Under the Cowboy's Protection Read online

  Thea was keeping watch as well, even though she was on the phone with Egan to get an update on the Dr. Sheridan murder investigation. She hadn’t put the call on speaker, maybe because she hadn’t wanted to emphasize to her boss that she was in a cruiser with his illegitimate half brother. But judging from the way her forehead was bunched up, she didn’t like what she was hearing from Egan.

  “A problem?” Raleigh asked as soon as she’d finished the call.

  “No. But it wasn’t the answers we wanted.”

  Hell. As much as he disliked the idea of having his half brother connected to this case, Raleigh had hoped that Egan would be able to clear up some things. Raleigh would take all the help he could get.

  “There was gunshot residue on Dr. Sheridan’s jacket but not his hands,” Thea continued a moment later. “Egan thinks the pattern indicates that it was transferred from the actual shooter to the doctor.”

  And that meant someone had tried to make it look as if Sheridan had killed himself in the SUV. If the doctor had actually done that, then the GSR should have been on his hands.

  “So he was murdered,” Raleigh concluded.

  Thea nodded. “Egan said the placement of the gun was wrong, too. Sheridan was left-handed, and the gun was in his right.”

  So they were dealing with a sloppy killer. Or one that had panicked.

  “There’s more,” she went on. “One of Sheridan’s neighbors saw him yesterday afternoon with two men that she didn’t recognize. She said she didn’t think anything of it at the time, but after she heard about his death, she called SAPD. She didn’t see a gun or anything, but she thought the men looked menacing.”

  “Did she give the cops a description of the men?” he asked.

  Another nod just as her phone dinged with a message. “They’re having her work with a sketch artist, too, so we might have something we can put out to the media.”

  That was a long shot, but it was all he had right now.

  “There was a picture on Sheridan’s phone,” Thea went on when he pulled to a stop in front of the sheriff’s office. “Egan just texted it to me. It’s the same photo that the kidnappers sent Nick.”

  She showed him the photo on the screen, and it was indeed a match. But what did it mean? Had Sheridan been involved with the second kidnapping? Or had it all been a hoax? Raleigh was thinking hoax since the kidnapper still hadn’t called back. Although if Sheridan was the kidnapper, that would explain why Nick had never gotten a call back.

  “I’m hoping one of your deputies made lots of coffee,” Thea grumbled as they hurried inside.

  Raleigh was hoping the same thing, though it was asking a lot of mere caffeine to get rid of the headache he already had. The headache got worse when he immediately saw Nick and Yvette coming toward them. There was a guy in a suit behind Yvette. Her lawyer, no doubt, and he cut ahead of the pair. He didn’t stop until he was practically right in Raleigh’s face.

  “You either need to charge my client or let her go,” the man insisted. According to the business card he handed Raleigh, his name was Vernon Cutler. And yeah, he was a lawyer all right.

  Raleigh was just ornery enough to say he was charging her, but he looked at Dalton to see if anything had come back on the bank records or the safe-deposit box.

  Dalton shook his head. “If Mrs. O’Hara paid off hired guns, she didn’t use those bank accounts, and there was nothing missing from the safe-deposit box. Mr. O’Hara gave us a list of the contents, and everything was there.”

  “What about any activity on Yvette’s cell phone?” Raleigh pressed. He’d asked his deputies to check that to see if there were any irregularities.

  “She made eight calls to Sonya yesterday. Two before the body was discovered and the rest came after.”

  “I call Sonya every day,” Yvette argued. “Called,” she corrected, her voice cracking. “When she didn’t answer, I kept trying to reach her because I was worried about her.”

  Raleigh heard every word of that, but it wasn’t those calls that interested him. “Did she have any new contacts over the past week or so?” he pressed.

  “No,” Dalton answered. “Every call on her phone checked out.”

  That didn’t mean the woman hadn’t used a disposable cell phone, or a burner as it was called, but if she had, there was no proof.

  “We got the search warrant for the O’Haras’ house,” Dalton explained. “Miguel’s on the way there now to go through it with SAPD.”

  Good. But a search like that could take hours, and Raleigh doubted they’d find a murder weapon or anything else incriminating that Yvette had just happened to leave lying around.

  So basically the only thing Raleigh had against the woman was the recorded argument that she’d had with Sonya. A recording that likely wouldn’t be admissible in court since Sonya hadn’t informed Yvette that the conversation was being recorded. Of course, the obstruction of justice charge was still on the table, but Raleigh had other more immediate issues.

  Madison Travers, for one.

  And there was his mother. He saw Alma in his office with her lawyer and longtime friend, Simon Lindley. Neither looked especially happy, and Simon was likely going to pitch a fit that Raleigh was questioning Alma.

  “Your client is free to go,” Raleigh told Vernon Cutler. “For now,” he tacked on to that.

  “But I don’t want to go,” Yvette said. “I want to stay here in case the kidnapper calls.”

  “You’ll have to wait elsewhere,” Raleigh told her. “This place is getting pretty crowded.”

  “Come on,” Yvette’s lawyer insisted, but he had to practically drag the woman out of the building.

  “You should probably try to get some rest, too,” Raleigh told Nick. No way though would he force the man to go.

  “I managed a nap in the break room. I’d like to stay just in case.”

  Raleigh nodded and was about to make his way to the coffeepot, but then he saw Thea coming toward him with two cups of coffee in her hand. She was already sipping one and handed the other to him. He thanked her and downed as much of it as he could, even though it was scalding hot. Thea seemed to be doing the same thing.

  “Thanks,” he said to Thea, and he glanced at his mom. She wasn’t glaring. Alma had a sad, how-could-you-do-this-to-me expression on her face. It was very effective at making Raleigh feel like a jerk and a bad son. But since he was a son with a badge, he had no choice about bringing her in.

  “I didn’t know about the search warrant,” Nick said.

  Since Nick had been cooperative so far, Raleigh hadn’t expected to hear or see any hesitation, but he sure as heck saw it now. “Why? Is that a problem?”

  Nick didn’t jump to answer that. “No.” But that didn’t sound like the truth. And it was something Raleigh would need to dig a little deeper into once he dealt with the other issues. However, he kept his eyes on Nick as he headed back down the hall. The man also took out his phone and made a call.

  “You think he doesn’t want us to find something in his house?” Thea asked. She’d obviously picked up on the bad vibe, too.

  “Maybe.” And maybe the guy was just acting punchy because he was exhausted. Something that Raleigh totally understood.

  “I’ll have Dalton do the interview with my mother,” Raleigh explained to Thea, “but I need to speak to her first. You don’t have to be part of that unless you’re a glutton for punishment.”

  “Consider me a glutton.” She gave him a half smile, but then she quickly got serious again. “I want to hear what anyone has to say about what’s gone on. We need to catch Sonya’s killer.”

  Yeah, they did, but he wished he’d had more sleep and more coffee before dealing with this. His mom was only half the problem. She was usually civil, even when Raleigh was calling her into question, but Simon could be a protective SOB. Part of Raleigh was pleased that S
imon was so protective, but sometimes that got in the way.

  Raleigh was certain it would now, too.

  “Why are you doing this?” Simon snapped the moment Raleigh went into his office.

  He looked Simon straight in the eyes. “Because a woman was murdered and a baby was kidnapped. A second baby might be missing, as well. I’m sure my mother would want to help with that in any way she could.”

  “I would.” Alma got to her feet, and he saw the concern in her eyes. “Are the babies all right?”

  “One of them is. She’s with social services. I’m not sure about the other. That’s what I’m trying to find out.” Along with learning if the still-kidnapped baby even existed.

  “I’ll help any way I can,” his mother said, and then she looked past him and at Thea. They’d met when Thea and he had been dating and while his mom had still been with Warren, and his mother had been friendly to Thea then.

  Not so much now though.

  Alma didn’t glare at Thea or anything, but she quickly turned back to Raleigh, putting her attention solely on him. “You think I know something that could help with this case?” Alma asked.

  Simon huffed. “You’re a person of interest, Alma. Because Sonya worked for you, and you fired her.”

  This was the first Raleigh was hearing about the firing, so he stared at his mother, waiting for her to fill him in.

  “You really don’t think I’d kill Sonya because of what went on two years ago?” His mother patted her chest as if to steady her heart.

  Raleigh answered that with a question of his own. “Why’d you fire her?”

  “Because she stole some money from Alma, that’s why,” Simon barked.

  “Because she might have stolen it,” Alma corrected. “Some money went missing. And no, I didn’t feel the need to tell you. I handled it myself.”

  “She didn’t tell you because you would have arrested Sonya,” Simon interrupted. “Especially if you’d heard the way Sonya talked to your mother. She yelled at her.”

  Sonya did have a temper, but he hadn’t known about her being a possible thief. He hoped that was the extent of the woman’s criminal behavior. He definitely didn’t want her connected to the mix-up at the fertility clinic, but that was something he could ask Madison Travers.

  “Sonya yelled at you?” Thea repeated.

  His mother nodded, but Raleigh saw Simon’s eyes narrow. “Oh, no. You’re not going to pin Sonya’s murder on Alma.”

  Maybe not, but Simon had just provided a motive for his mother to be part of this. It wasn’t a strong motive, but it wasn’t one he could just overlook, either.

  “Did you bring him here?” Simon snapped.

  It took Raleigh a moment to realize that Simon was looking over his shoulder. And his attention was on the man who’d just walked into the squad room.

  Warren.

  Hell.

  “I need another cup of coffee for this,” Raleigh grumbled, and he turned around to face the man. “It’s not a good time,” he warned Warren.

  Warren acknowledged that with a nod. “I just wanted to check on Thea. And you.”

  Raleigh hadn’t wanted to be included in that, though Warren’s concern did seem genuine. As genuine as his mother’s hurt and Simon’s anger. Raleigh’s anger, too.

  “Come on, Alma.” Simon took her by the arm. “We’re leaving.”

  Alma didn’t put up a fuss about that, but Raleigh had to. “You can take her to the interview room, but you can’t leave. Not just yet. I need you to give Dalton your statement about the time Sonya worked for you,” he added to his mother.

  “She can do that another time, when he’s not here,” Simon spat out, his venom obviously aimed at Warren.

  “I’ll go,” Warren said.

  “No.” Alma spoke up. “Simon and I can go to the interview room.” She aimed a sharp look at Simon. “Let’s just get this done.”

  Raleigh was glad that his mom had stood up to Simon. It was something she had to do often since Simon always seemed to be trying to control her. Not just in legal situations but in the rest of her life, too.

  “Thanks,” Raleigh told his mom. He didn’t say anything to Simon, but the man glared at Thea, Warren and him on the way out of the office and all the way to the interview room.

  “I didn’t mean to cause trouble,” Warren said. “I was just worried about Thea.” He had his hands crammed in his pockets, but he looked as if he wanted to hug her.

  “I’m all right,” Thea assured him. “I’ll be back in McCall Canyon soon, but Raleigh and I need to work this case.”

  Warren nodded and took out his phone from his pocket. “I’ve been studying it, too, and I know you probably don’t want my help,” he added to Raleigh, “but I might have found something.”

  Warren showed them the photos on his phone. Photos that Raleigh knew well because they were side-by-side shots of the two scrawled warnings that had been left at the scenes of Hannah’s and Sonya’s murders.

  “Egan got the second photo of Sonya’s wall from the lab,” Warren explained. “He showed it to me since I’m still working to solve Hannah’s case.”

  “Unofficially working,” Raleigh automatically snapped, but then he waved that off.

  He didn’t like Warren, but if he’d been a retired cop with an unsolved murder, he would have kept at it, as well. Especially if he’d known the victim the way that Warren had known Hannah. This was personal for Warren, and Raleigh couldn’t fault the man for putting his heart into the investigation.

  “I have a friend who’s a handwriting expert,” Warren went on, “and I had him compare the two messages. As you know, it’s hard to do a handwriting analysis on something like this, but he believes it’s a match, that the same person wrote both messages.”

  Raleigh had another look at the photos and the warning. This is for Sheriff Warren McCall. They certainly looked the same.

  “The killer could have used the same hired thug for both,” Raleigh pointed out. “It wouldn’t have been Marco though since he was in jail a year ago.”

  Warren made a sound of agreement. “But what if the killer himself wrote these? If this is someone with a grudge this big against me, maybe he or she wanted to do it himself?”

  Raleigh nearly snapped at the addition of “she” because it referred to his mother. And while Raleigh couldn’t see Alma killing two women, maybe someone close to her had.

  Someone like Simon.

  “I’ll make sure Dalton asks Simon his whereabouts for both murders,” Raleigh assured Warren.

  “You really think Simon could be a killer?” Thea asked.

  Raleigh lifted his shoulder. “I think he loves my mother enough to do pretty much anything. He was questioned about your shooting,” he added to Warren. And even though Simon’s name had been cleared, at the time he had been at the top of Raleigh’s suspect list.

  Warren certainly knew that because he’d probably studied every aspect of that investigation. “I... We,” he amended, “need to get Hannah’s killer so we can try to locate her missing child. The baby would be a year old now, and the biological parents need answers. I need answers. Maybe I’ll get them if you can find who murdered Sonya.”

  Raleigh intended to do everything possible to make sure the killer was caught. “Sonya’s murder could have been a copycat,” he reminded Warren. “If so, then the person who left that message on her wall could have studied the one on Hannah’s and made sure the signatures were similar.”

  “Yes,” Warren readily admitted. “And if so, then I’ve wasted your time. Either way, catch this SOB.”

  Warren brushed his hand along Thea’s arm, and then he headed out, leaving Raleigh with a boatload of feelings that he didn’t want. He definitely didn’t want to feel anything but disgust for this married man who’d carried on a secret affair with his mother.


  Thea shut the door after Warren left. “Are you okay?” she asked. Since that simple question could cover a lot of territory, Raleigh just waited for her to add more. “I know it can’t be easy for you to be around Warren.”

  “It’s not.” And that was all he intended to say about it.

  But it apparently wasn’t all that Thea intended to do. She slipped her arm around him and eased him to her. “Yes, I know this isn’t smart, but if anyone needs a hug right now, it’s you.”

  The cowboy in him wouldn’t admit that, but the hug did feel, well, good. Comforting, even. At least it did for a couple of seconds, and then it turned to something else when that brainless part of him behind the zipper of his jeans reminded him that this was Thea.

  And that he still wanted her.

  He pulled back, intending to step away, but he made the mistake of looking down at her. Oh, man. It felt as if the air had caught fire. Something was certainly blazing, and he made the mistake even worse by leaning in and brushing his mouth over hers.

  That sure didn’t help cool the heat any.

  And even though he realized that it wasn’t helping, he didn’t stop. He would have just stood there and kept on kissing her until things went well beyond the comforting-hug stage. Thankfully though, Thea seemed to still have some common sense because she’s the one who moved away from him.

  “I was right,” she said, her voice silky and filled with breath. “That wasn’t smart.”

  Yeah, but it was good. Which, of course, made it bad. Especially bad because he had other things he should be doing. Things that could end up keeping Thea out of the path of a killer.

  “I need to talk to Madison Travers,” Raleigh grumbled.

  He didn’t wait around, partly because he didn’t want to talk about the kiss that shouldn’t have happened and also because he was anxious to see if the woman had any information they could use. Thea followed him, of course, but he wanted her to hear this just in case she picked up on something he might miss. After all, she knew more about the fertility clinic than he did, since she’d been investigating it for a year.