Promise Her (2 page)

To Lisa’s surprise, Tempest said, “I know what AAF does and I need your help to investigate a possible fraud.”

“Such as?” Lisa had been intrigued. Houston’s Livestock Show and Rodeo had a clean reputation and was known for the millions of scholarship dollars it gave out every year. Was something dirty going on behind the scenes? Lisa hoped not. Hundreds if not thousands of people around the state had made the rodeo a success for nearly a century. To have them disillusioned would be a disaster.

“I want a divorce.”

Lisa sighed. Interest faded. “Then get one.” She wasn’t going to get involved in the personal frauds that occurred in many marriages.

“Not as easy as it sounds. I’m pretty sure Harold is stealing from my trust fund. Until I have proof and can get my money back, the bastard stays where I can keep my eye on him.” She studied Lisa for a moment. “How many times has he hit on you?”

Lisa couldn’t quite control the rush of anger and embarrassment that sent heat to her cheeks.

Tempest nodded. “It’s okay. I know how he is. And I know you turned him down. Harry can be charming. Also, my money shines on him, making that charm more appealing. But you don’t appear touched by either.”

“What do you want me to do?” Not that she would agree to do it. Though her background was multi-faceted, her previous investigations had been AAF assigned. To be sought out independently fed her ego just a tad.

“I want proof Harry’s taking what’s mine. Money is missing and I know he’s guilty, though I haven’t figured out how he’s doing it. While you’re at it, get me some pictures that will prove he’s screwing around. Then I’ll get that divorce.”

“You don’t expect me to sleep with him to get that proof, do you?”

Tempest laughed. Expressive, dark eyes held a trace of humor. She was a beautiful woman and Lisa didn’t understand why any man wouldn’t do his best to keep her. Harold was a fool for messing around with other women. If he was filching his wife’s money, he was an even bigger one.

“Certainly not. You don’t think you’re the only one he’s trying to screw, do you?”

Lisa gave it some thought. “I never take cases on my own, but I’ll check with my boss and see what he says.”

“Let me know soon. I have to have somebody on my side before I end up broke.”

Max and TJ had reservations, but Lisa agreed to keep an eye on Harold herself since she was at the rodeo every night. Max gave Bernie Peters, their company’s computer guru, the job of looking into the trust. They put a detective on Harold to see if they could find evidence of philandering. They’d pretty much covered the bases, but so far had come up empty.

Now, Lisa glanced over at Harold. Tempest was due to perform soon, but rather than appear interested in his wife’s performance, Harold continued to shake hands with the men, peck the women’s cheeks.

This was Tempest’s first year to perform for the rodeo and Lisa was nervous for her. Though Lisa made it a point not to get close to her clients, a friendship had developed.

Another glance and she caught Harold watching her. She looked away quickly, hoping he’d stay away. She wasn’t that lucky. He moved across the room to sit down in the chair next to hers. “Having fun?”

She smiled. “Always.”

“Would you like a drink?” He gestured for the bartender.

Nothing but the best for those lucky enough to get an invite to the president’s box. Harold took great advantage of it. A bar was set up in one corner, a steam table in the other. Tonight it was Mexican food, featuring fajitas with all the trimmings.

“A glass of white wine would be nice.”

“Something to eat?”

“Too nervous.”

He gave the bartender the order, turned back to her. “Why nervous? You’re not competing tonight, are you?”

Of course, Harold would know everything about the rodeo, including the schedule of the contenders, It was part of his job. “Not until Friday night. The nerves are just part of the rodeo atmosphere. I’m always nervous for anyone competing.”

“Even yourself?”

She gave him a half-smile. “No. Just everyone else.” Barrel racing was her obsession. She’d trained all year on her horse, Sugarplum, and couldn’t wait for her own performance. Competing here in the rodeo was the highlight of her year.

Lisa noted that perspiration beaded Harold’s forehead. His hand shook as he lifted his glass. His time in the spotlight was over. Why would he be edgy?

“You look mighty pretty tonight,” he said, eyeing her from head to toe.

Not as pretty as your wife, you creep
. She kept her thoughts to herself as she smiled at the compliment. She
had
taken special pains to look good tonight. Instead of her usual jeans and jacket, she wore a new denim skirt that brushed her ankles and a matching denim vest with red trim that went well with a red T-shirt, red boots, and a red Western hat.

“Look!” she exclaimed as Tempest came roaring across the arena on her snow-white gelding. Three others followed on their own white mounts. Decked out in red, white, and blue sparkling outfits, they took the house down with their spectacular entrance.

Then they began their number.

“She’s gorgeous,” Lisa breathed, enthralled.

But Harold wasn’t watching. Instead, he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. When he smiled at Lisa, it was forced.

Lisa turned back to the glass window to watch Tempest gracefully execute the intricate maneuvers her performance demanded. First, she did a handstand on the back of her steed, followed by a series of back flips.

Amazing.

Lisa brought up her binoculars so she could get an up-close look. She wanted more than anything to be down there on the arena floor where she could see everything.

Focusing the binoculars, she kept them on Tempest.

Her friend was struggling. Something was wrong.

Lisa had seen Tempest perform every performance since the rodeo started. Tonight she looked wobbly.

Not good.

A hesitation in a timed move made Lisa gasp. The horses raced at full gallop while the riders did their acrobatics.

There. Lisa sucked in a shallow breath. Tempest seemed to regain control as she did another handstand.

The crowd roared in approval.

Lisa exhaled, not realizing she’d been holding her breath.

Swinging the binoculars to the other performers she saw that they were doing just fine.

Back to Tempest, who was really struggling now.

Lisa leapt to her feet. “Something’s wrong with Tempest.” She grabbed Harold’s arm. “Get her out of there.” She let go of his arm when she saw him watching her instead of his wife.

Lisa went to stand at the window, Harold followed.

He looked out through the wall of glass. “Seems all right to me.”

“She’s not all right. She barely kept that handstand. Do something.”

“Like what?”

“Call down to the floor and signal her off.”

Harold gave a nervous laugh. “You’re imagining things. Look at her. The crowd loves it.”

By now everyone in the skybox had stopped his or her conversation, stopped eating and drinking to watch Tempest and the other three women perform.

Lisa adjusted the binoculars again to get an even better look. Tempest was definitely in trouble. She missed a side-sweep on the horse and barely covered her blunder. Even from this distance, her face was too pale, as if she were about to pass out.

“Get her out of there before there’s an accident.”

“Calm down.”

An attempted back flip failed. Tempest barely hung on.

Lisa kept her eyes glued to Tempest.

The rodeo crowd had turned from screaming excitement to breathless silence. They didn’t know if Tempest’s performance was part of the program or if she was in trouble.

Lisa knew. Looking across the arena, she saw Owen.

Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed. He picked up immediately. “Tempest’s in trouble, Owen. Get her out of there before she gets hurt.”

Owen was one of Lisa’s rodeo buddies. She trusted him to do the right thing. Sure enough, he spurred his horse onto the arena.

Lisa zeroed her binoculars on Tempest.

Tempest’s horse followed the other three at a gallop, but Tempest could barely hang on. “Hurry,” Lisa yelled, as Owen dodged the other three performers to get to Tempest.

Tempest struggled to set up for another handstand.

“Don’t,” Lisa begged aloud. Knowing she wouldn’t be heard didn’t stop her and she called out again.

As Tempest tried to lift herself up, she slid off the horse’s back and fell to the ground.

A gasp came up from the crowd.

Owen jumped from the saddle, sprinted over to her.

Other riders hurried their way.

One of them managed to ward off the galloping horses and riders while the others kneeled to check Tempest.

Lisa glanced at Harold, who blinked as if in shock. Then, as if finally realizing his wife was in trouble, he shoved through the crowd toward the door.

Lisa followed closely in his wake.

Chapter Two

The noise from the crowd turned from cheers to moans of nervous concern. Then silence.

Cowboys rushed onto the floor to wave the other performers off to a smattering of weak applause, as an ambulance rushed onto the arena floor.

Lisa got there in time to see Tempest having what looked like a seizure. EMT’s and a Paramedic were working over her in hurried, but practiced movements. A pale, perspiring, Harold with wide glazed eyes looked down at his wife.

Lisa, her hand to her mouth—her heart fluttering in fear, found it hard to believe that the pale, still woman they put in the ambulance was the same vibrant Tempest she had seen only a short while ago.

Harold crawled into the ambulance next to her. Lisa heard him ask the EMT what was wrong just as the doors slammed shut.

She wanted to be there to watch over her friend, and couldn’t help but wonder if Harold’s nervousness hid something about his wife’s accident.

After a brief announcement that Tempest was on her way to the hospital, the band started up. Three cowboys rode onto the floor and the next act began.

What had just happened? Tempest looked terrible. Frightened for her friend, Lisa couldn’t decide whether to stay and do her job or go the hospital and be with Tempest.

As Lisa made her way out of the arena, the bad feeling she had earlier nagged stronger. Tempest had been shaky before her performance. Had there been something in her drink? Lisa hoped with all that was in her she was wrong.

But she had to find out.

There was nothing she could do for Tempest except the job she’d been paid to do. Only now, it had morphed into something bigger.

She might need help. Picking up her cell phone, she hit speed dial and waited.

Douglas Callahan, her best friend TJ’s brother, was a lawyer. A good one. And darn it, she was crazy in love with him—had been since they first met years ago when TJ brought her to the ranch the first time. The Callahans had all but adopted Lisa when her parents died while she was in college. She could trust him to give her good advice. If she could find him. She tried not to think that he could be on a date. Just thinking of him with other women hurt. Pretending to be no more than another member of the Callahan family hurt worse.

She gave a relieved sigh when he answered on the first ring. “There’s been an accident at the rodeo. I need you here.”

“Are you all right?”

“It’s not me. It’s one of the performers. Can you get here, like right now?”

“I’m on my way to see a client in jail. I can be there in less than thirty minutes. Where will I find you?”

“The president’s skybox.”

One thing Lisa could count on was the Callahans. Though they treated her like family, she’d never had to call on them for help before. She knew, however, that they were there if she needed them.

Next, she dialed her boss. When Max answered, she told him what had happened. “I don’t know how serious it is, but I’m scared for her. She looked really bad when they took her to the hospital, Max.”

Tears threatened, but she held them back. She had to stay strong, for her friend.

“What can I do?”

“Is Bailey working the case now?”

Bailey Monahan was the PI assigned to Harold.

“He should be there somewhere.”

“Good. Can you go to the hospital and keep an eye on things there? I need to stay here and see what I can find before evidence is destroyed or contaminated.”

“Will do. And Lisa, be careful.”

Lisa hung up and dialed again. “Bailey, where are you?”

“Trying to catch up with you. Slow down. I’ll be there in thirty seconds.”

“What the hell just happened?” Bailey asked as he stepped up beside her.

Like most of the rodeo crowd, Bailey sported new jeans, boots, and Stetson. He looked far better than most of the men he was meant to blend in with.

“I don’t know. But Tempest looked bad.”

“What do you want to do?” He pushed the tip of his Stetson back off his forehead a bit.

“Let’s check with the other performers and see what we can find out. We’ll have to be quick. Douglas, TJ’s brother, is meeting me at the skybox in thirty minutes.”

The crowd roared as the bull riders took their turn. Excitement sizzled in the air, Tempest all but forgotten.

Bailey picked up his pace as Lisa strode down a narrow hallway.

When they reached the performers’ dressing area, Bailey stepped back. “Maybe you’d better go in. I’ll wait out here until you give me the all clear.”

Lisa swept past him and into the room.

Smart move on Bailey’s part. The three girls were in various stages of undress, one in a thong and scanty bra. The other two were half dressed in their street clothes. They wore matching long black wigs for the performance so they would look identical. Underneath, their hair ranged in shades of blond to brown.

All moved slowly, two were pale with wet, dazed eyes, the third crying.

Lisa had seen them around, but didn’t know any of them on a personal level.

It didn’t matter. They were so anxious for word on their fallen leader, they rushed to Lisa’s side.

“I’ve seen you with Tempest before. You were there with the EMT’s. Do you know if she’s going to be all right?” one asked.