Son of Texas (Count on a Cop) Page 13

  They came upon a large herd and the vaqueros shouted with joy when they saw Josie and Caddo. Caddo shrieked a chant and rode faster, scattering the cattle. A Mexican settlement, where the vaqueros lived with their families, loomed ahead. Caddo didn’t slow down as they galloped through. Squawking chickens scattered, and Caleb glimpsed shacks and houses, women working in gardens and hanging out clothes. Barns and outbuildings were in the distance and Caleb knew they were getting close to the big hacienda.

  Caddo cleared a fence, and Josie’s hair flew behind her. The chestnut mare took the fence without hesitation and soon Caddo slowed as bigger barns and a show arena came into view. The ranch house was now clearly in sight, big and imposing.

  The ranch was larger than Caleb had ever imagined. Oil wells pumped to the left and to the right. Cattle grazed as far as he could see. Soon the wrought-iron fence that enclosed the house was only a few feet away. Caddo dismounted and opened a gate, then he mounted again and they rode to the front of the house.

  Josie slid to the ground, her hair in disarray. “Thanks, Caddo.”

  Caleb swung out of the saddle, knowing he’d probably be aching from head to toe tomorrow. He handed Caddo the reins.

  “Mucho good, cowboy.” Caddo’s white teeth flashed.

  “Yeah.” Caleb ran a hand through his disheveled hair. He had no idea where his hat was. “Did I pass the test?” There was no doubt in his mind that Caddo wanted to see what he was made of. They could have traveled the road they’d ran off of the night before. But somehow Caddo had his own route planned.

  “Sí.” The teeth flashed again.

  Zar trotted up, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

  “Adiós, prima, Ranger.” In a flash Caddo was gone, the dog running behind him.

  Caleb stared into Josie’s dark eyes and she was smiling. He melted from the warmth, as did all his aches and pains.

  “I learn more about you everyday, Caleb McCain.”

  He winced. “Tomorrow I might need some of Lencha’s gin and raisins, mostly the gin.”

  At the mention of Lencha, they were quickly brought back to reality. He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Ready?”

  “Yes. We have to let everyone know we’re okay.”

  “And figure out who’s hoping we’re not.”

  The door swung open before Josie could ring the bell. “Dios,” Consuelo said. “Come. Come. Mr. Boone fit to be tied.”

  They stepped inside. Lorna and Mason were descending one of the two spiral staircases that curled to the top floor of the house. Josie stared at the couple, their heads close together, whispering. At that moment everything fell into place and Josie remembered that night, the argument. Her head throbbed as painful, disturbing memories crowded in on her. She held her head with both hands, frowning, waiting for the pain to stop.

  “Josie.” She heard Caleb’s voice and she took a deep breath. Anger rolled through her like a hurricane. She sucked in another breath and marched into the den. Her day of reckoning had arrived. She knew the answers now and someone was going to tell her why they thought it necessary to kill her.

  Boone jumped to his feet when he saw her. “Damn, girlie, you gonna give me a heart condition. I’ve been up all night worried about you.” He looked at her bedraggled appearance. “You’re filthy and your hair looks as if rats have nested in it. What happened? That old witch has been calling, threatening everything under the sun.”

  Caleb explained about the wreck and it gave Josie time to get her thoughts straight. She didn’t worry about Lencha. She knew Caddo would get word to her. Now she had to deal with what she remembered about the night she’d been shot.

  The phone rang and Consuelo interrupted. “It’s Mr. Eric, señor.”

  “Tell him they’re safe and at the house.”

  “Sí, señor.”

  Mason and Lorna walked into the room and Josie forced herself to remain calm. Don’t overreact. Take it slow. But her nerves were coiled into springs ready to explode.

  Mason shoved his hands into his jeans, his expression bored. “So they found you.”

  Caleb explained about the wreck again, then stared directly at Mason. “The tires were tampered with.”

  Mason poured coffee from a silver pot for him and Lorna. “Don’t look at me. I haven’t been near your car.”

  “But you’re afraid of what I’ll remember, aren’t you, Mason?” Josie had the perfect opening and she took it.

  “Of course not.” But his eyes gave him away. He didn’t look at her as he took a swallow from his cup.

  Lorna took a seat on the sofa, placing her china cup carefully on an end table. “Josie, we’re getting a little tired of these theatrics.” She was in control today, but she wouldn’t be for long.

  “Me, too, Lorna, so I’ll cut to the chase.” She took a breath. Slow. Take it slow, she kept repeating to herself, trying not to be overwhelmed by the memories crowding in on her. “I remember what happened here that afternoon.”

  Complete dead silence followed her words. She saw surprise in Caleb’s eyes, but fear was evident in everyone else’s—even Boone’s.

  Lorna rose to her feet, her control slipping. “Mason, do something.”

  “Yes, Mason, do something,” Josie said, walking closer to him. “Do something about the secret you’ve kept hidden for over thirty years.”

  “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. You’re getting as loony as Lencha.” He tipped up his cup with a nervous hand.

  “My father did not betray his family, his birthright.” She remembered it all and she shouted the words and they vibrated off the walls, just like her insides were vibrating with anger. “You betrayed him. Your own brother.”

  “What are you talking about, Josie?” Boone demanded, smoke from his cigar spiraling around his face.

  “Are you going to tell him or should I? One way or another the truth is coming out today. Neither my father’s name nor my mother’s will be dragged through the mud one more minute.”

  “No one will believe you,” Lorna said, her composure still holding.

  “A DNA test will confirm it.”

  Lorna’s eyes flashed with fear and she bit down on her trembling lip.

  “Okay. I’ve had enough,” Boone said, his teeth clamped around the cigar. “Josie, what the hell are you talking about?”

  She took a deep breath and looked at her grandfather. “Brett is not Ashley’s father. Mason is.”

  “What!” He spit the cigar onto the floor and no one made a move to pick it up.

  Josie raised her eyes from the rug to Boone’s face. “Brett found out Lorna was four months pregnant and they’d only been married for two. He knew he wasn’t the father, but he didn’t know who was. After that, he couldn’t stay in the marriage. Everything he loved he gave up because he had morals and values. The Silver Spur meant the world to him, but once he knew the truth he couldn’t stay here. He had to find the only woman he’d ever loved. In my teens I heard my parents talking about Brett’s first marriage and I wanted to know about it. My father told me that Ashley wasn’t his and how he didn’t want me growing up thinking he’d leave a child behind. He would never do that.” She paused and no one moved or spoke.

  “That day I came out here to talk to you and you weren’t here. You’d told me my father’s things were in a room upstairs and I could go through them if I wanted. I decided to do that while I waited for you. I didn’t know which room it was and when I opened a door, I got the shock of my life. Lorna and Mason were in bed together and I suddenly knew who was Ashley’s father. I slammed the door and ran away. Mason caught me in the den and threatened me. I told him what I thought of him and that he didn’t have to worry. I was leaving and never coming back.”

  “Is this true?” Boone demanded of Mason.

  “Pa, I…”

  Boone backhanded him across the face. Mason staggered, but he didn’t go down. He held a hand to his red cheek. “The first one’s free, Pa.”

&n
bsp; Boone hit him again. “You bastard. You sneaky, cheating bastard. Brett belonged here. He should be running the Silver Spur today, but he left and you knew how that affected me. You…”

  “Yeah, Pa. I know.” Mason’s voice was low, gritty. “Brett was the golden boy, your favorite. If you’d given me half the attention you gave him, maybe I wouldn’t be so damn messed up.”

  “My fault, huh? You were wild, boy, from the day you were born. Never could do anything with you.”

  “Did you ever try?” Mason shouted, then threw up his hands. “What’s the use. I’m outta here.”

  Boone grabbed his arm. “You’re not going anywhere. I lost one son and I’m not losing another. You will stay and face this and you will tell the goddamn truth. Do you understand me?”

  Lorna sank onto the sofa and began to cry silently. “Please, Ashley must never know.”

  Boone turned on her. “Missy, I thought you loved Brett. I forced him to marry you for that reason.”

  “I did.”

  “Really? Is that why you slept with his brother? And obviously still are.”

  “Mason was fun and…I’m sorry. I was young and stupid. Ashley doesn’t need to know.”

  “She’s grown up thinking her father didn’t care about her and that will stop.”

  “Boone, please.”

  “Consuelo!” Boone shouted. Lorna’s plea fell on deaf ears.

  Caleb moved to Josie’s side and she needed his presence.

  “Sí, señor.” Consuelo appeared.

  “Get Ashley down here.”

  “Boone, please,” Lorna continued to beg. “She’ll hate me.”

  Josie never wanted Ashley hurt, but she didn’t see any way to stop it now. Secrets had to be exposed so they could all start living again.

  Caleb touched her hand and whispered. “Have you remembered who shot you?”

  “No. I just remember that day and running to my car, crying.” The rest was still a blank and she kept trying to bring it up, but like so many times, it wasn’t there.

  “Now let’s have more truth.” Boone pinned Mason and Lorna with a sharp glance. “Did either of you shoot Josie to keep this secret?”

  “I swear, Pa. I didn’t. She said she was leaving and I knew she was mad enough to leave for good and that was fine with me. That’s the reason I stopped the missing person’s report. She left voluntarily.”

  “I hate guns.” Lorna grimaced. “I don’t even know how to fire one.”

  Josie stepped closer to her, looking her in the eye. “Why do you hate me so much? You know the reason my father left.”

  Lorna twisted the diamond on her finger. “I loved Brett, but he didn’t love me. And you’re just a reminder of everything I couldn’t have. Marie had her hooks in him and she just wouldn’t let go.”

  “Excuse me?” Josie resisted the urge to slap her.

  At Josie’s tone, Lorna took a step backward. “Figuratively, of course. I was the one who drove Brett away. Are you happy now?” The green eyes blazed with renewed anger. “You’ve destroyed my whole life, just like your mother did.”

  “My mother didn’t destroy your life. You did. When are you going to admit that?”

  Lorna clamped her lips tight.

  “She left because she couldn’t stay here after my father married you. She didn’t call, write or get in touch with him in any way. He made a choice and she respected that. You betrayed him in the worst way. And to make it even worse, you blamed my mother. You still do.”

  A sob left Lorna’s throat. “I can’t lose my daughter. Please, say something to Boone. You don’t want Ashley hurt, do you?”

  She didn’t, but she felt powerless to stop anything now. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to. Ashley had to know that Brett wasn’t her father and that he hadn’t betrayed her or Lorna. That was uppermost in Josie’s mind—to right the wrongs that had been done to her father.

  Suddenly Josie felt drained and just wanted to get away. But this wasn’t over. If Mason or Lorna hadn’t shot her, then who? There were only two Becketts left, Ashley and Boone. Boone had no motive. That left Ashley. Could she have overheard what had happened that day? Josie glanced at Caleb and saw the same thoughts were going through his mind.

  From the start Ashley never seemed to have any animosity toward Josie. Could that have all been a facade?

  Consuelo hurried back into the room. “Miss Ashley’s not in her room. She left a note.” She handed it to Boone.

  He read for a second, then, “Dammit!” erupted from his lips. “The whole damn family is falling apart.”

  “What does it say?” Lorna asked.

  He read:

  “Dear Mother and Pa, I’ve decided to leave and try to make it on my own. Please don’t try to find me. I will not be forced into an arranged marriage. Hope you understand.

  Love, Ashley.”

  “No, no, no,” Lorna sobbed into her hands.

  “Go upstairs,” Boone ordered. “I’ll take care of this. Consuelo!”

  Consuelo escorted Lorna out of the room as Eric and Dennis rushed in.

  Eric ran to Josie and stopped, staring at her dirty jeans, blouse and tousled hair. “What happened?”

  She told them about the accident.

  “What are you doing about this, Fry? Step up the damn investigation before my granddaughter gets killed.”

  “Yes, sir. We’ll guard her until this person is caught.”

  “And I better see some damn results—like tomorrow.”

  “I’d really like to go home now,” Josie said, and walked toward the door. When she remembered what had happened that day with Lorna and Mason, she just knew one of them had shot her. Now, they were back at square one.

  CHAPTER TEN

  ON THE DRIVE TO LENCHA’S, Caleb, Eric and Dennis discussed what had happened. Search parties were sent out early in the morning but had had no luck. Josie listened to everything they said, but she didn’t hear much of it. She was still disappointed. When the memories of Mason and Lorna had come back so suddenly, she was excited, determined to get one of them to admit that they’d shot her. Lorna and Mason were deceitful and without morals but Josie believed them—her leaving was enough for them.

  So who? Could Ashley have hated her that much? Josie’s thoughts went back to that day. Running to her car was her last memory. She’d been packing, so she’d made it back to Lencha’s. If Ashley had come by and wanted to talk, Josie would have gone with her. But where was Josie’s car? Could Ashley have disposed of it? That would have taken a conniving, manipulative person. That didn’t describe the Ashley she’d known, but sometimes people could be deceiving.

  When they reached Lencha’s, Eric asked to speak to her privately, but she refused, saying she just wanted to be alone now. She hugged Lencha, who checked the bruise on her head. Dennis suggested that a trip to the emergency room in Corpus wouldn’t hurt. She and Caleb both refused and Josie went to take a bath.

  Caleb watched her go with a troubled expression.

  “She’s not good,” Lencha remarked.

  “No.” Caleb sagged into a chair, his head throbbing a bit, but he wasn’t worried about himself. He was worried about Josie Belle. “She remembered what happened that night at Silver Spur and she thought it was Lorna or Mason who shot her. It wasn’t, and she’s struggling with the knowledge that it’s someone else.”

  Lencha sat down. “Caddo told me about the accident. Did that bring back her memory?”

  “I think so.”

  “So what was Lorna and Josie arguing about?”

  Caleb told her the whole story.

  “Lawdy! Mason is Ashley’s father, too?”

  “Yes.”

  Lencha shook her head. “Marie never said a word. Of course, after she left, I only saw her two or three times a year and her and Brett were tighter than two lovebugs. If he didn’t want her to mention it, she wouldn’t.”

  “Brett told Josie in her teens when she overheard them talking about Brett’s first marr
iage. He wanted her to know that he’d never leave a child of his own.”

  “Uh, uh, uh.” Lencha wagged her head. “Mason needs to be neutered. No telling how many more kids he’s spawned.”

  Caleb only grinned.

  “I bet Big Boone is reeling in those expensive boots.”

  “He’s received a knock, that’s for sure,” Caleb replied.

  Lencha pointed a bony finger at him. “Mark my words, Ranger. Brett told that old bastardo why he was leaving. Brett was honest, loyal and he wouldn’t have left otherwise. Big Boone knows everything and he’s a cunning buzzard. He’ll never admit it, though. Likes being the injured one, revels in it.”

  “Josie said Brett didn’t know who the father was. He only knew he wasn’t.”

  “And it’s Mason. His own brother.” Lencha’s head bobbed up and down. “Bet that almost stopped Big Boone’s ticker.”

  Caleb thought about it. Boone seemed to have his pulse on everything that happened in Beckett, the Silver Spur and in Texas. Could he have known from the start about Ashley? Mason and Lorna had been sleeping together for over thirty years in Boone’s house. How could that slip by Boone? He sure had the good ol’ Texas boy act down. From the little while that Caleb had known him, he knew nothing slipped by Boone. So who was fooling whom?

  Chula scratched at the door and Lencha let her in. As Lencha walked back, the squirrel climbed up her jeans and rested on her shoulder. Lencha stroked her, then Chula climbed down her blouse to get nuts out of her apron pocket.

  Caleb smiled at the squirrel’s antics, but questions beat at him. He leaned forward. “Lencha, do you think it’s possible that Boone knew all along that Mason was Ashley’s father?”

  “Wouldn’t put nothin’ past that man.”

  Me, neither, Caleb thought, and headed for the bathroom. Josie’s door was open and she lay in her robe curled up on the bed. His heart lurched. He’d seen her like this before in the hospital when she wouldn’t let anyone get near her. Stepping into the room, he saw that she was asleep, her damp hair over her shoulder. He relaxed. She was just exhausted, as he was.