The Texas Ranger's Family (5 page)

“Cow,” she said and ran out of the den on her sturdy legs.

Natalie eyed him in amusement. “She's gone for her favorite animal in her toy box.”

While they exchanged a silent glance, Amy came back clutching the brown-and-white-spotted plush cow in her hand. She toddled over to Kit, almost stumbling, and held it up. “Cow.”

“That's right. It's a cow.” Kit took it. “Moo.”

“Moo-oo,” she repeated with all the earnestness in her then hurried out of the den.

“Oh, Kit. I'm sorry. Now that she's got a captive audience in you she's going to bring you all her farm animals.”

“I'm not complaining.” He sat on the couch and put the cow on the coffee table. Before long the golden-haired cherub returned and handed him a purple pig. “What's this?” he asked her.

“Pig!”

Her enthusiasm caused him to burst into laughter. “That's a colorful pig. What sound does it make?”

Amy tried to imitate the oink. He couldn't believe she was so adorable.

“Oink, oink,” he grunted. Her giggle delighted him. “You're without a doubt the cutest, smartest little girl on the planet. That's because you've got a terrific mother.” Though her father had been a criminal, he'd done one thing right in his life to have helped create this angel.

“Come on, sweetie.” Natalie swept her up in her arms. “Let's go out to the kitchen and give you a little snack.”

Kit followed them, enjoying the interplay between mother and daughter. After Amy had been put in her high chair, Natalie fastened a bib around her neck. Then she sliced half a banana into small pieces and put them on the tray. He took a seat at the table to watch while the little girl took her time eating each mouthful of the fruit.

He glanced at Natalie. “Since you weren't expecting a guest to stay with you, I thought I'd fix us some lunch with the groceries I bought. How does that sound?”

“I was just going to ask if you'd like a sandwich.”

“Sounds good, but I'll do it.”

She smiled, but he didn't know what else was on her mind because her cell phone rang, reminding him of the reason he was here.

“Go ahead and answer it, but put it on speaker.”

Her smile faded before she reached for the phone and checked the Caller ID. “It's Jillian.”

“Good. Let her know a cousin is visiting you and you won't be going to work for a while, so you won't be needing her services. The less she knows, the better.”

“I agree.” Her voice trembled. She clicked on. “Jillian—”

“Hi. I just want to know if you're okay.”

“I'm much better today.”

“That's good. You sound better. I saw a car in your driveway earlier. If you have company, call me when you have time to talk.”

“It's all right, I have time now. I was going to call you today, anyway. My cousin Todd is here from Wyoming for a few days, so I'm taking more time off of work and won't be needing you to look after Amy next week.”

“Oh. Okay... I'm glad you have family with you.”

“Me, too. Thank you for everything you've done for me, Jillian. I'm hoping life can get back to normal soon.”

“I hope so, too. Take care, Natalie.”

“You, too. I'll call you soon.”

“Okay. 'Bye.”

She'd done well. The plan was in place.

Chapter Three

Natalie disconnected and turned to Kit, who was making sandwiches. “Jillian knows there's a lot I haven't told her.”

“But you told her enough so she won't be planning on babysitting for you next week. This way she and her daughter will be safe.”

“Thank heaven for that. If anything were to happen to her because of Rod...”

“It won't. That's why I've taken precautions.”

While he assembled cold cuts and cheese, she reached for a paper towel and got busy cleaning up the pieces of banana Amy had thrown on the floor. Natalie darted the Ranger a look of frustration. “A week in my house and you'll find that half her food doesn't make it to her mouth. If you have any little nieces or nephews, you know what I mean.”

“Not yet. My brother, Brandon, is a professional steer wrestler—he's headed for the championship competition in Las Vegas in December, as a matter of fact. One day he'll settle down and have a family.”

“How old is he?”

“Twenty-eight. Two years younger than I am. This will be his last year on the circuit.”

“How exciting! Are you a rodeo fan, too?”

“I used to be a steer wrestler myself. We took turns being wrestler and hazer for a long time. But I quit when I went into law enforcement.”

“From steer wrestler to Ranger. Both put your life at risk.”

He studied her features. “Have you ever been to a rodeo?”

“Many times while I was in college. Remember my friend in Phoenix? She used to be a barrel racer. We rode horses on her parents' property and it was fantastic to watch her speed around the barrels. I tried it, but I was a complete failure. She taught me about the various events. Steer wrestling is incredibly dangerous.”

“But you liked it?”

“I loved it all!”

Kit was enjoying their conversation so much he almost forgot he should be working on her case. Talk about crossing the line. Already he was getting too close to it.

Within ten minutes they sat eating lunch while Natalie fed Amy some Cheerios. Kit chuckled to watch her tease her daughter. She'd move her hand around and Amy's little mouth would follow, open in anticipation.

“Tell me something, Natalie. Has Amy ever ridden on a jet?”

Her eyes widened. “No.”

“What would you think if we took her for her first ride tomorrow morning to Denver? I need to talk to Rod's grandmother in person. The detective said she's been told her grandson passed away. Seeing Amy would do her a world of good and could jog her memory. I'm hoping she'll be able to give me some background information about his teenage years that might help me fit some of the pieces of the puzzle together.”

Natalie's face lit up. “If she was a loving grandmother, then I know she'd be thrilled to see her great-grandchild. I could take some pictures of them together for Amy's baby book.”

Kit was pleased with her reaction. “I'll make the arrangements. It's less than a two-hour flight. We won't have to be there long.”

“I thought about her last night...Rod's grandmother. What's her name?”

“Gladys Thomas Park.”

“He never said a word about a living relative. The poor thing lost a married son and a grandson. How cruel life can be...” Her voice trailed off.

“All the more reason for us to go there and surprise her. In the meantime, where will you be the most comfortable to answer some more questions?”

“The living room. Amy will bring her trove of treasures from the nursery and stay busy going back and forth for another few hours.”

He got up and cleared the table while she wiped Amy's hands and face and got her down from her high chair. When she told him she'd finish up, Kit went to the den for his suitcase. He took it to the bathroom and swapped his clerical shirt for a casual sport shirt. Any time he needed to answer the door, he'd quickly put it back on.

When he returned to the living room, Natalie and Amy looked up from the floor where they were working on a puzzle. They made a beautiful sight. Both pairs of eyes wandered over him. “So my cousin is on vacation from the priesthood this afternoon?”

“Yup. It's Ranger Saunders reporting for duty. If you're ready to get started, I'll turn on the digital recorder.” She nodded and he proceeded. “First question. Your income taxes. Where do you keep a copy?”

“Rod prepared them at work and kept everything there.”

“Then I'll have to speak to the people at LifeSpan. Did he have the Sentra when he met you?”

“Yes. He said he'd bought it three years earlier.”

“From a dealership here in Austin?”

“I don't know.”

“Did he continue making monthly payments on it?” Amy toddled over to give him a horse from her farm collection. “Thank you, honey.” She smiled and got busy again.

“No. Rod said he'd paid it off.”

“Do you know where he kept the title?”

“At the office with everything else. You've probably never met a wife so in the dark about her husband's dealings. It never occurred to me not to trust him. I've been so naive, I'm embarrassed and ashamed.”

He grimaced. Harold Park had put her on a short leash. He sat forward in the chair and handed Amy a dog she'd dropped. He made a barking sound she tried to imitate before handing him a goat. “There's no shame in trusting someone.”

Natalie looked up at him. “My mother never trusted my father and always questioned him about everything. They had a lot of fights. At twelve I was old enough to understand their marriage wasn't happy. I swore that if I ever got married, I would never do that to my husband. If she were still alive, I'd ask her to forgive me.

“After what's happened to me, I'm thinking my father must have done something to ruin their marriage from the beginning, but Mom tried to shield me from the worst of it. She didn't believe in divorce. Thank heaven, she didn't live long enough to find out I married a true, hardened criminal. Mother and daughter both lucked out, didn't we?”

Kit took a deep breath. “Bad marriages happen to wonderful people. Tell me about the early days before Amy came along. What did you do? Did you take trips, go out a lot? Did you make friends with other couples? Did he have a favorite sport or hobby? I'm trying to get a picture of the pattern of your lives.”

The answers to those questions and many others—How much time did he spend away from home? Did he take the occasional business trip? Was he an early riser? Did he get home from work late? If so, how often? Did she go to his work once in a while? Which people at work did he associate with?—took up the rest of the day. Natalie's observations led Kit to realize Harold Park had been the worst kind of controlling husband.

By nightfall Natalie had fed Amy dinner and now whisked her off for her bath. Kit took advantage of the time alone to prepare for the trip and make half a dozen phone calls to get his investigation started.

Their flight to Denver was booked for eight fifteen. It meant they'd have to be at the airport by six thirty. Kit hadn't been on a trip since April when he'd flown to Billings, Montana, to watch his brother compete at the Wrangler Rodeo Competition.

Natalie peeked into the den to say good-night. Kit looked up from the desk. “We'll need to leave the house at six.”

“We'll be ready.”

“I've already taken the liberty of putting Amy's car seat in the back of my car. When we reach the airport, it will go on the plane with us. Technically, Amy qualifies as a lap baby, but I want her secured no matter what. In Denver we'll install it in the rental car.”

“Thank you for taking care of that. I've been wondering how it was all going to work. Don't stay up too long. Good night, Kit.”

“Good night, Mrs. Harris.”

“Please call me Natalie.”

He nodded.

Once she'd vanished, he walked through the house to make sure windows and doors were locked. When he finally stretched out on the floor of the den in his sleeping bag, Kit rolled onto his side. He'd put his .357-caliber SIG Sauer halfway under his pillow, very much hoping he wouldn't have to use it while he stayed here. Natalie was living through a horror story with her daughter and didn't need anything else to add to her pain.

He was determined to solve this case as soon as possible because already he could tell he was emotionally involved to a greater degree than he should be.

“Be careful not to cross the line,” Cy had warned him.

Unfortunately that advice had come too late. In truth Kit found himself looking forward to tomorrow with more excitement than the occasion warranted.

* * *

A
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11:00
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they entered the Cottonwood Nursing Home in downtown Denver. Amy had sat on Natalie's lap for most of the flight, but she seemed happy enough to be held by the Ranger as they spoke to the people at the front desk. Everywhere they went, whether it was the tourists on the plane or the staff here, people stared at the fabulous-looking, dark-haired priest holding Natalie's little golden girl.

“Father Segal? If you'll go down the hall and around the corner on the left, you'll find Gladys Park in room 120. She's had bouts of pneumonia that have weakened her. This is the best time of day to visit. Once she's had lunch, she usually sleeps and it's difficult to wake her.”

As they walked along, Natalie got a good feeling about the clean, nicely decorated facility. If Gladys's care was as good, that was the most important thing. When they reached her door, they found it open. The ninety-two-year-old woman was in bed with the head raised. She was listening to the radio.

Kit nodded to Natalie. “Go ahead and talk to her while I hold Amy.”

Her heart pounded extra hard as she walked over to the side of the bed. She'd already made up her mind to keep certain facts to herself to be kind. The woman's eyes were closed. “Gladys?”

“Yes,” she responded without opening them.

“My name is Natalie. I've come to visit you.”

“That's nice.”

“I used to know your grandson Harold.”

A long silence ensued before the woman turned her head toward Natalie. “You knew Harold?”

“Yes. I was married to him. We live in Austin, Texas.”

That revelation caused her eyes to open. “Come closer. My eyes aren't what they used to be.”

Natalie leaned toward her. “Can you see me better?”

“A little. What's your name?”

“Natalie.”

“You married Harold? When?”

“Two and a half years ago.”

“I haven't seen him since he was sixteen. He went to prison. He must be thirty-three now.”

“He passed away last week,” she said gently. “Of complications from an infection. But we have a daughter, sixteen months old. Her name is Amy. Would you like to see her?”

Gladys tried to lift her head off the pillow but she was too frail and feeble. “You brought my great-granddaughter to see me?”

Tears filled Natalie's eyes. “I did. My cousin, Father Segal, came with us.” She looked over her shoulder at Kit who moved toward her. She reached for Amy.

“Can you see her?”

“Bring her closer.”

Natalie leaned in close with her little girl. “Amy, this is your great-grandmother Gladys.”

The older woman lifted her hand to touch Amy's. “Oh...my precious girl. I wish I could see better, but I have glaucoma.” In the background Kit was taking pictures of the three of them with his phone.

“She's golden blond and has gray-green eyes.”

“Harold had gray eyes like his mother. His parents were killed in a car crash you know.”

“Yes. Harold told me.”

“We did what we could for him, but he was inconsolable. I think something happened inside his head. When he got older, he got mean and kept running away. We didn't know what to do to help him. I didn't know he'd been released from prison. I'm glad he met someone like you after all those terrible years. You sound so kind.”

“Natalie is a very kind woman, Mrs. Park,” Kit interjected. Natalie moved far enough away so Kit could lean toward Gladys.

“Who are you?”

“I'm Natalie's cousin. She wanted you to meet your great-granddaughter before any more time passed. We flew here from Austin with Amy.”

Tears trickled out of the corners of the older woman's eyes. “My prayers have been answered.”

“What prayers were those?” His question was so tender, the sound of his tone pierced Natalie's heart.

“That I would hear some news of our grandson. Now that you've brought my great-granddaughter to see me and let me know Harold has gone to heaven, I can die knowing he met a wonderful woman and had a baby.”

While the older woman wept, Natalie buried her wet face in Amy's hair.

“Is there anything I can do for you, Gladys?” Kit asked.

“Did you know Harold?”

“No,” he answered. “Tell me about him.”

“He was a beautiful-looking boy and a good child.”

“Did he have good friends?”

“Not after he changed. There was one boy he ran around with. They got into trouble all the time.”

“Do you remember his name?”

“Salter. Jimmy Salter. I'll never forget him. His parents couldn't do anything with him, either. My husband and I felt like such failures...you can't imagine.”

“What did your husband do for a living?” Natalie interjected.

“He was an architect for a firm here in Denver. We had hopes our son might be an architect one day.” Her voice faded.

“In his last years of freedom Harold became an accountant.”

“Harold? An accountant? Oh, my. He hated school.”

“Which high school did he attend?” Kit asked.

“Tabor High.”

“Did you work when you were a young, married woman?” Natalie discovered she wanted to know everything this woman could tell her.