Badge and a Saddle (Heroes in the Saddle Book 2) Read online

  After all the things he’d seen go down, and after hearing what Mina said she had witnessed, a quieter, less-intense job was looking better and better.

  After five minutes with no activity on the road, he drove along the quarter-mile stretch toward the ranch building. Fences bordered both sides, and here and there, the cattle grazed on the fresh spring grass. The urge to jump on a horse and ride out across the acres of land nearly sidelined him.

  At the end of the driveway, the old two-story white house stood strong, but looked like it needed paint. He’d have to see to that this summer.

  Lower in the valley, the creek cut a winding path, and the buildings and barns looked deserted. They hadn’t had a foreman here in over a decade. One of the neighbors sent a ranch hand over to handle the daily chores, charging them a ridiculously reduced fee as a way of honoring Bennet’s contribution to the community during his years as sheriff.

  Rex and Bennet hired more help only when they needed it, but the herd grew smaller every year from the lack of attention. His detective’s salary covered the costs but gave him very little more to live on, much less make improvements on the ranch.

  Rex slowed and stopped in front of the house, and slid out of the truck, leaving Mina sleeping. Pretty, like a naughty angel with that messy red hair all sticking up and uneven. Naughty angel? He shook his head. “Get that shit out of your thoughts.”

  He stepped up onto the porch, avoiding the long ramp that had been built to accommodate a medical walker. The inside door stood open, so he knocked on the screen door.

  “Come on in,” Bennet Cader’s voice called. “You own the place, so you don’t need to knock.”

  The voice made Rex smile. He stepped inside and spotted Bennet pushing his walker toward him, the brown slippers Rex had given him for his birthday sliding along the linoleum floor. Only in his early sixties, the man had succumbed to a degenerative disease that kept him unsteady and weak.

  “Good to see you, boy.” Bennet’s voice shook a bit, but his smile lit his craggy face. Tall and rail-thin, the man’s flannel shirt and jeans hung on him. He’d lost weight.

  “Bennet.” Rex took the man in a hug and patted his back. “How are you doing?”

  Pulling back and giving Rex a grin, the older man nodded, fast and excited. “Better, now that you’re here. What’s the occasion? Ain’t my birthday again, is it?”

  “I brought someone. Sleeping in the truck, now.” He gestured toward the front door. “But it’s work this time.”

  Bennet glanced out the door. “Work?” He wheeled himself past the kitchen table. “Sit, and I’ll make coffee while you tell me the story.”

  Rex wouldn’t dare offer to do it for him. The man had his pride. He took a seat and a deep breath. “She’s a missing person.”

  Bennet turned, raising an eyebrow. “Why are you handling this, and not the sheriff’s department?” The man had been the county sheriff for twenty years before his health forced him to retire. He was the reason Rex had joined the police force and become a detective. That, and the prospect of incarcerating criminals like the one who’d shattered Rex’s world when he was a kid.

  “Rex?” Bennet hadn’t moved.

  “She’s from Austin, disappeared there, and somehow this landed on us.” Rex had thought it strange when the request had first crossed his desk. His partner had, too, but then a few days later, Sontag had gone at the case with a gusto the veteran hadn’t shown for very many cases. “I haven’t reported that I’ve found her yet.”

  Now Bennet’s other brow shot up. “Not standard procedure. You got a reason for this?”

  “She doesn’t trust the police. She claims they shot a man by the university, with not just one police department involved, but possibly two or more.”

  “Yeah?” Bennet turned back and worked on the coffee.

  Rex could almost hear the gears turning in his mentor’s head, and would give him time to process. He walked into the living room, which used to be the dining room. They’d moved all the furniture in this room and turned the old living room into Bennet’s bedroom when he couldn’t make the stairs any more.

  The television Rex had given him the Christmas before had all the right cords and cables to hook up her camera. “She has it on video, the shooting. Well, most of it.” If she’d just kept the telescope steady, he wouldn’t be having these doubts surfacing.

  “Let’s take a look.” Bennet stood behind him. The guy could sneak up on anyone, walker or no walker. He was a consummate law professional.

  “If she’s not awake in an hour, I’ll go get her.” He looked out toward his truck. How had she just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time? In his experience, coincidences usually turned out to be nothing at all coincidental.

  “Is she pretty?” Bennet wheeled back to the table and sat in his usual chair.

  “She’s gorgeous.” Rex got out the cups, sugar, and cream and set everything on the table. “You think I should contact the captain, right?”

  “Son, I don’t see this turning out well if you don’t.” Bennet didn’t have to list all the reasons. Rex knew them. He’d be under fire for about a dozen infractions. “But pour me some of that coffee and tell me the whole story, first.”

  “You’re gonna love this.” Rex served coffee and told the whole story, including her vomiting and his suspicion Doctor Mina was hiding something.

  Bennet nodded. “In my experience, everyone’s hiding something.”

  “True.” He’d heard that from the man for years, but in Rex’s case, that didn’t apply. He was an open book, believed in telling the truth, and insisted on it from everyone around him. He stood. “Except for you and me, of course.”

  Bennet let out a hoarse laugh. “Yeah. The two exceptions.”

  Rex walked through the living room and out the side door to give himself privacy from both his mentor and his missing person. The sun had reached the treetops in the distance, and birds chirped. The scent of spring growth brought him back to his days on the land.

  How had he gone so long without coming back here? In the distance, a vulture soared across the sky, circling slowly downward, then breaking off and flapping to gain altitude. He felt that way, some days. Like he was getting close to finding what he was looking for, but just couldn’t seem to grasp it.

  Tugging his phone from his pocket, he pushed aside the self-analysis and pressed the button to call his captain.

  “Tarrow, where the hell are you?” Sounds of papers being crinkled and things falling to the floor came through the phone.

  “I’m gonna need you to get someplace alone, sir. I don’t want anyone to overhear this.”

  Silence. “You’re giving me orders?”

  “No, sir.” Rex swallowed to clear his voice. The guy somehow always made him nervous. “Confidential information, possibly dealing with police wrongdoing.”

  “Ah, shit. Just what I need today.” It sounded like the captain was walking. “Okay. I’m in my office, and my door’s closed. Let me have it.”

  Rex told the story, everything he knew, including where he and Mina had ended up.

  “You took a missing person to a ranch outside a dot-on-the-map town.” The captain spoke the words slowly and distinctly.

  Rex knew that tone, and knew his explanation had better be good. “Sir, she was afraid for her life. I…” He had to swallow again. “I had a choice to make, and I think…” He wished like hell he could take that last word back. “I made the decision based on the intel I had.”

  “Tarrow, you’re a rookie detective.” His superior shouted the words. “Why the fuck didn’t you call me at three this morning?”

  Good question. “Sir, under the circumstances, I wanted to get the victim to a safe harbor first.” He’d stand by that, and send up prayers that it wouldn’t cost him his badge.

  Captain let out a long breath. “And you didn’t trust the safe houses. Yeah, okay. I can see your point, and I’d probably have done the same thing in your
situation.”

  About three thousand pounds of stress lifted off Rex’s chest.

  “But, detective, you will never, and I repeat, never, move a victim or suspect again without my approval. You got that?”

  “Yes, sir.” He tried to sound sufficiently humbled, but Rex knew he’d do the exact same thing again, if the bizarre circumstances ever repeated themselves.

  “Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do.” The captain outlined a plan where they’d mark the missing person APB closed, show that the doctor was already en route to Austin in a Sheriff’s Department vehicle to divert attention from their department, and he’d contact the governor’s office and Internal Affairs to coordinate the screening of the video on the memory card. Rex would take three “personal days” and hide out with the lost-and-found doctor.

  Rex was surprised he wasn’t being called back to the city. “You want me to stay here? Or move around?”

  “Stay put, detective. I’ll be the only one who knows where you are. I’ll tell your partner that you had a family emergency.”

  Rex trusted his captain, but with Mina’s life? And his? He’d have to, but he’d take out a little extra insurance. “Yes, sir.”

  “And Tarrow…” The other man cleared his throat. “Good work finding her. Or…letting her find you.”

  Rex almost laughed. “Thank you, sir.” He ended the call and pulled up the contact for his friend Treven Arnett. The volunteer firefighter owned the next ranch over.

  “Rex, hey buddy!” Treven was one of the happiest men he knew, but then, the lucky skunk had it all.

  “Trev, man, I’m gonna need your help.” After apprising him of the circumstances, they arranged for him to stop by that afternoon. “I’m gonna call Clint, too.” Clint Black owned a small ranch in the area, and worked as a paramedic for their local fire department.

  “Good plan. See you in a few.” Treven ended the call, and Rex contacted Clint, then stepped back into the house. The decadent smell of bacon cooking made his belly rumble.

  In the kitchen, Mina stood at the stove, pans of hash browns, bacon, and eggs giving off steam. She turned at the sound of his footsteps. “Hi. Mr. Cader was kind—”

  “Bennet.” The old guy sat at the table, smiling wide. Doctor Mina had evidently charmed him, too.

  Too? What was he thinking? The woman was not doing anything like charming Rex. Hell, no.

  She smiled at Bennet. “Sorry. Bennet okayed my making breakfast for all of us, as long as I made bacon, too.”

  Rex nodded. She was a vegetarian, but the old sheriff had talked her into cooking pork? Shit, maybe Bennet had done the charming here. He sat at the table. “Doctor, I called my chief.”

  The spatula dropped out of her hand, landing on the potatoes. She turned, her brows dropping. “Why? We can’t trust anyone.”

  Rex held up a hand. “This man, I trust. He understands the situation and is covering for me, handling things with the governor’s office, and wants us to stay put.” He looked at Bennet. “If that’s all right with you.”

  “Hell, yeah.” He tipped his head to Mina. “Excuse the language, ma’am.” He sat back and sipped his coffee. “You own the place, how can I kick you out?”

  Rex caught Mina’s puzzled look, but wasn’t ready to explain that whole dynamic.

  “You got something else, son?” Bennet watched Rex’s face.

  “Yeah. Treven and Clint will be here this afternoon.”

  Mina turned to face him fully. “Detective, how many people have you told about me?”

  Rex stood and walked to the stove, picked up the sizzling pan of bacon, and brought it to the sink, straining off the fat into a tin can. “Just people I trust.” He gestured to the stove. “Now get those eggs off before they turn black.”

  They made three plates of food, added a basket of biscuits, and sat at the table, Mina with tea, the men with cups of strong, black coffee.

  “Bennet, here, he’s a long-time lawman. Sheriff for a couple decades. My friends who’re coming this afternoon? I’ve known them since we were kids, and trust them with my life.” He looked deep into Mina’s pretty blue eyes. “And with your life.” The men detailed the plan they’d devised to keep her safe—keep everyone on the ranch safe—from any unlikely attack.

  Rex watched Mina’s face grow less tense, her body relaxing as he went over dozens of scenarios and how they would handle them, including hiding her in the root cellar, which was their term for the secret space under the floor in Bennet’s bedroom, concealed by a rug. Her brows shot up at that, and she looked at Bennet.

  “A man can’t be too careful.” Bennet winked at her, then his brows dropped. “Rex is a man I’d trust with my life. Me? I may look used up, but I’m still the best shot in the county, despite the years I’ve spent in retirement.” He wrapped a hand around his coffee cup. “We’ll do everything to keep you safe, Mina. Swear on a Bible.”

  The doctor blinked a few times, then glanced at Rex. “I appreciate that, and I’m honored that you both are willing to do this for me.”

  Rex wanted to comfort her, to reassure her that nothing would happen, but despite everything in place back at their office in Fort Worth, something could slip between the cracks and come pouring down on their heads.

  He liked her, valued her bravery and tenacity, but had to keep her sharp, and ready for anything.

  He pointed to her plate of eggs and potatoes. “Now eat up, and I’ll show you where you can get some rest.”

  She nodded. “I’m sorry I overreacted. I’ve put my life in your hands, and I need to trust that I chose wisely, that you are taking this seriously, and would not jeopardize my safety by involving anyone untrustworthy.” She reached out and laid her hand on his forearm. “Thank you.”

  The touch sent tremors of awareness through him, like pings of a sonar reverberating through him. He eased his arm out from under her palm. “Ma’am, I’ll do my best.”

  He glanced at Bennet, who had that smarmy grin on his face again.

  Rex narrowed his eyes. “Eat.” He pointed to the man’s plate. “Everyone, just eat.”

  ****

  Mina’s hand burned from touching Rex. The cop did something to her, and it wasn’t at all unpleasant. If circumstances were different… Crap, who was she fooling? She barely made time for friends in her busy schedule, much less men. Her job kept her occupied year-round, and she liked it that way.

  The men she’d made space for in her life had disappointed her so badly, she could only feel aversion when guys approached her for a date. But not Rex. He was hot and serious, and even more smart and sexy. They would be stuck here on the ranch for at least three days, and longer, if the suspects in the video weren’t identified and caught.

  She looked out the window. The cloudless blue sky and bright sunshine came as the best gift she’d ever received. Living one minute at a time had been her motto for the last five days, and if she were to be completely honest with herself, she may not live to see another night sky.

  Things could go really bad now that his captain had been brought into this, but if Rex said he trusted the man, she had to rely on his instincts. He and Bennet were preparing for the worst, and that gave her hope, more than anything else. The thought of being banished to a dark, musty room under the floor…that was not appealing, but she’d go down into it if they asked her to.

  She picked at her food for a few seconds, then started eating. She needed her strength to face whatever was coming their way, even if it was just being vigilant and prepared for anything.

  Next to her, Rex ate slowly, his manners impeccable. As if he’d been raised with a great deal of care and respect. He was funny, smart, and serious about his responsibilities. Mina sighed. The forecast for her life expectancy had changed for the better when she’d chosen to place herself in Detective Rex Tarrow’s capable hands.

  Chapter Four

  Mina, Rex, and Bennet watched the video she’d taken of the shooting. The faces of the men were much cleare
r on the large screen, but it would take a digital specialist to make them fully recognizable.

  They discussed it, Bennet asking insightful questions, and Rex recording everything they said.

  She answered the questions honestly, skirting the ones about her having any knowledge of the identities of the men and why she’d chosen that spot to use her telescope. As soon as they heard that the shooters had been identified, she’d tell Rex everything, and explain why she’d withheld information. Information that could make this case a lot easier to solve.

  After the men ran out of questions, Rex took her upstairs, where four big bedrooms sat fully furnished, the beds made. “Bennet has no family?” She whispered the words to Rex.

  He paused a moment. “Blood family, not worth talking about.”

  “Blood family?” She didn’t understand why he’d said it that way.

  He pointed down the hall. “The bathroom has new toothbrushes and stuff. I’ll be across the hall.” Rex stepped into a room. “Yell if you need anything.” He swung the door, putting a barrier between them, but leaving it open a foot or so.

  “Thanks.” He must come here often. She set down her bag and went to scrape a morning’s worth of yuck off her teeth.

  ****

  Two hours later, Mina woke in her bed upstairs, startled awake by the dream she’d been having. Running, running, panting, sweating, fear. Her heart raced like wild horses across the prairie.

  Mumbling sounded from across the hall. Was Rex on the phone?

  The sound of a motor came from somewhere. She sat upright, listening. Did he hear it, too?

  As silently as possible on the old hardwood floors, she made her way to his room and pushed open the door.

  Rex lay on his back, fully clothed except for no boots on his stocking feet. His eyes were closed, and he jerked a couple of times then went silent. Was he having a nightmare, too?