The Texas Ranger's Family Read online

  “How’s the cherub?” Kit asked when he finished his call.

  “Out like a light.”

  “I’m not surprised. Your little girl has done enough flying for a while.”

  “She’s never had a more exciting week in her life. A new man in the house, jet-plane rides—”

  His eyes studied her for a moment. “It makes me happy that she doesn’t mind having me around.”

  “Mind? She’s crazy about you. It astonished Colette when Amy said your name in the restaurant.”

  He flashed her a smile that turned her heart over. “That made my day. Thanks for flying to Arizona with me. I wanted your friend to feel comfortable.”

  “I enjoyed seeing her again, even if it was only for an hour. Was she really able to help you, or were you just saying that to be polite?”

  “Anything but. It was well worth the trip. Now I need to find a pattern using the evidence I’ve gathered, but that means I have to fly out again tomorrow morning. I’ll be going alone this time.”

  “Are you able to tell me where?”

  “California. I’m going to interrogate Jimmy Salter at the federal prison.”

  “You mean Rod’s—childhood friend went to prison, too?”

  “Afraid so. He killed two police officers.”

  “I can’t believe it.” Natalie looked at Kit. “How long will you be gone?”

  “I could be home by tomorrow night, but probably the next day. Since Salter is a lifer, you never know about getting him to talk. He might cooperate and tell me something important about Harold.

  “Then again, he could refuse to speak. But when I tell him your husband was murdered, it may jar him into revealing a critical piece of information I could use. But don’t be concerned. You’ll be watched at all times while I’m away. They’ll follow you if you want to drive to the store or whatever.”

  “I know that.” She averted her eyes. “I just don’t see how you can stand to face a cold-blooded killer.”

  “It’s part of my job.”

  “I know, but it’s so awful.”

  “The satisfaction of capturing a dangerous criminal makes it all worth it.”

  Natalie lifted her head. “You’re an amazing man.”

  “Like I told you before, my childhood was filled with snakes and things that go bump in the night.” Kit’s half smile didn’t dispel her concern for him.

  “Do you ever have nightmares?” she asked.

  “I’ve had my share, but not because of my career. The one that returns on occasion has to do with letting my father down.”

  Natalie swallowed hard. “Was he a demanding man?”

  “Not at all. He was kind and straight as an arrow. I thought he was next to perfect.”

  “Well if I had a chance to meet him, I’d tell him the size of your footsteps match his.” The second she’d spoken, heat swarmed her cheeks.

  Kit’s gaze held hers. “When I have that nightmare again, I’ll remember your words.”

  Natalie stood from her chair. “If you’ve got to make an early morning flight, I’ll say good-night.”

  “Once I’ve installed a camera over the front door, I’ll call it a night, too.”

  The man was doing everything possible to keep her safe. “Is there anything I can get you before I go to bed? There’s still some iced tea left over from dinner.”

  “No, thanks. It was delicious, but if I want any more, I’ll get it.”

  You heard him, Natalie.

  She turned and retreated through the house to her bedroom. But after she got into bed, she couldn’t fall asleep. She shouldn’t be upset because he had to leave for a day or two to carry out his job. And it wasn’t because she was afraid for him. That wasn’t the problem.

  Something else had happened to her; something she could never have imagined. Natalie’s attraction to Kit had grown roots. How was that possible in so short a time?

  To get him off her mind, she reached for the remote and turned on the TV on the dresser.

  The next thing she knew, she was waking up to a Thursday morning news show. She shut it off and got out of bed.

  After throwing on a robe Natalie walked down the hall to the nursery. Amy was still sleeping. When she reached the den, she saw Kit’s sleeping bag rolled up and propped in the corner. Her watch said eight-fifteen. He’d gone.

  She moved to the living room and looked out the window. A van marked Kitchen Remodels was parked a few houses down. To be watched over made her feel secure, but she felt an emptiness because—

  Oh, stop it, Natalie.

  Upset with her herself, she took a shower, washed her hair and got ready for the day in shorts and a sleeveless blouse. Amy was up and playing in her bed when Natalie entered the nursery.

  “Good morning, my little love.”

  Her daughter answered her with a smile and some baby chatter. Once she’d had a diaper change and Natalie had found her a cute little sunsuit to wear, they ate breakfast. While Natalie was feeding her, Amy said Kit’s name.

  “Kit’s not here, honey.” So her daughter was missing him, too. Things just weren’t the same today.

  Before it got too hot, she grabbed her cell and took Amy out back, setting her in her playpen on the patio with some toys. Natalie started the mower and cut the small back lawn, then moved the little kiddie pool off the patio and onto the grass.

  It was filled with plastic ducks and geese. Amy loved to throw the beach ball into it, then climb in and throw it back out, along with the ducks. Later Natalie would put a little water in so Amy could splash.

  While the little girl toddled around the yard, Natalie lay on the lounger to watch. The emptiness she’d felt earlier hadn’t gone away. Resigned to be in this condition until Kit came back, she returned a series of calls to people who’d left messages.

  Once that was done, she phoned Information and got a number for car donations for veterans and was pleased to discover that a towing company could collect the Sentra before the end of the day and would leave her a receipt. Relieved to have taken care of that so easily, she turned on the hose and put some water in the pool.

  Amy loved it and they played until it was time for lunch. At nap time, Natalie brought in the mail then cut the grass out front. With Austin on water restriction, the sprinklers went on at four in the morning at her address on Wednesdays only. The lawn didn’t look that great, but it couldn’t be helped.

  The last thing on her list was to put the key to Rod’s car back in the ignition. Just as she finished and came back into the house, her cell rang. She looked at the Caller ID and clicked on.

  “Colette?”

  “I hope it’s all right to talk for a few minutes.”

  “Of course.”

  “Is the Ranger still there?”

  Natalie gripped the phone tighter. “No. He’s away. Probably until tomorrow.”

  “I’m alone, too. Chad has gone to work for a few hours and I’ve taken today off in case he doesn’t feel well and comes home early. To be honest, he was going crazy around here and driving me crazy too. I’ve decided that husbands make horrible patients. Anyway, I just had to call you and—”

  “I know what you’re going to say,” Natalie interrupted. “Yes I find him terribly attractive and wonderful, but he’ll wrap up this case soon and that will be the end of it.”

  “Want to make a bet? I saw the way he looked at you when you took Amy to the restroom.” Natalie’s heart pounded. “I hope he’s not married.”

  “He’s not.”

  “That’s good, because no priest or married man should watch a woman the way he watched you.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” Natalie was afraid to believe it.

  “I’d say it’s a good thing Father Segal isn’t really a priest becau
se from where I was sitting, he was already in big trouble.”

  “Colette—”

  “It’s true, and you had the same expression in your eyes when you looked at him. What’s great is that Amy likes him, too.”

  “She does. This morning she noticed he wasn’t here and called out his name.”

  “See?”

  “See what?” Natalie asked with impatience.

  “If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll admit that you fell out of love early in your marriage. It’s about time you met someone else. And, Natalie, I have to tell you that Ranger Saunders is fantastic with a capital F.”

  Colette never minced words. She attacked head-on. That was one of the reasons Natalie loved her friend so much. “I agree with you,” she said in a shaky voice. “But I don’t dare read anything into what’s going on. He’s never given me even a hint that he might be interested.”

  “It’s there in his eyes and in his body language.”

  “I think you’re imagining things because you want me to be happy.”

  “I do want you to be happy, but only with the right man.”

  “Thank you for being the greatest friend in the world.”

  “Ditto. Keep me posted about what’s going on. Call me anytime if you need to.”

  “I will. You’re the best, Colette. ’Bye for now.”

  Amy slept on, so Natalie looked around for something else to do. She threw out two of the flower arrangements that had died, wishing they could have lasted longer. People had been so kind to her she decided to write thank-you notes. It would keep her from thinking about Kit, out interrogating a killer.

  Her day wore on and by the time she and Amy were eating their dinner, the tow truck driver had come to the door to give her the receipt for the car. She watched through the screen as Rod’s car was hauled away. She was relieved to know the surveillance team was keeping watch. Tomorrow she’d take the bag of his clothes to Goodwill and that would be the end of any physical reminders. Except for photographs.

  Those were in a scrapbook Natalie had put away on a shelf. One day Amy would want to see pictures of her father. Natalie hoped that by the time Amy started asking questions about her daddy, enough years would have gone by that she’d be able to deal with them.

  After Amy’s bath, she put her to bed and was just coming out of the nursery when her phone rang. She hurried to the kitchen, hoping it might be Kit, but when she checked the screen, it listed an area code and number for Denver. With a frown, she answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Mrs. Harris?”

  “Yes.”

  “This is Mrs. Issac, the director at the Cottonwood Nursing Home. You asked that we contact you about Gladys Park. I’m sorry to have to tell you that she died in her sleep this evening.” Natalie gasped. “She was comfortable to the end. There’ll be a little memorial service here for her on Monday at noon. Her close friend and her pastor are arranging it, but I knew you’d want to be notified.”

  “Thank you so much for letting me know. It means the world to me. I don’t think I can make it to the service, but I’ll have flowers sent.”

  “That would be lovely.”

  Natalie disconnected and buried her face in her hands. Another death. Emotion overwhelmed her and she broke down sobbing.

  * * *

  BEFORE KIT PULLED into the driveway, he waved off the surveillance team. With his business concluded early, he’d taken the next flight out of San Francisco.

  He drove into the garage and went into the house, where he found Natalie in the kitchen, crying her heart out.

  “Natalie?”

  She lifted her tear-streaked face. “You’re back—” she cried in surprise. “Oh, Kit, I’m so glad you’re here.”

  Without thinking, he pulled her into his arms and held her while she wept. “What’s happened?” he asked. His lips brushed her silky blond hair.

  “G-Gladys died this evening. I got the call a few minutes ago.”

  He gathered her tighter.

  “What if you hadn’t arranged for us to fly to Denver when you did? I would never have known her. Thank heaven you took pictures while we were there. Amy will cherish those when she gets older.” Natalie lifted her head so their mouths were only inches apart. “If it weren’t for you, I don’t know how I would have gotten through everything. I owe you so much.”

  Kit kissed the tears on her cheek but eased her away from him, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. “I’m glad we went, too. Come on. Let’s go in the living room and talk. I take it Amy is down for the night.”

  She nodded and led the way.

  He waited until she sank onto a chair before settling in at one end of the couch. “When is her service?”

  “Monday. At the nursing home. I told the director I couldn’t be there, but I’d send flowers.” She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. “How did your prison visit go?”

  “Salter was uncooperative, but I spoke to several other inmates. One of them told me he knew the forger who’d made fake IDs for Salter and some of the other prisoners. The name was Barni Esger. It could turn out to be a promising lead if I can find a connection between this person and Rod’s forged documents.”

  “Where is this forger?”

  “He’s serving time in federal prison at Leavenworth in Kansas.”

  She groaned. “All those men in prison... That means you’ll be taking another trip.”

  “Yes.”

  She lowered her head. “Did you tell Salter that Rod had been killed?”

  “I did. He showed no emotion, which isn’t surprising.” He eyed her for a moment. “I saw that the Sentra is gone.”

  “I took care of it today and donated it to the veterans.”

  “That would have been my choice, too. How’s Amy?”

  “She said your name at breakfast. She was looking for you.”

  He’d missed both of them. Kit wasn’t supposed to develop attachments, but there were a lot of things that weren’t supposed to have happened since he’d met her. Such as putting his arms around her to comfort her. It had felt so right.

  “If you’re hungry, there’s plenty of food in the fridge.”

  “I ate on the plane, thanks. Any more hang-up calls?”

  “No. It’s been quiet. I’m glad you’re back safely. I know you have work to do, so I’ll say good-night.”

  Keep your mind on the case, Saunders. “See you in the morning.”

  After she disappeared, he went to the den and opened his laptop. Another response from the criminal database. Neither of the two guns had been fired recently, and any prints had been wiped clean. The thumbprint on Park’s laptop had turned up a mug shot of a female. She’d been arrested for possession of drugs and petit larceny eight years ago in Denver, Colorado.

  The same time as Harold Park.

  The woman had been charged with a misdemeanor and was jailed for eighteen months.

  He scrolled down.

  Juanita Morales, alias Myra King, Mara Fletcher, Myrna Foyle. Female, 24, 120 pounds, 5’3”. Blond hair, blue eyes.

  Kit’s head reared in reaction. He’d hit the jackpot! Juanita had to be the sister or wife of Alonzo Morales, the convict who’d escaped with Harold. Assuming she’d dyed her hair and worn colored lenses eight years ago, this could very well be the woman Colette had seen at the airport with Natalie’s husband.

  He scanned a copy of the rap sheet and emailed it to Colette. He’d like to hear what she had to say about the mug shot. He also wanted to know the precise location where she’d seen them in the airport parking area. Tomorrow he’d get one of the guys at headquarters to go through the airport security tapes for footage of Harold and his companion.

  After he’d sent the message to Colett
e, he read through his other emails. The rest of the prints from the house and car matched those of Harold Park and Natalie Harris. Nothing surprising there.

  He’d suspected all along there was a third party involved in this case. Linking Juanita to Alonzo made the most sense. Juanita was probably the one who’d provided the transportation to drive the two fugitives out of state during their escape. Everything had been planned. Which one of them had ransacked Natalie’s home?

  Together they’d picked LifeSpan to defraud, but they would have needed all kinds of fake ID and forged documents to make it happen.

  With his mind racing ahead, he suddenly realized his cell was ringing. He reached for it and recognized the Arizona number. “Is this Colette?”

  “Yes! I saw the image you sent me and didn’t want to keep you waiting. She’s the woman I met! The coloring is different, obviously, and she’s lost a little weight since that photo, but I saw her up close and those are her exact features.”

  “That’s all I needed to hear. Your information is going to help me solve this case.”

  “I hope that’s true. You asked where I ran into them. It was in the short-term east parking with access to the Jeppesen Terminal on level four, kind of in the middle.”

  “That will help us locate the right security cameras. Thank you for calling me back.”

  “Of course. I can tell Natalie is in the best of hands. Good luck, Ranger Saunders.”

  After he’d hung up he emailed headquarters and asked that a team pull the tapes. He’d take a look at the footage after his return from Kansas.

  With that sent, he checked the front door camera, pleased to see that no one had come to the door but the man from the towing service.

  Content that all was well for the moment, he locked up the house and got ready for bed. It was a long shot to fly to Leavenworth tomorrow, but he intended to build this case with as much evidence as possible. He’d been supplied with a rap sheet on Barni Esger, and while he might not have any reason to cooperate, Kit had to try.