AK-Cowboy

by Joanna Wayne

  “I’m looking for closure.”

  Julie pulled the half photo from the side pocket of her purse and handed it to him. “Do you remember the night this photo was taken?”

  His hands shook. “Where did you get this?”

  “Does it matter? All you need to know is that I have the other half in a safe place. I don’t think you’d like for it to fall into the sheriff’s hands.”

  He walked back to the window. “If it’s money you want, Julie, we can work something out.”

  “I don’t want your money, Guy. I just want the truth. If you give me that, I won’t use the information to incriminate you, nor will I use it in an article. I give you my word on that.”

  “What is it you want to know?”

  “Were you in love with Aunt Muriel?”

  He dropped to his chair, put down the snapshot and buried his head in his hands for almost a minute before he looked her in the eye. “I was. We didn’t mean for it to happen. It just did. There was no way not to love Muriel. She was fun to be with, made me feel like a king in the days when I had nothing. But she was also sweet and warm and giving.”

  “Did Candice know about your affair with Muriel?”

  “No, but it was more than an affair. I was going to ask for a divorce. Muriel died before I could.”

  “And you never told the police about the affair?”

  “If I had, they would have tried to pin the murder on Candice and I knew she didn’t kill Muriel—I was sure she didn’t kill her.”

  Only he couldn’t have been sure. Julie would still think she might be guilty if she didn’t know that Zeke had committed the horrid crime.

  “I think you believe that Candice did kill her and you kept quiet so that you didn’t lose her inheritance. I don’t know how you’ve lived with yourself all these years, Guy. But you only fooled yourself. You were never really in love with Muriel or Candice. You were in love with you. I feel sorry for Candice for having wasted her life on a man who thinks she’s capable of murder.”

  Guy opened his desk drawer. “I knew this was about money. Name your price, Julie. One hundred thousand? Two? I’ll write you the check just to get rid of you.”

  “Go to hell, Guy Cameron.”

  Julie left the office, then took the elevator to the first floor, limping across the street to the coffee shop. Her insides were shaking. She had her closure, but it wasn’t nearly as satisfying as she’d hoped.

  The only good thing that would come of any of this was that Muriel’s killer would finally stand trial.

  CANDICE CAMERON HAD JUST PAID for her caramel latte when she spotted Julie Gillespie through the swinging door of the coffee shop. Irritation swept through her like a tidal wave. There was only one reason for her to be in this neighborhood.

  She was here to see Guy.

  She’d known the woman was trouble from the second Sheriff Grayson had told her that she’d been in his office asking all those questions.

  Caleb Grayson had told her to make friends with Julie and frighten her into backing out of her investigation.

  Well, she’d tried. It obviously hadn’t worked.

  Now it was time to get serious. There was far too much at stake to take chances now.

  She stirred her coffee and plastered a smile on her face.

  “Julie. What in the world are you doing in my part of town?”

  Julie turned toward her and smiled. “I had some appointments nearby, so I decided to grab a coffee before driving home.”

  “It’s such a coincidence to run into you,” Candice crooned. “I was just about to call you.”

  “Really?”

  Julie put in the order for her coffee and then limped her way over to Candice. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  “I was going through some things in one of the storage buildings we’ve had for years. Anyway, you’ll never guess what I found.”

  “I’m sure I can’t.”

  “Some scrapbooks and pictures that belonged to Muriel Frost. I must have rescued them from the vandals and then forgot I had them. Some are of her and her twin sister when they were still in high school. Did you know she had a twin?”

  “I did.”

  “Right. I guess that would have shown up when you were doing all that research. Anyway I took the pictures to the old farmhouse where Muriel was living when she was killed.”

  “Why take them there?”

  “To make it more convenient for you to pick them up. I stuck them inside the drawer of the old rolltop desk. It’s on the second floor. You can’t miss it.”

  “Why would you think I’d go there?”

  “To see the house, of course. I told Sheriff Grayson you could have anything you found there that might help you with your investigation. I figured you needed some human interest items to include in your article. He did give you the message, didn’t he?”

  “No, but I would love to have the pictures.”

  “Feel free to stop by there on your way home.”

  “I may do that.”

  “I notice you’re limping. Are you okay?”

  “It’s just a sprain. I’ll be fine.”

  “Good. But be careful in that old house. I’ve been saying for years that with the rotting walls and decaying floors, it’s just a matter of time until someone gets killed in there.”

  TYLER HOPPED BACK INTO HIS truck to head back to Willow Creek Ranch after closing Sean’s gate behind him. He’d spent the last few hours touring by pickup truck Sean’s new horse farm and listening to some of the fascinating horse whisperer tales. He hadn’t realized until today what an interesting life Sean had led.

  There was a lot about all his brothers he didn’t know.

  That fact was the perfect example of what Julie had been trying to tell him. He had to give family life a chance if he expected to get anything from it.

  He had five days left before his leave ended. It wasn’t much time, but it was a place to start.

  Julie was a very smart woman.

  He’d goofed things up with her and now all she wanted to do was get away from the ranch and from him. He didn’t really blame her. Trust was hard to come by when you had the kind of pasts they’d had.

  She hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him the truth. He hadn’t trusted their feelings for each other to get them past the lies.

  But when they’d made love, it had been paradise.

  His cell phone rang. He grabbed it, hoping it was Julie though he wasn’t really expecting her to call.

  “Hello.”

  “Is this Tyler?”

  “Yes, it is. And this sounds like big brother Wyatt.”

  “In the flesh. I know you said the murder mystery is solved, but I just got a copy of that ME report on Muriel Frost and I think you’ll find it interesting.”

  “How’s that?”

  “She was four months’ pregnant.”

  “I don’t remember any reference to that in the police file.”

  “I knew you didn’t say anything about it. Any idea who the father was?”

  “Now that you mention it, I’d say it was Guy Cameron.” The guy had been in love with Muriel Frost. What else could explain that reaction he had to Julie last night?

  “I gotta run,” Wyatt said. “I’m in the middle of a big case, but I thought I’d pass that on for what it’s worth.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  “Any time. And next time you’re going to be in the States, how about giving me a little advance warning? I’d like to make one of those family cookouts with the rest of you.”

  “I will definitely let you know.”

  Tyler tried to call Julie and tell her what about the pregnancy. There was no answer. He checked his messages just in case he’d missed one.

  No voice messages but someone had sent a text. He pulled it up.

  On my way to farmhouse crime scene. Be home after. Julie.

  Anxiety started rolling in his gut. Why would she be going there?

&n
bsp; There was one sure way to find out. He made a U-turn. If nothing else, someone should be there to stamp the roaches for her.

  COMING TO THE FARMHOUSE ALONE no longer seemed a good idea. With Tyler, the house had seemed run-down and sad. Without him, it seemed desolate and creepy.

  Normally Julie could have run up the stairs, grabbed the pictures and been back in the car in less than five minutes. But her ankle was starting to throb. She’d have to take it slow.

  It surprised her that Candice had bothered with the pictures at all, but for some reason the woman really was trying to be helpful. She’d driven all the way to Willow Creek Ranch to warn Julie about Troy’s friend Able Drake.

  Able wasn’t an issue now that they knew Zeke Hartwell was the killer, but Candice hadn’t known that then. As it turned out, Candice should have been the prime suspect, though no one knew that except her husband. He actually believed Candice had killed Muriel and yet he’d stayed with her.

  What a strange marriage theirs must be.

  Julie looked for any signs of life inside the house. She didn’t want to encounter an addict getting high or coming down from one. The roaches, rats and scorpions would be company enough.

  All was quiet and there was not another person in sight.

  She got out of the car and made her way to the house. The door squeaked open. A breeze fluttered the old newspapers. Two huge rats sat on top of a window sill, so busily nibbling on an unidentifiable scrap they didn’t bother to run away.

  Julie started up the steps. Three steps from the top, she heard a clattering noise as if someone had fallen or bumped into a piece of furniture. Her heart jumped to her throat.

  “Is anybody here?”

  No one answered. She was letting her imagination get the best of her. First ghosts. Now noises.

  The old floor creaked beneath her as she walked toward the desk. There was no sign of the pictures. But Julie was certain Candice had said she’d left them on the rolltop desk. If they weren’t there, she’d give up and come back later. Her ankle felt like it was being pierced by a hundred tiny pins. Climbing stairs had aggravated it more than she’d expected.

  Julie pulled a knob on one of the drawers. The whole thing came off in her hand. Okay, this was starting to get ridiculous. Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t imagine Candice with her jewels and makeup even walking into this place.

  This was some kind of sick trick they’d played on her. Sheriff Grayson might even be in on it. Him or Guy.

  Joke over. She was out of here.

  She swatted at a roach that started up her leg.

  “Did you really think I’d give you pictures of your mother or Muriel?”

  “Candice.” Julie spun around and stared into the barrel of a shotgun.

  “I liked you, Julie,” Candice said. “I really did. I told Sheriff Grayson that when he said you were going to cause trouble for all of us. I liked you, but you just wouldn’t leave well enough alone.”

  Zeke Hartwell was the murderer. Not Candice. None of this made sense. Nothing but the shotgun pointed at her head.

  “I’ve quit the investigation, Candice. It’s over. Zeke Hartwell is the murderer.”

  “Don’t try to trick me, Julie. I know who killed Muriel. I’ve always known. So has Sheriff Grayson.”

  “That’s not true. If the sheriff knew Zeke had killed Muriel, he would have arrested him.”

  “It wasn’t Zeke. Stop saying that. And start walking, Julie. We have one more set of steps to climb.”

  “I can’t climb anymore. I sprained my ankle, remember? It hurts too bad for me to climb.”

  “Climb the steps or I shoot you here.”

  Julie looked into Candice’s cold black eyes and saw the evil Helene’s ghost had warned her about. She had no doubt that Candice would kill her just as she said.

  She didn’t want to die. Not now. She wanted life. She wanted to feel joy and even pain. And she wanted to make love with Tyler.

  Love was the sign.

  She loved Tyler and she was sure they could make that love work. But first she had to get out of this house alive.

  “Start walking or die.”

  Julie began to walk, the dread so overpowering she didn’t feel her ankle at all.

  “Who killed Muriel?” Julie asked, desperately trying to figure out what was going on in Candice’s mind.

  “Guy killed her, but it was her fault. She was having his baby and she wanted him to leave me.”

  “But why kill her?”

  “It was the only way she’d ever let him go.”

  “Did he tell you that?”

  “He didn’t have to. I saw how upset he became when she died and I knew he hadn’t wanted to do it. But he had to do it. It was the only way to get her and that baby out of our lives.”

  Julie kept climbing as the pieces began to fall into place. This was too bizarre, too unbelievably bizarre. Candice was convinced that Guy had killed Muriel. And Julie was almost positive that Guy thought Candice had committed the crime. They’d both lived under that assumption for years.

  Living in the same house. Sleeping in the same bed. Sharing a marriage with someone you thought was a murderer.

  The stress of it must have finally driven Candice completely mad.

  Julie reached the top step. “Now what?”

  “Now with a little help, you’re going to fall out that rotting window. Like I said. The house is in terrible shape. Someone was bound to die here eventually.”

  SHERIFF GRAYSON WAS READY TO call it a day. It had been a long week what with having to deal with Julie Gillespie, but that was over and done and only a minimum amount of damage control had been necessary.

  Zeke Hartman had been arrested for the murder of Muriel Frost, simply because he was too stupid to follow Grayson’s advice. All he had to do was stick the envelope on Julie’s windshield and then get out of Texas until things blew over. He couldn’t even pull that off.

  He’d have been arrested years ago if Grayson hadn’t covered for him. Not that it hadn’t been to Grayson’s advantage. Zeke was mean as a snake and dumb as a toad. It had paid to have a man like that indebted to him.

  Grayson’s gravy train had officially run dry, but he’d never expected it to run this long. Neither Guy nor Candice could file charges against him without incriminating themselves. Guy had paid Grayson to keep his wife from going to jail for murdering Muriel. Candice had paid him for not jailing Guy for murder. It had been extremely profitable while it lasted, but now the game would simply come to an end.

  Caleb Grayson, the winner by approximately $850,000. A rather neat little nest egg.

  His cell phone rang. The ID said Guy Cameron. Grayson took the call. Might as well get this over with.

  “I just got a call from Candice. She’s at the farmhouse.”

  “The crime scene?”

  “Yes, and you need to get over there fast.”

  “Why?

  “She has Julie Gillespie. She says I’m going to be home free, whatever the hell that means. That’s why I’ve got to get out there. Meet me at the farmhouse, Grayson. I’m on my way there now.”

  “Right. I’ll meet you there.”

  A second later, Grayson was on the run. First stop the bank. Next stop, a quiet little island where he and his nest egg would never be found.

  Two men in jeans and sport coats were waiting for him when he stepped out of the office.

  “Hayden Gibbs, Texas Ranger.”

  “I can’t stop to talk right now. I’m on an emergency call.”

  “Not anymore.” The man who’d done all the talking produced a pair of handcuffs. “Zeke Hartwell has been spilling his guts all night. You’re under arrest for obstruction of justice in the murder of Muriel Frost. And from what I hear, that’s just for starters.”

  THERE WERE TWO CARS PARKED in front of the farmhouse when Tyler arrived. One was Julie’s. The other was the yellow Jaguar that Candice had driven to the ranch. No reason to panic, he told hims
elf, but adrenaline rushed his bloodstream as he raced to the house.

  The house was deathly quiet. If anyone was here, they must be in the attic. He raced up the steps. When he neared the top, he heard the sounds of splintering wood.

  “One more board, Julie, and then you’ll just tumble to your death.”

  Tyler crept to the opening that led to the half-rotted circle, all that was left of the crumbling attic. And then he saw Julie’s reflection in the old floor mirror and panic gripped him with paralyzing force.

  Candice held a shotgun just inches from Julie’s head while Julie tore at the rotten wood window facing with her bare hands. The facing was so loose now that any pressure would send it careening out the opening to the ground three floors below.

  One wrong move on his part and Candice might pull the trigger. If he waited, one shove from Candice could send Julie hurling to her death.

  For one split second, he was back on the ranch and his mother was lying on the floor in a pool of her blood. He’d been helpless then. He wasn’t now. He was a trained soldier. More than that, he was a man protecting the woman he loved.

  Tyler watched a large scorpion crawl across the baseboard, inching along, taking forever. But one more foot and it would be close enough he could reach it without Candice seeing him.

  Candice took a step toward Julie. “You can stop now. The window is ready to fall.”

  Tyler grabbed the giant scorpion by the tail at the exact same instant that Julie jumped away from the window. The scorpion caught in Candice’s bangs and dangled over her eyes. She screamed and waved her arms in frantic, erratic movements.

  Her feet got tangled in the scraps of wood, and she fell toward the window. Tyler made a diving tackle and caught her a heartbeat before she fell.

  “Nice tackle.”

  Tyler reached for Julie and pulled her into his arms just as two men in jeans and sport coats stepped into the attic with them.

  “Hayden Gibbs, Texas Ranger.”

  “Tyler Ledger, cowboy/soldier, and I never thought I’d be so happy to see a ranger. How did you know to come?”

  “A nice tip from Guy Cameron.”

  “Guy told you to save me?”