Texas Sheriff's Deadly Mission Read online

  Again with the past. Shaking her head, she exited her office just in time to see Larry arrive. Since she knew how possessive he could be about “his” files, she hurried over to his desk to let him know they were with Parker in the conference room.

  Just as she finished explaining, Mary got back with their lunches. “I’m taking them in the conference room,” she said as she breezed past. Since their small station didn’t have an actual break room, they often ate there. “I got Parker lunch, too.”

  Larry, who’d been on the verge of getting indignant over his missing files, now appeared crestfallen. “Wonder why she didn’t bring me lunch.”

  “Probably because you always eat before you come in.” Rayna pointed to the sub shop cup on his desk. “Looks like today was no exception.”

  Though he rolled his eyes, he had no choice but to agree with her. “By the way,” she continued, “I’m permitting Parker Norton to review the files on Nicole Wilson. I’ll make sure they’re back on your desk once he’s finished.”

  Larry stared. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to protest, and then apparently decided not to. “Okay, boss.”

  She actually wanted to thank him for not making a big deal out of nothing. Instead, she simply nodded. “I’m going to go back there and eat. Let me know if anything comes up.”

  “Will do.”

  Steeling herself, she turned to go back and try to choke down her lunch around the one man she needed to resist. Doing so really didn’t sound appetizing at all. She briefly considered grabbing her lunch and taking it to her office to eat, but if she did, she knew Mary would comment. Her entire staff had been on her the first time she’d done that, telling her how Sam had always said it was important to take a real break from the job. And they’d been right. Sam had always either eaten in the conference room or gone out for his meals. He’d always made a point to never eat in his office at his desk. So even now, there was no way she could.

  At the doorway she paused, took a deep breath and opened the door to the conference room. When she stepped inside, trying to act like her heart wasn’t about to pound out of her chest, Parker or Mary didn’t even look up. They scrolled on their phones while eating.

  One of her pet peeves. Yet she, too, had been guilty of the same thing. As she pulled out her chair and took her seat, she reconsidered. Maybe she wouldn’t have to engage in small talk with Parker and Mary, all the while secretly wanting him inside her.

  This could be a good thing.

  She grabbed the bag containing her salad as quietly as possible. Mary, she saw, had already finished. And Parker had eaten a burger, though he still worked on his fries while intent on his phone.

  The lack of attention enabled her to relax somewhat and enjoy her salad. Still, she kept her head down and ate quietly, not exactly rushing, but not taking her time, either.

  Once finished, she got up. Carrying her bag to the trash, she strode to the door. She didn’t want to appear to be in a hurry, but did want out of there as quickly as possible.

  “Wait up,” Mary said. “My lunch break is over. That way we can both leave Mr. Norton here to go through his files in peace.”

  Rayna nodded. As soon as Mary pushed past her, she closed the door, exhaling silently in relief. Maybe now, with an actual physical barrier between them, her head would clear and she’d be able to think. Perhaps the persistent ache of needing him would fade away. It had better, because she needed to focus on her job instead of the muscular, sexy man in her conference room.

  * * *

  Parker could tell Rayna felt uncomfortable around him in her work environment. Almost as if she regretted what had happened between them. If they’d been alone, he might have teased her, told her not to worry, that he wasn’t the type to combine business with pleasure. And he almost could make himself believe that, despite the way every single time he even glanced at her, he had to fight memories of her soft skin under his hands. Or how good she tasted, and how damn bad he wanted to be inside her again.

  He didn’t know what it was about this woman, but he’d wanted her from the moment he’d first laid eyes on her and still wanted her.

  Even when he couldn’t allow himself to lose focus.

  Like now. Glancing at her outside the glass wall, he dragged his gaze away from her shapely rear and back to the slender stack of file folders in front of him. Nicole was what mattered now. He’d deal with this attraction to Rayna later.

  He made careful notes of all the names mentioned in the case files. People who had been interviewed, and why. Some of them he labeled as possible suspects, mainly due to the character notes he saw written there. A man named Orville Mexia who pretended to be homeless. Another, simply called Old Man Malone, who wandered around downtown with a metal detector.

  Parker decided he’d talk to these two first. After that, he planned to interview a rancher named Ted Sanders, whose ranch was out near where the unidentified remains had been found.

  Unidentified remains. Safer to consider them that, rather than worry they might be Nicole’s. No. He refused to even consider that possibility. Hopefully, Rayna would hear from the medical examiner’s office soon.

  Once he’d finished making his list, he tucked his small notebook in his back pocket and carried the file folders back to Larry’s desk.

  Larry leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head, and studied him. “You do know that you can’t mention to anyone that you’ve reviewed these files, right?”

  Parker hadn’t known, but he went ahead and nodded. “That makes sense. I’m still thinking I might talk to a few of the people who were interviewed previously.”

  “Why?” Larry grimaced. “Right now, we’re in a holding pattern until those bones are identified. There’s no point in stirring things up.”

  Parker mustn’t have looked convinced because Larry jerked his thumb toward Rayna’s office. “Go talk to her. She’ll tell you the same thing.”

  Partly because he didn’t want to do the wrong thing, and partly because he just wanted to see Rayna again, Parker nodded. “I’ll do that,” he said, heading for Rayna’s office.

  She’d left her door open, but even so, he tapped lightly on it before entering. Engrossed in something on her desktop, she looked up. When her gaze met his, she froze.

  And blushed. Which meant he affected her as strongly as she did him. Good to have confirmation.

  Focus. Clearing his throat, he outlined what he and Larry had discussed. The dazed look in her eyes cleared as she realized why he’d stopped by her office. He could have sworn a quick flash of disappointment crossed her face, but that might have been wishful thinking on his part.

  “Technically, Larry is correct,” she said, after hearing him out. “Right now, all of Getaway is in a frenzy about those remains. People are talking serial killer and we’re trying to squash that. At least as long as we only have one body.”

  “Do you think there might be more?” he asked, before he could help himself.

  “I don’t know.” Though frustration shone in her eyes, her tone remained level and calm. “Let’s take this one step at a time. I am opening a new investigation, of course, but it will be helpful to get an ID on the victim.”

  “But why wait for that?” Unlike her, he could barely keep his frustration bottled inside. “If it takes several weeks to a month, that gives the killer that much time to either disappear or cover his or her tracks.”

  “I know.”

  Her rapid agreement startled him. “Then why—?”

  She held up a hand. “I’m going to be blunt. Questioning people is law enforcement’s job, not yours. I understand you want to help, and I can appreciate that. Don’t make me regret letting you review our case files.”

  Though he really wanted to argue, he knew she was right. “I feel like I have to do something,” he finally said. “I told John I’d bring Nicole back to see him
before he dies. I’m not in the habit of breaking my word.”

  “This is beyond your control.” Now a trace of anger leaked through her steady voice. “There hasn’t been a murder in Getaway in over thirty years. The entire time your uncle was sheriff, no life was lost. None. I’ve barely been sheriff two years. How do you think it makes me feel, knowing this happened on my watch?”

  He threw her own words back at her, knowing she needed to hear them as much or more than he did. “That’s beyond your control. But at least you have a chance to rectify that. You can catch the killer, bring him or her to justice. That’s what you can do.” He took a deep breath, lowering his voice. “And if that body turns out not to belong to Nicole, you can help me find her.”

  After listening intently, she nodded. “Sounds like a good plan.” And then she smiled at him. “Do you feel better now?”

  Better? The beauty of her smile took his breath away. All he could think about was how badly he wanted to kiss her lips. Through a haze of desire, he heard the humor in her voice and realized she was teasing him.

  “Of course, I plan to do everything you mentioned,” she continued. “That’s my job, after all.”

  “Point taken.” He sat back in his chair. “Will you let me go with you? Maybe not all of the time, but sometimes?”

  Her smile faded. “You’re a civilian,” she pointed out. “I honestly don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “I could be a silent observer,” he pressed. “I know that’s allowed, because one of my friends and his wife participated in their city’s citizen’s police academy.”

  Gaze locked on his, she considered. “Silent? You’d give your word you wouldn’t interfere in any way?”

  “Yes.” Leaning forward, he held her gaze. “I give you my word.”

  “I’ll consider it.” She finally looked away.

  “Thank you. It would mean a lot to me.”

  “I get that.” With a sigh, she dragged her hand through her hair. “We need to talk about what happened last night.”

  “Do we?”

  “Yes.” Doggedly, she continued. “Because you need to understand it can’t happen again.”

  “Agreed,” he replied immediately, even though every instinct inside him clamored for the opposite. “All that would do is cloud my judgment.”

  She grimaced. “Your judgment? I’m the one who has to be careful.”

  Though he considered asking her why she felt sheriffs weren’t allowed to date, he held back. He didn’t want to say or do anything that might jeopardize her taking him along while she questioned potential witnesses or suspects.

  “We’ll head out first thing in the morning,” she finally said. “I’ll swing by and pick you up at the motel around eight.”

  “Thank you.” He got up and turned toward the door with the intent of getting out of there before she changed her mind.

  He strode through the small room like a man on a mission, lifting his hand in a casual wave to Mary on his way out the door. Once outside, the bright sunlight and brutal heat hit him like a slap in the face. Pausing, he went to his bike and put on his helmet.

  Damn if he wasn’t regretting agreeing with her statement about keeping things platonic from here on out. They’d fit together as if their bodies had been made for each other. And even if he never touched her again—a thought that made his entire being ache—he’d never stop wanting her. Rayna Coombs would be a distraction no matter how hard she tried to remain aloof.

  Instead of going back to his motel, he cruised slowly down Main Street. The heat and the sun made the town look sleepy. Everyone appeared to have wisely chosen to remain inside, under the air conditioner or a fan.

  Once he left Main, he continued past the train tracks and old oil rigs that no longer worked. He passed the old haunted farmhouse, still boarded up and spooky, even in the bright sunshine. Slowing, he pulled over and stared. As a kid, he’d used to imagine how the place might have looked back in its heyday, when a family had lived there and fresh and new paint covered it. He’d even told Sam once that someday he intended on buying the place and restoring the farmhouse to its original splendor. Sam had laughed and told him the only value there was in the land.

  Now Parker understood. Sam had been correct. The farmhouse had long ago fallen into disrepair and now, so many years later, it was long past the point of being anywhere near salvageable. It would need to be torn down and a new house built in its place, assuming someone would ever want to live there again.

  Shaking his head, he pulled away. Nostalgia wouldn’t help him find Nicole. And despite all evidence to the contrary, he clung to the hope that John’s little sister was still alive.

  The next morning, when the Getaway sheriff’s office car pulled in front of his motel room, he was ready and out the door before she even put the transmission in Park.

  Even though he’d prepared himself, his first sight of her sent a jolt through his entire body.

  “Mornin’,” she drawled. “I picked us up a couple of cups of coffee on the way over here. I hope you drink yours black.”

  “I do.” Smiling at her while he secured his seat belt, he reached for the foam cup. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

  She blinked, her gaze skittering away, almost as if she was nervous. “You’re welcome. I figured this would be a lot easier if we were both wide-awake.”

  Taking a sip, he nodded. The coffee tasted good, strong and rich and hot. Just what he needed.

  Putting the car in Drive, she exited the motel parking lot and turned left on the road, which meant they were heading out of town.

  “First stop today is Ted Sanders’s ranch,” she said. “He’s a good guy, raising two twin girls on his own. They just got their driver’s licenses, so he’s got his hands full.”

  “I remember the name from the previous investigation. His ranch is pretty close to where the remains were found.”

  “Exactly. That’s why we’re talking to him first.” Glancing at him, she flashed a smile. He wondered if she realized how beautiful she was.

  As she drove, they sipped their coffee in companionable silence. He appreciated the fact that she didn’t need to fill the quiet with chatter. Instead, they watched the sun, still low on the horizon, color the sky with purples, pinks, reds and oranges. He couldn’t believe he’d nearly forgotten the stark beauty of a west Texas morning sky.

  They passed the spot where the remains had been found. Yellow crime scene tape fluttered in the dry breeze. Quickly, he averted his gaze. Even though there hadn’t been a positive ID yet from the medical examiner’s office, the spot still felt too personal, his emotions too raw to discuss it yet.

  Luckily, Rayna didn’t even glance toward the crime scene.

  After traveling half a mile farther, they turned down a gravel road, bordered on both sides by fields. “Ted Sanders is a really nice guy,” she said, a hint of warning in her tone. “I wanted to make sure his daughters would be in school when we stop by. I don’t want them to panic.”

  It took a second before her meaning sank in. “You think there’s a possibility they might be in danger?”

  Her shrug seemed a bit too studied, too casual. “There’s always a possibility of that. My job is to keep the people in this town safe. If warning Ted might help do that, then I’ll warn Ted.”

  “So we’re not actually going out there to question this guy?”

  “He’s already been questioned. I might ask a few follow-up questions, like if he’s seen anything out of the ordinary. But mostly I want him to be aware that there might be a killer out there targeting young women. Yvonne and Yolanda just turned sixteen. There’s no sense in taking any chances.”

  He had to agree with her there.

  The road came to an end at a large metal gate. Rayna parked and got out, opening it. She climbed back into the car, drove through and then got out a
gain to shut it.

  “He doesn’t keep it locked?” Parker asked, genuinely curious.

  “Nope. There’s never been a need to before.” She swallowed and made a wry grimace. “Until now, there actually hasn’t been much crime in Getaway. What little we had was the result of people passing through.”

  A long ranch house came into view. While judging from the style, it appeared to have been built in the late sixties or early seventies, the place appeared well tended.

  Rayna parked and killed the engine. “Ready?”

  He nodded. As they got out of the car, a tall, lanky man came striding toward them. He wore a cowboy hat, jeans and muddy work boots. “Rayna!” Grinning, he enveloped her in a bear hug. “What brings you all the way out here?”

  Parker told himself he wasn’t jealous. Just because this rancher looked like an actor playing one, with his chiseled jaw and bright blue eyes. And single, too, according to Rayna.

  Finally, Rayna stepped away from the other man’s embrace. Expression grave, she eyed him. “Ted, I take it you haven’t heard, then?”

  Frowning, he shook his head. “Heard what? You know I haven’t got time for all that gossip folks in town like to spread around like manure. What’s going on?”

  “Unidentified remains were found in a field up the road.”

  Parker half listened as she told Ted the rest of it, including that Nicole was missing.

  “Your sister?” Ted asked, pity in his gaze.

  “My best friend’s,” Parker answered. “She was—is—a sophomore at Texas Tech. She was passing through on her way to Dallas to visit her brother.”

  “We don’t know for sure the remains belonged to her,” Rayna hastened to say. “And that’s partly why I came out here to talk to you. If there is some sort of killer in this area targeting young women, there’s a possibility that your girls might be at risk. Just for now, let’s keep this between us. I don’t want to start a panic in town. But be extra vigilant, okay?”

  Ted’s jaw tightened. “Thanks for the heads-up. The twins already claim I’m too strict. But until this thing is solved, I’ll be watching them like a hawk.”