Lone Star Standoff Read online

“No. Keeping it like this helps protect it. I need to be careful. It’s sore right now.”

  “Okay, you two. You have a mess to pick up in the den.” Camilla corralled the twins and steered them toward the back of the house.

  While Aubrey headed into the living room, Sean made sure the front door was locked, then followed. “You look a little pale. Are you okay?”

  She eased down on the couch. “Yes. Just tired—and overwhelmed.”

  “Overwhelmed?”

  “I forget how my children are so enthusiastic about everything they do, especially Sammy.” She sighed and reclined against the back cushion, her eyes closing.

  Maybe coming home early wasn’t a good idea. All day she’d tried to downplay what had happened to her and the toll it had taken on her body.

  As he sat at the other end of the couch, she rolled her head to the side and looked right at him. “When is Sheriff Bailey going to come see you?”

  “Soon. Another body was found near Newton’s by the cadaver dog. It had been dead for months. He’s also bringing the sketch artist who’s been working with Simpson on the description of the suspect in your room yesterday. He wants your input.”

  “I’m not going to forget that man’s face, especially his eyes. Dark. Intense. Thinking about him gives me the shivers.” She crossed her arms and hugged them to her chest. “I want us to meet in my office. It’s more private.” She lowered her voice. “I don’t want the kids to know about the guy in my hospital room. In fact, I wish we could sneak the sheriff inside, especially if he’s wearing his uniform.”

  “Do you want him to wear regular clothes?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think there’s any way I can shield my twins from what’s happening.”

  “And Sammy wants to know every juicy detail?”

  “Right. Maybe I can get Mama to take them outside in the backyard when he arrives. Let them run around and tire themselves out. We have a six-foot privacy fence. The deputy could be on the patio to watch over them. There’s a lock on the gate. If I can keep their life as normal as possible, Sammy will eventually get bored and move on to something else.”

  “I know he’s only four, but does he like any sports?”

  “Soccer. Even Camy likes it. Sammy saw a photo of his dad in his soccer uniform when he was in school. He wants to do everything his father did.”

  “Then you have a soccer ball?”

  She nodded. “He keeps it in his room.”

  “I can knock the ball around with both of them, so they don’t think of me as a law enforcement officer all the time. That might help take their mind off what’s happening.”

  Her smile lit her face. “That would be great, especially tomorrow when I’m home. I’ll get a ton of questions from Sammy about why I’m not going to work.”

  Sean texted the sheriff, who replied that he was ten minutes away. “He’ll be here soon. I’ll let your mother and Officer Carter know what we’re going to do.”

  As he rose, Aubrey did, too. “I’m going into my office.”

  He made his way to the den. While Sammy played with his superheroes and Camy colored, Sean motioned to Camilla to come talk to him across the room. He didn’t want the twins to overhear.

  Camilla approached him and whispered, “Everything okay?”

  “Yes.” Sean kept his attention on the twins and murmured, “The sheriff is coming to see us. He’s bringing a sketch artist to get a picture of the guy yesterday in Aubrey’s room. Officer Carter will go out back with you and the kids. Aubrey doesn’t want them to know about the sheriff. I’ll come out later to kick a soccer ball around with them.”

  “Good idea. Until about five minutes ago, I’ve been fielding one question after another from Sammy. I’ll take them outside before the sheriff arrives.”

  “Thanks. We’ll be in Aubrey’s office. I’ll bring the soccer ball when I come out.”

  Camilla turned to her two grandchildren with a big grin on her face. “Remember your mama has to rest and take it easy. I’m tired of being inside the house. Let’s go outside and play.”

  Sammy pumped his arm into the air while Camy clapped. They both jumped up and quickly closed the space between them and their grandmother.

  Sammy stopped next to Sean and tilted his head back, his big hazel eyes fixed on him. “Can you come, too?”

  “I’ll be outside in a little while. In the meantime, I’ll send Officer Carter out back.”

  “Yes!” Sammy grinned from ear to ear.

  As Camilla and the kids left, Sean headed toward Aubrey’s office. He heard the back door closing ten seconds before someone knocked on the front one. Sean hurried to answer it and let Sheriff Don Bailey into the house. Officer Carter followed behind him.

  “The kids just went out back with Mrs. Roberts. When I relieve you in a while, you should return to the front porch.”

  Officer Carter nodded and walked toward the rear of the house.

  “Aubrey is in her office. She doesn’t want her children to know what’s going on.”

  “I understand. I have an inquisitive grandson.” The sheriff gestured toward the woman who accompanied him. “This is Maria Cortez, the sketch artist.”

  Sean shook the middle-aged woman’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  She opened her pad and tore off the top sheet. “This is what Officer Simpson thinks the man looks like. I don’t want to show the judge the picture until after she gives me her information.”

  “Thanks.” Sean studied the drawing. The hair on the impostor looked just like the hair on Chris Newton’s photo in the hospital database. Dark, almost black, medium-length strands, with bangs pulled to the left. He wore the glasses from Newton’s picture. The only thing that didn’t fit was the brown eyes. The color was too dark, and there was something else he couldn’t put his finger on about the eyes. Aubrey had called them intense, and they were, but he couldn’t say that about Newton’s.

  “While she’s working with the judge, I thought we could go over what we have so far. We can use the living room. Everyone else is out back.” Sean gestured across the hall. “I’ll take Ms. Cortez to Aubrey.”

  When they entered the office, Aubrey’s eyes opened, and she sat up straight on the small couch. After he introduced the sketch artist, he left them to talk and crossed to the living room. Sean took his seat across from the sheriff in the lounge chair and withdrew a pad and pen.

  “The cadaver dog that found Newton’s body in the vicinity of where his car was found discovered another body, and then an additional two others. We’re processing the area and hoping there are no more.”

  “So the murderer used the same place to dispose of the people he killed?”

  “That’s what it appears to be. So far there are four.”

  Sean curled his hand into a fist. “Any idea who the other three are?”

  “One was a known member of the Coastal Cartel. The other two bodies are decomposed beyond visual identification. It will take more time to figure out who they are. No IDs were on any of the victims.”

  This all came back to the cartel. “Are the prosecutors on this case being protected? If the cartel is coming after the judge, they might also target the government attorneys.”

  The sheriff nodded. “Each has a bodyguard.”

  Sean rose. “I’ll be right back.”

  When he entered the kitchen, he made a beeline for the large window that overlooked the backyard to check on Sammy and Camy. The two were running around, laughing and chasing each other. The sight of them was heartwarming.

  At one time he’d wanted a family, but his job often got in the way. When he became a Texas Ranger, he realized he would devote his whole life to his job—and yet he felt he was missing out on something.

  Sean returned to the living room. “How did you find Newton’s car?”

  “We
tapped into its GPS navigation system to find its location. I guess the killer didn’t care if Newton was found. I wonder if he was trying to make a statement. Can we keep the information about the other bodies quiet for now? The guy might be trying to intimidate someone.”

  “Or doesn’t care if they’re discovered. That’s why I’m hoping we can figure out who was in the judge’s hospital room.” Sean’s head throbbed. The pain was less intense than it had been, but he still had a reminder that someone had hit him over the head recently. He kneaded the tight muscles at the back of his neck. “Please send me all the crime-scene photos. Right now, my priority is to protect the judge, but when she’s in the courtroom, I’ll be able to follow some leads.”

  “One of the leads we found this morning was a black wig and blue scrubs in a dumpster not far from the hospital. They were sent to the lab to find if there are any clues about who wore them. There may be DNA from his real hair under the wig.”

  “I hope so.”

  “We’ll put out the sketch from Officer Simpson and Judge Madison. Maybe someone will recognize the guy.”

  “He knew what he was doing. Not one camera caught his face. A pro.” Sean pushed to his feet. “I’d like a copy of the autopsy reports of Newton and everyone found nearby.”

  The sheriff stood and left the living room with Sean. “I’ll keep you informed as the case develops.”

  “Same here. The next couple of weeks will be tense.” Sean needed to talk to his informant to see if he’d heard any rumblings. He hoped he could find him. Something else was going down that went beyond Villa’s murder trial.

  As Sean opened the office door, a soft laugh echoed through the room. When he spied Aubrey relaxed next to the sketch artist on the couch, the sound of her laughter eased his tension. He loved hearing it. For a few seconds, he relished it.

  Aubrey glanced up. “I think we have a good composite that will help you find him.”

  The sketch artist held up the drawing. “I did one first without her seeing Officer Simpson’s version. When I compared the two, there were little differences between them. I called the police chief. The officer is on his way here. Once we reconcile the two pictures, I’ll have a drawing for you to use.”

  “That’s good to hear.” Sean hung back at the door while the sheriff sat in a chair near Aubrey. “I’m going out back. Officer Carter will return to the front porch.”

  Aubrey looked at him. “I’ll let you know when everyone leaves.”

  As he left the office, Sean couldn’t shake the weariness and apprehension he saw in her face. She needed to rest without worrying about what was happening in Port Bliss, but that would be difficult with her being in the middle of all that was going on.

  He strolled toward the back door. One thing nagged him about what had occurred these past few days. The rat was a trademark of the Coastal Cartel. But why the rattlesnake in her desk drawer? It didn’t fit what he knew about them.

  Something didn’t feel right to him.

  * * *

  Monday evening Aubrey shut her laptop and put it on the coffee table, throwing the living room into darkness. She closed her tired eyes, eager to get to court tomorrow. All she wanted was this trial to be over and her life to return to normal. But would it ever be normal again?

  Ever since her husband was murdered, her life had consisted of making it through one day at a time. She’d never felt her job was dangerous like Samuel’s, but now she’d discovered it could be. Although she loved the law and her work, after this trial she needed to reconsider what she should do, especially because of her children.

  Was that why she hadn’t put her wedding and engagement rings on after Sean returned them? Instead they were upstairs in her jewelry box. All she knew at the moment was that she was confused. She was tired of feeling like her life was in limbo. For her children’s—and her own—sake, she needed to look forward. She prayed her husband’s murder could be solved so she could put the past behind her.

  “What are you doing sitting in the dark?” Sean paused in the entrance from the dimly lit entry hall.

  She gasped and reached over to the end table to switch on the lamp. “I like the dark. I often sit in the darkness and think about the day.”

  Sean smiled. “I just wanted to make sure you’re all right.” He covered the distance to her, turned off the light and sat next to her.

  With their arms touching, she could feel the tension leave her body. “Thanks for hitting the soccer ball around. Sammy didn’t want to stop talking about it and go to bed. Even Camy had fun. They needed that break and the exercise.”

  “I hope to do it again. I had fun with them.”

  She hoped he could, too. She wondered why he didn’t have children. He would make a good father. Her kids’ giggles had filled the air the whole time he was playing with them. She loved that sound.

  “What were you thinking about earlier in the dark?”

  “The case. My future.”

  He covered her hand on the couch between them. “Anything you want to share?”

  “I checked the news sites online and saw the composite picture of the impostor has been released. I hope the police get tips on his whereabouts.” She turned toward Sean. Although she couldn’t make out his features very well in the dark, she imagined his expression—confident, caring and committed. As though compelled by an invisible force, she reached out with her free hand to cup his face. “I also thought about my job. I can’t put my family in danger. I’ve been a judge for five years here, some of it before my twins were born, and never felt fear for my life or my family’s.”

  “This is when we have to trust God and put our lives in His hands. A person crossing a street can be hit by a car or by lightning. We have to live each day to the fullest, take precautions where we can, but not worry about things that may or may not happen. It’s exhausting and takes away from the moment you’re living in.”

  “It’s hard to lose someone close to you, especially unexpectedly. That morning, the day my husband was murdered, I said goodbye to him, never considering I wouldn’t see him again alive. In fact, we were arguing over him having to work on a day we’d planned to go to Padre Island. The last thing he said to me was he would make it up to me, then he kissed me on the cheek and hopped into his SUV. I didn’t even watch him leave because Camy started crying. I had to run back into the house. If only I’d known that was the last time...” Her throat closed. She’d relived that morning many times, but she’d never been able to voice how it would have made a difference if she’d known it was the last time she would see him alive.

  “I regretted the things I said to my younger brother when he left Amarillo to come down here,” Sean said. “He was nineteen, reckless and impulsive. He wanted to work on an oil rig, and he loved the water. He hated where we lived. We’d talk over the phone occasionally, but usually we missed each other. When my brother went missing, I felt like I’d let him and my father down. Dad had wanted me to watch out for Jack. I’ve searched for the past two years and can’t find anything about what happened to my little brother.”

  “Sometimes not knowing what happened is worse than knowing. You don’t have any resolution about your brother.”

  Sean drew Aubrey against his side. “I’ve tried to solve both of their cases, but I keep running into dead ends. Their cases may forever remain unsolved, although I think both are connected to the Coastal Cartel in some way.”

  She shuddered against him when she thought about what the cartel had done to her husband. She’d thought she’d dealt with Samuel’s death, but this trial was renewing the memories she’d tried to keep buried. “My office used to be Samuel’s. When I was elected to be a judge again, I turned it into my workspace at home. At first, it was hard to be in that room, but now there’s very little of Samuel in the office.”

  “I know you let me go through his stuff after his death and take wh
at I needed to work on his case. Have you found anything since then?”

  “Not since that last time a year ago. If I had, I’d have given it to you. I want his killer to be found and prosecuted. Then I’ll know he won’t be able to murder anyone else.”

  Sean relaxed against her. “I see what you mean about sitting in the dark. It’s more calming when discussing a difficult subject. I may have to try it.”

  She chuckled. “I’m glad to help.”

  “Are you going to follow the doctor’s orders about work?”

  “Yes, only a half day tomorrow. We’ll have opening remarks. But on Wednesday, I plan to do a full day. The quicker this trial is, the faster my family will be safe again.” She yawned, the long day catching up with her.

  “It sounds like you’re tired.”

  “I am. Two children will do that to a parent.”

  Sean rose and held his hand out to help Aubrey up. “I need a pillow and a blanket.”

  “Where are you sleeping?”

  “Here, on the couch. I already talked with your mother. She said she could share your bedroom, but I want to be downstairs, near the staircase and front entrance.”

  “I have to admit I feel better having you here.” Aubrey flipped on the overhead light as she left the living room. “I’ll get what you need and help you make up a bed on the couch.”

  She started up the stairs, but Sean stopped her. “You need your rest. I don’t need much. I’m a light sleeper and can fall asleep just about anywhere.”

  Aubrey glanced over her shoulder and continued upstairs. “I wish I could do that. One of the reasons I hated the hospital was I couldn’t get much rest there.”

  Sean followed her down the second-floor hallway to her linen closet at the end. After she gave him a light blanket and a pillow, their hands briefly making contact, he strolled toward the staircase. “Sleep well,” he said then disappeared from view.

  She left the walk-in linen closet, her hands tingling from touching his. Talking to him was so easy and comfortable. She rarely shared her thoughts about Samuel and his death, even with her mother. But the words tumbled from her as though she and Sean had been friends for years.