Lingerie and Lariats (Rough & Ready#7) (18 page)

With his cell phone in his room, shoe prints a larger size than his own, and no other evidence he’d been at the sheriff’s ranch, they could never pin the murders on him.

Perfect.

Now he just needed to book a flight to Philadelphia. He pulled out his wallet and the one credit card that wasn’t maxed and then grabbed his phone. He couldn’t use his laptop to book the flight online considering there was no wireless Internet in this shithole of a motel. Hell, no Internet, period.

It was two a.m. when he called information and was put through to the first airline he asked for and found that outbound flights from Tucson to Philly were full and no flights were available until the next day. He had the same luck with three other airlines. Apparently summer vacation was in full swing and this town was too damned small to have many flights to Philadelphia.

He gritted his teeth then finally went ahead and booked the first available flight. When he finished, he disconnected the call then stuffed the credit card back in his wallet. He had barely enough room left on the card for the flight and a cheap motel, which was why he was in this rattrap. Now he’d have to spend more time here.

Maybe it was better this way. It would look less suspicious if he hung around town another day.

The adrenaline that had been pumping through him finally started to subside. He took a deep breath and smiled as he stripped down to his underwear and climbed into bed for a few hours sleep. Even the thin mattress on metal springs didn’t bother him tonight.

Everything was coming together perfectly.

Chapter 21

Early the following morning, Dan got off the phone, frowning. He looked at Renee, frustration making his muscles tense. “Didn’t take long to get the phone records. They traced Nelson’s cell phone to Nogales. It was there all night.”

“I know it was Jerry who came after me and shot me.” She clenched her hands at her sides. “The more I think of it, the more I’m sure it had to be him.”

“I think so, too.” Anger burned in Dan’s chest as he looked at the bandage covering the superficial bullet wound at her temple. The fury he felt combined with the fear he had felt for Renee. She could have died. “We just have to prove it.”

She let out a sigh. “I know. I hope he doesn’t get away with murdering that man and coming after me.”

“We won’t let that happen.” Dan set his jaw. He took her face in his hands and tried to relax his features. “We’ll get him.”

“I know you will,” she said quietly.

“With the threat he made against you in front of the Nogales police officers, we’ve got enough for a search warrant,” Dan said. “My deputy is taking it to the judge for his signature and then all we need is to find the bastard and we can do the search.”

She gave him a smile, but it was weak.

Despite her arguments to the contrary, and her innate strength and resiliency, Dan knew the night had affected her. She hadn’t slept well if at all. She had just taken some painkillers for a severe headache from the pain of her head wound and she looked tired and pale. Something hard lodged in his gut as he thought of what she’d gone through.

He brushed hair from her face, careful not to touch the bandage. “Get some rest.”

“When I close my eyes I see the men.” Her throat worked as she swallowed. “I see them chasing me with guns and then backing me into a corner when they finally catch me. I see the one I know was Jerry pointing his gun at me.” She looked away before meeting Dan’s gaze again. “And I see the dead man lying on the floor when I regain consciousness. I’ve never seen anyone dead before, not like that. It’s not the same as seeing someone in a funeral parlor.”

“No, it’s not.” Dan brought her into his arms and another pang went through his gut as he felt her body shake.

“I’m sorry.” She drew away and tears streaked her face. “I should be stronger than this.”

“You are strong.” He took her hands in his. “You just went through more than most people go through in a lifetime. You’re entitled to be shaken up.”

“I guess so.” She squeezed his hands in return. “I’ll lie down. I know you need to go into work, so don’t worry about me.”

“You rest on the couch and I’ll make calls in the kitchen so I don’t keep you awake,” he said. “That way I’ll be close if you need me.”

“I’m fine, Dan.” She went to the couch and lay down and he covered her with a throw. She gathered it around her and looked up at him. “I’ll just lie down a bit.”

“Close your eyes.” He knelt beside her. “Try to relax.”

She obeyed and he kissed her forehead. He watched her for a long moment before he got to his feet. He didn’t want to leave her side but he needed to do what he could to find Nelson and prove that he was one of the two men who were here last night.

The deputies had done a good job gathering what evidence there was. Clear shoe prints had been on the ground that was still soft from the recent rains. One set matched Luis Duarte’s shoes. The other set were prints from what appeared to be running shoes, similar to what the man who had escaped through the window had been wearing. Some work would have to be done to determine what make of shoe it was.

Blood had been found in two different locations on shards of glass left in the French door. Tests weren’t back yet, but he suspected one would be a match to Renee’s DNA. She’d had only one wound from the glass yet there was blood in two places. Duarte had appeared to have no recent cuts on his body at the time of his death, so it was possible that the blood on one of the shards was from the other assailant.

It wouldn’t be long before Dan had to leave to work on the investigation, so he called Mrs. Grady from down the road and explained what had happened. The elder lady said she would be over to Dan’s ranch within ten minutes.

Five minutes later his phone rang and he saw on his caller ID screen that it was Deputy Gatling. Dan answered, “Sheriff Cooper here.”

“Sheriff,” came Gatling’s voice. “We tracked Nelson to a motel in Nogales. He used his credit card to pay for the room. He also paid for a flight to Philadelphia, scheduled to leave Tucson tomorrow morning, using the same credit card.”

“Give me the address,” Dan said as he looked out the window and saw Mrs. Grady driving up in her old truck.

Gatling gave Dan the information. He arranged for a team of deputies to meet him at the motel’s address as soon as he had the warrant, and then Dan punched the disconnect button.

He met Mrs. Grady as she came up the porch steps. He took the pie she was carrying and held the door open for her.

“Thought a little apple pie might be good for the girl.” Mrs. Grady walked into the house and saw Renee sleeping on the couch.

“Your pie will be just what the doctor ordered,” Dan said over his shoulder as he took the pie into the kitchen.

When he came back out, Renee was still sleeping and Mrs. Grady was sitting in a chair with a book in hand.

He wanted to kiss Renee goodbye but was afraid he’d wake her. Instead he thanked the elder woman then headed out to his work SUV. He was halfway to Nogales when Gatling called with the news that he had the warrant.

The entire drive to Nogales seemed to go too damned slow. When Dan finally arrived at the dive of a motel, he parked in front next to a couple of Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department cruisers. The deputies had been waiting for him, including Deputy Gatling.

The clerk had already given a key and room number to Gatling.

After he got the room number from Gatling, Dan walked outside, down the row of motel rooms on the bottom floor, until he reached the number for Nelson’s room. A car was parked in front of the room, a sticker from a rental company in the upper left hand corner.

Gatling and the deputies pulled up their cruisers then joined Dan as he reached the door to Nelson’s room. Gatling got out of his cruiser, jogged toward Dan, and handed him the warrant.

Dan knocked on the door. “Sheriff’s department.”

For a moment there was no answer and Dan knocked again on the metal door, louder this time.

The sound of a chain lock sliding and then the thunk of a bolt lock were followed by the doorknob turning and the door opening. Dan casually kept his hand near his gun.

Nelson stood in the doorway and smirked at Dan. “What can I do for you Sheriff?”

“We’ve got a warrant to search the premises and your vehicle.” Dan handed the warrant to Nelson and shoved his way into the hotel room.

Nelson stumbled back, anger in his eyes. “On what grounds?”

“The murder of Luis Duarte and the attempted murder of Renee Winfield,” Dan said as the deputies poured into the room and started searching the place.

A flicker of surprise went through Nelson’s eyes but then he seemed to recover. “The attempted murder of Renee?” He did a credible job of looking shocked. He was no doubt surprised she had survived. “Is she all right?”

Dan gave a nod toward the door. “Let’s step outside and let the deputies do their job.”

Nelson gave a not so casual shrug. “Yeah. Whatever.”

When they were outside, Nelson leaned up against the rental car and folded his arms across his chest. His forearm had a fresh bandage on it. “Am I a suspect?”

Interesting that he didn’t ask about Renee again. Dan pulled a notebook and pen out of his pocket. “Where were you last night?”

Nelson glanced at the open door to the hotel room where deputies were at work. “I was here in my room.”

“Was anyone with you?” Dan asked as he made notes.

“I was alone,” Nelson said. “I went to bed early.”

Dan gestured to Nelson’s forearm. “What happened to your arm?”

The man shrugged. “It’s nothing.”

“We need you to come down to the sheriff’s office for questioning,” Dan said.

 “I don’t have to go anywhere with you.” An angry glint was in Nelson’s eyes. “You have to get a warrant for my arrest or something like that. But you have nothing on me so that’s not going to happen.”

“We’ll get that warrant.” Dan gave Nelson a hard look. “Count on it.”

Nelson glared at Dan but said nothing.

“We know you’ve booked a flight for Philadelphia tomorrow morning,” Dan said. “You’re not to leave this town much less the state.”

“I want to know what happened to Renee,” Nelson said after Dan had asked him a few more questions.

“You know what happened.” Dan studied Nelson. “You just didn’t know she survived after you shot her. She’s lucky to be alive.”

“I didn’t shoot Renee.” Nelson’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I—I loved her.”

“Is that why you threatened to kill her?” Dan asked calmly.

“I never threatened her.” Nelson’s face flushed. “If that’s what she told you, she lied.”

Dan managed to keep his temper. “Are you forgetting you threatened her in front of police officers when you were arrested?”

Nelson’s flush darkened. “I didn’t threaten to kill her in front of those cops.”

“Just to Ms. Winfield?” Dan said.

“Yes—no.” Nelson shook his head. “No.”

The deputies did a thorough search of the hotel room then combed the rental car as well.

When they were ready to leave, Dan stopped in front of Nelson who scowled.

“Remember what I told you,” Dan said. “You’re not to leave town. Understand?”

Nelson didn’t answer.

Dan turned away and headed to his SUV.

Chapter 22

Jerry shut the hotel room door, forcing himself not to slam it behind Sheriff Cooper so that the bastard wouldn’t see how upset he was.

“Fuck.”
He shouted the word as he looked for something to kick or throw.

His suitcase was closest to him and he kicked it across the room, flinging everything that had been in it over the floor. Not that it made a difference—in their search the deputies had left the room in shambles.

“How in the fuck did she survive?” Jerry pushed his hand through his hair, wanting to rip it out by the roots. His breathing came hard and fast and he thought he’d explode with fury. He’d left her unconscious, a bullet wound to the head.

The bullet must have grazed her head rather than going into her skull. The sheriff had said Renee was lucky to be alive which meant she likely wasn’t in a coma with a bullet lodged in her brain, clinging to life.

Rage made his entire body shake. The bitch was probably at the sheriff’s ranch now,
recuperating
.

He needed to go take care of her now, before the sheriff came back with an arrest warrant—if the bastard could get one. The plan had been executed perfectly. What could they have found?

Nothing. There wasn’t a damned thing that could tie Luis’s murder and the attack on Renee to him.

Trying to calm his fury, Jerry lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling that had brown water stains on it. His mind worked over and over the problem. The bitch needed to be dead. That was all that mattered.

Instead of diminishing, the rage inside him magnified. He was going to have to take care of this problem sooner rather than later. He fantasized about all of the ways he would kill her, and how he would make her suffer.

Sometime later he looked at his watch and scowled. It was noon—he must have fallen asleep. A good three hours had passed since the sheriff and his posse had trashed his place. Grinding his teeth, he sat up in bed and swung his legs over the side.

His chest rose and fell with the strength of his fury and he clenched the mattress to either side of him until his knuckles ached.

The rage inside him hadn’t diminished. It was exactly how he used to feel in his younger days. He’d gotten better at controlling it as he got older.

He knew he should walk away now and do something down the road. But it was a rage he couldn’t help… A rage that told him to hell with the consequences.

I just want her dead. And I want her dead now.

His arms shook as he clenched the mattress and heat flooded his body. He knew exactly what he was going to do now. He would make a couple of stops on his way out of town and buy a pair of gloves and another pair of shoes that he could ditch.

There wasn’t time to get another gun without registering one in his name. He’d have to kill her with his bare hands and choke the life from her. They wouldn’t expect him to go to the ranch in the middle of the day. He’d be in and out before anyone could come by.