite of his pecan pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. “Yes, ma’am. I grew up in the area north of the city. I ain’t had something this good in a long time. Pecan pie is one of my favorite desserts, that and carrot cake.”

  “It’s mine, too,” Kim said, her gaze locked on Rob’s face, a dazzled look in her eyes that had nothing to do with her near miss with the pickup.

  “Since when?” Aubrey finished her peppermint ice cream and swiped a paper napkin across her face, managing to smear some on her cheek. “I thought you loved banana splits.”

  Dragging her gaze from Rob, Kim focused it on her little sister. “I like banana splits, but I like pecan pie better. I’ve never had carrot cake, but I bet it’s good, too.”

  “It is.” Rob’s grin dimpled both of his cheeks.

  “I recently moved from Dallas. What part do you live in?” Brody asked, amusement twinkling in his eyes as he took in both girls.

  “Plano.”

  “I lived closer to Garland, where I worked.”

  With only crumbs left, Rob placed his fork on his plate. “I sure thank you for this pie.”

  “It was nothing compared to what you did.” Rebecca shuddered when she thought about seeing the banged-up front end of the truck coming toward her like a train barreling down a railroad track straight toward her—a recurring nightmare she had a few times a year. She never knew what happened next because she would wake up before she got hit.

  Rob ducked his head, his cheeks red. “Ain’t nothing. Anyone would have done it.”

  “But they didn’t. You did.”

  “Speaking of the truck, I’d like to have a few words with you about what you remember seeing.” Brody set his coffee on the table.

  A confused expression crinkled Rob’s forehead. “What do you mean? It was white. I don’t remember much of anything else. Are you thinking of calling the police?”

  “I am the police.”

  Rob’s eyes grew round.

  “Not the local police. I’m a Texas Ranger. And yes, I’m reporting the incident. The person behind the wheel was speeding, not to mention driving recklessly.”

  “I certainly agree with you. Thanks, ma’am, for this little taste of heaven. Reminds me of my mom’s pie.” Rob rose. “I best be going. I’m late to meet up with my friends.” He gave each of the girls a big smile, then turned away.

  As Rob ambled toward the exit, Brody looked at Rebecca. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said, then scraped back his chair and went after the young man.

  “Aunt Becky, he’s so cute. I wish he’d saved me.” Elbow on the table, Kim put her chin in her palm and stared at Rob’s disappearing figure. “And he smiled at me. Just for me.”

  “No, he didn’t. He smiled at me.” Aubrey knocked Kim’s arm, and she nearly fell forward.

  Kim glared at her little sister. “What’s gotten into you, brat?”

  “I’m not a brat.”

  “Girls, I know you two are worried about your dad, but you need to get along. Remember, I’m here for you. We need to stick together, not fight.”

  Kim’s dreamy expression evolved into a frown and unshed tears glistened in her eyes. “I know, but what if Dad—”

  “Worrying about what might be isn’t good. Chances are it won’t happen, and then you’ve done all that worrying and getting upset for nothing. When your dad wakes up, it’ll be our job to cheer him up. A deal?”

  “I can do that.” Aubrey raised her hand for a high five.

  Rebecca gave each girl one. “I know you two can. And we’ll have to help Tory, too. She’s upset right now.”

 
“Yeah, she hardly said anything to us this morning. Aubrey, let’s make her a card when we get home.”

  “Other than the vehicle being a white pickup, you can’t remember anything?” Brody asked Rob outside the cafe. His gaze skimmed over the spot where Rebecca could have been run down if this young man hadn’t gotten to her in time.

  “No, sir. I can’t. I saw it and reacted. I’ve got good reflexes. Have to on the rodeo circuit.”

  “I’m glad you do. Could you tell if there was one person in the truck or two?”

  Rob shook his head. “The window was tinted dark, and the sun reflected off the chrome—nearly blinded me.”

  Brody handed Rob his card. “If you remember anything at all, please give me a call.”

  “I do think that the way the truck took the corner the driver was probably drunk or on something. Just my opinion. He should have been able to avoid Ms. Morgan.”

  “Sometimes our gut feelings and opinions are right on. I would like a contact number for you, in case I need to ask you any more questions. I doubt I will. I did get a license number except the last digit. It had mud over it. I also have a make and model.”

  “What?”

  “Dodge Ram, probably 2003 or 2004.”

  “Good. I’d just as soon not be out on the road with whoever was driving that truck,” Rob said, then gave Brody his cellphone number.

  Brody shook Rob’s hand. “Thanks for being at the right place at the right time.”

  As Rob crossed the street, Brody took out his phone and called one of the detectives he had worked with in the San Antonio Police Department. “This is Brody Calhoun. There was a truck at the main entrance of Mercy Memorial Hospital that nearly ran down Judge Rebecca Morgan.”

  “I think trouble seeks you out,” Detective Moore said, a dead-serious tone in his voice. “Is she all right?”

  “Yes, scrapes on her knees and shaky but otherwise alive and well. It was a white Dodge Ram, beat-up and obviously driven a lot. Something you would see used on a cattle ranch. I got the license number,” he rattled off the letters and numbers, “except the last one.”