Branded by the Sheriff

by Delores Fossen

  “You don’t have to see him,” Beck said, heading toward the other vehicle, a police cruiser, that one of his deputies had driven over earlier. He had the manila envelope with Sherry’s blackmail letters tucked beneath his arm, and he laid it on the console next to him. “You can wait in my office while I interrogate Nolan.”

  “Right,” she mumbled. Faith got into the passenger’s seat and strapped on the belt. “I’m doing this.”

  “You’re sure?” Beck started the cruiser, drove out and closed the garage door behind him. “I told Corey to put Nolan in a holding cell and test him for gunshot residue. That was three hours ago. Nolan will be good and steamed by now that we didn’t jump at his invitation to meet with him immediately.”

  Yes, but there was an upside to that. “With his short temper, maybe he’ll be angry enough to tell us what we want to know.”

  And maybe that info would lead to an arrest. Preferably Nolan’s. Faith wanted there to be enough physical evidence to prove Nolan had murdered her mother and sister. Then she could bring her little girl home and get on with her life.

  Part of that included coming clean with Beck.

  She needed to do that as soon as this meeting with Nolan was over and they had some downtime. She’d told Beck lies, both directly and by omission. He wouldn’t appreciate that—it would put a wedge between them, just when they were starting to make some headway.

  Faith touched her fingertips to her lips and remembered the earlier kiss. That kiss wasn’t ordinary, but the truth was, it couldn’t mean anything. It couldn’t lead to something more serious. Still, she fantasized about the possibilities. What if all their problems were to magically disappear? And what if Beck could forgive her for lying to him?

  Would they have a chance?

  She silently cursed. She had enough on her plate without complicating things with a relationship.

  “Having second thoughts?” Beck asked.

  Faith looked at him. He glanced at her with those sizzling blue eyes and gave her a quick smile. He was very good with those smiles. They were part reassurance, all sex.

  Wishing the attraction would go away wasn’t working, and that meant she was fast on her way to a broken heart. She hadn’t returned to town for that, but it seemed as inevitable as the white-hot attraction between them.

  Beck pulled into a parking space directly in front of the back entrance to the sheriff’s office. But he didn’t reach for the door. He glanced around the parking lot before his eyes came back to her.

  “I need to talk to you when we’re done here,” she said.

  He stared at her, and for a moment she thought he was going to insist that conversation happen now. But he didn’t. He glanced around the parking lot again and nodded. “Let’s go inside. We’ll talk later.”

  Beck ushered her into the break room and through the hall that led to the offices and the front reception.

  Deputy Winston met them. “Glad you’re here. Our guest is complaining.”

  “I’ll bet he is,” Beck commented. “What about the GSR test?”

  “It was negative.” Corey looked at her. “Probably means he wasn’t the one who shot at you.”

  “Or it could mean he washed his hands in the past twelve hours,” Beck disagreed.

  Corey shrugged and hitched his thumb to the right. “I was watching the security camera and saw you drive up. I just took Nolan to the interview room. He’s waiting for you.”

  Beck handed Corey the manila envelope. “I need you to process this as possible evidence in the Matthews murders. There are three letters inside. Use latex gloves when you handle them, then copy them and send the originals to the crime lab. I want the DNA analyzed and all the pages and envelopes processed for prints and trace.”

  Corey studied the envelope. “Where’d you get this?”

  A muscle flickered in Beck’s jaw. “My father and my brother. Once the letters are processed, I’ll have them make official statements.”

  So there might be charges against his family members after all. Faith hated that Beck had to go through this and hated even more that she had to meet with Nolan. He wouldn’t willingly give up anything that would incriminate himself. Still, a long shot was unfortunately their best shot.

  Faith was familiar enough with the maze of rooms and offices that constituted the LaMesa Police Department. When she was sixteen, she’d had to come and pick up her mother after she’d been arrested for public intoxication. The holding cell had been in the center of the building, but this was Faith’s first trip to the west corridor. The walls were stone-gray and bare, unlike Beck’s office, which was dotted with colorful Texas landscapes, photos and books.

  There were no books or photos in the interview room, either. Just more bare, gray walls and a heavy, metal table where Nolan was seated. Waiting for them.

  Nolan stood when they entered, and Faith caught just a glimpse of his perturbed expression before it morphed into a cocky smile. The man hadn’t changed a bit. His overly highlighted hair was too long, falling unevenly on his shoulders, and his stubble had gone several days past being fashionable. Ditto for his jeans, which were ripped at the knees and flecked with stains.

  “You’re looking good there, sweet cakes,” he greeted her. Nolan’s oily gaze slid over her, making her feel the urgent need to take a bath.

  Faith didn’t return his smile. “You’re looking like the scum you are.”

  “Oh, come on.” He pursed his mouth, bunched up his forehead and made a show of looking offended. “Is that any way to talk to your own brother-in-law?”

  “My sister’s abusive ex-live-in,” she corrected. “You left a death threat for me in the attic of my house.”

  “It wasn’t me. It was your brother.” Nolan put his index finger near his right temple and made a circling motion. “Darin’s loco.”

  Beck walked closer and stood slightly in front of her. Protecting her, again. Nolan didn’t miss the little maneuver either. His cat green eyes lit up as if he’d witnessed something he might like to gossip about later.

  “Have you two buried the hatchet?” Nolan asked.

  “I rechecked your alibis for the nights of the murders,” Beck said, ignoring Nolan’s too-personal question. “They’re weak.”

  Nolan shrugged and idly scraped his thumbnail over a loose patch of paint on the table. “I was at the Moonlight Bar in downtown Austin both times, nearly twenty miles from where Sherry lived. People saw me there.”

  “Yes, but those same people can’t say exactly when you left. You had time to leave the Moonlight and get to both locations to commit both murders.” Beck met him eye-to-eye. “So did you kill Sherry and Annie Matthews?”

  “No.” Nolan smiled again and sank back down onto the chair. “And you must believe that or I would have been arrested, not just detained.”

  “The day’s not over,” Beck grumbled. He pulled out a chair for Faith and one for himself. Both of them sat across from Nolan. “Where were you last night?”

  “Any particular time that interests you?” Nolan countered.

  “All night.”

  “Hmm. Well, I got up around noon, ate and watched some TV. Around six, I dropped by the Moonlight and hung out with some friends. I left around midnight.”

  Beck shook his head. “Can anyone confirm that?”

  “Probably not.” Nolan winked at her. “You really think I’d want to put a bullet in you? I’ve always liked you, Faith.” Again, he combed that gaze over her.

  The glare that Beck aimed at the man could have been classified as lethal. “I want your clothes bagged. My deputy will give you something else to wear.”

  Nolan lifted his left eyebrow. “And if I say no?”

  “I’ll make a phone call to Judge Reynolds and have a warrant here in ten minutes. Then I’ll have you stripped and searched—thoroughly. Ever had a body cavity search, Nolan?”

  For the first time since they’d walked into the room, Nolan actually looked uncomfortable.

&nb
sp; “I also want a DNA sample,” Beck added.

  Faith felt her stomach tighten.

  “Why?” Nolan challenged. “I heard there was no unidentified DNA at the crime scenes.”

  There wasn’t, but there might be DNA in her attic. However, it wasn’t the prospect of that match that was making her squirm.

  “I want to make some DNA comparisons.” Beck made it seem routine. “If you’re innocent, you have nothing to worry about.”

  Nolan shifted in the chair. “Are you taking Darin’s DNA and his clothes to test them for comparisons?”

  “I would if I could find him.”

  “Maybe I can help you with that.” Nolan let that hang in the air for several snail-crawling seconds. “He calls me a lot. And, no, you can’t trace the number. He bought one of those cheapskate disposable phones. But when he calls again, I think I can talk him into meeting with you.” Nolan was looking at her, not Beck, when he said that.

  “If you believed you could arrange a meeting, then why haven’t you already done it?” Faith asked.

  “No good reason to.”

  “He’s a murder suspect,” Beck pointed out. “The police and the Rangers have been looking for Darin for two months.”

  “No skin off my nose.” Nolan turned to her again. “But I’ll do it. I’ll set up a meeting, as a favor to you.”

  He probably thought this would make her more amicable about splitting the inheritance with him. And maybe she would be. If her brother was guilty. And if it got Darin off the street. But Faith wasn’t at all convinced that Darin had committed these crimes.

  “Set up the meeting if you can,” Faith finally said. She stood. “Once I’ve talked with Darin, then and only then will I discuss anything else with you.”

  “Deal,” Nolan readily agreed. “But one way or another, I’m getting that money. I don’t care who I have to turn over to our cowboy cop friend here.” Nolan flashed another smile before turning to Beck. “So am I free to go, after you get my clothes and my DNA?”

  “Not just yet. Why don’t you hang around for a while.” It wasn’t exactly a request.

  Nolan’s smile went south. “You can’t hold me, Beckett Tanner. I got myself a lawyer, and she said there’s not enough evidence for an arrest.”

  “Then I’ll hold you here until your lawyer shows up,” Beck informed him.

  Faith didn’t say anything until they were outside the room. “A good lawyer will have him out in just a few hours,” she whispered.

  “Well, that’s a few hours that he won’t be free to roam around and terrorize you.” Beck walked to the reception, where Corey was waiting. “I want his clothes and his DNA, and I want it all sent to the crime lab ASAP.”

  “Will do. Are we locking him up?”

  Beck nodded. “Until his lawyer shows. Maybe by then one of his alibis will fall through. The Rangers have put out feelers to see if anyone noticed Nolan leaving the bar in time to commit the murders. Or the shooting last night.”

  Corey grabbed an evidence kit from the supply cabinet behind him, and he strolled in the direction of the interview room.

  Beck turned to Faith. “You really think Nolan can set up a meeting with your brother, or was that all hot air?”

  “Maybe. Darin and Nolan aren’t friends, but they did get along. Well, better than Nolan got along with the rest of us.”

  “Then maybe the meeting will pan out.” Beck paused. “You flinched when I told Nolan I wanted a DNA sample.”

  “Did I?” Though she knew she had.

  “You did.” He blew out a deep breath and put his hands on his hips. “Nolan flirted with you in there. I thought there’d be more animosity. I thought I’d see more hatred in his eyes. But there wasn’t any.”

  It took a moment for all that to sink in, and Faith was certain she flinched again. “What are you saying?”

  But he didn’t have time to answer. The front door flew open, and Nicole walked in. Faith automatically looked for a gun, but the woman appeared to be unarmed. Still, that didn’t make this a welcome visit. She’d had more than enough of Beck’s family today. Because of his father and brother’s impromptu visit, Aubrey had had to go to a safe house.

  “Her brother stole from me,” Nicole announced.

  That got Faith’s attention, and she changed her mind about this visit. It might turn out to be a good thing. “You’ve seen Darin?”

  But Nicole didn’t answer her. Instead, she turned her attention to Beck. “That killer was at the ranch.” She shuddered. “He was there and could have murdered us all.”

  “Let’s go into my office,” Beck suggested.

  Faith silently agreed. Though they were the only ones in the reception area, it still wasn’t the place to have a private discussion.

  “I don’t want to go into your office,” Nicole insisted, and she wouldn’t budge. “I want you to make her tell us where her creepy brother is so you can arrest him before he murders me like he did his mother and sister.”

  Beck held up his hands. “Faith doesn’t know where Darin is. No one does. Now, what happened to make you think Darin wants to kill you, and what exactly did he steal?”

  “He took a tranquilizer gun from the medical storage room in the birthing barn.”

  Faith pulled in her breath. A tranquilizer gun had been used to incapacitate both her mother and sister before they’d been strangled.

  “I have proof,” Nicole continued. She pulled a disk from her purse and slapped it onto the reception counter. “He’s there, right on the security surveillance. He took it two and a half months ago, just days before the murders. He knew where it was because we’ve kept it in the same place for years, and as you well know, he used to work at the ranch part-time before all that mess at the motel.”

  Oh, mercy.

  If this was true, it didn’t sound good. Right up until the time of the murders, her brother had worked on and off as a delivery man for Doc Alderman, the town’s only vet. The police had investigated the vet’s supplies, but he could account for both of the tranquilizer guns in his inventory. Neither of those guns had prints or DNA from her brother. It was the bit of hope that Faith had clung to that Nolan had perhaps used a tranquilizer gun to set up Darin.

  “And you just now noticed this tranquilizer gun was missing?” Faith asked.

  Nicole still didn’t look at her. She aimed her answer at Beck. “We haven’t had to use it in ages. One of the ranch hands went in there to get it this morning to sedate one of the mares, and that’s when we realized it was missing. Darin Matthews took it.”

  “That’s on this disk?” Beck picked it up by the edges.

  “It’s there. It took me a while to find it. The security system in the storage room is motion-activated, and since the ranch hands hardly go in there, the disk wasn’t full. I played it, and I saw Darin.”

  “You’re sure it was him?” Beck asked before Faith could.

  “Positive. You can see his face as clear as day.”

  “And you can see him take the tranquilizer gun?” Beck pressed.

  Nicole dodged his gaze. “Not exactly. He moved in front of the camera, but what else would he have been doing in there?”

  “Maybe delivering something for Dr. Alderman?” Faith immediately suggested. “Did you check with the vet to find out if he’d sent Darin out there to the ranch?”

  “He had,” Nicole said through clenched teeth. “Even though I’d told Alderman that I didn’t want Darin anywhere near us.”

  “So maybe Darin was just delivering supplies,” Beck concluded.

  “Then what happened to the tranquilizer gun?”

  “It could have been misplaced. Or someone else could have stolen it.”

  Anger danced through Nicole’s cool blue eyes. “You’re standing up for her again.”

  “I’m standing up for the truth,” Beck corrected.

  Her perfectly manicured index finger landed against his chest. “You’re standing up for the Matthews family. I don’t under
stand why. You know what they’ve done to us. The cheating, the lies.”

  “Pete cheated that night, too,” Beck countered.

  The color drained from Nicole’s face, and she dropped back a step. “I expected this from the likes of her. But not from you.” And with that, Nicole turned on her heels and hurried out the door.

  Faith stood there silently a moment and tried to hold on to her composure. “Thank you,” she said to Beck.

  He turned and faced her. But he seemed unmoved by her gratitude. “I’ll look at this disk,” he said, his words short and tight. “And if there’s any hint that Darin or anyone else stole that gun, I’ll send it to the crime lab.”

  She nodded. “I expected that. I never expected you to give my brother a free ride. If Darin’s guilty, I’ll do whatever’s necessary to catch him, and I’ll support your decision to arrest him.”

  He searched her eyes, as if trying to decide if she was telling him the truth. Then he motioned for her to follow him to his office.

  Faith did, and her heartbeat sped up with each step. The moment he made it into his office, Beck turned around to face her again.

  “After watching the way Nolan reacted to you, I need to know.” But he didn’t ask it right away. He waited a moment, with the tension thick between them. “Is Nolan Aubrey’s father?”

  There it was. The question she’d been dreading.

  Well, one of them anyway.

  “Is he Aubrey’s father?” Beck demanded when she didn’t answer.

  Faith shook her head, stepped farther inside and shut the door. “Maybe.”

  “Maybe? Maybe!” That was all he said for several seconds. Seconds that he spent drilling her with those intense and suddenly angry eyes. “You don’t know who fathered your own child?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Faith took a deep breath and braced herself for the inevitable fallout that would follow. “Because I’m not Aubrey’s biological mother.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Beck dropped into the chair behind his desk, squeezed his eyes shut and groaned.

  “I know, I should have told you sooner,” Faith said. “But I had my reasons for keeping it a secret.”