Lone Star Christmas Rescue Read online

  Dallas took a deep breath. “Ah. Bacon, biscuits and coffee. I never turn down a home-cooked meal, especially since my cooking skills are sorely lacking.”

  “Come into the kitchen, and I’ll introduce you to everyone.” Drake walked down the hallway toward the back of the house.

  “I’m glad the guy who attacked Kay was caught early this morning. Maybe he’ll have answers that will help her remember who she is.”

  Before going into the kitchen, Drake stopped a few feet from the entrance and lowered his voice. “You’re staying here while we go to the police station, then the national park is just a precaution. If we get all the answers when the man’s interrogated, I’ll let you know, and then you can leave if you want. Maybe you’ll be able to make your daughter’s music program in time this evening. I hate taking you away from family.”

  “Hold it right there. Michelle understands.” Dallas grinned. “I’ll get my own private music show later tonight. I’m continuously surprised by her musical talent. She didn’t get it from me.”

  Drake had hoped to be a dad by now. Shanna and he had wanted a family but had been waiting, so when his wife’s autopsy came back, showing she’d been eight weeks pregnant, he’d been stunned. He wasn’t even sure Shanna knew she’d been expecting. He’d kept that news quiet, private, and he was usually okay except for the moments he held Kaleb or others talked about their children. Then the what-ifs would fill his thoughts.

  As he continued into the kitchen, his gaze immediately went to Kay, then Kaleb. He’d missed being a father, but perhaps it was for the best. His job was too risky.

  Drake introduced Dallas to his family and Kay. After his associate sat, Drake took his chair next to Kay. “We need to leave in a few minutes. Captain Vincent wants you to ID the man who attacked you in a lineup, then he’ll interview him.”

  “Are we staying for that?” Kay scraped the last bite of a smashed banana into a spoon, then fed it to Kaleb, who eagerly ate it. “He definitely likes bananas.”

  On the other side of the high chair—another piece of furniture that had been in storage—Anna picked up the bowl of oatmeal. “Finish your breakfast, Kay. I’ll take care of the little man.”

  Kay’s forehead creased. “Are you sure about watching him?”

  “Yes, I’ve wanted to dote on him since y’all came. It’ll give me an excuse not to work today.”

  Kay laughed. “I have a feeling you’ll work harder than usual.”

  “I have a niece and nephew. I know what I’m getting into,” Anna said with a chuckle.

  Drake still wasn’t convinced going back to the park was a good idea. He remembered the sight of the murdered couple. But if it helped Kay recall who she was, then he guessed it was worth the risk.

  By eight in the morning, Drake stood by his SUV in the garage while Kay kissed Kaleb, then relinquished him to Anna. Dallas stood behind them watching, while Frank and their dad had gone to the barn to do the necessary chores.

  As Kay hurried toward him, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She hadn’t insisted on going to the park without weighing the pros and cons. He could imagine the fear and hesitation she was experiencing. She needed her memory back to move forward, but that meant taking a big risk. He’d do what he could to keep her safe. Besides the people in this house, no one else knew they were going to Big Bend. After what happened at the hospital, he made sure he had a satellite phone in case something came up and they needed help. But even a sat phone didn’t always work. It would depend on the weather and terrain.

  “Okay?” Drake opened the passenger door for her.

  “I will be, especially if I find answers today.” Kay slid into the front seat.

  When Drake started the car and backed out of the garage, he threw her a glance. “I’m thinking positive. At least the guy after you is in jail.” He hoped that was who the police had caught. They’d had a good photo of him to go by, but he’d breathe easier after Kay identified her attacker. He also hoped when he went to the park, he could tell Don Calhoun the Moores’ killer was in jail. The man who was arrested had been driving a newer car, so the police were using its GPS to track his whereabouts. Drake would know when he got to the station if Kay’s assailant had been in Big Bend in the past week.

  “And we might even get answers to who I am from him. Are they running his fingerprints?”

  “Yes, although his prints don’t match anyone in the database so far. But that was also true of a set I took from the hospital storage closet. The guy they have in custody matched those prints. They’re expanding the search internationally, since we’re so close to the border.” Drake pulled onto the highway and drove toward Cactus Grove.

  “Why me? I can’t stop asking myself that.”

  “Let’s hope he’ll tell us.” Many criminals would confess for a lighter sentence, or they would trip themselves up while being interrogated. He hoped that was the case with this suspect.

  “Has anyone turned in a missing-person report on someone like me?”

  “No, but the search has expanded to the Southwest United States. We’re also asking quietly about a missing baby around Kaleb’s age. I’ve called in a favor, and we should have the DNA paternity test results back in a few days. Before the attack, I would have advised using the media to see if we could find out who you are, but with the assault, I hesitate to do that.” A missing baby was usually big news, with an Amber Alert sent out to all law enforcement agencies. If Kaleb was Kay’s baby, then that could explain why there hadn’t been one.

  “Thanks. What if the guy who came after me was hired by someone else? I can’t shake that feeling.”

  Drake stopped at a light and twisted toward Kay. Fear shadowed her eyes, her mouth turned down in a frown. “That’s why Dallas is at the ranch as an extra precaution. Too many unknowns with this case.”

  Kay remained silent the rest of the way to the police station. Her body screamed tension, from her hands twisting together in her lap to her ramrod posture. There was nothing else he could say to ease her concerns. He hoped the interrogation would provide answers.

  *

  Kay stood behind a two-way mirror as the lineup of men filed into the room. The second her assailant entered, a cold, clammy feeling washed over her. The man had played tug-of-war with her, using Kaleb. She would never forget his rough features, framed by the light over the back door of the café as he scanned for her location.

  She waited until the six men stopped and faced her before saying, “He’s number two.”

  “Are you sure?” the captain asked.

  “Yes, definitely.”

  “Good. Then we’ll interview him next.” Captain Vincent looked at Drake. “Do you want to be in on it?”

  “No, I’d like to observe with Kay. She’s hoping something he says will trigger a memory.”

  As the captain left, a police officer escorted her assailant into the interview room. Kay stepped back from the two-way mirror. The man’s gaze bored into the glass, as though he could reach across the space separating them and grab her. The sensation of his hands gripping her arms as they had the other night flooded her senses—the rancid odor of cigarettes and sweat, the tight pressure of his grasp, the looming image of his large bulk. For a few seconds, she was transported to the woods behind the café, fighting to keep Kaleb.

  “Kay?” Drake clasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “He can’t hurt you now.”

  She closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his grasp, Drake’s warm palm against her cold one. “I’m recalling that night in the woods.”

  “Give it time.”

  “Why do I feel I don’t have time?”

  “I don’t know, but you aren’t alone now. We’ll figure it out.”

  Finally, she slid a glance in his direction, taking in the caring in his blue eyes, the intensity pouring off him, the determination in his facade. She twisted toward him, cupping his hand between hers. The tangible and intangible connections that linked them drove the fear away.<
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  She smiled. “Thanks for being here.”

  Captain Vincent joined her assailant in the interview room and sat next to him. “You were identified as the man who attacked a woman in the field behind the Five Star Café and wounded a police officer. Those are serious crimes. My officer is still in the hospital, so let’s start with an easy question. What is your name?”

  The pockmarked man snorted and pressed his lips tightly together.

  “If you think not telling us who you are will stop you from being prosecuted, think again. It won’t. We’re running your fingerprints.”

  Her attacker smirked.

  “Both here and overseas, starting with Mexico, since we’re so close to that border. Your photo will be sent, too.”

  The cocky grin disappeared.

  “Someone is bound to know you. I’m sure this isn’t your first time breaking the law.”

  “I want an attorney,” the man said in Spanish.

  And Kay understood what he’d said. She knew Spanish, which became evident when the captain replied in that language. Another tidbit about herself, but she needed so much more.

  “I know what they’re saying. Do you think he’s from Mexico? Maybe that’s why you haven’t been able to match his fingerprints.”

  “His prints were sent there this morning,” Drake replied.

  Finally, Captain Vincent rose. “You’ll make a call to your lawyer, then be taken back to a cell until he arrives.”

  “Let’s go.” Drake started for the door. “We have a long day in front of us.” Out in the hallway, he approached the captain. “We need to leave for Big Bend. Even with a sat phone, reception can be spotty, depending on weather and location. I’ll try calling you when I can pick up reception to see if you get anything from him.”

  “Don’t worry. This guy isn’t going anywhere. Besides Kay’s ID of him, we have his gun, and it’s a match to the one used in the shooting of our officer.”

  “Any useful information from the GPS in his car?”

  “Yes. He was in Big Bend the time you were concerned about.”

  Which meant he could have killed the couple who’d helped her—maybe he’d been trying to get information about Kay from them. He most likely had been tracking her.

  After Drake shook hands with his childhood friend, Captain Vincent, he escorted Kay from the building, his gaze sweeping the area as they walked to his SUV. “You okay?”

  She nodded.

  “Did you get any impressions from the suspect?”

  “Other than the fact that I know Spanish, no more than what I already felt—a sense I’ve seen him before he came to my hospital room. What if I saw him in Big Bend?”

  “That’s possible.” Drake stopped at the passenger door and opened it for her. “Could he be Kaleb’s father?”

  She shuddered. “No!”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “I just am. When the DNA test comes back, you can compare his with the results.”

  “I don’t think he is, but I had to ask.”

  Kay climbed into the vehicle as another tremor shook her. She couldn’t explain how she knew the suspect wasn’t Kaleb’s father, but he wasn’t. Maybe it was because the first time she saw him, he didn’t have any kind of reaction to her holding Kaleb. There was nothing in his expression except coldness.

  As Drake pulled out of the parking lot, Kay visualized her son as she last saw him—trying to grab the spoon Anna had been using to feed him, giggling as though he were playing a game. “Can I use your phone to call Anna and see how Kaleb is doing?”

  “Sure.”

  Kay picked up the sat phone and made the call. The need to connect with him overwhelmed her as though this could be the last time. When Anna answered, Kay suddenly didn’t want to go to the park. The impulse to have Drake turn around inundated her, but the words wouldn’t come out. Answers lay in Big Bend.

  “How’s Kaleb doing?” Kay asked.

  “He’s playing with the stacking rings Frank bought him while in town this morning. I think he’s teething. I’ll hold the phone up to his ear.”

  Kay waited until Anna indicated Kaleb was listening. “It’s Mama, Kaleb.”

  Her son rattled off a string of nonsense words, but again he said, “Mama.”

  The sound lifted her spirits. “I hope you’re having fun with Anna. I’ll be back soon. I love you, Kaleb.” And she meant that last sentence more than anything.

  “Everything all right at the ranch?” Drake asked when she hung up.

  “Yes, Frank bought a toy for Kaleb.” She wanted to be in two places at once—or she wished Kaleb was here with her. But the ranch was the safest place for him right now. She didn’t have anything to worry about with her attacker at the police station and Dallas Sanders at the ranch as a precaution.

  “It’ll be a couple of hours. I know you haven’t gotten a lot of sleep lately. Why don’t you take a nap while I drive?”

  “I can say the same about you. I’m sure I know how to drive if you want to get some rest.”

  He shot her an amused look. “I’m a law enforcement officer. You don’t have a driver’s license on you. We’ll leave it as is.”

  “Well, then that leaves us getting to know each other. Or rather, me getting to know you, since I don’t remember anything about my past I haven’t already told you. There’s a family photo in the living room. I recognized your dad. Was the woman next to him your mother?”

  “Yes.”

  “So you have three siblings. Frank lives at the ranch. Where are your sisters?”

  Drake didn’t reply. He clenched his jaw, and his knuckles whitened as he held the steering wheel.

  “Did I say something wrong?”

  “I only know where one of my sisters is. Mandy lives in Houston with her husband and four children.” He paused for a long moment, the stress in the vehicle skyrocketing. “My other sister—”

  “You don’t have to tell me unless you want to,” Kay quickly said, hearing the pain in his voice.

  Again, a long silence, as if he was wrestling with himself about what he should do.

  Kay leaned toward him and touched his arm. “I shouldn’t have asked. Forget the question.” She didn’t want to bring any sorrow to this man who’d been there for her.

  “No, maybe I should talk about it more. Keeping things locked up inside hasn’t helped. What happened to Beth is the reason I went into law enforcement. I was a senior in college when she came to Dallas to go to the same university I did. That year I met my future wife, and we were getting serious. I should have been watching out for Beth more. She disappeared from campus. There was a massive search for her, but she’d vanished. Later, a human trafficking ring was discovered in the area, and evidence pointed to my sister being abducted. Beth wasn’t the only college student who went missing that year.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear that, Drake. It’s hard enough losing a sibling, but to have one disappear and not know where she is must be twice as bad.”

  He cleared his throat. “I should have been there for her more. Kept a better eye on her.”

  “Short of locking her up or following her around 24-7, you couldn’t have prevented what happened.”

  The terrifying image of being strangled flooded Kay’s mind. Burning lungs. Pain as she struggled to breathe. She heard a snap, and her head fell forward as though the man had snapped her neck. Kay cupped her throat. Sweat broke out on her face.

  “Kay, what’s wrong?”

  “I—I…” The picture vanished as fast as it had appeared. Was she going to be haunted by her nightmare even when she was wide awake?

  God, help me. What’s going on?

  “Kay!”

  The sound of Drake’s voice dragged her back to the present. When Kay focused on her surroundings, she found the car parked on the side of the highway. She hadn’t even realized he’d pulled off the road. Was she going mad?

  “Kay, what just happened? You’re pale. You’re shaking.”
/>   She folded her arms over her chest and glanced at him. “I had my nightmare wide-awake. But this time, he killed me. He snapped my neck. I was there. I felt it.”

  Drake leaned close, his arm sliding along her shoulders. “Did you see who was strangling you?”

  “No. It happened so fast, all I thought about was trying to stay alive.” She shifted to face him. “I’m alive. Why am I dreaming this? I feel like I’m going crazy. What is my mind trying to tell me?”

  “I don’t know. Something bad must have happened that possibly led to you being in Big Bend. Or it might—” he kneaded the tight muscles in her neck “—have nothing to do with you personally but someone else.”

  “I witnessed a murder?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Then it’s even more important that we go to the park.”

  “I agree. Someone could have been murdered. It wouldn’t be that hard to dispose of a body and it not be found. There’s a lot of rugged, desolate places in the park.”

  Kay peered out the windshield at a bank of clouds building up in the direction of Big Bend. “Then we’d better get going. I want answers. I want this to end today.”

  “It might not, Kay. You might walk away with more questions.”

  “Then I’ll deal with that when it happens. I want my life back.” She hated the sound of desperation that leaked into her voice, but it wasn’t only about her. Kaleb was involved, too. He depended on her.

  *

  As Drake approached the place where he’d originally found Kay, he glanced at the sky, the cloud cover growing. He wasn’t sure how well his sat phone would work with the canyon walls and the clouds. Earlier, he’d called Park Ranger Don Calhoun and told him that he was returning with Kay to where she’d been injured. He hadn’t wanted to stop at the visitors’ center. The fewer people who knew they were here, the better they would be, especially when he remembered the murdered couple. They’d talked a few minutes about the Moore case, but whoever had committed the murders had covered his tracks well. The gun the guy arrested in Cactus Grove had used to shoot the police officer hadn’t matched the one used to kill Clarence and Susan.