A Threat to His Family

by Delores Fossen

  “I made it clear that I want thirty grand to keep your dirty little secret,” the caller said. “Since I don’t have it yet, it’s gonna cost you a whole lot more.” The person rattled off a bank account number. “Fifty grand should do it. If I don’t have the money in forty-eight hours, the amount doubles and then I go to your wife. I’ll go to the press, too. Think of all the damage to your reputation when this comes out. You’ll never be able to get the mud off your name.”

  Emerson clicked off the recording. “Don’t bother tracing the bank,” he said. “It’s an offshore account.”

  That would indeed make it almost impossible to trace. But a conversation with the blackmailer might have given them plenty of clues. Laney so badly wanted to say that Emerson should have gone to Kellan and Owen with this, but she figured the man had already realized that.

  “I won’t send money,” Emerson insisted. “Can’t,” he amended. “Even if I had done something wrong, you know I don’t have those kinds of funds. You know how little a DA makes in a small town. And I won’t go to my wife’s trust fund to pay a blackmailer to keep a secret that I don’t even have.”

  Laney had known about Nettie’s trust fund and that she was from a prominent family. It had come up when she’d run a background check on the woman. But Laney had assumed that Emerson had money of his own. Apparently not.

  Emerson closed his eyes for a moment before he continued, “I don’t want Nettie to know anything about this supposed affair. It’ll upset her, and there’s no reason for it.”

  Owen dragged in a breath. “Upsetting Nettie is only one part of this, and right now it’s a small part. You withheld potential evidence in a murder investigation. That’s obstruction of justice and you, of all people, should know that.”

  Laney figured that would bring on another wave of Emerson’s rage, but it didn’t come. The man merely nodded, as if surrendering. “I intend to talk to Kellan about that. In the meantime, I’ll send you a copy of the recording from the blackmailer and will cooperate in any way the sheriff’s office needs.”

  “Even financials?” Owen quickly asked.

  Emerson didn’t nod that time. He stared at Owen, and Laney wished she could see what was going on in his head. Obviously there was hesitation, but there seemed to be something more.

  “Nettie and I don’t have shared accounts,” Emerson finally said. “That’s the way it’s written in her trust fund, that it can’t become a joint account. I can give you access to mine but not hers.”

  “That’ll do for now,” Owen assured him.

  Laney figured either Kellan or Owen would soon press Nettie to do the same.

  Emerson made a sound to indicate that he would. “Just keep Nettie out of this, and I’ll cooperate in any way that I can.” He started for the door but then stopped when he reached Laney. “I didn’t have an affair with your sister,” he repeated.

  She stood there and watched Emerson walk out. He drove away as soon as he got in his car, leaving Laney to try to sort through everything he’d just told them. That sorting, however, was getting some interference from her own emotions.

  Emerson had stayed insistent about not having the affair, but he’d admitted to the obstruction of justice. Admitting to the first might cost him his marriage, but the second could put him behind bars. Why admit to one and not the other?

  “You believe him?” Owen asked.

  “If I do, it means my sister lied.” She groaned softly, pushed her hair from her face. “Hadley could be irresponsible about some things, but lying about this wouldn’t be like her.” And Laney hated the words that were about to come out of her mouth. “Still, it’s possible she did.”

  Owen nodded, not giving her his take on what he thought about all of it. But he was probably leaning in Emerson’s direction. Specifically, leaning toward believing Emerson hadn’t killed Hadley. After all, Owen didn’t know Hadley, and it would make his personal life much easier if he didn’t have to haul in his brother-in-law for murder.

  He shut the door, took out his phone, and she saw him press Kellan’s number. “I want to get that recording analyzed by the crime lab,” he said. “And Kellan will need access to Emerson’s phone records. We might be able to find out who made the two calls.”

  Maybe, but she figured a blackmailer would use a burner cell, one that couldn’t be traced. Especially if Terrance had been the one to make the calls. He was too smart to get caught doing something that stupid.

  “Terrance knew about the meeting between Nettie and Hadley,” she said while they waited for Kellan to answer. “The blackmail could be a way of his recouping some money he lost from his trust fund. It’ll barely put a dent in what he lost, but he could be planning on going back to Emerson for more.”

  Owen made eye contact with her to let her know he was considering that, but he didn’t get a chance to say anything because Kellan came on the line.

  “I was just about to call you,” Kellan volunteered. “We got a lucky break. The banker in Austin found the box. It’s under an alias, Sandy Martell.”

  “How did they find out it belongs to Hadley?” Owen wanted to know.

  “Because Hadley put Laney’s name on it. There’s a condition, though. Laney can only get into the box if she has the key. How convinced is Laney that the key she gave me is the one to the box?”

  Good question, one that Owen had already asked Laney.

  “I believe it is,” Laney said. “I’m not positive, though.”

  Kellan stayed quiet for a moment. “All right. Then I’ll meet you at the bank so I can give you back the key. Owen needs to get you there ASAP because the manager’s going to let you have access.”

  Chapter Eight

  A lot of thoughts went through Owen’s mind, and not all of them were of relief.

  Having Laney’s name on the safe-deposit box meant it would eliminate hours and maybe days of red tape to not only locate the box but to gain them access to it. It also meant they might finally have those photos Hadley had claimed would prove her affair with Emerson.

  However, for them to get the photos—or whatever was in the box—meant taking Laney off the ranch and all the way to Austin. That wasn’t his first choice of things to do when someone had already attacked her. She’d be out in the open where hired guns could come at her.

  “Talk to the bank manager again,” Owen told Kellan. Laney moved closer to him, no doubt so she could listen to the phone conversation Owen was having with his brother. He considered putting the call on speaker, but the truth was, he didn’t mind her being this close to him. It eased his suddenly frayed nerves more than it should. “See if there’s a way for us to get access to the box without Laney actually being there.”

  From the other end of the line Owen heard his brother sigh. “I already asked. Or rather, I demanded, and he said Laney had to come in person with a picture ID. Either that, or we have to go the search-warrant route.”

  Owen had expected that to be the manager’s response, but he still cursed. “Try again.” He dragged in a long breath. “Emerson just left here, and I don’t like the way things are starting to play out. He claims someone’s trying to blackmail him.”

  “Blackmail? Did Emerson admit to the affair with Hadley?” Kellan quickly asked.

  “No. He denied it. He’s got a recording of the blackmailer’s demand. This might not have anything to do with Laney, but I don’t like the timing.”

  “Neither do I,” Kellan agreed. “I’ll call the bank manager one more time and see what I can do.” His brother paused. “How deep do you think Emerson is involved in this?”

  Judging from Laney’s expression, she wanted to say “very,” but Owen still wasn’t sure. “Emerson gave us permission to look into his financials,” Owen settled for saying. “I’d like to get that started.”

  “You think Emerson could have paid for those hired guns?” Kellan pre
ssed.

  “I just want to be able to rule it out, and this is a start.” Maybe not a good start, though, because someone as smart as Emerson could have a hidden account. No way would he have paid for hired killers out of his checking account and then offered to let Owen take a look at it.

  “Yeah,” Kellan said a moment later, both agreement and concern in his tone. “I’ll let you know what the bank manager says.”

  When Owen ended the call, he turned back to Laney and saw exactly what he figured would be there. Hope with a hefty layering of fear. “I’ll have to go to the bank,” she insisted before he could say anything. “I need to see what’s in that safe-deposit box, and me being there is the fastest way to do this.”

  She did need to see the contents of the box. So did he, but Owen was still hoping the bank manager would come through and Laney could then view the box through a video feed. Safely view it. Owen stared at her, trying to come up with some argument that would convince her of that, but he drew a blank on anything he could say to change her mind.

  A blank about the argument anyway.

  Unfortunately his mind came up with all sorts of other possibilities. None good. But plenty of them were pretty bad. Because they involved kissing her again. Heck, they involved taking her to bed.

  Silently cursing himself, Owen slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. Since Jack was only a few yards away and still at the window, his brother would no doubt see the embrace and give him grief about it later. But this was like the close contact he’d gotten from Laney when she’d been listening to Kellan’s call. Owen needed this, too.

  Apparently, Laney needed it as well, because she sighed and moved in closer.

  Owen didn’t dare pull back and look at her since that would have absolutely led to a kiss, but he pressed her against him and let the now-familiar feel of her settle him. Ironic that Laney would be able to do that.

  The settling didn’t last, though. That was because the other thoughts came. The guilt. The feeling that he was somehow cheating on his wife. Again, ironic. Naomi wouldn’t have wanted him to go even this long without seeking out someone else. He’d been the one not willing to jump back into those waters.

  Until now.

  Owen might have considered that progress if it hadn’t been stupid to get involved with someone in his protective custody.

  His phone rang, thankfully putting a stop to any other thoughts about kissing Laney. He frowned when he saw the caller. Not Kellan. But rather Terrance. Laney frowned, too, and that expression only deepened when Owen answered.

  “Ask Laney what the hell she thinks she’s doing,” Terrance snarled the moment he was on the line.

  “Anything specific, or is this just a general rant?” Owen countered.

  “Yes, it’s specific. Someone’s following me, and I figure she’s responsible. The Longview Ridge Sheriff’s Office doesn’t have probable cause to put a tail on me.”

  “You’re wrong about that. You’re on probation, and you’re a person of interest in an attack. We have a right to tail you.”

  But that was just a reminder, not something that’d actually happened. Kellan hadn’t put a deputy on Terrance. He glanced at Laney just to make sure she hadn’t hired someone to do that, and she shook her head. Not that Owen had thought for one second that she would without talking to him.

  “Who’s following you?” Owen asked Terrance.

  “How the hell should I know? Someone who’s driving a dark blue sedan. I figure it’s either your man or Laney’s. Maybe one of her PI friends.”

  “Well, it’s not. I would say it’s your imagination, but since you’ve got a lot of experience putting tails on people, you should know the real thing when you see it. Where are you?” Owen asked, not waiting for Terrance to gripe about the comment he’d just made.

  “My lawyer and I are on the interstate, and the car’s been following us for about ten miles now. You’re sure it’s not someone you know?”

  “No,” Laney and Owen answered in unison.

  He would have pushed Terrance for more info than just the vague response “on the interstate,” but Terrance hung up.

  “It could be a ruse,” Laney immediately said. “Terrance might think he’ll be less of a person of interest if he makes us believe someone’s after him.”

  Owen couldn’t agree more, but he had to look at this from both sides. They had two other persons of interest: Emerson and Nettie. If one of them was guilty, then Terrance would make a fine patsy, and they could pin all of this on him.

  He was about to put his phone away, but it rang again. This time it was Kellan so he answered immediately. Owen put the call on speaker so that Jack would be able to hear.

  “It’s a no-go from the bank manager,” Kellan told them right away. “He needs Laney there with her ID. If not, then we have to wait for the warrant.”

  Owen didn’t even bother to groan since it was the answer he’d expected. “How close are we to getting the warrant?”

  “It could come through later today now that we’ve got the box narrowed down. Still, the bank manager is saying if the key doesn’t match, then he’ll fight the warrant. Apparently, Hadley emphasized that condition in writing when she set up the safe-deposit box.”

  Hadley had likely done that as a precaution, to make sure no one got into it by posing as Laney or her.

  “There should be two keys,” Kellan noted. “The second one wasn’t found on Hadley’s body or in her apartment or vehicle. Any idea who she would have given the other key to?”

  Since that question was obviously aimed at Laney, Owen just looked at her.

  “No,” Laney admitted. “She didn’t actually give one to me. I found this one when I was going through her things.” She paused. “But it’s possible she had the key with her when she died, and if so, the killer could have taken it.”

  Kellan didn’t disagree. Neither did Owen.

  “But her killer might not have known the location of the bank,” Laney added. “He or she might have been looking for it all this time.”

  Again, that was true, and Owen only hoped the killer had managed to get to it before they did.

  “Jack and I will drive Laney to the bank,” Owen explained to Kellan. “You’re still planning on meeting us there?”

  “Yeah. I’ll have one of the deputies with me,” Kellan assured him, and he ended the call.

  Four lawmen. Maybe that would be enough.

  Jack went to the front door, opened it and glanced around. He still had his gun drawn. Owen did the same, waiting until Jack gave the nod before he took hold of Laney’s arm to hurry her to the cruiser. It wasn’t far, only about fifteen feet away, but it still meant being out in the open.

  Jack went ahead of them but stayed close, and Owen positioned Laney in between them. The bad feeling in the pit of his stomach hit him hard just as they reached the bottom step. It wasn’t enough of a warning, though, for him to do anything about it.

  Because the shot blasted through the air.

  * * *

  THE SOUND OF the shot barely had time to register in Laney’s mind when Owen hooked his arm around her and dragged her to the ground.

  Her pulse jumped, racing like the adrenaline that surged through her. Sweet heaven. Someone was trying to kill them again.

  Just ahead of them, Jack dropped, too, and both Owen and he fired glances around, no doubt looking for the shooter. Laney forced herself to do the same, though it was hard for her to see much of anything because Owen had positioned his body over hers.

  Another shot came, slamming into the ground between Jack and them. Laney couldn’t be sure, but she thought the gunshots had come from her left, where there was a pasture.

  And trees.

  Some of the oaks were wide enough to conceal a gunman. If so, he was in a bad position. Well, bad for them. Because he would
have a clear shot if they tried to get to the cruiser. He’d have just as clear a shot if they tried to scramble back onto the porch. They were trapped and with very little cover.

  “There,” Jack said, tipping his head toward one of the oaks.

  Owen nodded and turned his attention in that direction. Not Jack, though. He kept watch around them. Something that caused Laney’s heart to jump to her throat. It meant Jack was watching to make sure there wasn’t a second gunman.

  Or even a third.

  The hired guns could be closing in on them and there was nowhere for them to go. But even with the terrifying realization, Laney had to wonder who was behind this. Who wanted her dead?

  A sickening thought twisted at her. Terrance’s call could have been meant to pinpoint their location. For that matter, so could Emerson’s visit. Word about the safe-deposit box could have leaked, and now someone was going to try to kill her rather than give her a chance to reach Austin and get her hands on those pictures or whatever else was in the box. Unfortunately, Jack or Owen could be collateral damage.

  Another bullet rang out, then another. These two shots blasted into the side of the porch, which confirmed to her that the shooter was definitely behind the tree. Maybe now that they knew his location, either Jack or Owen could stop him when he leaned out to fire again.

  “Can you keep him busy while I get Laney to the cruiser?” Owen asked his brother.

  Her gaze zoomed across the yard to the cruiser. It was closer than the porch but not by much. And the cruiser doors were closed. Jack would be able to open it with the remote on his keys, but to get the door open, he would have to leave what little cover he had.

  “Yeah,” Jack verified. “Move fast in case we get company.”

  That certainly did nothing to slow down her thudding heart. Laney shook her head. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “So is staying put,” Owen pointed out just as quickly. “Stay as low as possible, hurry and get underneath the cruiser. I’ll be right behind you.”