The Texas Ranger's Family Page 11

  “For once I wasn’t concentrating. It was a slip that could have ended in disaster. Sit down while I call the front desk and ask them to bring in a cot. I’ll be sleeping by you tonight. I’ll tell them to put it outside the door so it won’t wake Amy.”

  She was so happy he was going to stay with her, she could hardly contain it. He walked over to the bedside table and phoned housekeeping. Then he sat on the side of the bed while she sank into a chair.

  “I take it that woman is a friend of yours.”

  His gaze traveled over her features. “She’s Scott’s wife. They have a little boy.”

  “Oh!” That was enough to stifle her fear that he was in an ongoing relationship with her.

  “I knew her long before any of us knew Scott.”

  Her heart plummeted. “Us?”

  “Brandon and me. Janie was my girlfriend during our steer wrestling days. I thought the day would come when we would get married.”

  “What happened?”

  “I decided to go into law enforcement rather than be a rancher. She knew the pain our family had gone through when our father died. To know I’d chosen a career that had killed my father upset her to the point that she broke up with me.”

  Groan. “That must have been devastating.”

  “I suffered for a while. But time passed and I realized it was the best thing that could have happened. She met Scott—a good, steady rancher and horseman. I was free to do the work I enjoy, knowing I wasn’t tearing my wife apart because she was afraid for me.” He sat forward. “Luckey had a wife like that. After a year they divorced because she couldn’t take it.”

  “I can understand that. Are you over Janie?”

  “A long time ago,” he said without hesitation.

  That sounded definite. After a pause she added, “Do you think she’s over you?”

  “Yes. I’m convinced she tracked me down here because she was curious to see the woman who was sitting at the rodeo with my mother.”

  “I presume that was her coveted place for a long time. I get it. Did you tell her who I was?”

  “I said nothing and told her I had to go in. I’m working on your case, but my brother got careless and told her where I was staying. He knows better, but he forgot. It’s the reason I don’t have much of a personal life while I’m on a case.”

  “It’s all right, Kit.”

  “No, it isn’t.” He got to his feet and put his hands on his hips. His brows met in a frown. “I promised to protect you, but I let my brother’s need take precedence over my duty to you. Never again.”

  “Your boss had it right. Like Kit Carson, you’re as clean as a hound’s tooth. Cut yourself some slack for getting interrupted by your old girlfriend. That wasn’t your fault. Don’t forget that two of your Ranger buddies guarded me at the rodeo. If anyone is to blame, it’s me, for getting out of the car before you told me to. I’m the one who could have walked in on someone waiting in the room.”

  “Thank heaven it was empty,” he muttered with emotion. “If Morales had been inside, he could have taken you and Amy hostage. If my boss knew what had happened, he’d probably throw me out of the Rangers and he would have every justification.”

  Natalie got up from the chair. “I see why you’re so upset. This has taught me a lesson, too. I’ll follow your directions to the letter. Will that be good enough for you?”

  His rigid body relaxed and he let out a deep sigh. “It’s going to have to be. Why don’t you get ready for bed while I see if they’ve brought the cot?”

  “Okay.”

  Natalie disappeared into the bathroom and got undressed. Her pajamas and robe were hanging on the hook on the back of the door. She put everything on and brushed her teeth. When she came out, she noticed the cot opened up in front of the TV. Kit had pushed a chair into the corner and was talking on his cell phone.

  She took a peek at Amy then got into the double bed, turning on her side away from him.

  A few minutes later the light went out. She heard the creaking of the cot. Kit had to be exhausted. “Kit?”

  “Yes?”

  “My heart was in my throat when your event was announced. The second the chute opened, it looked like two torpedoes shot forward. It was over so fast I didn’t have time to blink. What both of you did out there today was incredible. You have to be thrilled. You know your brother is thankful. So enjoy the triumph of this night. Please.”

  Maybe five minutes passed before he spoke, but it wasn’t the comment she’d expected. “That’s hard to do. Vic got into trouble on a case because of a mistake he made. It almost cost him his badge.”

  “What happened?”

  “Someone kidnapped his son from elementary school.”

  “Oh, no—”

  “The guy was caught and arrested. When Vic interrogated him at the jail, the kidnapper refused to tell him where he’d taken his son. Vic went crazy and grabbed him. I saw him through the window and stepped in to stop him.”

  “He was only trying to find his son.”

  “True. But he forgot to be careful. That’s what happened to me tonight. It won’t happen again.”

  “Did he find his son?”

  “Yes, thank God.”

  Kit wasn’t about to let this go and she realized there was nothing she could say that would make him feel better. Naturally he’d been distracted by the woman he’d once planned to marry. But Natalie reasoned to herself that if he had loved her more than anything, he wouldn’t have become a Ranger.

  When she’d given up hope of any more talk he spoke again. “The only way I can savor this night is knowing you and Amy weren’t harmed because of my distraction. You have to know your little girl is adorable. I’ll never forget the look of fright on her face when that horse neighed. She hugged me so hard, I can still feel it.”

  “Her response was instinctive.” Natalie had witnessed it. Anyone watching would have thought Kit was her father. Amy knew where to turn for safety and affection. Not in all the time Rod had lived at the house did he embrace Amy like that.

  “Get a good sleep, Natalie.”

  “I could wish the same for you, but I know that as long as you’re guarding me, you’ll never get the kind of sleep you need.”

  “I manage.”

  Tears trickled out of her eyes onto the pillow. Sweet, wonderful Kit...

  * * *

  AFTER PHONING THE officer inside the house to let him know they were back, Kit drove the Altima into Natalie’s garage at six Sunday evening. Much as he would have loved for them to stay and play in the swimming pool at the motel and not come home until dark, he refused to take any more unnecessary risks while Morales and his sister were still at large. Instead they stopped at several parks to allow Amy to run around while he stood guard, then drove home and ate their meals en route.

  Kit helped Natalie inside with Amy. While she took care of her daughter, he went into the den with the officer and shut the door.

  “Now we can talk. Tell me what’s gone on.”

  “No one tried to break in, but several people came to the house. The first person rang the bell about one yesterday afternoon. The man left a lawn care brochure on the front door handle. I put it on the kitchen table. Today a couple of women knocked on the door around eleven. They were Jehovah Witnesses and left the Watchtower magazine.”

  “While you’re still here, I’ll pull the tape on the camera.” Kit walked through the house to the front door and opened it. After he returned to the study they looked at the footage. “The lawn man doesn’t resemble Morales, but could have been paid by him to case the place.”

  Kit kept looking until he saw the women. “They’re the wrong ages and body shapes to impersonate Juanita. But they could be working for her.”

  “Maybe they’ve decided the money an
d guns aren’t here and the people who came by the house were on the level.”

  “Maybe,” Kit muttered. “Thanks for doing a great job. I’ll take over from here.”

  He walked the officer to the back door. When he’d gone, Kit gathered the material left on the kitchen table and went to the den. First he called the Better Business Bureau and learned that Greenside Lawn Service was a legitimate business. Next he contacted the company to verify the employment of the man whose name had been stamped on the pamphlet. Everything checked out.

  After phoning the Jehovah Witnesses Kingdom Hall number printed on the magazine, Kit asked if their people had been passing out magazines in northwest Austin. No one could give him a definitive answer. Call back tomorrow.

  He intended to do that after he went to the office in the morning. Kit had already set up a 9:00 a.m. meeting with the FBI agent working on the accounting investigation at LifeSpan. While he was checking some new emails on his laptop, his phone rang. He picked up when he saw who was calling.

  “Cy? I thought you were on a case.”

  “I am, and something has turned up that might have a bearing on yours. Can you talk?”

  “Yes.”

  “When I gave TJ an update on my investigation, he informed me about your case and suggested we share any new information.”

  “Does he see a link?”

  “I think it’s more of a hunch.”

  “If you’re coming in to headquarters in the morning, let’s talk then. I plan to be there by six-thirty.”

  “I’ll be in around seven and find you.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Luckey told me you nailed it at the rodeo. That’s no surprise. Brandon could very well be the champion in December.”

  “We’re hoping.”

  “So how are the widow and the priest? I’ve felt left out.”

  Kit’s smile turned into a chuckle. “You guys never give up.”

  “As I recall you were relentless while I was protecting Kellie. Has the boss’s advice been a help?”

  He took a deep breath. “You know it hasn’t.”

  “Yup. That’s what I thought. See you in the morning.” He was gone before Kit had a chance to say goodbye.

  Kit would need surveillance on Natalie first thing in the morning. He made one more call, this time to headquarters to set it up. No sooner had he rung off than his phone sounded again. It was ten after ten. His mother. He’d been expecting this.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “I hope you have a minute to talk. We didn’t get a chance at the arena. Thank you for hazing for Brandon. Thank you for being a wonderful son.” Kit heard the tears in her voice.

  “Luckily the captain gave me a day off that allowed me to do it.”

  “Brandon was so grateful. He told me Mrs. Harris is a friend of yours.”

  He’d been waiting for her to say something about Natalie. “She is.”

  “That little girl of hers is darling.”

  “Agreed. Mom? I’m still working on a case so I’ll have to say good-night.”

  “All right.”

  “When this latest one is wrapped up, we’ll all get together and take a little trip somewhere.” He knew his mother worried about her bachelor sons, but that was an area where he couldn’t help her out.

  “I’d love that!”

  “So would I, but I’ve got to go. Love you, Mom. Talk to you soon.”

  By the time he walked through the house to check the locks and turn off the lights, he discovered Natalie had gone to bed. Their talk last night had changed the atmosphere between them. She’d blamed herself for getting out of the car before he’d given her the signal.

  All day she’d been careful to do everything right. Now she’d disappeared on him. He needed this case to be solved so they could behave naturally with each other.

  Janie’s unexpected appearance had made him realize he’d crossed the line in his mind. And in so doing, he’d left himself vulnerable. That meant he’d have to watch every step to ensure Natalie and Amy’s safety, but it was getting harder and harder to do. Against his better judgment, his desire for Natalie had been growing, and now all he really wanted to do was to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless.

  Chapter Seven

  Kit’s watch alarm went off at six. He got up and out of the house before anyone else stirred. After leaving a note on the counter that he’d be at headquarters if Natalie needed to talk to him, he left in his car. A rug-cleaning service van was parked across the street. He nodded to the guys and drove downtown.

  At work he stopped in the makeshift lunch room where he poured two cups of coffee and grabbed a couple of doughnuts. When he reached his office, the first thing he saw was a forensics report in his in-basket. He put the food on the desk and reached for the printout.

  The DNA from the black hair found in Rodney Harris’s car was a match for the DNA of felon Juanita Morales. Kit didn’t need to read the rest. The case was coming together. Where in the hell were she and Alonzo hiding out? How soon could Natalie expect another visit?

  “Kit?”

  Cy had arrived. “Come on in and have breakfast with me.”

  “Don’t mind if I do.” They sat across from each other. Cy bit into a doughnut. “The guys were right. Anyone would think you’re a priest.” He squinted at his friend. “Is the collar providing enough protection?”

  “What do you think?” Kit muttered before taking a sip of the hot coffee.

  “I can only speak from my own experience. A week into my undercover role as Kellie’s husband and I wanted it to be real. I take it that’s the place where you are about now.”

  “You’re not a Ranger for nothing.” Kit let out a frustrated sigh. “I swear I’m going to go crazy if I don’t catch up with the Morales duo soon.”

  Cy leaned forward to reach for his cup. “That’s why I’m here. After talking with TJ, I sent you an email. Open it and take a look.”

  Kit turned to the computer and found Cy’s email.

  Marcos Garcia, 63, of Sunset Valley, Austin, Texas, convicted of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. He’s been ordered to pay restitution totaling $400,000 by US District Court Judge Richard Salazar.

  The Assistant US Attorney who handled the case stated that Garcia was an employee of the Empire Guaranty Mortgage Company based in Houston. He was responsible for preparing loan packages and forwarding the documents to financial institutions that provide financing and advisory services for assets management.

  Kit looked up from his reading. “How do loan packages like these work?”

  “In legal transactions, financial institutions purchase loans originated by mortgage companies, allowing the mortgage company to receive immediate payment and the financial institution to collect the interest.”

  “How exactly was Garcia implicated?”

  “During this scheme, he signed a number of loan documents using various names. He forwarded these documents to multiple investor financial institutions, one of which was Austin Metroplex Bank. In effect, Garcia set it up so that there were numerous loans all connecting back to a single property, a fact that was not disclosed to the financial institutions.”

  “Ah.”

  “The proceeds of the fraudulent loans were subsequently wired into the account of a company associated with Empire Guaranty Mortgage Company. It’s a bogus company. The name Julia Varoz comes up on the records, but there’s no live body to prove she exists. As a result of Garcia’s actions, Austin Metroplex Bank was one of nine financial institutions to suffer a loss. The total fraud scheme amounted to approximately twenty-five million dollars.”

  Kit let out a whistle. “Why does TJ feel this case touches on the one I’m investigating?”

&n
bsp; Cy’s brows lifted. “Julia Varoz is missing and so is four-hundred-thousand dollars. You’re looking for Juanita and Alonzo Morales. One or both of them ransacked Natalie Harris’s house looking for that exact sum of money.”

  “So TJ is thinking Julia could be Juanita, but the alias hasn’t come up on the criminal index.”

  “Not yet. The connection I see is that Park withdrew four-hundred thousand from his account the day before he was murdered. Garcia owes that amount in restitution for his crime, but he’s behind bars and Julia Varoz is missing.”

  “So maybe all four of them have been pulling off two cons at the same time,” Kit mused aloud.

  “It’s possible.”

  Kit’s thoughts shot ahead. “Juanita might be the girlfriend trying to find that money to help Garcia when he’s released from prison. Maybe she turned on Harold.”

  “I don’t know. But think about it... Garcia’s only serving an eighteen-month sentence. Maybe Park double-crossed them and hid the money where they couldn’t get at it.”

  “Esger made fraudulent documents for Juanita, but she might have found another forger to make her a new Varoz alias in order to run that dummy account for Garcia. But to find the right forger is a tough order.”

  “Yup.” Cy finished off his coffee. “I’ve got to get going, but I wanted to give you something to chew on. Knowing you, you’ll find the common denominator.”

  “Back at you. Your instincts are never wrong, Cy. Neither are TJ’s. This could be huge.”

  He stood. “We’ll just keep pecking away.”

  “Amen to that.”

  Deep in thought after Cy left, Kit went to the conference room to meet with the FBI agent working on the LifeSpan accounting fraud. He added his input. After they concluded their meeting, he left the building for the Kingdom Hall Center.

  * * *

  AS SOON AS Natalie put Amy down for her nap at two, she went into the kitchen and called the nursing home in Denver. Today a service had been held for Amy’s great-grandmother. The older woman had been on Natalie’s mind.

  “Cottonwood Nursing Home.”

  “Hello. My name is Natalie Harris. I’m calling to speak to someone who handled the funeral service for Gladys Park earlier today.”