Texas Reckless

by Gerry Bartlett

  “Listen to him, Sierra.” Rhett stayed right beside her, trying to touch her, soothe her.

  Sierra wasn’t having it. She dropped down on the couch. Dylan had ambushed her with his proposal and Rhett was talking about investing in property right next to her. For his parents! What did that mean? She couldn’t think about that now. It was only a few hours until they were supposed to meet with Joey Schlitzberger, and she was a bundle of nerves.

  If Rhett thought she’d forgotten that confrontation with Sally Ann last night, he’d be wrong. It was still haunting her. Who said the truth will set you free? It was rolling round and round in her head until she wanted to scream. Unfair! Selfish bitch Sally Ann had done the unforgivable. Could she really let it go like she’d claimed?

  “Sierra, what’s wrong?” Dylan sat next to her and handed her a paper. “You were miles away just now.”

  “I have a lot on my mind, that’s all. Let me look at this.” She forced herself to focus. “Who has the most to lose if the deal with Oxcart goes south?”

  “That’s easy. The Wranglers put in a cool million. That was the biggest local investment. The minimum Oxcart would take was five thousand. The way the contract was written, the poor saps would wait a hell of a long time for what would amount to peanuts. The company could deduct all kinds of expenses before they would show a profit—net, not gross.”

  “You’re kidding!” Rhett glanced at Sierra. “We talked to some of the investors. They were counting on a big return.”

  “I’d never screw over people like Oxcart planned to do.” Dylan shuffled papers. “Involving local investors was a ploy to get the townsfolk behind the project. Only the big investors would see a dime on the back end.” Dylan nodded toward Rhett. “The real winners are the local business owners. I’d say they had the most to lose if the deal collapsed. Them and Oxcart itself.”

  “Who were the Wranglers? Did you figure that out?” Sierra looked down the list. “Oh, here it is—Joey Schlitzberger, I’d thought so. And Fred Meadows.”

  “Meadows. Why is that name familiar, Sierra?” Rhett sat on her other side, reading over her shoulder.

  “He’s my insurance agent. No wonder he kept me stirred up, threatening not to pay if I was involved in the arson. Then he kept putting off paying my claim. He told me to increase my deductible a while back too. Now I’m hurting to come up with that.”

  “Son of a bitch. The Wranglers.” Dylan jumped up. “No wonder you’ve felt pressured. If we could just tie one of those two to the payment to Lockhart…” He pulled out another paper. “I’m sorry, Sierra, but I did get proof that your guy Darrel Lockhart received a money transfer right before your barn went up in flames. He was definitely involved.”

  Rhett touched her hand. “Can you tie one of the Wranglers to that payoff?”

  “Still working on it. The wire transfer came from an account in a name we didn’t see on that investor list, but my guy is running it down.” Dylan sat again. “You know a Fred Hawkins?”

  Rhett slapped his hand over his phone when it vibrated on the coffee table. “I’d better take this.” He left them and headed into the kitchen.

  “What?” Sierra tried to steady the paper shaking in her hand. Darrel had taken money to burn down her barn. She’d been afraid it was true but now they had proof. Obviously his loyalty had a price. That shouldn’t hurt so much, but it did.

  “Fred Hawkins.” Dylan watched her. “He made the transfer from a local account. He deposited a money order for a large amount then sent ten thousand dollars the next day to Darrel’s Oklahoma account right before the barn fire. Same thing happened again the day after Darrel broke his leg. The time line is right.” He picked up his phone. “I’m calling him now to see if he’s found out anything else. Like where Hawkins got his money.”

  Rhett stood in the doorway from the kitchen.. “Hawkins. I know that name. Rancher. We didn’t like the look or smell of his barn and moved Charley out of there.”

  “Yes, that was Fred Hawkins.” Sierra was thinking hard. She was surprised when Rhett walked over to sit beside her. He put his arm around her. “Hey, everything okay?”

  “No.” He pulled her closer. “I’ve got some bad news.” He locked eyes with Dylan. “Tell your guy you’ll call him back.”

  “Sure thing.” Dylan murmured into his phone and set it on the coffee table. “What the hell, Rhett?”

  “Sierra, Darrel’s dead.” Rhett kept his eyes on hers.

  She tried to take it in. This wasn’t exactly a surprise. Darrel had looked bad when they’d seen him. All those injuries. Her eyes filled with tears and she pressed her face into Rhett’s shoulder. She should hate Darrel. He’d thrown his loyalty out the window for money. But she couldn’t forget all the times he’d helped her with horses in such horrific shape that she’d prayed they’d make it through the night. Darrel had loved horses. Many times, he’d cleaned up after sick ones, a dirty job that had turned her stomach. He’d done the jobs cheerfully too, calling her Miss Sierra with a respect that had made her feel competent and, yes, in charge.

  A sob caught her off guard. Another hand landed on her back. Dylan was there with her, adding his own sympathy. She was so lucky. Darrel hadn’t had anyone. No family. His friends had been the kind who kept score. Like Sally Ann. Obviously he’d had a rough life, so rough he’d done the unthinkable, just to make a few bucks. Of course, thousands of dollars wasn’t a few bucks to a man like Darrel Lockhart. She sniffed and sat back.

  “You okay now?” Her brother was ready to move on.

  Sierra saw Rhett give him a hard look.

  “I’m getting there. I had to remind myself that Darrel took money to make my life miserable.”

  “Damn straight.” Dylan reached over and picked up his cell phone. “Now tell me what you know about Hawkins.”

  “There’s a connection between Fred Hawkins and Fred Meadows.” She sighed. Rhett brought her a glass of water and a box of tissues. “Thanks.”

  “That’s great, Sierra. Tell us when you’re ready.” Rhett still wasn’t happy with Dylan’s eagerness to move on. That was obvious.

  “I’m ready.” Though she blew her nose first. “Fred Hawkins is Meadows’s brother-in-law. Well, used to be. Fred the insurance guy is a widower. His wife died a few years ago of cancer. He hasn’t remarried, though the single ladies have been after him.”

  “Get to the point, Sierra.” Dylan hit his speed dial. “Hey, we’ve got a connection. Meadows and Hawkins are related. Check to see if there are any money ties between those two accounts.” He nodded at Sierra. “Anything else?”

  “Meadows doesn’t have much to do with Hawkins but Hawkins has obviously fallen on hard times. We saw that when we were at his ranch a few days ago. He offered to take one of my horses after the fire. But the place was run-down. I wouldn’t let my horse board there. When we moved Charley, Fred was disappointed. I had offered to pay for feed.”

  “She’s right. It was clear that Hawkins needed money. What didn’t track with me was that he had more horses than space. What do you think, Sierra? Maybe he thought he could rent riding horses for the new development when it opened.” Rhett kept her close, still looking concerned.

  “I noticed that too. Fred—Hawkins, not Meadows—does love horses. He might dream of running a stable. If Meadows offered him some easy money, he wouldn’t ask too many questions, he’d just do it.” Sierra rubbed her forehead. “I wonder who tried to run us off the road, though. Now we have three candidates.”

  “Yes, Schlitzberger, Meadows and their hired guy Hawkins.” Rhett pulled out his cell phone. “Maybe we should let the sheriff in on this.”

  “I’d like to talk to Schlitzberger first. We have that meeting you set up at two, right?” Dylan answered when his cell phone chirped. “Yeah?” He listened then smiled, but it wasn’t pleasant. “Okay, that tracks with what we’re thinking. Thanks, keep
digging.” He ended his call.

  “Okay, you have that look that says you’re about to close a case in your favor.” Sierra rubbed her leg. Damn it, why did it hurt today? She’d done nothing but rest and sit on a comfortable couch.

  “Seems that a chatty clerk at the bank told my guy about a deal Hawkins and Meadows have cooking.” Dylan tapped his phone. “I didn’t tell you, but Leroy has been in Muellerville since this started, his ear to the ground.”

  “No kidding!” Rhett actually smiled at Dylan. “Great idea.”

  “What kind of deal?” Sierra patted Rhett’s knee. “My brother isn’t one of the best lawyers in Houston for nothing.”

  “The best.” Dylan grinned. “Anyway, she told Leroy about the new riding stables Hawkins is going to build, with brother-in-law Meadows backing him. They’ve been keeping it on the down low because they didn’t want anyone else stealing their brilliant idea.”

  “I’m sure Hawkins would do a lot to make sure that deal didn’t go south.” Rhett held up his phone. “The sheriff needs to hear about this.”

  “Okay. Maybe we can go in to this meeting with Schlitzberger with one of us wearing a wire. I want a plan in place.” Dylan was serious. “I have a question for you, Hall. Did the sheriff say if Darrel died from his previous injuries? Or was it murder?”

  “What?” Sierra stared at her brother. “Murder?” She couldn’t believe he’d thrown that word out so casually. “Darrel had a serious accident, Dylan.” She blinked back tears. “No one really expected him to survive that.”

  “She’s right. But they’re doing an autopsy anyway.” Rhett squeezed her hand then took the paper. “Obviously the Wranglers are our number one suspects to hire Darrel. We met Joey Schlitzberger and I didn’t like his looks.”

  “Forget his looks. With a cool million on the line, that’s motivation to put the screws to Sierra.” Dylan frowned.

  Sierra nodded. “I had no idea either of these men had that much money squirreled away.”

  “They didn’t and they don’t. Both of them took out loans to supplement their savings.” Dylan leaned forward. “More motivation to do whatever it takes to get this project off the ground. We need proof, though, to nail them to the wall.”

  Sierra looked at Rhett. “Someone threatened Darrel. That’s why he ran out of the hospital. If we could find out who did it, that would tie this all together with a bow.”

  “What’s this?” Dylan focused on her. “Last I heard Darrel had a broken leg. That shouldn’t have killed him.”

  “He got a phone call, then panicked and left the hospital, tried to drive when he was high on painkillers and totaled his truck. He was in intensive care in a coma when he died.” Rhett kept his arm around Sierra.

  “Damn. If one of the Wranglers paid him off then figured he was a liability, they might have told him to get out of town. Anybody check his cell phone?” Dylan looked through his contact list. “I’ve got a guy who can do all kinds of shit with a cell phone.”

  “They haven’t found his phone yet. You need his number?” Sierra wondered if it could be that simple. Why hadn’t the sheriff’s office or highway patrol followed that lead? Of course they had many cases and the night Darrel had crashed had been an especially busy one.

  Dylan was on his phone. “This is a long shot, but tell me his number.”

  Sierra recited it. She’d been calling that number for three years every time a cow got out or a horse needed help. Why had the man who’d been so eager to help her turned on her?

  “Okay, he’s working on it. If it’s on somewhere, he might be able to find it. Don’t ask me how, that kind of technology is above my pay grade.” Dylan hit another number. “Checking again on that wire transfer.”

  Sierra scanned that investor list again. There were the Tres Amigas. Yes, Ellie, Marty and Sally Ann. They’d managed to pool forty-five thousand dollars. Astonishing. Ray’s bass boat money was another twenty thousand. So many local people were hoping to cash in on the senior living project. Compared to the millions it would take to build the development, it was peanuts, but those peanuts would seem like a banquet to the people who had invested their life savings in a hope for a better future. Could she really hold out for her own selfish reasons? Right now she was having a hard time remembering what those were.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Rhett didn’t like the way Sierra was walking. Her limp was worse than usual.

  “I want to get it over with.” She held on to his arm.

  “Leave everything to me, sis. I can’t wait to nail this bastard to the wall.” Dylan wore his lawyer suit and his lawyer face. He’d insisted on being the one to wear the wire as well.

  “Settle down, people. If I had more evidence on these people, I’d refuse to let you go in there.” The sheriff had listened to Dylan’s information about the wire transfers to Darrel. “I admit you’ve got a good case for the arson payoff. I can take it to the DA. But everything else is just speculation. Lockhart’s condition was bad to begin with. They’re doing an autopsy but proving anyone sped him to his grave, well, that’s another matter.”

  “Myra, my private detective talked to the nurses. They said there was no way Darrel could have pulled that IV out of his own vein. He was comatose. You don’t see anything suspicious about that?” Dylan had already argued his point.

  “Without witnesses, you’ve got nothing. People were going in and out of that ICU all the time in masks and gowns. His condition was critical and declining. We’ll have to wait for the autopsy.” Myra frowned. “Get me a confession and I’ll be happy to slap handcuffs on both men. But Meadows and Schlitzberger as partners in crime? I just can’t see it.”

  “When I called and told Joey I wanted both Wranglers there, because they are the biggest local investors, he seemed pleased. ” Sierra finally spoke. “I think he’s dreaming that I’m coming to make a deal with Oxcart.”

  Rhett gave her an encouraging smile. “We’d better go.” They were in Sierra’s kitchen. Rachel had left them alone, doing laundry in another part of the house. The sheriff would be monitoring the meeting from her car parked down the street from Joey’s office.

  “I still think we’re wasting our time. Neither man is stupid enough to confess to anything.” Sierra got up from the table then staggered. “I don’t know what’s wrong with my leg today.”

  “Do you need to see a doctor?” Her brother frowned. “Maybe you’ve been overdoing it.”

  “I can take it easy when this is settled. I’m selling my cattle, Dylan. Did I tell you that?” She explained her plans to Dylan as they walked out to the cars.

  “Hold up, Sheriff.” Rhett waited until Sierra and Dylan were outside.

  “What is it, Hall?” Myra frowned. “This has been hard on Sierra.”

  “Yes, it has. I have a permit to carry and I plan to take my gun into this meeting. Sierra seems to think these men aren’t dangerous. So far they’ve hired people to do their dirty work, but who knows what they’ll do when confronted with the evidence Dylan has found.” Rhett figured Myra was the kind of lawman who wouldn’t like surprises like his handgun.

  She held out her hand. “I noticed you were packing the minute I walked in. I tried to talk Sierra into letting me bring Joey and Fred in, but she was dead set on having it out with them.”

  “Yes. I don’t blame her, and I will do my best to protect her if there’s a problem.” Rhett pulled his gun from behind his back. Myra went over the weapon.

  “So will I.” She handed it back.

  Rhett slid the gun back to nestle against his spine. “We’ll be three against two, but that’s two snakes against three people who…”

  “I get it. Sierra’s tough, but she’s been through too much lately and it’s showing. Dylan is hell in the courtroom, but I have no idea if he can throw a punch.” Myra looked Rhett over. �
�Be careful. Don’t you pull a gun unless someone draws on you first. I’ll be listening and close by. Snakes. Yes, Schlitzberger always struck me as the cottonmouth variety. Big talker but can strike at any time. Meadows? Well, he’s been hiding in the grass. Fooled me. But not anymore. I’ll come running if I hear it’s going south in there.”

  “Thanks, Sheriff.” Rhett shook her hand. “I want to end this. Sierra deserves peace.”

  “Damn straight.” Myra led the way out of the house.

  The ride over in the Tahoe was silent except for Dylan on his phone. Rhett could almost hear Sierra grinding her teeth. They were parking in front of the brick building that housed Schlitzberger and Son Lawyers when she spoke.

  “I can handle this. Don’t try throwing your weight around, either of you.” She turned around to stare at her brother who’d finally finished his call. “I know you’re the hotshot lawyer, but it’s my land. Let me say my piece before you get into your new plan.”

  “Fine. Do your thing.” Dylan reached up and thumped her on the head. “Bossy bitch.”

  “Asshole.” She smoothed her hair. “If you messed up my hairdo, I’ll sue.”

  “Try it.” He opened the car door.

  “Nice. Sibling rivalry, now?” Rhett got out of the car and walked around to take her hand. She stumbled and leaned against him for a moment. “You’re worrying me. Will you go to see a doctor about your leg?”

  “When this is over.” She took a steadying breath. “At least he’s on the ground floor.”

  “Right. Because if there were stairs, I’d definitely carry you.” Rhett glanced at Dylan, waiting by the front door. “Your brother would hate that.”

  “Then maybe you should do it.” Sierra grinned and limped away. “Kidding!”

  Rhett just shook his head. He loved the way she made light of what had to be worrying her sick. She was going in to confront the men who had paid Darrel to torch her barn. God, he loved her.