“No!” Brenda said, and it was so loud and sudden that Blondie and I both jumped.
Blondie smiled. “It’s no problem, Brenda, I can go get them.”
Brenda shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Burt, Joe, Marcus! Come on out!”
I heard Marcus shout back at her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Blue and Blondie are here, George and Randy caught Knox.”
The three men came out one by one and I noticed that they were all dirty. Joe and Marcus were younger than Burt was, and both were married. Joe Ryan had recently wed his second wife, and Marcus Webb had twin daughters.
“What were you guys doing?” I asked them. “It looks like you were crawling around inside the tanks.”
Burt laughed. “We might as well have been, we heard noises coming from one of the tool sheds, then, when we shined a light in, something moved, we thought it was Knox, but it turned out to be a rat the size of a dog.”
Blondie made a face. “Really?”
“Yeah, so we got out of there, but I guess we got a little dirty.”
All three of them were filthy. I wondered how they could get so grubby by just walking into an old shed, but in the end, I didn’t think much of it.
“Well, let’s get out of here, huh?”
“Who are we going after next?” Blondie asked.
I shook my head.
“I think we should call it a day. George is hurt and by the time we drive back and hand over Knox, it’ll be getting late.”
“Blue’s right,” Burt said. “And when you add in Knox’s capture we’ll each get about four grand, now that’s a good day.”
Brenda smiled. “A damn good day.”
Blondie and I had drinks to celebrate her first day on the job. Afterward, I went home to shower and change. I also had to pack a bag. My boyfriend, Gary, was flying us out to his ranch in Bandera.
This would be my third trip out there and I couldn’t wait. I loved horses, but I rarely got to be around them. It was why I worked so much and why I tracked down the dangerous, high bounty bail skips. The more money I made and the quicker I made it, the sooner I would be able to buy my own ranch.
The phone rang as I was doing a last-minute check of the apartment. I’m a bit obsessive about checking to make certain that I didn’t leave anything on that shouldn’t be on when I leave the house, particularly when I’m going away on a long trip. After checking to see if I turned off the coffee pot, I grabbed the phone. It was my best friend, Becca.
“Hi Blue.”
“Hey honey, what’s up?”
“I just wanted to catch you before you left for Gary’s ranch, and remind you to take pictures this time.”
“I remembered. I even packed away my video camera.”
“Great, so, you and Gary are still going strong, hmm?”
“Yes, and I know that tone, what’s on your mind?”
“I like Gary, don’t get me wrong, but Bandera is a long way from Fort Worth.”
“Yes, it is, but so what?”
“Blue, you two have been together for nearly a year now. You get along well with his brother and sister and you’ve always wanted a ranch.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Marriage, Blue, the man’s not stupid. He’s bound to ask you to marry him soon, then I’m afraid you’ll move out to that ranch and I’ll never see you again.”
“Becca, Gary and I are a long way from marriage, plus, I think his first wife made him a little wary of it. Gary and I love each other and we’re both happy with things the way they are. I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon, okay?”
“I sound like I’m your mama, don’t I?”
“Yes, but you’ve been acting that way since we were toddlers, so I’m used to it.”
“Have a good time at the ranch, but be sure to come back.”
“Yes, Mother, now, how are Richie and the kids?”
“We’re all good, oh, and I meant to ask you, have you seen Ramón lately? Amy asks about him all the time.”
“No. Actually, I haven’t seen him in a while.”
“Too bad, we all had fun the time you guys visited.”
“I’ll give him a call soon and tell him to give Amy a ring.”
“I also thought that you two made a cute pair when you were here.”
“Ramón and me? We’re just friends, you know that.”
“Does Ramón know that?”
“What do you mean?”
“He looked at you often when you weren’t looking his way. I think he likes you.”
“He’s never said anything.”
“Probably because you’re with Gary, but if you were free, I think it would be a different story.”
“I think you’re imagining things, because you’re afraid that Gary will take me off to Bandera.”
“I like Gary, but I’d hate having you so far away.”
“Don’t worry, Gary and I both like things the way they are.”
“Good, then go have a great time, and tell Gary I said hi.”
“Right, love you.”
“Love you too, bye.”
I hung up the phone and thought about what Becca had said. Was Gary considering asking me to marry him? Would I marry him? I shook the thought from my mind and headed for the door… but not before I checked the stove one last time.
Gary flew us to the cattle ranch in his airplane, a Cessna.
He only owned a third of the ranch, as his older brother and younger sister owned the rest.
Gary’s older brother was named David. David was five years older than Gary, who was forty-one, while Grace, Gary’s sister was thirty-eight. Gary and David looked a lot alike. Both had clefts in their chins, and thick, dark wavy hair, but while Gary was lean, David had a belly. David blamed the gut on his love of gourmet food and wine.
He indulged his tastes in food by also being a great cook. On both prior occasions, I’d spent at the ranch, I’d gained three pounds. That was despite being in a saddle and hiking for a good deal of the time.
I had stayed at Gary’s apartment the night before because we wanted to fly out early the next day, which we did. By noon, we were landing at the airstrip on the Triple Q Ranch.
It was the day before we were going back to Fort Worth and Gary and I were out riding. I was on a chestnut mare named Angel; she was my horse whenever I was at the ranch. After we’d been riding for about an hour, Gary suggested that we stop and relax by an old tree.
It was a beautiful day and we were in a lovely pasture. I felt more relaxed than I had in some time. We lay beneath the tree and I rested my head in Gary’s lap, as I stared up at the cloudless sky through the branches.
“Do you ever think about marriage, Blue?”
So much for feeling relaxed.
“I…yes, sometimes… why?”
“Well, I know that most women consider it, and we have been together now for nearly a year.”
I sat up. “Are you trying to tell me something, or maybe ask me something?”
Gary shook his head.
“No, oh no, I’m not about to propose marriage, no, it’s just that it’s been on my mind lately… my ex, she’s back in Fort Worth.”
“You’ve spoken to her?”
“We had drinks together.”
“Oh really?” I said, and then I stood up. “When was this?”
“A few days ago, and don’t look at me like that. Nothing happened.”
“Did you call her, or did she call you?”
“Neither, I ran into her after work while I was having a beer, and we began talking.”
“What’s her name? You’ve never said.”
“Her name is Janelle?”
“And her last name?”
He sighed. “She still goes by Dent, Janelle Dent.”
“She kept your last name, why? You didn’t have children together, or did you?”
“No, you know I don’t have any children.”
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“She kept your name and you were married for less than a year? What’s her maiden name, is it odd?”
“Her maiden name was Jamison.”
“Jamison is not an odd name, and yet she kept yours, why is that?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did you talk about?”
“Old times, college days, you know.”
I stared at him, and suddenly, something became so clear.
“She wants you back.”
“That’s crazy, until the other day I hadn’t seen Janelle in years.”
“It might be crazy, but it’s true, she wants you back and she’ll make sure to run into you again, count on it.”
“That wouldn’t prove anything.”
“Why not?”
“She just rented an apartment in my building.”
Needless to say, the rest of the day wasn’t as pleasant as the first part had been, and it only got worse.
While watching TV after dinner I saw on the news that an acquaintance of mine had been murdered. He was shot to death in his car as he returned home.
His name was Frank Quatro, a bail enforcement agent who worked out of Dallas. I hadn’t seen Frank in nearly two years, but I liked the guy. Learning of his death made me sad.
We left the ranch the next morning. After going home and unpacking, I stopped by the office, the AAAAAAAAAA Bail Bonds Company. I spoke with my boss, Ron Tenney, who greeted me with his usual sunny grin. Ron wasn’t actually my boss, as I was self-employed, but I worked for him almost exclusively for years. He had given me my break when I’d entered the business, and so I felt like he was my boss.
“Blue baby, how was your trip?”
“Relaxing, how have things been around here?”
“The usual, busy, hey, did you hear about Ken Simon?”
“Ken, no, what about him?”
“Oh, Blue honey, I’m sorry, but he’s dead. Someone shot him in his car last night.”
“No, Ron, you’re mistaken. It was Frank Quatro who was killed. I saw it on the news yesterday.”
“I heard about Quatro, but Ken was shot too.”
“Ken is dead?”
“Yeah, ah shit, I’d forgotten that you two dated at one time.”
“It’s all right, we weren’t very close. We just went out to dinner and a movie once. Damn, he was a really nice guy, who the hell would kill him, or Frank?”
“The cops were in here asking questions. They wanted to know if anybody here was threatened lately. I told them that we get cursed at and menaced all the time, same as they do. Not many people are pleased with us when we’re taking them back to jail.”
“Did they ask about Frank or Ken?”
“No, but you know it’s connected. It seems like someone is settling scores with bounty hunters, so keep those big green eyes of yours wide open, just in case, you hear?”
“I hear, and don’t worry, the two murders must have been just a coincidence.”
“I don’t like coincidences, especially when they’re planned.”
“I’m going to give Diego Ramirez a call.”
“The homicide cop, why?”
“I don’t like coincidences either.”
I had known Diego since we were kids; we’d grown up together in Landsville and he and my sister dated in high school. I met him for lunch and we caught up. Then, I asked him about the two murders.
“I didn’t catch that case, Blue. Rossetti and Burns did; I’m working a double murder on that armored car robbery, along with the FBI.”
“Right, that happened just before my trip to the ranch. The robbers killed the crew of the armored car, right?”
“That’s it, but I’ll ask Rossetti what he has on those killings. I don’t like the fact that they’re both bounty hunters.”
I thanked Diego. Afterward, I went home and spent the rest of the day paying bills and cleaning my truck.
After a good night’s sleep, I got up early the next morning and went to Trinity Park. I was meeting Becca for a run.
We ran well, and far, we had both been lazy the week before and felt like making ourselves pay for it. After an eight-mile run, we went to the coffee shop.
I saw it the moment I walked in the door. The story was on the front page of the newspaper and being talked about on the television in the corner of the coffee shop.
Joe Ryan, one of the seven bounty hunters that I had gone out with to track down Knox, had been murdered, shot to death while he was out walking his dog.
Three bounty hunters in as many days and it was no coincidence. Bullets recovered from the first two killings matched, and someone was now taking credit.
A newspaper reporter received a letter from the killer naming his next victim, Joe Ryan. The letter had been mailed the day before and delivered right about the time that Joe had been out walking his dog.
There was a serial killer stalking victims in my city, and there was a chance that my name was on his list.
Chapter 2
“No!”
“But why not? It makes perfect sense. Why risk yourself?”
“Because I would be running, hiding, and I don’t run or hide from danger, I face it; it’s part of my job.”
Gary sighed at me in exasperation.
“I’m supposed to be the macho one, remember?”
I sighed right back at him. We were having lunch together at a Chinese restaurant near his office. He was trying to talk me into staying at his ranch until the serial killer was caught. There had been a fourth murder yesterday, a bounty hunter from El Paso.
“I’m not going to hide at your ranch. I’m going to keep living my life and if this bastard comes after me I’ll handle it.”
“Why? Why not just play it safe for once and stay away until the cops track this whack job down?”
“That could take weeks, months, or might never happen.”
He reached over and took my hand.
“I worry about you, more than I normally do. It would kill me if anything happened to you. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
We kissed, and as we were kissing, someone cleared their throat behind us.
Our lips parted, and I found a blonde staring at us. She was short, maybe five-two, and I doubt she carried a hundred pounds, but the pounds she did own were all in very strategic places. As I looked around, I saw that most of the men in the room were staring at her.
Her blouse was baby blue and matched her shoes perfectly, along with her eyes. Her white silk skirt rode high enough to show off her shapely legs. I knew who she was without even asking. I could read the look on Gary’s face.
“Janelle, what are you doing here?”
“Hello to you too, Gary, and this must be the girlfriend.”
I tried to be gracious.
“Hello Janelle, my name is Blue.”
“Blue? I once had a dog named Blue, she was a mangy little thing.”
Bitch!
“Janelle, you didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”
“It’s a restaurant, Gary; I stopped in to get take-out.”
“But you always hated Chinese food.”
Janelle placed a hand on his cheek.
“I’ve changed my mind about a few things lately.”
Gary stood. “Well… enjoy your food. Blue and I were just leaving.”
“All right, but I’ll see you at home.”
“What?”
“The apartment house, Gary; it’s my home too, remember?”
“Right, let’s go, Blue.”
Once we were in the car, I asked Gary a question.
“When things ended between you two, was it your idea, or hers?”
“What does it matter? It was a long time ago.”
“So, it was her idea. Was she cheating on you?”
“I thought so at the time, although I never caught her.”
“She wants you back, Gary.”
“Even if that were true, I—no. I see wh
at you’re doing. You’re trying to avoid what we were talking about, about you going to the ranch.”
“I won’t run away and hide on the off chance that I’m a target. I won’t.”
“But why not? Can’t you see that it’s the only sane choice? Why are you always so ready to risk your life?”
“I’m not risking it, I’m living it, and I’m living it my way. My answer is no.”
Gary banged a fist on the dashboard.
“You’re a damned stubborn woman!”
I leaned over until my lips were an inch away from his.
“I’m also free this afternoon. Can you think of anything we could do to fill the time?”
He still looked upset with me, but twenty minutes later, we were in his apartment.
I teamed up with Blondie again the next day.
She was on the trail of a non-violent child predator who liked to take naked pictures of young boys. The bounty was only for five-hundred dollars, but it was a good way for her to get her first solo takedown. I was strictly along for the ride, but I would be offering a critique. It was Blondie’s idea, she asked me to do it as a favor and I couldn’t say no, especially when there was a crazy out there killing bounty hunters.
The man she was hunting was known to frequent public pools where children swam. His name was Collins.
She found Collins at the YMCA. They offered swim classes after school and Blondie made him as he was hanging outside the building. Collins was most likely looking for an opportunity to sneak in.
“That’s him! Blue look, that’s him.”
I checked the photograph again and saw that she was right. She had found him. She was halfway home.
“Good job, now go arrest him.”
Blondie’s enthusiasm died. “Couldn’t I just call the police?”
“You could, and I’d recommend it if you’re not comfortable confronting him. But all we know about him says that he’s non-violent, and sooner or later, you’ll have to capture one yourself.”
“You’re right, let’s go.”
“No, he’s all yours, and I know you can do it.”
She still hesitated.
“Do you have a set of handcuffs?” I asked.
Blue Steele Box Set Page 10
