Chapter One
“Hang onto your hat,” Kelly McWinter warned as he spun the steering wheel and herded his rented Jeep Cherokee into a sharp right turn. Off the highway the road narrowed into two lanes and dropped straight down to the ocean.
“Breathtaking.” Gillian Tanner, a striking blond with bright blue eyes and sun kissed skin, pressed her nose against the windshield and laughed with pleasure as they made the heart-stopping descent.
Texans to the core, Kelly and Gillian were visiting the Oregon fishing resort of Bubba Tate, a longtime friend from their home in Indian Creek, Texas.
“I think that’s Paradise Lodge.” Kelly pointed towards a cluster of buildings spread along a ledge overlooking the ocean. Minutes later he pulled off the road in front of a log building that gleamed red gold in the afternoon sunlight.
Kelly had no sooner stopped the Jeep than Bubba, hopping and leaping on his game leg, yanked open the door and grabbed Kelly’s arm pumping it for all he was worth.
“Hot damn. I’ve about stomped down the deck waitin’ for y’all to git here.”
“This is some spread.” Kelly extricated himself from the little guy’s clutches and circled the Jeep to open Gillian’s door.
“Yep, it’s a dandy.” Bubba unlatched the back and grabbed suitcases. “I’ve got you two set up in the most secluded cabin on the place.” He handed a bag to Kelly and grabbed the next one. “I’ll take you down so you can get the trail dust off. But I’ll expect you back at the lodge in a heartbeat. I’ve so much to tell you it'll take days to shut me down.”
“It’s a deal." Kelly slapped his friend on the back and grabbed another case. "Let’s get this stuff to the cabin. Gilly and I will freshen up and then I'm all ears.”
At the cabin they'd been working in silence for several minutes, unpacking cases and setting out toiletries, when Gillian turned from the suitcase she'd been unpacking and slanted her eyes in Kelly's direction. “That was some view I had coming up from the lodge."
"Yeah." Kelly, said from where he was bent over the suitcase with a handful of socks in his hand. "Those big cedars are pretty awesome."
"Actually I was referring to the backside of the long tall Texan I was following up the path. Of course those trees were gorgeous too. Kind of like sentries guarding the ocean. But it's hard to concentrate on the landscape when your eyes are focused on tight butt muscles.”
Kelly lifted his head and fixed his slate blue eyes on Gillian's baby blues. The socks, forgotten in his hands, tumbled into the suitcase.
"Sounds like somebody wants to play. He closed the distance between them in two strides and swept Gillian into his arms. "I wonder how long it’ll take Bubba to come banging on that door.”
"Guess we're going to find out," Gillian wrapped her arms around Kelly's neck and murmured into his ear.
Kelly unbuttoned his shirt, dropped his jeans and stepped out of his jockeys, all the while leading Gillian across the room towards the bed.
“Wait,” she said, pulling her t-shirt over her head, wriggling her shorts and panties down her legs and kicking them off her feet.
“Can’t wait,” Kelly said, wrapping his arms around her waist and falling backwards onto the bed.
Gillian moaned when he gripped her nipples between his fingers and rubbed. His mouth found hers and she surrendered her tongue. Drawing her in, Kelly plundered, sucking her tongue and licking her lips while his fingers kneaded her nipples.
"Oh my God," Gillian wrapped her arms around his neck and rolled with him as he flipped her over and came down on top with his legs between hers and his manhood hard and ready. Spreading for him, she rose to meet him, opening herself and inviting him inside.
They came together skin slapping skin, both of them giving and taking, until a thundering climax drove them over the edge and into blissful oblivion.
“Don’t expect me to move for at least an hour,” Gillian warned.
“Oh no you don’t. I’d say if we aren’t showered and out of here in the next ten minutes, Bubba’s cane will be banging the hell out of that door.”
Gillian groaned and pulled the pillow over her head.
* * *
A half hour later, sporting freshly-showered glows, Kelly and Gillian joined Bubba in the Lodge’s living room.
“I was about to send out the dogs,” Bubba grumbled. His mile-wide smile letting them know he understood the delay.
Kelly’s gaze traveled around the trophy-laden room. Leather couches stood in front of a stone fireplace. Across the room, a wall of windows looking straight out to the ocean served as an awesome backdrop for the long leather bar that sparkled with crystal.
"This is some setup," he said, turning to Bubba and spreading his arms to indicate the room around them.
“You ain’t seen nothing. Come on over here.” Bubba led them through an archway into an open-beamed lounge where a giant screen TV flashed images of a football game in progress. Tables and chairs cozily circled the gigantic dance floor on one side of the room and four regulation sized pool tables dominated the other side. “It’s a bit roomier than the bait-house,” Bubba drawled.
All three of them shared a chuckle at the memory of the tin and tarpaper shack that had been Bubba’s home-away-from-home at Indian Creek until Anna Davis’ legacy left him rich enough to realize his dreams and buy the fishing resort in Oregon.
“What time do you expect Stella and Cam?” Gillian asked.
Stella was the bride half of the reason Kelly and Gillian had made the trip to Paradise Lodge. A year ago she’d hired Kelly, who had his Texas PI license, to clear her niece Mikki from a murder charge.
During the course of the investigation Kelly had introduced Stella to his best friend Cam Belscher, proud owner of Indian Creek’s Hideaway Bar & Barbecue, and by the time Kelly solved the murder, Stella and Cam were engaged. They made the announcement the night everyone got together at the Hideaway to celebrate Mikki’s freedom, and Bubba volunteered to host the wedding at his newly acquired Lodge in Oregon.
“That’s one damn determined woman.” Bubba said, shoving his cowboy hat back on his head and swiping his arm across his forehead. “She’s been chewing the bit all week to get down here and see to things, but I made Cam promise to keep her outta my hair until tomorrow.”
“Smart thinking.” Kelly and Gillian spoke in unison.
Refreshments, consisting of heaping plates of super crispy Nachos and frosty longnecks, brought to the table by a couple of snappy young waiters.
Kelly’s eyes widened at the sight. "Guess this grub proves the old saying `You can take the boy out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the boy.'”
The three friends spent the next few hours catching up on news from home and reminiscing about the old days. By the time conversation slowed, the afternoon sun had dipped deep into the horizon. “Look at the sunset,” Gillian called from where she’d strolled out onto the balcony. “No wonder you fell in love with this place.”
* * *
Saturday morning a light breeze danced the bedroom curtains and glints of sunlight showed promise of an ideal day for the wedding.
“I’m going to find Stella and see if I can give her a hand.” Gillian set a cup of coffee on the bedside table and bent for a morning kiss.
“Coffee. Thanks, but I had other ideas for the morning.”
“I’ll bet you did.” Gillian laughed and backed a safe step away from the bed. “Bubba’s having a buffet breakfast in the main lounge. You might want to move your buns out of bed and over there before he gets a notion to give you a personal wakeup call.”
“Yeah. You’re probably right. Can’t take the bait man outta the country boy no matter how many fancy houses he’s got. He gets up with the fish and doesn’t see any reason the rest of us shouldn’t be on the same schedule.”
“See you later.” Gillian stepped outside and pulled the door shut. Skirting the main lodge, she followed the ridge line up a steep path that led to a large cabin perched on the tip of a high rock ledge and offering a 180˚ view of the ocean below.
Gillian followed the path up to a flight of steps carved out of the rock. At the top, she stepped onto a wrap-around balcony. Some digs she observed as she stopped in front of a polished oak door and lifted the heavy brass knocker.
“It’s open.” Stella’s muffled voice came through the door.
Gillian stepped inside and caught her breath.
Wow. She gasped out loud.
The west wall consisted of a solid sheet of glass that gave the illusion the room was suspended in clouds. A sandstone fireplace glinted with specks of gold. Sunbeams played with crystal prisms dangling from a chandelier and spreading a rainbow of colors across the white leather sofa.
“A girl could get used to this kind of living.” Stella padded into the room, wrapped in a thick terry robe, her bright red hair caught in a matching towel.
“You are absolutely glowing.” Gillian gave her friend an exuberant hug. “This is breathtaking. Are you excited?”
“That would be an understatement.” Stella parked herself on the corner of the sofa and pulled the towel off of her hair. “I had to pinch myself when I woke up this morning. Can you believe it? Me, getting married again, and to a true blue homegrown Texas cowboy.”
Gillian gave Stella a once over and chuckled. “I bet that glow you’re sporting has a lot more to do with your bed mate than this amazing cabin you slept in last night.”
“Shhh, Bubba assigned us separate cabins until after the wedding.”
Gillian laughed all the harder. “Silly man if he thought that was going to keep you apart. So tell me, what do you need me to do? This is the first time I’ve been anyone’s maid of honor. I’m not sure I know all the protocol."
“The only thing I need you to do is keep me company and help me handle the butterflies dancing around in my tummy.”
“Got that. How about I get us some coffee?”
“In the pot on the counter. Two sugar, no cream. I’ll finish putting my face on and join you in a minute.”
Gillian poured two mugs of coffee, slid open one of the glass panels and stepped out into the clouds. Looking down, she swallowed a couple of times to get her stomach out of her throat. Breathtaking. The same glass that made up the walls in the living room also formed the floor on this side of the patio. Gingerly she approached a wrought iron table, set their mugs on the glass top and bent her head to look down. As far as her eye could see shrub covered cliffs dropped thousands of feet into the churning waters below.
“Sure is some sight for a Texas country girl.” She said when Stella joined her at the table.
“I’ll say. I’ve stayed in some mansions in my time, but this beats anything I’ve ever seen. That Bubba sure knows how to put on the dog.”
The women shared a laugh and spent the next hour catching up on who was doing what to whom and why in the close knit community of Indian Creek.
“It’s amazing how quickly River Oaks has faded off my radar and how much like home the Hideaway has become.” Stella took a sip of coffee and smiled over the rim.
“Tell me about it.” Gillian agreed. “I had no idea what was about to happen to me when I accepted that barbecue invitation last summer.”
“Sounds like I’m not the only one bitten by the Indian Creek cupid.” Stella’s laughter echoed into the open spaces and a couple of red spots appeared on Gillian’s cheeks.
“I didn’t realize it was that obvious.” She lowered her eyes and lifted her cup to her lips.
“Hey. Don’t worry. We’re sisters in here.” Stella pointed to her heart. “I know exactly how you feel.”
The two women chatted amiably while they finished their coffee. Finally, Stella pushed her cup aside. “Guess we’d better get this done.” She rose and invited Gillian to follow her into the bedroom.
“I feel a bit silly doing the white bridal routine, but it’s the first time around for Cam and it only seemed fair.”
“This dress is gorgeous.” Gillian lifted the yards of satin and slipped the gleaming white dress over Stella’s head.
“You think?”
“I know. My God, you’re a vision. Come over here, look in the mirror.”
Together they crossed to a full length mirror and Stella caught her breath. “Is that me? Wow, guess I know what they mean about the dress making the woman.”
“No way. It’s the woman making the dress this time around.”
* * *
Standing in front of an altar formed out of thick pines bowed and crossed overhead, rays of light streamed through the trees as the sun beamed its blessing on Cam and Stella. The bride, stunning in her white sheath with fingertip veil tilted her head and looked into the groom’s deep brown eyes.
Pride lit up Cam’s face and he smiled down at his bride. Decked out in a sharp new western tux with a crisp white shirt. His jet black hair had been styled to keep that one particular lock from flopping into his eyes, and he looked for all the world like a romance novel cover model.
“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world.” He whispered.
“Well, maybe this corner of Oregon right at the moment. You clean up pretty damn smart yourself,” she quipped. They laughed together and stole a quick kiss, before the rising notes of the organ brought them back to the present and they turned their attention to the ceremony.
* * *
“What an absolutely perfect wedding.” Gillian’s eyes sparkled as she sat on the side of the bed and began to undress. “And the food. I'm so full I may never get up again."
"Great for the waistline. Kelly chuckled and patted his midriff.
“Wasn't Stella gorgeous? They both looked so happy."
"Yep. They're a darn good fit, those two."
Sleep came fast. It seemed like minutes later Kelly woke to sound of banging on the cabin door.
"Hang on." He sprang out of bed, grabbed his pants and stumbled across the room.
"What the heck." He muttered, as he fumbled with the latch and yanked on the door.
"Sorry." Bubba stood outside with a flashlight aimed at the door. "Old Rob from Gillian's stable just called. They found Larry Preston's body in one of her stalls."
"Shit." Kelly pulled the door closed and stepped out on the porch with Bubba.
"Larry Preston? Are you sure. He's just a kid."
"That's what I said to Rob. And yeah, he's sure. He knows the Preston brothers. There's three of them and Larry's the youngest. There's going to be hell to pay that's for sure."
"I better tell Gillian. She'll want to call Rob."
"I'll get some coffee brewing."
"Thanks."
"What's wrong?" Gillian poked her head out the doorway and blinked in the light from Bubba's flash.
"Let's go inside." Kelly put his arm around her shoulder, nodded at Bubba and led Gillian back inside the cabin.
“There’s been some trouble at the stable.” Kelly tightened his grip.
“What?” She pulled back, her eyes searching his face trying to read his expression.
“Larry Preston has been found dead inside the stables. Nobody knows what happened.”
“Oh my God. I’ve got to get home.” As the owner of the Lake Country Riding Academy, Gillian employed a fulltime groom and one other instructor besides herself. The rest of the staff were students who worked part-time.
“I know. You pack, I’ll arrange our flights.”
Kelly got busy on the phone while Gillian filled her suitcase.
“I’ve got us on a 9:30 flight to Fort Worth,” Kelly said when Gillian, who had been on her cell with her young assistant, hung up and joined him at the bed where he was taking care of his own packing.
“How’s Angelina holding up?” Kelly closed his case and set it on the floor beside Gillian’s.
“She sounded so scared. She's trying hard to be brave, but she's only seventeen. It's bad enough reading about murder but when it happens to someone you know it's devastating."
"It's tough on all of you. But if it's humanly possible we’ll be on that flight. Meanwhile, Rob's got a good head on his shoulders. He'll see that the kids are okay until we get back. Besides, I'm sure their parents have rallied round. They know you're out of town."
"I'm worried about the horses too. They're bound to be spooked. Quarter horses are extremely sensitive."
“I know. The sooner we get on the road the better.” Kelly picked up their cases and the two of them headed for the lodge, where Bubba met them with hot coffee and pastries packed for their trip.
“It’s a couple hours drive, you’ll need something.” He placed the containers on the dash and turned to give them both a hug.
“Be safe.” Bubba said after they’d climbed into the Jeep.
“Thanks Bubba. I’ll call you when we get things settled.” Kelly headed down the road.
"Do you think we'll make it in time?" Gillian asked.
"It'll be close. But we're going to try. Don't worry. We'll get back as quick as we can."
Chapter Two
Augustus Graham, a large black man known to his friends as Gus, filled the doorway of Gillian's ranch style kitchen. "Hey Kelly. Good to see you. Sorry it has to be under these circumstances."
"Thanks Gus. I guess the only bright spot in this mess is the fact that you're in charge of the investigation."
"How's Gillian holding out?"
"She's keeping it together, but it's rough. These kids are like family. Right now she's out in the stables settling down the horses." Kelly motioned towards the kitchen table. "Grab a seat. If you've time for a cup I'll put the coffee on and maybe you can bring me up to date."
"Sounds good. I could use a cuppa Bubba's special about now." The two of them shared a laugh at the memory of the molasses-like brew Bubba used to serve down at the Indian Creek bait house. "How's the little guy doing? The creek don't seem the same without him."
"He's great. If you get out of the concrete jungle long enough to take a vacation you've got to take Betty to his place in Oregon. It'd do you both good."
"Now don't you get started." Gus rolled his eyes. "I'm already in hot water with Betty over the number of vacation days I've got banked."
Kelly set a cup in front of Gus. "Same old Gus." He poured them each a cup and put the pot within easy reach. "So what do you know about this Preston kid?"
"He's the youngest of four. The old man's a boozer. We've had him in and out of the drunk tank for years. Mom's okay. One of those long suffering women who's got a blind spot when it comes to any of her men folk."
"I know the type. What about the kid?"
Gus shook his head. "About what you'd figure. Drugs, booze, the usual wild parties and a couple of short spells in Juvie. "
"Gangs?"
"Not to my knowledge. Of course we've had no reason to check. Now we'll get into everything associates, activities, and habits. There's got to be a reason why an eighteen year old kid is hit over the head with enough force to scramble his brains."
"He was killed by a blow to the head?"
"That's right. With something smooth and very hard maybe a shovel, or some kind of farm implement. We're still looking."
"I suppose there's no chance he simply fell and hit his head."
Gus squinted at Kelly and scowled.
"Okay." Kelly held up his hands. "I guess I'm spending too much time in the company of civilians."
"To answer that, not that it warrants an answer. There's not a chance in hell this death is anything other than cold blooded murder."
"Yeah." Kelly sighed. "Poor Gilly's in for a rough time."
"You want to give us a hand?"
"I'd like to. If you don't have any objection."
Gus chuckled. "Helluva lot of good it would do me if I did. But no. Matter of fact, I'll be glad of the help."
"Hi Gus." Gillian said from the doorway. "It's nice to see you again. Although I wish the reason was different."
"Me too. I'm sorry about your loss. Were you close to the lad?"
"No, not especially. He wasn't one of my regulars just an extra who helped out in the stables during the summer. But it doesn't matter. He still shouldn't have been murdered."
"Do you feel up to giving me a rundown on the stables? Just an overview for now, like how many kids work here, their names and if you've had concerns about any of them, that kind of stuff."
"I'll get you a coffee." Kelly pulled out a chair and motioned for Gillian to sit while he got her a cup and poured.
"Thanks." She smiled up at Kelly and then turned her attention back to Gus. "I have five regular kids. They alternate every other day after school and one weekend day. There's Angelina Morales. She's what you might call my administrative assistant. She's a senior in high school. Then there are the four boys. I have Mike Armstrong and Kevin Cummings working Monday, Wednesday and Friday and Paul King and Toby Martin working Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The other two, Larry Preston and Robin Barlow, are casuals. They work alternate Saturdays, which is a light day just feed and a basic muck out and we call one or both them in whenever we need extra help."
"I think I've met Angelina. She's the attractive brunette with the big brown eyes that are sure to break a lot of hearts."
Gillian laughed. "That's Angelina. She is beautiful. Except she's the type of girl that will probably be on the receiving end of any heartbreaking that's done. Everyone loves her. She's a sweetheart and I'm certain she isn't involved with Larry. He's a good looking guy or rather he was but he's kind of wild. Not Angelina's type."
"You'd be surprised how many girls like Angelina fall for wild boys." Gus turned to Kelly who nodded agreement.
"I don't know her that well," Kelly said, "but my take is that if she knows anything about Larry's murder, she'll tell Gillian first chance she gets."
Gillian nodded. "Yes. I'm sure of that too. It's been crazy since we got home so I haven't had a chance to talk to the kids about anything other than the horses. I will though and if any of them knows anything, I'm sure they'll tell me."
"Sounds fair." Gus turned to Kelly. "How would you like to come on board for this investigation?"
“You mean officially?”
“Yep. The Commissioner's approved an investigator position a few months ago. I’ve been waiting for the right man to fill the spot—matter of fact I’d planned on giving you a call to see if there might be any interest.”
“Wow. You’ve kind of caught me flatfooted. I’d rather work with you than anyone on earth. I just hadn’t really planned on going official again.”
“I know.” Gus chuckled. “But I figured this investigation might be a good time for you to try us on for size.”
“You old dog.” Kelly laughed. “What if it doesn’t fit?”
“No problem. The job’s semi-permanent, if it works great if not, you go back to doing your own thing.”
"Couldn’t say fairer than that. Might work to our advantage too. The kids know I'm a former cop, but they also know I'm Gillian's friend. They’ll be more inclined to trust me than a stranger. I'll wander out to the stables after a bit and talk to the boys. That okay with you?” He turned to Gillian for confirmation.
"Fine with me. Toby and Paul are there now. Do you want me to get Angelina to join us?" She turned back to Gus.
"Maybe later. First I'd like you to give me a rundown on the stables. What do those kids do besides cleaning the barns? Any chance they're involved in some kind of bookmaking scheme? You know horses and gambling kind of go together."
Gillian laughed. "Gus. You city boy. That's thoroughbred racing. I raise quarter horses. They're racers too, but it's different. Mainly they're show horses and rodeo competitors. They don't run the kind of races that attract big time gamblers."
"Oh." Gus grinned. "So what do you raise them for?"
"The American Quarter horse is the best riding horse in the world. They're used for all kinds of things: show horse, race horse, reining and cutting horse, rodeo competitor, ranch horse. I could go on and on."
"Okay." Gus chuckled. "I get the idea. What about drugs? Any indication of that kind of activity?"
"My God I hope not." Gillian ran her hands down her face. "I guess anything's possible nowadays. But I'd be sick if I thought one of my kids was involved with drugs."
"We'll check them out. Can you think of anything that's happened around here that has seemed out of the ordinary?"
"That's just it, I can't. I've been thinking back over everything we've been doing for the past two months and there's nothing. I don't really have what you would call a personal relationship with the kids, except Angelina, of course. But I am friendly with them. Before this happened I would have sworn that I knew them well enough to recognize anything serious enough to lead to murder. Is it possible that Larry could have been mistaken for someone else? What about his brothers? I don't know them, but I've heard stories about those boys and drug activity. Wasn't one of them just released from jail?"
"That would be Clinton," Gus replied. "We've already considered the possibility of Larry's brother's being involved or even that this was some kind of retaliation killing for something involving one of Larry’s brothers. We'll be investigating those possibilities. We're going to cover all angles, that's why we need to do a thorough check on his friends and co-workers, to eliminate them.
Gillian nodded understanding and turned a wan smile to Kelly. "If you and Gus will excuse me, I need to change out of my traveling clothes."
"You should lay down for awhile." Kelly slipped his arm around her shoulder. "You didn't get more than two hours sleep last night. Gus, do you need anything that won't keep?"
Gus shook his head. "We're good for now. You go take care of yourself. I'll have a chat with Kelly and then be on my way back to the station."
"Do you want to take a walk out back?" Kelly asked.
Gus nodded. "Good idea."
Outside the two men strolled across the lawn and let themselves out the gate that led to the stables.
"This is probably going to be rough on Gillian," Gus said. "My gut tells me that we are going to find drugs or something even nastier at the bottom of this. And worse yet, from Gillian's point of view, is the sinking feeling I have that one or more of her regulars is going to be involved in this mess."
"I know. I've had that same bad feeling ever since we got here. What's more I don't think Angelina's telling us everything she knows. Maybe I'm oversensitive because of Gillian's position but something doesn't feel right."
"Nope. You're not oversensitive. I had exactly the same feeling. Do you want to have a go at her, or do you want me to haul her into town and shake her up a bit?"
They'd reached the stables and Kelly paused with his hand on the latch. "I'd consider having you do that if it wasn't for Gillian. But if you're willing to let me give it a go, how about I ask her some pointed questions and at the same time explain a few facts about withholding information from the police. I don't think Angelina's involved in drugs or anything like that. More likely she's protecting someone. But all those years undercover for DEA taught me to take nothing for granted. I'll approach her like I would any other suspect."
The two men stopped at the corral surrounding the barn and Gus planted his foot on one of the wooden rails.
"This isn't going to bring up too many bad memories, is it?"
Kelly winced at Gus' question, but they both knew his reference to the murder of Kelly’s wife by a drug gang was appropriate. Lynda died because of Kelly's undercover drug work, and the similarities between that case and where this one might be leading were too obvious to overlook.
"I know where you're heading." Kelly said. "And I appreciate the concern. But this is an entirely different situation. Lynda was killed because of my work. She wasn't involved in the situation that led to her murder. Gillian, on the other hand, owns this place. Whatever is going on or has gone on is directly her concern. The fact that I am or am not involved will not increase her danger, and it just might, or at least I'd like to think it might, make things easier."
"Good. That's my take as well. Of course this may not have anything at all to do with drugs. But, considering that both of our instincts already have us looking in that direction, I thought it best to clear the air before we started. "Gus gripped Kelly's shoulder in a gesture of reassurance. "I'll head on back to town now. Give me a call if anything comes up, if not let's meet over at the White Bull for breakfast. Eight o'clock suit you?”
"Sounds great. I'm going to go down to the stables and nose around. Maybe I’ll have a chat with whoever is working this weekend.”
Gus left and Kelly went to the barn. Inside he walked along the aisle past horse stalls whose occupants were out to pasture for the day. Whispered voices traveled on a gust of wind and Kelly’s cop sense went on high alert. Stepping into an empty stall he flattened himself against the wall.
"Are you sure the cops have gone?" The voice shook and Kelly strained to catch the frightened whispers.
"Yes. There's no one here but Kelly and Gillian, and they're inside." Kelly recognized Angelina's voice.
"What did you tell them?" The male tone insistent and scared echoed in the silent barn.
"I haven’t talked to them yet. I’ve avoided everyone. But I’m not going to lie to Gillian. So you better find Sam and tell him that we’re going to tell the truth and if he has any brains at all he’ll go to the cops and tell them everything."
"You can't do that. We promised."
"No, you promised. I only agreed to let you talk to Sam before I said anything. I am not going to lie to Gillian. Now get out of here. Go tell Sam that he has until morning to tell the police what he knows or I'm telling Gillian everything."
Angelina's statement was followed by quick footsteps and the bang of the door. Kelly remained silent and waited. Moments later another door closed and Kelly stepped out into the aisle.
Kelly pondered the conversation and wondered which one of the boys had been in there with Angelina. He could, of course, go straight to Angelina and demand an explanation. But she'd already stated her intention of going to Gillian. He needed to pull back and let her make the call.
* * *
Later, after Gillian had finished stable rounds and said goodnight to the boys, Kelly uncorked a bottle of Merlot.
"Let's take these out to the swing." He handed her a glass and nodded towards the back door.
"Thanks." Gillian tucked her arm in his. "It seems like a dream, or should I say nightmare."
"I'm sure it does. I've been feeling a bit disoriented myself. Last night we were kicking up our heels at the wedding. Now here we are back home in the middle of God knows what kind of mess."
"Do you really think one of those kids is involved in Larry's death?"
They'd strolled along the porch to the long wooden swing where Gillian loved to curl up and read. Together they sat and snuggled close with Gillian tucked securely against Kelly's arm.
"I'm afraid there isn't much doubt." Kelly related the conversation he'd overheard between Angelina and the boy in the stable.
"Which one of the boys was she talking to?"
"I couldn't tell. He was hidden from my line of sight. Angelina was facing the door of my hiding place and I didn't dare move or she'd have spotted me. I had to wait until she left, and by the time I got over to where they’d been talking the boy had disappeared."
"That's too bad. Still it had to be either Paul or Toby."
"Not necessarily. One of the others might have stopped by because of the murder."
Gillian leaned into Kelly and kissed him hard. "Thank you for waiting to talk to me before approaching Angelina. I know it must have gone against your instincts and I appreciate that."
Kelly smiled and snuggled her closer to his chest. "It's your place, you've got the right to decide."
"In that case. I've decided it's time we had some dinner. You'll stay tonight won't you?"
"Sure. As long as you need me. I’m still on holidays so my time's my own. I'll just run by the Hideaway after dinner and see how Darlene's getting along with Jake. "
"Great. I'll go over to Angelina's and have a chat with her while you're gone. She'll probably be more at ease if I see her alone."
"Sounds like a plan. Want me to drop you off?"
"No you go ahead. There's no telling how long this is going to take. I'll just meet you back here later."
After a quick and tasty meal of fajitas and Caesar salad Gillian left for Angelina’s and Kelly got into Old Blue and headed for Indian Creek.
* * *
Seven years ago Kelly had been an undercover police officer, married to the love of his life and living a typical cop’s life in Fort Worth. All that had ended when the bikers had been tipped off to Kelly’s identity by a person or persons unknown – and they’d retaliated by throwing a Molotov cocktail through the bedroom window of Kelly’s apartment. There shouldn’t have been anyone home.
Both Kelly and Lynda worked the night shift Lynda an ER nurse at the hospital and socializing with the Fort Worth’s criminal element.
That particular night, they’d both had the night off. They’d been invited to the home of Kelly’s mentor, Jim Forbes. His wife had planned a big surprise party to celebrate Jim’s retirement. Both Kelly and Lynda were going, but a couple of hours before it was time to leave, Lynda had been struck with one of her migraines. She didn’t get them often, but when she did the only thing that helped was a double-dose of the knock out medicine her doctor had prescribed for those occasions. Kelly had been torn between staying home with his sick wife and paying tribute to his mentor, but Lynda had insisted he attend the party. She’d already taken the pain medicine and by the time Kelly helped her into bed and snuggled her into their down comforter, she’d been sound asleep. He went alone.
Later, when he got the call to come home the apartment building had burned to the ground. The fire chief told Kelly that the explosion had killed Lynda instantly. She’d never awakened and felt no pain. It was small consolation.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Kelly quit his job and went out to Indian Creek, where he worked security for the flea market in exchange for a small salary and free rent on a cabin. For the next five years he divided his time between the flea market, Bubba’s bait and tackle shop and Cam Belscher’s Hideaway Bar. Through the years he slowly began to rebuild his life. He established a small network of friends and eventually came to grips with the devastating loss of his wife.
Two years ago, he decided to make a start on his own social life. He joined a dance club at the Stagecoach in Fort Worth and there he’d met Gillian, a tall blonde with a deep suntan and clear blue eyes. She’d moved over and offered him a spot at the table where she and several of her friends were celebrating someone’s birthday. After that Gillian became his favorite dance partner. Eventually he invited her out to the Hideaway, and following one of Cam’s famous barbecues, he’d broached the subject of her spending the night. She’d accepted and their relationship had moved to the next level.
For some reason the trip to the Hideaway tonight had stirred up a flood of memories. Maybe it was the peaceful sensation that came over him as he sat at the bar, waiting for Darlene to finish up with the Coors man who’d arrived to stock the coolers. Over in the corner a couple of old timers argued over the points in a never-ending cribbage game, and Johnny Cash walked the line on the jukebox. There was a sameness, but there was a difference.
The murder at Gillian’s stables had brought back a lot of those feelings he’d buried following Lynda’s death. He hated to admit it, but he was afraid. For the first time in years, he found himself reluctant to stay out at Indian Creek. Gillian needed him—right now for sure—and maybe for longer.
**Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Kelly focused on the interior of the Hideaway. This place was Cam’s pride and joy. Stepping inside was like taking a trip down memory lane. The décor—a tribute to the owner's passion for country music and country living—was a potpourri of tools and implements from the turn of the century. In a glass case behind the bar Cam proudly displayed his collection of antique beer wagons—his piece-de-resistance a cherished replica of the Budweiser Clydesdales rigged out in full harness.
Even the ceiling bore witness to Cam's passion. Glossy black and white photos of Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Faron Young and a whole slew of long-dead country favorites smiled down on the patrons.**
* * *
Darlene had just finished with the Coors man and headed down the bar towards Kelly when Jake burst through the front door.
"Hey boy. How's it going?" Kelly crouched into dog hug position and gave himself over to the pleasure of a full-out canine welcome. "Looks like Darlene's been feeding you plenty." He ran his hands along the dog's fleshy ribs and finished off the greeting with a man to dog head rub.
Darlene had several questions about Bubba's fishing camp, the wedding, and all the other details of his recent holiday. Finally she touched on the subject of the death at Gillian's stables. He was saying goodbye and promising to keep her updated when his cell phone rang. He flipped it open and Gillian's number flashed across the display.
"Hi Gilly. What's up?"
"Oh my God, Kelly. I'm at the hospital."
"What happened? Are you okay?"
"Yes. It's not me. It's Angelina. When I got to her place the lights were on and the television blaring. But I knocked and knocked on the door and no one answered. I figured maybe she was avoiding me so I called her cell phone.
When she still didn’t answer I got worried. That’s when I remembered that Sara, Angelina's next door neighbor, had a key. I ran and got Sara and we banged on the door some more. Finally Sara used her key and we found Angelina lying on the floor of her bedroom. She'd been hit over the head, just like Larry. I called 911 and the paramedics showed up in minutes. She's still alive, but barely. I've got to hang up now. The doctor is here."
Kelly had headed for his vehicle while still talking. "I'm on my way." He started the engine and backed onto the road. "I'll call Gus and let him know what's happened."
"Hurry." Gillian sobbed into the receiver.
"I will. Just hang in there." Kelly tossed the phone on the seat and pushed the gas pedal to the floor.
