by Carolina Mac
“Of course, it was about the books. People are given a date and they have to respect the date. They can bring the book back by the date they are given, or they can renew and keep the book longer. It’s so easy for them now to renew by phone or online. Never been so easy. But do they do it? No. They ignore the library rules as if they don’t exist. After three reminders they still don’t bring the books back and that’s when I decided that something had to be done.”
“You killed the ones that were long overdue and took the books back?” asked Jesse.
“I had to. They were my books.”
“I see,” said Jesse. “You were responsible for the books from the main branch.”
Laura May nodded.
“Why did you make your nephew do the killing for you?”
“He was much cleverer than me and he figured out a way to do it, so no one would know.”
“What did he use to poison them?”
“I can’t tell you that. Todd might get into trouble.”
“Yes, he might,” said Jesse.
“Did Todd call again?” she asked. “I’m so worried about him. He’s never been away from home.”
“No, he didn’t call back, but if he does, I’ll ask him to come home. How’s that?”
“Thank you, Ranger Quantrall. You’ve been very kind.”
As Jesse was unlocking the cuff from the table, Laura May looked up with eyes brimming with tears. “Did anyone feed Plato?”
“I believe they did, and I have a temporary home for him too if you’re open to that idea.”
“Someone who would love him as much as I do?”
“I believe so. One of my men said his mother would like Plato because her cat died a couple of weeks ago and she’s very sad.”
Laura seemed to brighten. “Tell her to take good care of him. He’s very special.”
“I will.”
Lazy L Ranch. West of Austin.
WITH the enormity of the task, cataloguing mountains of evidence, things wouldn’t be wrapping up at the Leggatt ranch for days, but Blaine had to talk to Cat. He called and caught her as she was leaving her office in the Capitol.
“This is a nice surprise. Can we meet for a drink?”
“We need privacy. I’ll come for dinner in an hour.”
“What if I had plans?”
“Change them.”
“Oh, no. I don’t like the sounds of this.”
“No, you won’t. Put a couple of Coronas on ice for me.”
“Looking forward to seeing you, sweetie, no matter how bad the news is.”
Governor’s Mansion. Austin.
ALMOST SEVEN by the time Blaine arrived at the mansion on Colorado Street. A member of the staff he’d never met before greeted him in the foyer and showed him into the sitting room that adjoined the huge formal dining area.
Cat sat relaxed in one of the wing chairs sipping a glass of red wine as she watched him come in.
“Sorry, it took me longer than I thought to drive here from Leggatt’s ranch.”
“Is that where you were? Did you arrest him?”
“Didn’t need to. He’s dead.”
“Dead? Was he murdered like Marshall?”
“Have to wait for the autopsy. No marks on him and the ME said it looked like a heart attack.”
“How convenient.”
Blaine smiled. “Wasn’t it?”
“Let me get you that Corona before you deluge me with bad tidings.”
Blaine pointed to her wine glass. “I’m glad you reinforced yourself, Cat. You’re going to need it.”
“You can be a depressing little shit. Know that?”
Blaine chuckled. “It’s not funny really, but some things are funnier than others.”
Cat returned and handed him the beer, a slice of lime and a napkin. “What’s not so funny?”
“Stokes is part of Leggatt’s gang of gunnies.”
The Governor flopped back into the chair and blew out a breath. “Not what I thought you were going to say.”
“Travis and Farrell were in the surveillance unit and they heard Leggatt call Stokes by name.”
“What the hell is the old guy thinking? He’s ready to retire and he’ll get a nice pension.”
“Don’t know,” said Blaine. “He must have been taking a payoff to do something. You must have noticed.”
“Of course, I noticed, and I told you and the Chief about it, but I thought he had dementia or something. He waffled and hummed and hawed and acted brain dead when I wanted him to help me get certain things done.”
“It might have been an act to cover for what he was really doing.”
“What do you think he was doing for them?”
“No clue. Maybe you can get him to spill it if you confront him and tell him Leggatt is dead and you know all about his part in their little plan.”
“What do I know?” asked Cat.
“Same as me. Not a helluva lot.”
“That’s what I thought.” She walked to the sideboard, picked up the wine bottle and emptied what was left into her glass. “This is what’s scaring me,” said the Governor. “If they have friends in high places, I have to wonder—is Stokes the only one?”
“Damn good question,” said Blaine. “I’ll have another Corona.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Thursday, June 11th.
The Capitol. Austin.
THE GOVERNOR had slept poorly, and she was up extra early knowing she had to deal with Templeton Stokes. He was first on her list and the schedule for the day was already full—too full, like most days. She’d have to go to the Capitol, deal with the Lieutenant Governor and get it over with before her day got rolling. Once her first appointment ran late, she’d be screwed for the rest of the day and she hated to let that happen. Her assistant, Penny Warburton, tried so hard to keep her on schedule. The woman was a jewel.
After her first cup of coffee upstairs in her private quarters, Catherine called Penny. “Sorry to call you so early, Penny, but we have a problem.”
“We do? How can I help, Catherine?”
“As soon as you arrive at the office could you round up the Lieutenant Governor and have him waiting for me in my office? I have to speak with him urgently and the day is completely full.”
“I’m leaving home in a few minutes. He’ll be waiting for you when you arrive.”
“Thanks so much, Penny. I’ll see you soon.”
Ranger Headquarters. Austin.
LEGGATT’S AUTOPSY was scheduled for nine and Blaine was curious. Doc Simon would be frustrated if he couldn’t pinpoint the cause of death, but Blaine wanted to be there in case something did turn up. Just in case. He sat on a stool, sipped his coffee and watched the pathologist make the ‘Y’ cut on Paul Leggatt’s chest.
When Mort finished, the doctor was justifiably pissed. “Know what, kid? I’m fuckin sick of these ‘COD unknown’ cases. Makes me look like a goddam idiot. Give me a bullet in the head any day of the week.”
Blaine grinned. “You’ve got another one identical to this guy waiting in the ‘on deck’ circle.”
“Don’t I know it.”
The Capitol. Austin.
THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, Templeton Stokes was sitting in the outer office drinking coffee and chatting to Mrs. Warburton when Governor Campbell arrived.
“Good morning, Templeton. Sorry to keep you waiting. Come in please.” Catherine ushered him in, locked the door behind them and pointed to one of the leather chairs in front of her carved desk. She hadn’t noticed it before, but Stokes’ hair had gone completely white since the inauguration.
From the coffee tray on the sideboard, she poured a coffee, added cream and two packs of sweetener and carried the cup to her desk. “I presume you’ve heard about the deaths of Paul Leggatt and his bodyguard?”
“I heard about it on the news. Yes.”
Catherine zeroed in on him across the desk and watched for a reaction. “You were involved with Leggatt, Templeton, and not
in a good way. How much was he paying you?”
Without hesitation, he denied it. “What Leggatt and his group of fanatics were doing had nothing to do with me, Catherine. I wouldn’t have anything to do with men like that.”
“Don’t lie to me,” said Catherine. “The Violent Crime Squad had Leggatt under surveillance and they have you on tape. You were at Paul Leggatt’s ranch warning him minutes before he and his bodyguard died.”
The old man paled at the accusation but lifted his chin and stood his ground. “I didn’t kill them, if that’s what you’re hinting, Catherine. They were both alive when I was there.”
Catherine noticed a tremor in his voice.
“The question is, why were you there giving them confidential information? Information belonging to the federal government, Templeton.”
“Leggatt threatened me and my family. He said if I didn’t get them the information they needed, he’d kill my wife.”
“Bullshit, Templeton. That’s an out and out lie. We have state security to protect us from threats like that.” Catherine stood and paced behind her desk. “If that were true, all you had to do was go to your security team or to the police for that matter and Leggatt would have been arrested.” She pointed a manicured finger at him. “When you went to Leggatt’s ranch, you drove your own car and left your security behind. If you were afraid of Leggatt, why in hell would you do that?”
Catherine could feel the heat in her face as she yelled at him. “How much was Leggatt paying you, Templeton? How much?”
“It was Royce, Catherine. He said he’d make sure everyone knew I’d been feeding Leggatt information and I’d never be re-elected. My political career would be finished, and my family would drown in shame. Following Royce’s orders was the price I had to pay.”
“Senator Charlie Royce?”
Stokes put a hand to his head. “I’m feeling a little dizzy, Catherine. Could I have some water, please?”
She walked across the room to the sideboard and took a bottle of water from the small bar fridge. When she turned back with the water in her hand, Stokes and slumped in his chair and slid towards the carpet.
“Oh, no.” Catherine ran to the door and called Penny in. “Stokes passed out and he isn’t moving, Penny. Call an ambulance.” Mrs. Warburton picked up her phone to call for help and Catherine called Blaine.
Ranger Headquarters. Austin.
AFTER THE autopsy, Blaine ran upstairs to the Chief’s office. At the top of the steps his cell rang, and he made a face at the screen. Kramer.
“Morning, Special Agent.”
“I saw the morning paper, Ranger Blackmore,” Kramer was yelling into the phone. “We should have been called in to handle a bust that huge.”
Blaine hollered back at him. “I fuckin called you, Kramer, and you said maybe it wasn’t worth your while. Remember that? We handled it.”
“In the future, stay out of my business, Blackmore.”
“Fuck yourself up the ass, Kramer.” Blaine pressed end, still fuming and the black cat came on the screen. He inhaled a calming breath before he spoke.
“Cat, talk to Stokes?”
“Ambulance just took him. They thought it might have been a stroke.”
“Aw, shit. Where did they take him?”
“Saint Michael’s.”
“Did he admit anything?”
“He did, more or less.”
“Wonder who else was on their payroll?”
“I have to talk to you about that in person. It’s important.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
JESSE was waiting in the Chief’s office when Blaine arrived. “Ready to start chatting to Leggatt’s cowboys?”
“Yeah, I’m ready, but they’re probably ready too,” said Blaine. “Did they lawyer up, Chief?”
“Uh huh, they have a couple of attorneys from your competition downtown.”
“Then, they won’t be saying a word to us,” said Jesse. “Let’s get started. This is gonna be a wasted day.”
“How can they deny knowing about the guns?” asked Blaine. “They had to move their kitchen table every time Leggatt went down to the bunker.”
“Hard to prove they were complicit unless one of them rolls and says they all knew,” said the Chief.
“Yeah, one rolls and he’s a dead guy,” said Jesse.
JESSE started interviewing the cowboys one by one with their attorney present and by noon he was nowhere. All Leggatt’s hired hands had been primed to sing the same song. They worked the ranch and took care of the horses. If Leggatt moved the table and went to the basement, it was when they weren’t there, and they knew nothing about it.
He took a break and went back to the Chief’s office for a coffee.
“Anything?”
“No, and there won’t be,” said Jesse. “All of them are saying the same thing.”
“All of them will be arraigned in the morning,” said the Chief. “Any suggestions?”
“Just one. Where are they gonna go when they make bail?”
Chief Calhoun raised an eyebrow. “That’s a good question. They live on Leggatt’s ranch and the property has been seized. Where are they gonna go?”
“Be interesting to find out,” said Jesse. “I’ll make sure we know where they’re headed.”
“Yep,” said the Chief. “I’d be interested in knowing that.”
The Capitol. Austin.
BLAINE arrived at the Governor’s office at eleven thirty and Mrs. Warburton greeted him. Thankfully, the big woman who shielded all comers from Governor Campbell liked him. If she didn’t like you, you didn’t have a hope in hell of seeing number one in Texas.
“Go on in, Ranger Blackmore. There’s no one with her.”
“Did she order me any lunch?”
Mrs. Warburton smiled. “Not that I know of, but I’ll take care of it right now.” She picked up the phone and called the Grille.
Blaine tapped on the door, opened it and stepped inside.
Catherine looked up from a pile of papers on her desk and smiled. She checked her watch and said, “I should have ordered lunch.”
“Mrs. Warburton is taking care of it,” said Blaine. “She likes me more than you do.”
Cat giggled. “So not true.”
Blaine flopped into one of the leather chairs in front of her desk. “Tell me the shocking words that came out of Stokes before he keeled over.”
“Got a grip on your chair?” asked Cat.
Blaine clutched the arms of the chair and grinned. “I’m ready.”
“Charlie Royce.”
Blaine leaned closer to the desk. “Senator Charlie Royce?”
“That was worth the trip wasn’t it?” asked Cat. “Not to mention a free lunch.”
The Blackmore Agency. Austin.
BLAINE headed back to the Agency to his office to do research on Charlie Royce. While on route, he called Farrell and sent him and Carlos to help Jesse interview the cowboys.
“Jesse getting anything so far?” asked Farrell.
“Not with the lawyers there. Go bust some ass if you can.”
“We’re on it.”
“Stokes spewed out a name before he had a stroke in Cat’s office. He said Senator Royce was a player.”
“Huh,” said Farrell. “Interesting, ain’t it?”
“I’ll be in my office checking it out.”
Misty greeted Blaine in the foyer with a hug and a hot passionate kiss. He moaned, pushed her up against the wall and explored her mouth with his tongue. “Did you miss me?” asked Blaine when they broke for air.
She nodded her blonde curly head and winked at him.
“We need a weekend in Vegas again soon.” He tossed his jacket on a kitchen chair and grabbed a Corona out of the Sub-Zero.
Carm asked him in Spanish if he’d eaten lunch.
“Si,” he hollered over his shoulder as he jogged down the hall to Lil’s office.
“Hey, boss. Something?”
&nbs
p; “Senator Charlie Royce. Everything you’ve got. Come to my office and we’ll sort out what we have.”
“He’s good looking,” said Lil. “Is he a bandito?”
“That’s what we need to find out.”
Blaine chugged half his Corona and got started on Charlie Royce: Senator from Texas, born in Temple. Fifty-four years old. Lives on a huge ranch near Waco when he’s not in DC. Condo in DC near the Potomac.
Wife: Linda Royce, forty-nine. Used to be an attorney in Waco and now she’s retired.
One son: Charles Junior—Chuck Royce, twenty-five years old and lives at home. Runs the five thousand acre ranch.
Blaine ran the son and junior had a sealed juvie record. Nothing since.
Nothing showing. Possible if your daddy is a senator.
He’d been at it an hour when Lil came in with what she’d printed off as being important. “What did you get?”
“Maybe the same as you. Let’s go over it.”
They compared notes for the next half hour and there was nothing to get excited about.
“Okay, I don’t see anything,” said Lil. “Apple pie and all that.”
“I’ll drive up there tomorrow and poke around,” said Blaine. “See if I can piss anybody off.”
Lil laughed. “I’m sure you can. Pissing people off is one of your talents.”
THE CREW checked in at five before they went home for the day and Farrell got them all a Lone Star from the Sub-Zero.
Blaine came out of his office and sat down at the head of the table.
“You working in there or just knocking back Coronas?” asked Farrell.
“Lil and I were working on our new suspect,” said Blaine, “and tomorrow we’re driving up to Gatesville to get a better feel for his home territory.”
“Who’s our new suspect?” asked Travis.
“Senator Charlie Royce.”
“Fuck, he’s up there on a cloud.”
“Some of us are already on an assignment,” said Farrell.
“Yeah, what?” asked Blaine.
“Jesse put us on following the cowboys after the arraignment to see who they run to.”
“Damn good idea,” said Blaine. “So, in the end we might all be going to the same place.”
