The Texas Ranger's Family

“DNA doesn’t lie. His grandparents raised him after his parents were killed in a car crash when he was seven, but they couldn’t control him. In his teens he ran away and got into serious trouble. In time he used various aliases and committed crimes that put him in prison for a sixty-year sentence.”

“Sixty?” Her cry resounded in the room.

“That’s right. He’d only served two of them when he escaped eight years ago during a prisoner transfer to another facility. He eventually ended up here in Austin. There’s been an arrest warrant out on him for years.”

A gasp escaped her lips. She sprang to her feet. “You’re telling me that I was married to a felon?”

His eyes looked at her with compassion. “I’m afraid so. You’re welcome to see the DNA test results. They prove he’s the same man who’d been on his way to another prison when he made his escape with a fellow inmate. That killer is still at large.”

Fear raced through her as her thoughts leaped ahead. “Do you think he’s the one who broke in here?”

“In time I’ll find out who did this.”

She shivered as he pulled a paper from his back pocket and handed it to her. “This is what we call a rap sheet.”

Her fingers trembled as she opened it. Another cry resounded in the room as she saw the mug shot of the man she’d been married to. It was Rod, but a younger Rod with long black hair and a beard. The good-looking man she’d fallen in love with had short-cropped, dark blond hair and was clean-shaved.

Natalie looked down the list of his crimes that had earned him a sixty-year prison sentence. “Murder?” The knowledge that she’d been living with a hard-core criminal caused her to break out in a cold sweat. This was her precious Amy’s father?

Her hands went clammy.

Horrified, she dropped the paper and ran to the bathroom where she threw up. When there was nothing left, she rinsed out her mouth and brushed her teeth. To her shock she saw the Ranger waiting for her in the hall while she clung to the sink to recover.

“I wish there’d been an easier way to break this to you,” he murmured. “If you want to lie down, I understand.”

His kindness got to her. She let go of the sink. “I’d like to pretend none of this is real, but I know it is or you wouldn’t be here. No wonder the Texas Rangers are involved. Since I was in the process of divorcing him, I’m sure the police have already decided I killed him.”

She left the bathroom and walked to the living room on shaky legs.

“They have to look at a death from every angle.” His brows lifted. “Do you own a firearm?”

“No.”

“Did your husband?”

She took a steadying breath. “Not that I ever knew about.”

He eyed her speculatively through veiled eyes. “Why do you think the police would automatically assume you wanted him dead?”

“Because he’d been unfaithful to me. Now that I know the truth about him, it wouldn’t surprise me if he’d been with different women throughout our marriage. This is unbelievable.” She couldn’t disguise the tremor in her voice. “When I had proof of his infidelity, I told him I was filing for divorce and asked him to leave the house.”

“How did he handle that?”

“He didn’t take me seriously until I warned him I’d call the police to put a restraining order on him. To my surprise he actually packed up and left. It almost seemed too easy, but it makes sense if he knew the FBI was hunting for him.”

The Ranger shifted his weight. “Mrs. Harris, the detective’s opinion of what happened was only speculation while he investigated your husband’s case. It was turned over to me too quickly for any conclusions to be drawn. I haven’t seen all the forensic evidence yet. Now that I’m in charge, I prefer to investigate the facts without bringing any bias from other sources. That’s why it was so important I spoke with you today. For the time being we’re going to keep any more information from being leaked to the press.”

“Thank you for that.”

“You’ve received a shock—you’re still pale. Sit down and I’ll fix you a cup of coffee.”

She pressed her lips together. “I imagine you could use some, too. Come into the kitchen. I’ll answer your questions while I make it. I need to stay busy.” Her suggestion coincided with the doorbell ringing.

“That’ll be the team. I’ll let them in.”

“They’ll need to check the garage, too.”

“I’ll tell them. I also want them to take your fingerprints. I hope that’s all right.”

He left her long enough to go to the door. Three people, two men and a woman, came in carrying equipment. They put on latex gloves and got to work. After meeting Natalie, one of the men took impressions of her fingers at the kitchen table while the other two checked the room for other prints.

When that was done they went about their business through the rest of the house, dusting surfaces and looking for evidence. The moment was surreal.

The Ranger stepped over several items on the floor to sit at the table. The high chair stood in the corner. She felt his gaze while she fixed coffee for them. “Where do you want to start?”

“Before we begin, you need to know I’ll be recording our conversation.”

Natalie nodded. “Do you take cream or sugar?”

“Both.”

So did she. She prepared two mugs and brought them to the table, sitting opposite him. After being sick to her stomach, the coffee tasted good, the sugar reviving her. He appeared to enjoy his, too, draining most of his mug before sitting back.

“Tell me about yourself first. I saw two women at the graveside service.”

“You were there?” she asked in disbelief.

“Watching from a distance. Were either of them your relatives?”

“No. I am an only child and my mother died several years ago. My parents divorced when I was twelve. My father had an affair and married the woman. They moved to his hometown in Canada. I never saw or heard from him again.”

“You’ve been through a lot of heartache in your life,” he observed with empathy. “Now, I’d like you to tell me about how you met your husband, and I’ll also need you to identify the people in these photos for me.” He handed her the camera and she blinked when she saw the display, astonished that he’d taken pictures at the cemetery. She swiped her finger across the screen, scrolling through the images before giving him back the camera.

She stared into space. “My husband and I met just over two and a half years ago. It was November. A controlled-substance delivery from LifeSpan Pharmaceutical didn’t check with the head pharmacist’s order. The shipment usually comes in a brown box with tamper-proof tape. When I saw that the wrong order had been delivered, I called the plant. Several conversations took place before a man in accounting came on the line. It was Rod.

“He said the problem would be taken care of. The next thing I knew he came to the pharmacy with the correct shipment.”

“Where do you work?”

“In the pharmacy at the Grand Central store on Spruce Street, about a mile from here.”

“How long have you been a pharmacist?”

“I received my degree seven years ago and I’ve been working there ever since. The head pharmacist, John Willard, and his wife, Marva, were two of the people at the service today.”

“Tell me about the other woman who was there. The older one.”

“Ellen Butterworth is a woman from the church who was good friends with my mother.”

“I see. All right, back to your story about Rod.”

“I thought it was unusual that someone from the accounting department would make the delivery instead of a courier, but Rod reminded me that we’d spoken on the phone once before about a separate issue. He told me he liked the sound of my voice and wondered what I was like, so he’d taken it upon himself to bring the package in person.”

“You’d never met him in person before?”

“No. But now that I know he was a criminal, it wouldn’t surprise me if he’d seen me somewhere and found out about me ahead of time.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me, either. Go on.”

“Rod came by several times after that and talked me into going out to lunch with him. I was flattered. He was very kind when I told him about my mother’s battle with MS. She’d only just died before he came into my life. I found him attractive and we started dating. I learned that he’d been in the military but had been released from service when he was wounded in the lower leg.”

“Did you see any proof of his military service?”

“No. I had no reason to question it. He said that during his time in the military, his folks were killed in a car crash in Houston, where he’d been born and raised. The military had helped him find a job from their outreach program and he was interviewed by LifeSpan to work in their accounting department. In time he’d moved his way up and eventually became the director of Finance. One thing led to another and he asked me to marry him.”

Her gaze flicked to his. “After looking at that rap sheet, I can see that everything he told me was a spectacular work of fiction.” She shook her head. “His healed gunshot wound had to have come from another source that had nothing to do with fighting a war.”

“Not the war he described to you. He was injured fleeing arrest after he escaped.”

She groaned. “Here I’ve been living with a killer, thinking all along how horrible combat must have been for him. He fed me lie after lie and I believed him.”

“Harold Park was a consummate sociopath who fooled everyone, including his employers.”

The Texas Ranger was trying to make her feel better, but the fact that Harold had lied to more people than just her gave Natalie no comfort.

Chapter Two

“What is it they say? Truth is stranger than fiction?” Natalie’s voice quivered. “The lies...” She couldn’t believe it.

The Ranger nodded and she saw the concern in his eyes. “A good con artist can charm his way into just about anything he wants. He must have wanted you badly. The man worked his way into LifeSpan using fraudulent documents created by a master forger. Harold was the best at what he did.”

A shudder swept through her body. “And my mother had just passed away. I was at my most vulnerable.” Bitterness welled up inside her. “I fell into his lap like the proverbial apple dropping from the tree. He knew a good thing when he saw it...a woman all alone with her own house paid for and a good job. Exactly the right kind of person for a fugitive to marry to hide his past life of crime.”

“Don’t go there, Mrs. Harris. He was too clever to give himself away to anyone—he’d eluded the police for years. His mistake was getting caught with another woman. When did you realize it?”

She moistened her lips. “Amy had just turned a year old and I’d planned a little evening party for her with the idea that Rod could be there when he got home from work. But he didn’t make it. He called me and said he’d been detained in a meeting but he’d make it up to us. I’d been putting up with those kinds of excuses from the time she was born, but that was the moment it occurred to me my husband was slipping away from me.

“About a month later I called him at work and found out he wasn’t there and hadn’t been in all day. I knew something was going on he didn’t want me to know about.”

A grimace marred the Ranger’s rugged features. “Did you finally confront him?”

“Yes. About two and a half months ago I was having lunch with my best friend from college. She and her husband live in Arizona, but they’d flown in to attend a friend’s wedding and we got together. She happened to mention that she’d bumped into Rod at the short-term airport parking. He’d told her he was dropping off my cousin for a flight.”

Natalie shot Saunders a glance. “I don’t have a cousin. He’d told my friend a blatant lie. At that point I knew in my heart he’d been having an affair, maybe even several.”

After a silence he said, “What’s your friend’s name and phone number? I’d like to speak to her.”

“Colette Barnes. She’s in Phoenix.” Natalie opened the contacts folder in her cell phone and found him the number.

“Did your husband admit to the affair when you confronted him?”

She bit her lip. “Yes. He was amazingly forthright about it. He accused me of having lost interest in him after Amy was born. It was a lie. He accused me of going back to work to avoid him. That wasn’t a lie. I needed to get back to the job I knew because intuition told me our marriage wasn’t going to make it.” She took a deep breath. “It was my mother’s story all over again. An unfaithful husband who didn’t want to deal with his child.”

“Except that your story wasn’t your mother’s, not by a long shot. A dangerous killer used you. The circumstances aren’t comparable. When did you go back to work?”

“Two months ago.”

“When you first mentioned divorce, what did he say?”

“He looked all penitent and said he didn’t want one. Rod claimed the woman meant nothing to him. He promised never to see her again, but by then I was done. He was so cold and hadn’t shown real remorse for any of his behavior, including missing his daughter’s first birthday. I couldn’t understand it and felt like I’d never known him. Now I know why,” she reflected with a heavy heart.

“I’ve seen his type before. He’s the kind that never formed emotional attachments early in life.”

She nodded. “He’s exactly like that. Later on that night I asked him to pack up and leave the house. I told him I was going to hire an attorney and he’d need one, too. Though the house is in my name, he threatened that he was eligible for half the property and would sue me for it.

“That’s when I knew I’d married a stranger. If he wanted to fight over the house he’d never paid for without any concern for his daughter’s future, there was no hope for us. I told him we’d have to work out everything in court. But he died before that day came.” She paused for a moment. “I never wished him dead, but he’s been dead to me for a long time.”

Before the Ranger could say anything, the head of the forensics team came into the kitchen to say they were through. Saunders walked them to the front door, where they talked for a few minutes. After they filed out, he turned his attention back to Natalie.

“It turns out that whoever invaded your home must have had a key. There’s no sign of a break-in.”

“Maybe it was that other inmate you were talking about.”

“Maybe, maybe not. But either way I’d say that’s enough questions for now. I’ll help you clean up your house before I leave.”

“Oh, no. That won’t be necessary, but thank you.”

He zeroed in on her with his gaze. “I insist. Until the surveillance team arrives, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

A chill ran down her spine. “Surveillance?”

“Absolutely. I’m having you and your house guarded around the clock.”

Her heart thudded with anxiety. “So you think I’m in danger, then?”

“Rod was a career felon. He could have enemies who wouldn’t hesitate to hurt you or your daughter.”

“But why?”

“Come on, let’s get your place cleaned up while we talk. If you’ll give me a towel, I’ll get the water out of the carpet.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“I want to.”

She couldn’t budge him. In the end she found him a towel that had been thrown on the floor next to the linen closet. “Here you go. I’ll clean up the nursery then I’ll go for Amy. Jillian needs to be relieved—she’s been such a help. I think I’ll take her one of these floral arrangements, maybe that large one with the daisies and roses.”

“They’re beautiful. Who sent them?”

“My boss. The one from the photo. John Willard. He and his wife have proved to be terrific friends.”

The Ranger got down on one knee to perform his task and Natalie’s eyes lingered on the striking picture of virility he made. She decided he must be a man in a million to pitch in when he didn’t have to. She tore herself away and hurried to Amy’s room to put everything back in place. When she returned to the living room, she found it and the den restored and in perfect order, with nearly all traces of water gone.

She discovered her guest in the kitchen, washing his hands. When he looked over his shoulder at her, she smiled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d been sent from Hire-a-Husband, that company you see around town. Are you married, Ranger Saunders?”

He chuckled. “No. I haven’t had that experience yet.”

“After interviewing me, you must be thankful.”

“Not every marriage ends in pain—I’m sorry. That sounds incredibly insensitive.”

“Not at all.”

She watched him dry his hands as he turned to her. “Before any more time passes, I want you to save my cell number in your contacts. If an emergency arises, you can call me any hour of the day or night.”

“Thank you,” she answered. She retrieved her phone and entered the number he gave her. “Now, will you tell me why you’re having me watched?”

His hands went to his hips. “Did you know that LifeSpan fired your husband a month ago?”

“No,” she whispered then sank down on the nearest chair. “That would have been after we separated. He never told me.” She buried her face in her hands. “What happened?”

“LifeSpan has been losing money. One of the other accountants under your husband started checking back and discovered payments made to a company he could find no record for. They were payments your husband authorized. A full investigation has been started. They’re still tracing back to see how long it had been going on. So far they’ve found over nine-million dollars missing since the beginning of his employment with them.”

Natalie gasped. “Rod did that?” She simply couldn’t believe it.

“Yes, but the only portion of that money to show up in his personal records was four-hundred thousand.”

Her head lifted. “He always wanted to keep our bank accounts separate. It’s all making sense now. Four-hundred thousand?”

“Your husband withdrew it from his checking account the day before he was killed, and I’m guessing that whoever trashed your house wanted to get their hands on it.”

She shook her head. “We’ve never had that kind of money, not even with our combined salaries.” Her body trembled. “I’ve been living with a monster.”

“It’s evident he’s been a disturbed man most of his life. I’ll learn more when I speak to his grandmother. Though her husband died recently, I understand she’s still alive and was able to give the police a few facts about Park. I need to question her.”

Natalie’s incredulous gaze met his. “That means Amy has a great-grandmother! I can’t fathom it. They have to have been in pain for years wondering what had happened to their grandson after he escaped.”

“I’m sure that’s true. One day soon we’ll get all the answers. Will you be available to talk some more tomorrow? Since it’ll be Sunday, morning or afternoon will be fine for me.”

He was coming by again? Her pulse picked up speed for no reason. “Do you want to come over at eleven or so? Amy will be ready to go down for her nap around then.”

“Eleven it is.” He walked through to the living room and looked out the front window. “The surveillance team is parked out front in a carpet-cleaning truck. They’ll keep an eye on you around the clock to make certain you’re safe. I’ll see myself out the back door.”

She watched his tall, rock-hard physique slip out through the kitchen and disappear from view once he reached the neighbor’s yard. Natalie clung to the open door. He’d convinced her that she and Amy could be in danger, but as shocking as all the revelations had been, he’d had a calming effect and she felt confident she wasn’t alone in this horror story.

* * *

KIT PHONED THE surveillance team from his truck to give them instructions. Once he let them know he was leaving the premises, he drove to the freeway and headed for Marble Falls. He’d have to drive fast to be on time for his mother.

Needing to talk, he used voice commands to dial Cy, a fellow Ranger who was working on another case. He was gratified when he heard his friend’s voice over the speakers.

“Hey, Kit. I saw you in TJ’s office earlier. What’s going on?”

“I’ve been given a case the captain doesn’t want anyone else to know about yet, but I’d like your advice.”

“You don’t need anyone’s advice.”

Kit made a strange sound in his throat. “I think I do.”

“Where are you?”

“Headed for the rodeo in Marble Falls. Brandon’s competing tonight.”

“He’s racking up great times so far.”

“Let’s hope he can keep it up. He wants to win that championship in the worst way.”

“My bet is on him. Kellie and I are planning to join you for the Las Vegas trip in December. So, what’s going on? What did you want to ask me?”

“How did the boss take it when you told him you were going to go undercover as Kellie’s husband?”

A long silence followed. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to do the same thing with this new case?”

Kit exhaled a sigh. “You’ve just answered my question.”

“No—forget what I said. Tell me about the case.”

“The wife of the guy who was found dead in his hotel room a week ago could be in serious trouble—someone broke into her house today. But having a surveillance crew watching her could scare off the bad guys. I want to catch them in the act. I’m thinking about posing as her cousin who is taking his retreat from the parish he serves to be with her for the next week.”

“A priest?”

“Yeah. I’ll wear a collar.”

Cy made a funny choking sound. “Have you told the widow what you’ve planned?”

“Nope. I wanted to run it by you first. If you think my plan holds water, then I’ll tell the captain. If he gives his approval, then I’ll talk to her.”

“What haven’t you told me yet?”

“Get ready for an earful.”

In the next few minutes Kit had revealed everything to his friend, including the fact that the widow had a sixteen-month-old daughter. When he’d finished, a loud whistle came from the other end of the line.

“Harold Park has been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for years! You mean to tell me his wife didn’t have a clue?”

“As far as I can tell, not one.”

“Maybe she’s as big a con artist as he was.”

“No. When she saw the rap sheet, she went white as a ghost. I followed her to the bathroom and watched while she lost her lunch. That kind of reaction couldn’t have been faked.

“Seriously, Cy, I would have treated this like a normal case until Detective Carr called me about the burglary.

“If you could have seen her house, you’d know that whoever is after the money isn’t going to stop. My hunch is that the money he embezzled over the years has been laundered, but he kept four-hundred thousand for quick cash. Someone knew he had it and came to the house hoping to find it stashed there. But they only had that short window of time. I’m afraid they’ll be back for a more thorough search. That puts Mrs. Harris and her daughter at risk and changes the way I planned to go about solving the case.”

“I hear you. Knowing what I know now, your priest idea sounds inspired. It makes sense that a family member would stay for a while to help her in her time of grief. The collar will stop any gossip, especially if she’s attractive.”

Kit didn’t comment.

“Is she?”

“Is she what?”

“Attractive.”

“Yes.”

Cy waited for his friend to continue. “Just yes?”

“Yes. Just yes!”

“Whoa! For you to clam up like this means she must really be a knockout. Right?”

“That’s not what’s important here.”

“The hell it isn’t! I’ve been there, remember?”

“I do remember. Vividly. That’s why I called you.” Cy had ended up marrying the woman he’d been protecting.

“You shouldn’t have any trouble with the captain. No matter how you do it, he knows Kit Saunders always gets his man. But he’ll give you the same advice he gave me. Be careful you don’t cross the line.”

Kit knew exactly what his friend meant. A strong attraction could complicate a case while you were trying to remain professional. “That won’t happen to me. This woman’s in shock.”