“If you’re in danger, I can help.”

Your presence puts me in danger. “I’m fine. I just want to get back to a normal life with my Kaitlyn.” Her daughter had to be her total focus.

“Juanita is missing.”

The very thought scared her even more than she already was. That could be her, her daughter or her uncle. If she said anything.

The drill of his gaze bore through her. For a few seconds she wanted to tell him everything. But the intruder’s threat replayed through her mind and the words stuck in her throat.

She needed to get out of here. How did she think she could have a conversation with the Texas Ranger and leave unscathed?

TEXAS RANGER JUSTICE:

Keeping the Lone Star State safe

Trail of Lies—Margaret Daley, April 2011

MARGARET DALEY

feels she has been blessed. She has been married more than thirty years to her husband, Mike, whom she met in college. He is a terrific support and her best friend. They have one son, Shaun. Margaret has been writing for many years and loves to tell a story. When she was a little girl, she would play with her dolls and make up stories about their lives. Now she writes these stories down. She especially enjoys weaving stories about families and how faith in God can sustain a person when things get tough. When she isn’t writing, she is fortunate to be a teacher for students with special needs. Margaret has taught for more than twenty years and loves working with her students. She has also been a Special Olympics coach and has participated in many sports with her students.

Trail of Lies
Margaret Daley

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Casting all your care upon Him;

for He careth for you.

—1 Peter 5:7

To Terri Reed, Lenora Worth, Valerie Hansen

Lynette Eason and Shirlee McCoy—

it was great working with you all.

To all the Texas Rangers in the present day and the past.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

LETTER TO READER

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

ONE

Melora Hudson punched in her alarm code to turn the security system off, then tossed her keys on the kitchen counter. All she wanted to do was sink into a chair and drink a cup of hot tea after her exhausting week. But as she moved toward the kettle on the stove, a sound—something hitting the tiled floor—came from the living room and froze her in mid-stride. Tension whipped through her. Until her cat shot through the doorway and launched himself into her arms.

“Okay, Patches, what have you gotten into this time?”

His cry—like a baby’s—protested her scolding.

Melora cuddled the fifteen-pound white cat against her chest and started for the living room. Just what she needed—another broken lamp or, like the last time, a crystal vase. As she approached the entrance, she mentally prepared for the devastation, realizing she could never get rid of the animal because her daughter loved Patches. And so did she.

A few steps into the room, Melora stopped, scanning the large expanse for any sign of what had made the crashing noise.

The desk chair was overturned at the far end. Strange. How had Patches done that? She placed the large cat on the tiled floor and headed across the room. Nothing he did should surprise her anymore. She began to pick up the chair while Patches weaved in and out of her legs, but stopped. Her nape prickled; unease streaked down her spine. The quiet of the house, usually a balm, was now ominous. She glanced toward the study.

She wasn’t alone.

That thought bolted her to the floor for a few precious seconds before she whirled and ran toward the back porch off the great room. Halfway to the exit, she noticed the lock wasn’t turned right.

The door was unlocked. Alarm squeezed her chest.

She peered sideways and spied a wiry, medium-sized man wearing a black ski mask barreling toward her. Pushing herself faster, she reached for the knob. Two feet away.

He tackled her. The impact of the cool tiles knocked the breath from her, pain radiating through her. His body trapped her beneath him. All the fear from that break-in two years ago came to the foreground.

She twisted and bucked, trying to shove him off her. She drew in a gulp of air. Finally, her protest ripped from her throat and ricocheted off the tall ceilings, filling the room with her terror.

He slapped her across the face. “Shut up.”

Texas Ranger Daniel Boone Riley turned his white Ford 150 truck down the road that led to the Hudson’s house in Lone Star Estates where many wealthy San Antonians lived. He should know. His family mansion wasn’t but a mile from here.

He’d seen Melora Hudson, the widow, at her husband’s funeral a couple of days before. A picture of a five-foot, six-inch, willowy woman materialized in his mind. While she’d stood at the gravesite, her red hair with golden highlights had caught the sun’s rays, accentuating the long curls about her beautiful face—a solemn face, appropriate for a funeral. Until he’d locked gazes with her for a few seconds and something akin to fear had flashed into her sea-green eyes. She’d immediately looked away, but he’d seen the apprehension.

What did she know about her husband’s death? What was she hiding?

He was here to find out. He’d spent the last few days learning everything he could about the woman. Although Axle Hudson had been murdered two years ago and his body only found last month and not identified until the previous week, the man’s death was tied to the recent murder of Captain Gregory Pike of the Texas Rangers’ Company D. Daniel would stop at nothing to discover that link. Gregory had been a good friend as well as his boss. There was no way any Ranger in Company D would allow his murder to go unsolved—even though few leads had been uncovered in the month since Greg’s death. They knew his murder was connected to an elusive group of people called the Lions of Texas who dealt in illegal activities—drugs among them. Had Axle Hudson been involved in drug dealing? One of many questions Daniel wanted answered.

He parked his truck in front of the large, Spanish-style house with stucco accents and a tile roof. It fit into its surroundings and shouted wealth—typical of what he’d known of Axle Hudson, a flamboyant playboy who had finally married Melora Madison, the niece of prominent businessman Tyler Madison, in a wedding that had been the event of the social season in San Antonio six years ago.

As he strode toward the porch, a scream rent the air. A woman’s scream coming from the house. He pulled his Wilson Combat pistol from his waist holster and rushed toward the porch. When he tried the handle, the door was locked. He took a few steps back, started to lift his leg to kick the heavy solid door and realized he wouldn’t be able to budge it.

Daniel needed an entrance into the house other than the sturdy front door. Swiveling to the right, he jogged toward the side, placing a call to the sheriff for back up. He found a flimsier door next to the three-car garage and put all his strength behind kicking in the wooden structure. It exploded inward, and he burst into the mudroom.

The pressure on Melora’s chest caused dots to dance before her eyes. Sweat coated her face, her body.

Her attacker’s dark gaze trailed down her, leaving her chilled. With her arms pinned to her side and the man’s heavy weight on her, fear drenched her like her perspiration.

“I won’t hurt you if you keep quiet.” The raspy voice, as if he’d smoked one too many cigarettes, didn’t give his words a ring of truth.

His smelly odor assailed her. Nausea roiled in her stomach. “What do you want?” she managed to squeak out, so glad her daughter was playing at a friend’s. If Kaitlyn had been here… The thought chilled her blood.

The intruder withdrew a switchblade and flicked it open. “Information. It was about time you got home.”

Melora’s eyes grew round, focused totally on the knife he held before her. Not far from her heart. Her throat.

“Where’s the flash drive your husband always had on him?”

“I don’t know.” The flash drive Axle wore around his neck? What had he done to cause this continual nightmare?

The blade came closer. “There are two dumb things you can do. Not give me the flash drive and talk to the police about this or anything concerning your husband’s affairs. Are you smart? I’d hate your little girl to be without a mommy. Where’s the flash drive? It wasn’t found with your husband’s body. It has to be here.”

The gleaming metal commanded her full attention. Until a boom rocked the air. It sounded as though something had slammed against the wall.

The intruder jerked up, his focus on the entrance into the living room.

Melora grabbed the split second of distraction and shoved upward with all her strength. The man, taken by surprise, teetered above her, the knife clanging to the floor.

Totally in cop mode with his gun clasped in his hand, Daniel quickly assessed the kitchen and moved toward the hallway. A noise to his right—like a scuffle—drew him into the living room. On the far side, a man with a ski mask leaped to his feet and spun around.

“Halt! State Police,” Daniel shouted, aiming his gun.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Melora sprawled on the floor, her eyes huge in her pale face, a knife a few feet from her on the floor. She scrambled back from her attacker.

As though he had nothing to lose, the intruder sprang for the porch door, wrenched it open, then plunged through the opening.

As Daniel raced toward the exit after the man, he glanced at Melora. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” Her answer came out with a shaky rasp, her face leached of all color.

“I called the sheriff. Help is on the way.”

He hurried after the attacker who swung over the railing and landed in the grass below, then shot toward the side of the house. Daniel took the same route. The second his feet touched the ground, he sprinted forward, rounding the pool and cabana not far behind the assailant.

When the man scaled the fence separating the Hudson’s property from the neighbor’s, his foot caught on a wooden railing, and he tumbled over. Daniel pushed himself faster, eating up several yards between them before the intruder hustled to his feet and continued toward a vehicle parked on the street.

Daniel sailed over the same fence, adrenaline spurring him on. Determined to catch the burglar, he raced across the neighbor’s front lawn. When the assailant reached a white Honda Accord, he dragged the door open and lunged inside.

The car started, and the intruder floored the gas, shrieking away from the curb. Daniel zeroed in on the license plate and got a partial number, the rest obscured by dirt. He lifted his gun to aim at the back left tire, knowing the possibility of stopping the car was slim.

Too late. The vehicle disappeared around the corner.

Daniel dug into his pocket and withdrew his cell, calling the suspect’s car and partial plate number into the sheriff’s office. Then he trudged back to the Hudson’s house, which sat on several acres of land. The picture of Melora on the floor, afraid, her shirt pulled out of her slacks, her long hair tousled, her body quaking, haunted his thoughts. The visualization rocked him with anger.

What was going on? That question plagued him the whole way back as he retraced his steps to see if the suspect had dropped anything in his mad dash to get away. Nothing.

Climbing the steps to the deck, Daniel holstered his pistol. When he entered the living room, he discovered Melora standing not far from where she’d been attacked. Her shirt was tucked into her pants, and she was running her trembling hand through her hair. The pale cast to her face, and the large, round eyes spoke of a woman who had been frightened for her life.

He needed answers, ones his fellow Ranger Oliver Drew hadn’t gotten when he had interviewed her last week after Axle Hudson’s remains had finally been identified. “Did this have anything to do with your husband’s murder?” Daniel covered the short distance between them.

She backed up, her arms crossing her chest. “I think…” Her tongue ran over her lips. “I think it was just a burglar.”

He couldn’t shake the feeling something was going on here beyond a mere robbery, especially since Melora kept evading eye contact. “What was he after?”

Her mouth pinched into a frown. “I don’t know. He didn’t give me a rundown while he had me pinned to the floor.”

Her body language—rubbing her eye, looking away for a couple of seconds—shouted at deception. She knew what the man was after. Why didn’t she tell him? Was there a connection to her dead husband?

“You’re Daniel Riley with the Texas Rangers. I told the other Ranger last week I don’t know who would have killed my husband or why someone would want him dead. Why would you think this has anything to do with Axle’s murder?” She drew herself up straight, dropping her arms to her sides, her chin tilting up a notch.

They had casually met before since their families moved in the same social circles, and she was on the Alamo Planning Committee for the 175th anniversary celebration of the Battle of the Alamo in March. He’d spoken to the committee a few months back. But he really didn’t know her. That would change after today. “Why are you so sure it doesn’t? Your husband’s remains were finally identified after he’d been missing for two years and the next week your house is broken into. Just a coincidence?”

“Yes. I’ve told Ranger Drew everything I know, which is nothing. Axle went out one evening and never returned. That’s all I know.”

“Did anyone have a grudge against your husband?”

“Why are the Texas Rangers involved in the investigation? I would have thought the sheriff would be conducting the murder investigation. He’s the one I reported to when my husband went missing two years ago.”

“Your husband’s murder may be tied to an investigation we’re running.”

“What?”

The doorbell’s chime cut the tension vibrating between them.

“Excuse me.” Relief washed over her face as she headed toward the foyer.

“That’s the sheriff. I called in the make of the getaway car and its partial license number.” Daniel trailed behind her, just in case it wasn’t the sheriff.

She halted and looked back at him. “Good.”

But that fear he’d glimpsed at the gravesite flickered across her face momentarily. She quickly continued her trek toward the door and opened it to the sheriff and a deputy.

Sheriff Karl Layton moved into the house after indicating to his deputy to check the grounds. “Melora, I understand there was a break-in here today.”

“A man was here when I came home a little while ago.”

“Where are your housekeeper and daughter?”

“Juanita took Kaitlyn to a play date with a friend. I had a meeting at the hospital with the ladies auxiliary.”

“When will they be back?”

“Not for another hour.”

“I’ll try to make this quick. I’d hate to upset Kaitlyn any more.”

“Thanks, Karl. I appreciate that.” Melora indicated to the living room and Daniel standing in its entrance. “Ranger Riley managed to thwart the man. Nothing was taken that I can tell.”

How would she know? She couldn’t have checked. There hadn’t been enough time. Daniel got the distinct feeling the woman wanted both him and the sheriff gone as quickly as possible. That wasn’t going to happen. She wasn’t getting rid of him that easily. Her husband had been involved in what was going on with the Lions of Texas. His body had been found buried at one of the organization’s drug drop sites. Had he been a member of the group? Had he crossed them somehow? Did Melora know something about the Lions of Texas?

Daniel strode to where the knife lay on the floor and pointed at it. “The intruder dropped this before fleeing.”

The color that had returned to Melora’s face drained again as she looked at the weapon. She turned away, hugging her arms across her chest.

“Good. We’ll check for fingerprints.” The sheriff donned a latex glove and carefully picked up the knife to drop into an evidence bag.

“You probably won’t find anything since he wore gloves, but maybe he was careless and we’ll catch a break.”

“It’s happened before, and I’m always grateful when it does.” Karl removed his cowboy hat and held it in his hands as he sat on a beige couch while Melora took the wingback chair across from him. “Can you tell me what happened? Anything about the man?”

She ran her long tapered fingers along her chin. “It happened so fast. I thought Patches had knocked over something in the living room. I came in to investigate. The next thing I know a man tackled me to the floor. The rest is a blur.”

Daniel remained standing by the door to the porch, listening to the shaky thread in her voice. His instincts told him there was a lot more to the story.

“What did he look like?” The sheriff rotated his cowboy hat in his hands.

“He had a black ski mask on. That’s about all I really saw.”

“What color were his eyes?” Daniel asked as he took several steps toward the pair.

“I—green—no, I think brown.” Melora kept her gaze fastened on to the sheriff as though hoping Daniel would go away if she ignored him.

Frustration churned in his gut. “Sheriff Layton, the suspect was about five feet nine. His build was compact. Strands of black hair hung below the ski mask a few inches. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a gray T-shirt, plain as far as I could tell and black leather gloves. His arms were deeply tanned. I gave you the description of the car he used to get away. Oh, and he ran fast, as though he were a runner.”

“That’s a start. We’ve got a BOLO out on the car.”

“Will you let me know when you find it?” Although he knew the sheriff would follow up on the partial license plate and see if he could find a match with a white Honda Accord, Daniel planned to do his own checking into it. He had to do something to find the person who murdered his captain. So much of what he and the other Rangers of Company D had discovered had led nowhere. They knew there was a criminal group in the state called the Lions of Texas and two of the activities they were involved in were drug running and murder. Axle had obviously double-crossed them, and he paid the price. His body was a clue Daniel hoped steered them in the right direction.

“Sure.” The sheriff turned his attention back to Melora. “Do you have any idea how the suspect got into the house?”

She waved her hand toward the porch door. “It was unlocked. The bolt was in the wrong place. I know it was locked when I left and my alarm was on when I came home.”

“Who knows your alarm code?” the sheriff asked, removing a pad from his pocket.

“My housekeeper, a maid who comes twice a week to clean and my uncle.” She rubbed her temple. “I think that’s all. I don’t make it a habit to give out my code.”

“Who’s the maid?” The sheriff jotted something down.

“Alicia Wells, but she’s been with me for years. The same with Juanita. She worked for my uncle before she came to me when I got married. I don’t see either one involved in robbing me.”

While Melora gave the sheriff Alicia’s address, Daniel strode to the porch door and checked it out.

“It doesn’t look like the lock has been tampered with. Who has a key to this door?” Daniel moved back toward Melora.

“The same people. The same key fits all my doors. But again, I can’t see Alicia or Juanita trying to rob me. And my uncle certainly wouldn’t.”

Daniel knew her uncle. Tyler Madison was part of the same social circle as his parents. Although now that his father had died, Daniel’s mother didn’t go out much. “Where does Juanita live?”

“Here. She has a suite and has lived here since the beginning of my marriage. She’s like family.” Melora narrowed her eyes on Daniel, daring him to say otherwise.

The sheriff rose, sympathy on his face. “I’ll talk with Alicia Wells and come back later to see if Juanita knows anything. I don’t have to tell you to change your locks and code.”

“I’ll interview Juanita, Sheriff, and let you know what she says.”

The sheriff nodded toward Daniel. “Fine. I’ll leave my deputy to finish processing the scene. Melora, if you find anything missing or remember anything, call me. I’ll have some deputies cruise by here and keep an eye on the place.”

In one fluid motion she was on her feet, but Daniel noticed her hands still trembled. She clasped them together and walked the sheriff to the door. Daniel scanned the room, looking for anything out of place. Other than the desk chair knocked over, everything seemed as though it were in its place. So if it was a burglar, why didn’t he see any evidence that the man was searching for valuables? Had she interrupted him right after he’d broken into the house? And why did he bother to reset the alarm if it was just a burglary? Most thieves get in and out fast. Was he waiting for Melora to come home and didn’t want to alert her to his presence?

When she reentered the room, she drew in a deep breath. She wasn’t a very good actress. Relief that the sheriff was gone was visible in her expression and the way she carried herself. But the second she spied him, her full tension returned. She stuffed her hands into the front pockets of her expensive brown slacks.

“Who is Patches?” Daniel finally took a seat in a chair.

She stared at him a few, long seconds before she covered the distance and sat where the sheriff had. “He’s my cat.”

“Where is he?”

“He hides when strangers are here. Now that I think about how he flew into my arms, I should have known something was wrong.”

“How do you really know the man didn’t take anything?”

She blinked, her eyes large for a brief moment, then her expression neutralized. “I didn’t see him carrying anything with him. Did you?” One eyebrow rose as though challenging him.

“There are items that are small but valuable. Jewelry, for one. I would suggest you confirm nothing was taken. I’ll go with you to make sure the house is secure. Then I’ll wait for Juanita to return.”

She gripped the edges of the couch cushion. “Let me get something straight with you. Juanita didn’t have anything to do with this. Over the years, she’s had plenty of opportunities to rob me.”

“I still want to talk with her. Your daughter and housekeeper should be home by the time we finish checking the house and you call a locksmith to come out here to change your locks.”

“I can go through everything later.”

“I’m here to help you. You do want to find the man who attacked you?”

Melora sat up straight, her mouth firmed in a frown. “Of course, but I don’t want Kaitlyn to know about any of this. She’s only five and with all that’s happened lately she’s understandably upset.”

“Then, when she comes home, just introduce me as a friend who’s visiting.” He stood. “We probably should get moving if we want to be finished before they arrive. I’ll see what I can do about the door I kicked in. I wouldn’t want your daughter to see it and get upset.”

Her teeth dug into her lower lip as her eyelids closed. “Yes.” But she didn’t move for a long moment.

When she pushed to her feet and her gaze met his, for a few seconds he glimpsed fear in the depths of her green eyes. Weariness lined her beautiful features, triggering his concern. “I’m here to help you. You can trust me.”

Daniel’s words replayed through Melora’s mind as she called a locksmith and a handyman she’d used before to replace the door and locks and as she and the Texas Ranger worked their way through the house. She didn’t know the meaning of the word trust anymore. With the discovery of her husband’s body, the nightmare that had started two years ago with his disappearance was back to plague her.

For almost two years, she’d managed to live her life as if everything was normal. But it had never really been normal since she’d married Axle Hudson six years ago. She’d become trapped in a marriage to a man who had criminal connections and a cruel streak. Not even her uncle could have helped her. Axle had been like a son to him and her husband could do no wrong in his eyes. How would Uncle Tyler ever believe Axle was a criminal, especially when she had no proof?

Even she’d had a hard time believing Axle’s chain of restaurants might be a front for illegal activities. Not the man she’d loved. But once he’d caught her eavesdropping on one of his conversations while she tried to figure out what was going on. After that, the atmosphere in the house had changed. His subtle comments about the value of life and how he would hate for their daughter not to have a mother scared her so much. To the point that she’d started planning her escape from him.

Then Axle went missing. And if she’d still believed in God, she would have thought He’d stepped in and taken care of her problem. That all changed, however, when her house was trashed and she was threatened by two unknown men only days after she’d reported her husband’s disappearance to the authorities.

Keep quiet and stay put and you won’t end up like your husband—dead. The intruders’ words two years ago flashed in and out of her mind. They’d been after Axle’s flash drive then, too. She stumbled as she returned to the living room.

Daniel grasped her arm and steadied her. The brand of his fingers around her biceps zipped a fiery path through her.

She stepped away, needing space. “I told you the man didn’t take anything. My jewelry is all there. Even my husband’s coin collection is intact. And it’s quite valuable.”

“Still, it needed to be checked out. You must have interrupted him right after he came. Not much was even disturbed except in the office. Do you use that room much?”

“No.” She shivered. That had been her husband’s domain and the place where he had threatened her if she continued to snoop into his activities. After that, she’d avoided his office. “Other than a few important pieces of paper my uncle needed concerning the restaurant chain, I’ve left it as is.” She had been so grateful that her uncle had seen to Axle’s business. She’d wanted to sell it and distance herself as far as possible from what could be an illegal enterprise, but because her husband wasn’t dead, only missing, she couldn’t do anything. But that all changed last week when his body was identified after being found buried on a local animal rescue’s property.

“Your uncle? Tyler Madison? What does he have to do with your husband’s restaurant chain?”

“When Axle wasn’t found, I took over the temporary running of the business. My uncle was the one who helped me and found a top-notch man to run it until Axle turned up.” She stared at the door her attacker had disappeared through only an hour before. “I’m afraid business isn’t my forte. I needed someone who was an expert. Uncle Tyler had the perfect man.”

“Ah, so you don’t know much about your husband’s business?”

She shook her head. Axle had purposefully kept her in the dark about his dealings and finances. “Eating at the restaurants is the extent of my knowledge concerning them. But the business is part of Axle’s estate and my daughter’s legacy.” And she had every intention of selling the chain as soon as she could. She didn’t want her daughter connected in any way to something illegal. With the Texas Rangers suddenly interested in Axle’s business, all her fears that the restaurant chain was somehow tied to criminal activities were validated.

Daniel gestured toward the couch. “What does Axle’s will say? Who stands to gain from your husband’s murder?”

“My daughter, who is five years old. Everything was left to her in a trust. I have a yearly allowance and this house.”

“Did you know the terms of the will before your husband’s death?”

“Yes. But my uncle has provided for me in his will. Besides, I also have the trust my parents set up for me. I didn’t need Axle’s money.” Her only goal was to look out for her daughter and her well-being. Although exhaustion clung to her, she remained standing in spite of Daniel taking a seat. “Are you accusing me of killing my husband?”

“No, should I?”

TWO

Melora collapsed into the chair near her. The thought that someone would suspect she could have something to do with a murder stunned her. “I was surrounded by people in the days around my husband’s disappearance. My housekeeper who lives here. My uncle stayed with me when Axle didn’t come home and I couldn’t get in touch with him. The day he disappeared I was at a conference in Dallas. My daughter was here with Juanita, and when Axle didn’t come home, I had her go to my uncle’s until I could get back to San Antonio.”

“I just like covering all the facts and details of a case. I’ve been assigned to find out what happened to your husband.”

“Again, I want to know what case you’re working on.”

“One that could have far-reaching consequences. That’s all I can tell you right now.”

And she wouldn’t tell him that she had contacted the FBI in Dallas after her conference to tell them the little she knew about her husband’s activities. Axle had let her go to the conference since she was the chairperson of the committee working for the mayor on drug education. He’d known she wouldn’t do anything with Kaitlyn in his hands, that she would never leave her daughter behind in San Antonio. But also, she was sure Axle had her followed. That feeling had stayed with her during her brief time in Dallas and all the way back to San Antonio. She still felt she was being watched. All she wanted was for Daniel Riley to leave her and her daughter alone.

She massaged her temples. “I don’t know anything more and my daughter will be home any minute. I don’t want anyone upsetting her.” She pointedly stabbed him with her gaze. The door he’d used to come into the house was through the mudroom, which she could close off so Kaitlyn wouldn’t see the busted door.

“I’d like to talk with Juanita, but I’ll make sure Kaitlyn doesn’t know why I’m here.”

“I appreciate that. She doesn’t understand why her daddy was gone for so long and then last week we had a funeral for him.” The sound of the garage door going up rumbled through the house. Melora wearily shoved herself to her feet. “Juanita and Kaitlyn are home.”

He followed her into the kitchen. “I noticed your daughter was at the funeral.”

Yes, and Melora had noticed he had been there, too, with the other Texas Ranger, Anderson Michaels, who’d come to the Alamo Planning Committee in October. Another committee she was on. Axle had wanted her to project the right image to the world, and she’d never complained because she liked making a difference and helping where she could. In fact, she still tried to maintain as normal a schedule as possible although she’d buried her husband two days ago.

She threw him a glance. “Kaitlyn needed some closure with her father.” She hoped instead of Kaitlyn getting distressed because her father hadn’t come home that her daughter’s nightmares would stop since she’d gotten to say goodbye to her daddy at the funeral.

The knob on the door to the garage turned. Melora fortified herself with a deep breath and faced her daughter who raced into the room with Juanita trailing at a more sedate pace.

“Mommy, you’re home.” Kaitlyn threw her arms around Melora’s legs. “I had a great time at Cara’s.”

While her housekeeper made her way toward her suite off a back hallway, Melora hugged Kaitlyn. “I’m so glad. We’ll have to have Cara over here soon.”

“Tomorrow?” Her daughter bent back and looked up expectedly.

Melora forced a chuckle that fell flat. “We’ll see.”

Kaitlyn leaned around Melora, peering at Daniel Riley. “Who are you?”

He crossed the kitchen, a smile lighting his gray eyes as though they were pieces of silver. “I’m a friend of your mother’s.”

Her daughter tilted her head and studied the Texas Ranger. “How come I’ve never seen you?”

His shoulders lifted in a shrug. “That’s going to change today. I’m Daniel.”

She tapped her chest. “I’m Kaitlyn.”

“I thought so. Your mother talks about you a lot.”

Kaitlyn beamed. “Yeah, she tells me all the time I’m her pride and joy.”

“I can see why.”

“Have ya met Patches yet?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“He’s hiding. He does that all the time with someone new.” Kaitlyn stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Don’t worry. He’ll get used to you. Then he won’t leave you alone.”

Melora moved forward to break up the little bonding session. She wanted the Texas Ranger out of her house as soon as possible. “Speaking of Patches, aren’t you supposed to feed him, young lady?”

“Yeah.” Kaitlyn turned her full attention back to Daniel. “Would ya like to help? I’ll hold Patches while you pat him.”

“Hon, he needs to leave.”

Daniel shot Melora a look that said their conversation wasn’t over. “Yeah, I’m sorry I have to go. But I’m sure I’ll see you again, Kaitlyn.”

“Great! I’ll show you Patches then.” Her child hurried toward the utility room where Patches’s food was kept.

Once Kaitlyn was out of the kitchen, Daniel said, “I’d like to talk to Juanita before I leave.”

Melora peered toward where her daughter had disappeared. She needed to get rid of the man as fast as possible in case someone was watching the house. “Fine. I’ll take you back to her suite. After that, I’d like you to go. I don’t want Kaitlyn to know anything about today.”

“Don’t you want to find out who murdered your husband? Who broke into your house? It’s possible there’s a connection.”

While he studied her, she struggled to remain as calm as possible. “Of course. But I don’t see a connection. And I have to think of my daughter’s emotional well-being.” And her physical well-being. What if Kaitlyn had been here when the man had broken in? Both sets of intruders had frightened her, but the last one seemed more sinister—desperate almost, as though time was running out. Chills encased her in a cold sweat. Her heartbeat sped up. She didn’t know how long she could keep up the pretense that everything was all right. This facade she had to put on weighed heavily on her.

“I shouldn’t be long.”

Melora swept her arm across her front, indicating the hallway Juanita disappeared down, then started forward. “Her room is back here.”

The hair on her nape tingled under the Ranger’s hard gaze. He wasn’t going to let this investigation die until he’d turned over every clue he could get. Fear mingled with her frustration. She hadn’t wanted to say anything to Uncle Tyler about what had happened two years ago. She didn’t want him worrying or worse—trying to do something about it and getting hurt. He’d taken her in after her parents died when she was nine. He was all the family she had except for Kaitlyn.

Melora stopped in front of a closed door and knocked. Her housekeeper answered, peering first at her then Daniel, wariness in her dark eyes. Although she knew about the break-in after Axle had vanished, Melora hadn’t told her about the threat. And Juanita had never questioned why Melora hadn’t reported the break-in to the sheriff. Juanita was an American citizen, but she was leery of law enforcement. Some of her family had been deported back to Mexico.

“This is Daniel Riley with the Texas Rangers. He has a few questions for you. We had an intruder today, and Ranger Riley managed to chase the man away but didn’t catch him.”

Juanita’s attention remained focused on Melora for a few seconds. “I don’t know anything about a break-in.”

Touching her arm, Melora gave her housekeeper a reassuring look. “I know.” She bit back the words, “Humor him and he’ll leave.”

“May I come in?” Daniel asked, nodding toward the sitting area visible behind Juanita.

“I was getting ready to leave. I have to get dinner ready.” The housekeeper blocked the entrance into her suite. “I don’t understand what you think I know. I wasn’t here.” She shifted her gaze to Melora. “Was anything taken? Nothing was bothered in my room.”

“No, not that I can tell.”

“Who left first, you or Mrs. Hudson this afternoon?” Daniel asked, scrutinizing the housekeeper.

“I did with Kaitlyn. I had a few errands to run before the play date.”

“What errands?”

“Pharmacy and dry cleaners.” Juanita glanced at Melora.

“Did you talk to anyone?” Daniel shifted to hamper Juanita’s view of Melora.

“Just the cashiers.”

“Did you notice a white Honda Accord parked in this area when you left?”

Juanita tilted her head to the side and thought for a moment. “No.”

“No one unusual around?”

Juanita shook her head.

Daniel withdrew a business card. “If you can think of anything that might help us find the man who broke in here, please contact me.”

Pocketing the card, her housekeeper moved out into the hall and closed her door. “If that’s all, I’ve got dinner to cook.” She ambled toward the kitchen without giving Daniel a chance to say anything.

“She’s tough,” Daniel said with a chuckle.

“Yes, and observant, so if she said she didn’t see anyone, there wasn’t anyone out there.”

“What time did you leave this afternoon?”

“1:00. My meeting was at 2:00 and since we’re a ways out of San Antonio, I needed to leave early. And I didn’t see anyone, either.” She trailed after her housekeeper down the hall, again feeling the Ranger’s scrutiny.

“Either the man is good at hiding or he came after you left. Do you follow a certain routine?”

“No. This meeting, however, is public knowledge and so is my participation.” Remembering that the man had indicated he’d been waiting for her return made her fearful. Her hands quavered, and she had to curl them into fists to keep the Ranger from seeing her alarm.

“But the man wouldn’t know about your daughter and her play date?”

The question brought Melora up short. She gripped the frame of the door that led into the kitchen. “So you think he either didn’t care my daughter would be home or he was watching the place?”

Daniel skirted around her. “It’s a possibility we need to consider.” The pounding of her heartbeat nearly drowned out his next words, “I’ll keep you informed of my investigation.”

In other words, he’d keep in touch, possibly come back to the house. Alert whoever was watching her. She wanted to tell him she didn’t want the case pursued, but there was no way she could tell him her reasons. She didn’t know what to do anymore.

Why, Axle? Why did you get mixed up in something illegal? Those questions had rumbled around in her mind for the past two years, and she was reminded yet again that her judgment concerning her husband hadn’t been good. What had she missed? Why couldn’t she have seen what kind of man he really was?

“Mrs. Hudson?”

Daniel’s voice, full of concern, wrenched her back to the present—a present filled with a Texas Ranger who asked too many questions.

“Are you okay?”

She blinked. “What do you think?”

He peered over her shoulder at the housekeeper and moved close to her. “I think you’re scared and hiding something.” He tipped his cowboy hat. “Good day. I can find my own way out.”

Melora watched the man stride away, his steps long, economical, as though he never had a wasted motion. Dressed in tan slacks and a white, long-sleeve shirt with a black tie, he looked the part of a Texas Ranger down to his brown boots, his white cowboy hat and silver star he wore over his heart. Confident. Controlled. Capable—in any situation.

She wished she had those traits, especially right now. Then she would know who to trust, what to do. How to get out of the mess her husband had put her and Kaitlyn in.

Frustration churned Daniel’s gut. Everywhere he’d gone he’d run into dead ends. But he knew that Axle’s widow wasn’t telling him everything. Behind the exhaustion, he glimpsed fear. Of what? He intended to find out. Somehow he felt it was connected to her husband’s murder and possibly Captain Pike’s. It wasn’t just the break-in that had scared her.

Daniel could still remember the text message he’d received, along with all the Texas Rangers in Company D, from Captain Pike three months ago. His last one. Convene at my house, ASAP. Major case about to explode. When they’d arrived, they found him dead from a gunshot wound and another man critically injured. That man still hadn’t woken up or been identified. If only one of the Rangers had gotten there before someone had killed their captain.

Daniel pulled into the parking lot of the Texas Ranger’s station in San Antonio. On the way here from Melora’s house, he’d had Ranger Oliver Drew run the partial license plate numbers against white Honda Accords in Texas. He hoped the list wasn’t too long. He needed a break. After climbing from his truck, he strode toward the building, the temperature warmer than usual for the end of November, a hint of rain in the air.

Inside he found Oliver right away, sitting at his desk. “Did you get anything?”

“A list of seven vehicles in the San Antonio area—more for the whole state of Texas.”

“Seven. That’s not bad. First check them and see if there are any that have been reported stolen. Maybe the suspect was dumb enough to use his own car.”

Oliver chuckled. “You’re dreaming, but I’ll take care of this list for you. Captain wants to see you.”

Daniel looked toward Captain Benjamin Fritz’s office. As a lieutenant, Daniel often ran things by his captain. Pushing open Ben’s door, he stuck his head in. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yep, come in. I need you and Anderson to go back to the Alamo Planning Committee meeting. I don’t like what’s been happening. A lot of important dignitaries will be attending the celebration. Stress that, with the threatening letter the committee received in October and the phone call Hank Zarvy got a few weeks ago about the event, we want them to think about having a smaller, more intimate event for the 175th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo. We think it would be better and far safer. I know the threats have been vague. Nothing but warnings that if we don’t cancel the celebration, something bad will happen. But we haven’t been able to trace anything.”

“Okay. I’ll check when the next meeting is and get on the agenda.” Daniel immediately thought of the last meeting he’d gone to. Melora was on the committee. Maybe he could talk to her afterward. In a different environment after she had time to think about the break-in, she might be more forthcoming with her information.

“How did it go with Mrs. Hudson?”

“She’s not saying much.” He went on to give Ben a detailed report of the break-in and his interview with Melora and Juanita.

“Get Gisella to help you with digging into Axle Hudson’s background and dealings. We need to know everything about him.”

“Especially if he’s a member of the Lions of Texas. You can certainly say he was a powerful person with lots of connections.” One of the first breaks in their captain’s murder case was the few details about the group they got from Eddie Jimenez, a low-level member of the Lions of Texas, who had tried to get the captain’s notes after the shooting. Eddie hadn’t been successful in getting what he had been after. When caught, the thug hadn’t been able to tell them who had killed Gregory Pike or who had sent Eddie after the notes, but the man did tell the Rangers that the group behind all this was called the Lions of Texas. According to Eddie the members were powerful—and very dangerous. Not much to go on, but a start. And if Axle was a member of the Lions, then getting to know everything about the man could lead to others in the group.

“Do you think Mrs. Hudson knows what her husband was up to? What got him killed?”

His image of Melora, frightened and vulnerable, didn’t fit with her being a cold, calculating woman who approved of her husband’s illegal activities. “I aim to find out. I don’t think the intruder was there to rob her place. Oliver is tracking down the getaway car.”

“Stay on her. Get to be her new best friend. Find out what she knows.”

“That’s what I plan on doing.” As Daniel headed toward the door, his cell rang. Noticing the call came from the sheriff, he answered it as he left Ben’s office. “Riley here.”

“We’re at Alicia Wells’s apartment. I think you should come take a look at the place.”

“She’s not there?”

“Nope, and it appears she left in a hurry.”

After the sheriff gave him the location of the apartment, Daniel slipped his cell into his pocket and started for the exit.

Oliver stopped him. “I tracked down the white Honda, at least I think it’s the one. It was reported missing this morning. It belongs to Paul Carson.”

“Has the car been found?”

“No.”

“Check Carson out and interview him. The man I chased was compact, five feet nine inches with medium-length black hair. See if he fits the description.”

Daniel hurried toward his truck. He felt as though Melora was the key to what was going on. He would stick to her like glue.

Thirty minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of the building where Alicia Wells lived. When he entered the apartment, the sheriff waved him over and pointed at a spot on the rug, the size of a quarter. “Found this after I called you. We tested it. That’s fresh blood.”

THREE

“So you think it’s human?” Daniel scanned Alicia Wells’s living room.

“Yes. No signs of a pet. But the lab will have to confirm it and the blood type.”

“Why do you think she ran?” Daniel spotted a desk with some open drawers.

The sheriff stiffened.

“Because her clothes and most of her personal belongings are gone. I didn’t see this blood until a second walk-through.”

“So you’re thinking someone took her and made it look like she left?”

Sheriff Layton stroked his chin. “Possibly. I suppose there could be a simple explanation for the blood, like she cut herself. It certainly isn’t enough to kill her.” He flipped back the edge of the rug.

Daniel noticed several more spots of what looked like dried blood along that edge—not nearly enough to indicate she was seriously injured. But his gut feeling on this was they’d find Alicia dead. He hoped he was wrong, but the people they were dealing with wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone after they got what they wanted. “I’ll have my office look into Alicia Wells if that’s okay with you.”

“Fine by me.” The sheriff started for the bedroom. “I suspect Ms. Wells didn’t go willingly.”

“If Alicia gave someone the code and key to the house, that would explain the how of the break-in but not the why or the who.”

“You don’t think it was just a robbery attempt?”

“I think there’s more to it. Possibly connected to Captain Pike’s murder.” Halting at the entrance into the room, Daniel surveyed the open drawers, the empty closet, the rumpled coverlet on the bed.

“All connected to Axle’s body being found?”

“That’s what I’m thinking. It was found at a drop site used by the group we think is responsible for Greg’s death.” Axle was somehow connected to the Lions of Texas, either he was one of them or he crossed one of them.

Daniel covered the distance to the closet and examined it—hangers tossed on the carpeted floor, a few clothing items still hanging on the rod, a box of papers scattered about the remaining three pairs of shoes. Kneeling by the mess, he took a pen out of his pocket and used it to move some of the pieces around.

“Look at this.” Daniel glanced over his shoulder at the sheriff. “These are financial papers. If she was running, why didn’t she take them with her?”

“Maybe she was interrupted and didn’t have time to come back for them? Maybe that blood has been there for a while. Someone obviously tried to cover it up but missed the few spots on the rug. It kind of blends with the other colors.”

“We’ll need to look into her accounts and see if she’s received any large amounts of money.” Something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Leaning forward, Daniel poked under the shelving in the closet with his pen. He slid out a hundred dollar bill. “Or not. Cash works just as well.”

Melora left the hospital gift shop after volunteering behind the counter. She had to keep up appearances, act as though nothing was wrong. And every Wednesday morning she helped in the auxiliary’s gift shop. She didn’t want to make anyone nervous.

Looking down, she opened her purse and dug around for her car keys. She nearly collided with Dr. Jorge Cantana, the father of Kaitlyn’s friend Cara, but stopped herself one step short when she glanced back up.

Startled, he pulled his gaze away from a folder he was reading, his dark hair tousled. “Sorry, Melora.” His warm appraisal skimmed down her. “Where are you heading to? Finished volunteering?”

“Yes. I have a meeting at one for the Alamo Planning Committee. We’re really getting geared up for a big celebration for the Battle of the Alamo anniversary.”

“How do you keep everything straight?”

She withdrew her PDA from her purse. “By counting on this. What’s got you flustered?”

“Flustered?”

She flipped her hand toward his white doctor coat, buttoned wrong.

He chuckled. “Oh.” After fixing it, he peered up at Melora. “One of my patients isn’t responding to his treatment. I’m trying to figure out what else I can do.”

Jorge had been their family doctor for years. He was her uncle’s doctor, too. He and his wife had been there for her after Axle had disappeared. He’d even tried to help her with Kaitlyn when his busy schedule allowed.

“Just remember to take some time for yourself. I worry about you working so hard.”

He grinned. “Don’t. I thrive on working. Thankfully, my wife understands.”

“Tell Beth hi for me. I hope our daughters can get together again. Kaitlyn enjoys playing with Cara.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” He started to move away, stopped and turned back. “If you need to talk, I’m available. So is Beth. I know Axle has been gone for two years, and you felt something had happened to him, but now knowing for sure still has to be processed.”

“I appreciate that.” If she wasn’t so afraid, she might actually have time to do that very thing. But all her energy had to be focused on keeping her daughter safe. Figuring out a way to get their lives back.

Checking her watch, Melora noticed she was running late for the meeting. She hurried from the hospital and located her silver Lexus in the parking lot. As she slid behind the steering wheel, she scouted the area. She couldn’t find anyone watching her, but she felt it deep in her bones. She’d felt that way ever since Axle’s body had been identified.

Who was watching her? Why were they watching? She wasn’t going to talk. She didn’t even have much she could tell the authorities. She didn’t know the details of her husband’s activities, and she planned to make that clear to the Texas Rangers.

Two years ago, the two men who had broken into her house had told her they were after a flash drive. They hadn’t found it then and had thankfully left her unharmed but with a warning. Had the man broken into her house two days ago because of the police’s renewed interest in Axle? Had they stopped looking for the flash drive because they’d thought Axle had it on him? Then when his body was discovered, they realized the device wasn’t with him?

Her head throbbed with all the unanswered questions. She pulled out of the parking lot and drove toward the meeting’s location.

She really didn’t know whom to trust. Trust in the Lord. The thought popped into her head as she turned into the space at the side of the office building. She’d pleaded with the Lord to help her when everything had started falling apart three years ago. He obviously hadn’t thought she was worth His trouble. So somehow she had to find a way out of this mess by herself.

On the elevator ride she composed herself. She couldn’t let people know what was going on. She had to be in control, poised—play the role she’d been cast in.

When she stepped into the hallway on the tenth floor, she came face-to-face with Rangers Daniel Boone Riley and Anderson Michaels. She tried to hide her surprise mixed with concern, but Daniel’s assessing gaze honed in on her. She remembered at the funeral last week the kindness in his eyes when they had connected with hers.

“It’s nice to see you again.” Daniel shifted toward her. “I believe you’ve met Anderson Michaels. He came with me in October to this meeting.”

“Yes, I remember him.” At this moment, Daniel’s look didn’t convey the kindness she’d glimpsed at the gravesite but something else—determination. To dig into Axle’s past and put her and Kaitlyn in danger.

Anderson nodded toward her. “Good to see you again, Mrs. Hudson.”

Why are they here? Struggling to remain outwardly calm while she quietly panicked inside, she forced a smile. She clutched her purse straps tighter to still the trembling in her hand. “Is there a problem with the celebration?”

While Anderson went into the conference room at the end of the hallway, Daniel hung back with her. “Possibly. I’ll explain everything inside. I was going to call you, but then I had to come to this meeting. Afterward, I’d like to talk with you. Let you know what I’ve come up with concerning your break-in.”

She glanced up and down the corridor. Another committee member stepped off the elevator. Rodney Tanner caught sight of them and headed toward them.

“I thought I was late. I guess the meeting hasn’t started yet. Good to see you, Melora.” Rodney patted Daniel on the back. “And you, too, Daniel. How’s your mother doing? I haven’t seen her lately.”

“She’s fine, sir. She went to the Caribbean a couple of weeks ago and just returned.”

“I’ll have to call her and make sure she doesn’t need anything. I told your father I would keep an eye on her.”

“We need to start the meeting.” Hank Zarvy, the chairman of the committee, stuck his head out into the hallway.

Melora used that excuse to hurry ahead of Daniel and Rodney into the room. Taking the last vacant chair on the left, she was relieved when Daniel sat on the opposite side of the table. His eyes zoomed in on her as he removed his white cowboy hat and put it under his seat. She fought the urge to squirm and wrenched her gaze away from his.

After going through a list of items on the agenda, Hank closed the folder in front of him and looked toward Daniel. “I understand the Texas Rangers have some concerns and wanted to express them today at this meeting. You’ve got the floor, Daniel.”

Hank, too, had been good friends with his father. Actually, Daniel knew half of the members personally. He hoped that would help him talk them into the changes the Texas Rangers proposed.

Daniel rose, chancing a look toward Melora. She’d been avoiding eye contact the whole meeting. At the moment, she stared down at the paper before her. What are you hiding?

He cleared his throat and turned his attention to Hank. “We’ve looked over the plans for the celebration and feel we have to recommend that it be toned down in scope. We think a more intimate celebration will give anyone bent on causing trouble less opportunity to disrupt the event. It’ll be easier to keep an eye on the crowd with a smaller function. We’re concerned that with the vice president and the governor attending there could be problems with security, especially in light of the letter in October alluding to bad things happening if the celebration wasn’t canceled and then the anonymous phone call Hank received a few weeks ago threatening problems. It doesn’t appear the person has given up, and we haven’t been able to locate him.”

Everyone began talking at once. Hank held up his hand. “This has been in the planning stages for years. We can’t all of a sudden change plans. What kind of message would we be sending to others? That we can be intimidated? No!” Hank brought his hand down flat on the oak table. “This is Texas and this celebration is important to the state, especially to San Antonio.”

“But we celebrate the Alamo’s anniversary every year. We can make this one smaller and have a bigger one next year.” Daniel looked pointedly at each member of the committee, lingering on Melora for a few extra seconds.

“Celebrating the 176th anniversary doesn’t have the same kind of ring as the 175th anniversary.” Rodney frowned. “And what if we have a threatening letter next year? Do we just cancel the celebration altogether? No, just like the United States doesn’t give in to terrorists, we won’t give in to this blackmail. Beef up security. Find the person responsible for the threats.”

A few others interjected their thoughts. One was in favor of scaling the celebration down while two others weren’t.

Frustrated, Daniel surveyed each member’s face and saw resolve not to buckle under any pressure—except for Melora and the woman next to her. Melora’s gaze connected with Daniel’s for a brief moment, and he saw understanding in those green depths. The visual link stirred feelings of protectiveness in him.

“I think you know how this committee feels, but we’ll put it to a vote. All in favor of keeping the celebration as it’s planned now, raise your hand.” Hank surveyed the people at the table. “Eight to two. It looks like we’ll leave it as is.”

Daniel gave Melora a smile for her no vote and sat.

“We expect you and the other Rangers to make the celebration as safe as possible.” Hank directed a hard look at Daniel, then Anderson. “And we don’t need knowledge of the letter and phone call getting out. They were both vague, nothing concrete. I don’t want the press to get hold of them and build up the threat to more than it is. You know how they can be. Understand, Rangers Riley and Michaels?”

“Yes, sir,” both he and Anderson said.

“Good. Since we’re getting closer to the anniversary, we’ll convene in two weeks at the same time. That concludes our meeting.” Closing his notepad in front of him, Hank rose.

Daniel surged to his feet and headed for the door. Out in the hall he paused and turned to Anderson. “Go ahead without me. I’m going to try and talk with Melora Hudson.”

“Gonna use your charm to get the lady to tell all?”

“I’m working on it.” Daniel chuckled. According to his ex-wife, he had none.

Melora emerged from the meeting room and spotted Daniel. Her mouth tightened and her shoulders tensed. Quickly, she fastened her attention on the opening elevator door and started toward it.

Daniel moved into her path. “I want to thank you for your support in the meeting.”

“You’re welcome.” She took a step away, feeling trapped by the Ranger’s presence yet wanting to know if he’d discovered anything about Axle’s death. Anything that could put her in more danger.

“I think the decision is a big mistake.”

“I agree. It isn’t necessary to take needless risks.” She had enough of them to fill a lifetime.

“With added security there won’t be needless risks,” Rodney said, stopping next to Melora. He directed his look to Daniel. “I’m confident that the Texas Rangers will have the security needed to protect the public, the governor and the vice president. Look at the Super Bowl. The World Series. They manage to have those huge events without incident.”

Daniel donned his cowboy hat. “We’ll do the best job possible. But we wouldn’t be doing that job if we didn’t propose a smaller celebration for safety reasons.”

“Son, I was good friends with your father. As you know, he loved this celebration. We’ll miss him this year. He was looking forward to the event, had even pushed it before his death last year. He was passionate about anything to do with the Alamo. A true Texan to the core. We’re dedicating this to your father and his memory.”

The color leaked from Daniel’s tanned features. “I’d heard that.”

Daniel’s father had been a big supporter of the Alamo, the committee and San Antonio. He’d given large sums of money to various events to promote the city and state.

Rodney slapped Daniel on the back. “It’s going to be okay, son. Nothing has ever happened before.” The older man nodded toward Melora. “If there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know. I’m sorry to hear about Axle, but at least now you have some closure.”

A lump formed in her throat. Closure? She didn’t know if she ever would. As Rodney ambled toward the elevator, Melora glanced around and noticed the hallway was empty except for them. In Daniel’s dark gray eyes she glimpsed a vulnerability that she could identify with. The mention of his father had changed his bearing. For a few seconds his expression reflected pain as Rodney had talked. But also something else? Hurt was something she knew about. That connected them in a way she couldn’t afford. She needed to distance herself as far from the police as possible. She didn’t want the people watching her to think she was cooperating with the authorities.

Daniel blew a breath out. “Mom is happy about the dedication.”

“But not you?”

“I don’t know what I think.” That hurt she’d sensed a few minutes ago inched back into his voice. “Especially if something does go wrong at the celebration.”

“Rodney did spring it on you.”

“Yeah. I’m not big on surprises.”

“Neither am I,” Melora said.

“Would you like some coffee? There’s a café downstairs that makes a good cup.”

“I probably need to—”

“Please.”

The appeal in his expression touched her heart. No one was around. If someone was watching the building, they wouldn’t know she’d had coffee with Daniel. And she wanted to know if he knew anything about Axle’s case. Talking with him in a public place would be better than him coming to the house. From what she knew about Ranger Daniel Riley, their conversation a couple of days ago wouldn’t be their last. She got the feeling he would keep visiting her until he got what he was after and that worried her a lot. The intruder’s warning about the police resounded in her mind.

“Sure. I have a little time before I need to be home.”

Daniel smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “That’s great.”

His expression caused her heartbeat to increase. What would it feel like to have a normal life?

As she stepped up to the elevator, Daniel reached around her and punched the down button. Her stomach clenched at his nearness. A whiff of his fresh aftershave swirled around her. What she knew of him made her wish they’d met under different circumstances. For just a moment, she felt safe in his presence—a feeling she hadn’t experienced in years.

They’d once moved in the same social circles, although Daniel hadn’t attended many functions in the past five or six years. Rumor had it that he and his father, who died last year, had a falling out about his job in law enforcement. Was that what was behind the hurt and pain in his expression earlier?

The ding of the elevator pulled her away from her thoughts. She needed to keep her wits about her. She couldn’t let him know what was going on and risk something happening to her daughter or uncle.

Inside the Java Hut, Melora ordered a chai latte while Daniel got a cup of black coffee. She sat at a table for four and decided it wasn’t big enough. He was too close. Too commanding. Too appealing. Those thoughts stunned her. It had to be her exhaustion talking, what with the identification of Axle’s body, his funeral, the break-in and new threats.

“Will the Rangers be able to secure the celebration?” she asked after taking a sip of her drink.

“We’ll have to. We have no choice now. While the secret service will guard the vice president, our main concern will be the governor and lieutenant governor.” He set his mug on the placemat before him. “I’m glad you’re here. I was going to pay you a visit to let you know about the progress on the break-in.”

The mention of the intruder stiffened her spine. She gripped her cup, relishing the warmth on her cold fingers. “You found him?”

“No, but we think Alicia Wells was the one responsible for giving him a key and the code.”

“Not Alicia. She’s worked for me since I married Axle six years ago. She’s never given me a reason to doubt her loyalty.”

“Well, she’s gone. Her bank account was closed two days ago. She deposited several thousand dollars late last week into it. Do you know any reason she would be putting that kind of money into her account? From the looks of her apartment, I didn’t get the impression she had a lot of money.”

“She works hard, but she’s had some problems with her two kids.”

“Do you know where they live?”

“She told me her son, Nate, was going to move to Dallas. He should have by now. Her daughter lives in San Diego. She was getting married, and Alicia didn’t like the man. She said he was trouble.”

“What’s his name? The daughter’s?” Daniel pulled out his notepad.

Seeing him write something on the paper, Melora glimpsed the patrons in the café. Two others were in the restaurant and had been there since they had come in. The couple’s attention remained on each other. “Pedro something. I don’t know his last name. Her daughter is Bella. You think Alicia went to one of her children?”

“Possibly. I need to check everything out.”

“It was just a break-in—nothing taken,” Melora said without thinking, reliving the terror she’d experienced with the intruder on Monday. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Her breathing became shallow.

“But what if the break-in is tied to your husband’s murder?”

“Why? That’s what you keep asking. He was killed two years ago.” She had to remain calm and in control or Daniel would know she was hiding something for sure.

“Call it a hunch if you want.”

The ever-present fear boiled in Melora’s stomach. How could she get him to drop the investigation? “This past month has been very difficult, and I don’t want any more grief. I just want to live in peace.” That last sentence felt wrenched from her as though if she said it enough, it might happen. Peace. She longed for it.

“What if it’s connected to Axle’s murder and the intruder was looking for something now that your husband has turned up dead?”

“Why would you say that?” As much as she tried, panic laced each word. She knew what the intruder was searching for—the flash drive.

“Because it looks like the intruder went to some lengths to break into your place. If it was an ordinary robber, why would he possibly pay your maid for your key and code? Wouldn’t he just find an easier target?”

Melora was in over her head and she didn’t know what to do. These people meant business. How could she say anything to Daniel and keep her family safe? She didn’t know where the flash drive was or anything about Axle’s business. “You don’t know that for sure. Maybe Alicia just decided to live with one of her children, or maybe she’s somewhere else. She isn’t due at my house until tomorrow. Maybe she’ll show up.” Although she knew that wasn’t the case. Alicia wouldn’t have left without telling her.

Daniel scribbled a note on his paper. When his eyes connected with hers, a storm brewed in their depths. “What are you really afraid of, Melora?”

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