High-Risk Reunion

They were all exhausted after spending a good part of the night at the El Rio Medical Center that served the area. At least they didn’t have to go to San Antonio. The injury that had concerned him the most was the slash down Michelle’s arm. It required twelve stitches, but she kept it together the whole time. In fact, she had been unusually quiet, her earlier anger before the wreck gone.

Thank you, Lord. It could’ve been much worse.

Tory rallied when he opened the driver’s side door. “Why are we here?”

“I need to talk to Sheriff Dawson and Paul about what they’ve discovered so far, then I’ll drive y’all to the ranch. Uncle Ben has readied the house and will have breakfast for us.”

“I’m glad it’s Saturday. I don’t know how I would’ve made it to the courthouse.”

“We’ll talk about all that later. Rest. I won’t be long.”

She settled against the passenger side door, and her eyes closed immediately. He’d pulled all-nighters before, but he hoped to grab a couple of hours of rest later today. He needed to be at his sharpest if he was going to protect Tory and Michelle.

Cade shook hands with the sheriff. He’d just started working with him and hadn’t known him previously, not like Paul who he’d gone to school with. “Have y’all found anything that leads to the person who left the truck on the road?”

“Now that it’s daylight, we wanted to search the surrounding area more thoroughly. As you know from last night, we found human blood in the back of the pickup that hadn’t been there long. The marks in the truck bed indicated something was dragged from the back still bleeding. We have latent prints in the cab and on the handle of the tailgate as well as fibers. Not sure from what but I sent it to the lab in San Antonio.”

“Any test result back yet? Blood type?”

“Not yet, other than it was human. Should hear soon on that. We did find out that the blood in Tory’s house was from a pig.” The sheriff glanced at where Cade’s wrecked Jeep had been. “I know you said last night you didn’t see anyone in the truck because you were too busy trying to avoid crashing into it. But when you got out to check around your SUV, did you glance up at the road and see anything?”

“No, it was too dark. The more I think about the moment I first saw the vehicle, I don’t believe there was anyone in the cab. Whoever left it was gone or hiding on the side of the road. If I hadn’t had my bright lights on, I might not have been able to avoid the black truck. As you saw, it was parked on the road at just the right place to hinder the chance to stop in time. Who owns it?”

“It was reported stolen in San Antonio last night before the accident. Mark Summers owns it, and the police there have checked into his alibi. Part of the time he was with an officer filling out a stolen vehicle report. The rest of the time he was with his family and neighbors discussing the theft and how to beef up security. San Antonio Police will follow up and interview people in the area where the truck was when it was stolen.”

After talking with a couple of his officers, Paul joined them. “I’m going to focus on some of the traffic cams and see if I can catch the truck on any of them last night. Maybe we’ll be able to get a picture of the driver that way.”

“Who else is involved in the trial of Diego Mederos?” Finding blood in the back of the pickup made Cade wonder if more people than just Tory had been targeted yesterday. Even if they knew it was Mederos who was responsible, without evidence he would get away with a crime yet again.

“Judge Parks is presiding over the trial. But he’s on a hunting weekend right now and isn’t answering his cell phone. Lieutenant Sanders ran the investigation in my department,” Paul said. “I contacted him, and he’s fine. Deputy Collins helped from the sheriff’s office. I haven’t been able to reach him yet either. Also, we received help from Ranger Eastman before he retired. But he lives in Arizona. We left a message on his answering machine.”

Cade would call the Texas Ranger he replaced and get his thoughts on what was going on. “I’ll contact Eastman. He’s an old friend of my uncle’s.” He looked at his rented car. “I know Sanders, but I haven’t met your deputy, Sheriff Dawson. I’d like to work with them since they’re familiar with the Mederos case.”

“Deputy Collins is my second-in-command and just returned from a well-deserved vacation. A good officer. I’ll have him gather up his notes and come by to talk to you. How about this afternoon around four?”

“Sounds good. Call me anytime you have a lead. We could have all died last night. I intend to find who’s behind this.” Cade looked toward the deputies and police officers spreading out from where the truck had been in the middle of the road. They combed the ground and brush, part of them taking the right side of the highway while the other investigated the left. “Are you bringing in a dog to see if he’ll pick up a scent leading away from the vehicle?”

The sheriff removed his cowboy hat, ran his fingers through his gray hair, then plopped his Stetson back on his head. “Yep. Billy still has the best bloodhound around these parts. He’s on his way.”

Cade pointed to the south. “My land starts there. Check that area too.” He wouldn’t be surprised if something was discovered on his ranch. If he didn’t need to protect Tory and Michelle, he’d be out there looking himself. “I’m going to take Tory and her daughter to my house, then I’m going through it to make sure it’s secured.”

“I can spare a deputy to park outside your house after the search here.”

“Good.” Cade touched the brim of his cowboy hat then headed back to his rented four-wheel drive.

As he slipped in behind the steering wheel, Tory opened her eyes halfway, then closed them again. He threw a glance at the backseat, and the sight of his daughter sleeping tugged at his heart. Fifteen years ago, his life could have been so different, if he hadn’t been on that secret mission. He couldn’t change the past, but he could at least affect the future and what was happening here.

* * *

Five hours later, Cade hung up after talking with the retired Texas Ranger about the Mederos case. He intended to pay Diego Mederos a visit later today at the jail, then see Lieutenant Sanders at the station instead of his ranch. He didn’t want Michelle to overhear too much talk about Mederos.

Although the biker gang leader was the most likely person behind the attack on Tory and Michelle, he was also going to dig into Tory’s past cases. She would be with him when he picked up her files, so they could review them and figure out who to investigate. Her secretary, Rachel Adams, was coming in to box them up.

The sound of footsteps drew his attention. With his hand on his gun at his waist, he rose and went into the hallway to check. Tory stopped halfway down the stairs, her face pale and full of exhaustion. She combed her shoulder-length blond hair behind her ears, then twirled the end of some strands—a nervous habit she used to do when she was upset and not sure what to do. In that moment he wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her, make her feel safe.

He broke the long silence. “Did you sleep okay?”

“No, I kept dreaming about yesterday. I finally gave up. At least Michelle is still asleep. How about you?”

“A cat nap.”

“Where’s your uncle?”

“Fixing lunch. He’s determined to do his part by making high-energy food to help keep us going.”

The corner of her mouth tilted up. “I got that impression when he kept insisting we eat his breakfast.”

The hint of a smile reminded him of the Tory he used to know. He hated to bring up the situation, but time was against them. “We need to talk.”

“Yes, before Michelle wakes up. This has taken a big toll on her.”

He waved his arm toward the living room. “I agree. She’s gone through a lot. How about you?” Not only did his daughter have a long gash on her arm but smaller ones on that side of her body. He was feeling sore, so no doubt Tory was too. The seatbelt held them in place, but they had been jerked around as the Jeep rolled as though they were spinning in a clothes dryer.

All emotions left her expression. “I’ll be okay as long as Michelle is.” She started for the living room.

Cade trailed behind her. He’d learned to read her easily when they were teenagers. She’d confided in him all the time. The woman in front of him was determined to keep everything bottled up inside her. What had happened to her since they’d dated?

She took a seat in a navy blue lounger as he sat opposite her on the tan couch. “When are we going to my office?”

“After lunch. Paul gave your secretary my cell number. She called. She’ll be there at one o’clock to help any way she can.”

“Rachel is invaluable to me. She knows what’s going on in my office as well as I do.”

“Good, we could use her input.”

She panned the room. “I like the homey feel to this room.”

“You can thank Uncle Ben for that. The house may belong to me, but it’s really his home.” Why were they dancing around the subject they needed to discuss? After another minute of silence, he finally said, “This might be a good time to talk about what happened between us all those years ago.” He knew the case needed to be discussed, but their earlier relationship was standing in their way of working as a team.

“No.”

The force behind that one word blasted him. “Because Michelle’s nearby?”

She nodded, folding her hands together in her lap.

He’d let that go for the present, but they would be alone on the ride to town and back. “Then we need to talk about who you think would want to do you harm.”

“I’ve been thinking about that all night. At the head of the list is Diego Mederos, but I have made some other criminals mad at me because I was responsible for them going to prison. I’ve been aggressive in my prosecution. My vision is to make this county a safe haven.”

“I wish there was such a place.” That was why he’d gone into law enforcement when he’d left the army, but after all he’d seen, he didn’t think such a place on earth existed. Thanks to the Lord there was in heaven. That thought had kept him going when he wanted to walk away and let someone else fight the evil in the world.

“I have to try. Did you know what happened to Belinda twelve years ago?”

“Yes.” He remembered hearing about it from his uncle. Belinda had been Tory’s best friend in high school, and she’d been shot in a bank robbery because she didn’t get down fast enough.

“I’d been in that bank ten minutes before that guy went on a shooting spree, killing Belinda. Five people died that day.”

“Is that why you became a DA?”

“I was going to law school already, but that was the main reason I changed the type of lawyer I wanted to be.”

“Why did you want to become a lawyer?”

“Remember I was on the debate team in high school and college? That’s when I started thinking about it.”

“Why didn’t you write me about that?” On one of his oversea tours, he’d been in the Middle East when she started going to the University of Texas her second year in college.

“Because I wasn’t sure. I still had several years to complete before I could go to law school.” She shrugged. “A gal can change her mind just like a guy.”

Ouch! Cade had wanted a family. They had talked about it growing up. He’d never really had much of one. His mother had died not long after he was born and his father had passed away in a riding accident on the ranch when Cade was fifteen. His uncle became his only family and his guardian.

Cade glanced toward the entry hall, wondering if Michelle was still in the guest bedroom she and Tory shared. “Just so you know, I didn’t change my mind.”

She twisted her hands together and ignored Cade’s statement. “I’ll go through the records at my office to make a list of criminals I’ve put away, starting with the more serious crimes.”

Instead of what they really needed to talk about—their past—they danced around the subject, with Tory clearly ignoring they even had a past. “Then we can check to see who’s still in prison. Is there anyone else you can think of besides the people you convicted?”

“No. I’ve lived here most of my life, and I know a lot of the twenty thousand citizens of El Rio.”

“Then how about Diego Mederos? I don’t remember anyone like him when we were growing up.” Twenty years ago the town was much smaller, but as San Antonio had grown so had El Rio.

“He set up shop here seven years ago. I think he’s behind most of the serious crimes in this area. The police and the sheriff have tried to get him for years. But he’s never gone to trial. Something always happens to the case—a missing witness or evidence corrupted. So far we’ve been able to keep our main witness alive.”

“How?”

“I’m not at liberty to say. In El Rio I’m the only one who knows where the witness is being guarded by the US Marshals.”

“You’re talking about the father of the teenager killed—Carlos Dietz?”

“Yes. There were a couple of other witnesses besides the father, but he’s the only one who will dare testify. He lost his only child. Two years ago, his wife died in a wreck. Guess who was involved in that?”

“Diego Mederos.”

“One of his henchman was supposedly driving drunk and got a slap on his wrist. There was some speculation it was Mederos who was also drunk. The car was his, and when he’s in it, he’s always driving. His fall guy served a year in jail and was set free a month before Carlos was murdered in front of his father. Carlos Senior was very vocal about the justice system failing him and his son.” She kneaded the muscles at the back of her neck. “I want to change that perception.”

Tory was wound so tightly Cade wondered when she would break. The Mederos case was costing her more than a large amount of time. “Then why didn’t the henchman come after Carlos?”

“Because most of the complaints were targeted at Mederos.”

Not a smart move on the father’s part. Cases like Mederos’s caused Cade to question the justice system himself. It was made up of people who were flawed, but in the end everyone had to answer to God. That knowledge always gave him some peace. “I’m going to interview him this afternoon while we’re in town.”

“He’s smart and cruel. Mederos won’t tell you a thing.” Tory bolted to her feet and began pacing.

Cade sensed the presence of someone else nearby. He looked toward the entry hall and tensed.

Michelle stood in the entrance, tears running down her cheeks.

Tory covered the distance between them and tried to hug her daughter. “Honey—”

Michelle pushed away. “Don’t. I hate your job. You’re in danger because of it.”

Cade rose and walked to them. “Worrying doesn’t solve anything. It’ll only make it worse. When we know what we’re really dealing with, you’ll be informed. Then we can decide what needs to be done.”

Michelle glared at him. “Were you even a friend of my dad’s? Or did Mom say that just to shut me up?”

“I certainly had to get your dad and my nephew out of enough trouble when they were growing up.” Uncle Ben’s gruff voice came from the end of the hall, but as he moved toward them, it softened. “They were inseparable. They went everywhere together. Their curiosity was mighty huge. Once they wanted to know what would happen if you poked a beehive. That was a painful lesson to learn.” His six-feet-six-inch presence took up a large part of the hallway. At sixty he was still in good physical condition and was an expert shot.

“You poked a beehive?” his daughter asked Cade as though she couldn’t believe he could have been that stupid.

He nodded once. “Guilty as charged, but in our defense, we were only four years old.”

“I don’t know about y’all, but I’ve worked up a mighty big appetite. I hope y’all are hungry. I fixed a lot.”

“That’s what woke me up. What did you fix? It smells great.” Michelle took a step toward Uncle Ben.

“That smell is our dinner. Chili. I slow cook it. My recipe has won several county fair competitions. I hope you’ll stick around to have some.”

“I gotta.”

“Good. I have a basketball hoop on the side of the barn. Cade and your dad used to practice here.”

When the two of them disappeared into the kitchen, Tory sagged in relief. “Now you see why we need to be careful about what we say if Michelle is around. She’s going through an emotional stage where everything is black or white. No shades of gray. On top of that, she inherited that curiosity Ben was talking about.”

Cade leaned close. “I wonder what else she inherited.”

Tory’s sharp look sliced through him. She pinched her lips together and stalked toward the kitchen.

Before he could follow her, a knock sounded at the door behind him. When he checked out the peephole, the look on Paul’s face didn’t bode well. Instead of asking the police chief to come inside, Cade stepped out onto the porch. He thought Michelle needed to know what was going on, but not the brutal facts. “Before you say anything, let’s go for a walk away from the house.”

Thirty yards away, Paul stopped and faced Cade. “We found a dead body on your ranch near the crash.”

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