Body of Evidence (6 page)

“Remind me of what he said to you again.”

“Other than the usual ‘you'll regret this' type stuff, he's mostly a lot of hot air, I think.”

“Maybe he
was
the one who ransacked your tack room.”

“But why?”

“Just like you said before—to mess with you, maybe try to find some incriminating information regarding permits or animal cruelty or something.”

“I've got all the permits in order and I'm not cruel to any of my animals.”

“You can't be too careful. A threat is a threat and it should be treated as such, no matter what. Understand?”

She turned toward the horses. “I'm so tired of hearing that.”

Anderson whirled her around so quickly, she felt the rush of air passing over her face.

“Jennifer, this isn't a joke. It's real.”

She looked down at his fingers on her jacket, then back up to him, seeing the dark concern in his cat-like eyes. “I know that. That doesn't mean I have to like it.” Then she slumped into a shrug. “You're scaring me, Anderson. And I've never been scared before. I've never worried about living here by myself or getting up in the middle of the night to check on a sick animal. I've taken long walks back here by myself many times, even
before I bought the property. And to think I've allowed those teens back here when they could have been hurt or worse.”

Stomping her feet to clear her boots of mud, she lifted a hand in the air then turned back toward the horses. “Now, everywhere I look, I feel as if someone is looking back at me through the trees, or lurking behind my stables just waiting to jump out at me. So give me some time to get used to all of this, okay?”

“Okay. Let's get back home.”

They walked back around the pond to the horses.

Untying Sadie's rein and handing it to Jennifer, he said, “I get so caught up in the facts, I forget the reality of things like this. I understand this is hard to swallow and I get that you're used to being on your own and doing things your own way. But I took on this assignment for many reasons, one now being that I need to protect you whether you like it or not.”

She got up on Sadie and stared down at him, her heart doing a strange little dance at that
worrying about her
part. And because she felt so guilty at being a whiny woman, she said, “Thank you. It's been a long time since anyone has bothered to worry about me.”

Then she took off, leaving him sitting there on a stomping horse because she was too afraid to look back to see if he was following her.

“A
nderson, come on in.”

Captain Ben Fritz motioned as the Rangers gathered around the big conference table. Everybody in Company D wanted to catch the person who'd murdered Gregory Pike, so these weekly meetings had become mandatory. Anderson walked in and put his files down, then shook hands with Rangers Cade Jarvis and Oliver Drew.

Lieutenant Daniel Boone Riley motioned him over. “Hear we got a threat regarding the Alamo anniversary celebration.”

Anderson nodded. “Yep, Ben updated me a few minutes ago. Let me get a better handle on this drop site and you and I can go to the meeting next week and have a talk with the planning committee. This is a big deal—the 175th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo.”

“I'll be ready,” Daniel replied before taking his seat. “Meantime, I'll see what I can dig up regarding the threat.”

After Rangers Gisella Hernandez, Levi McDonnell and several others entered the room, Ben gave a brief update, then turned things over to Anderson. “Tell us what you have so far.”

Anderson stretched, trying to get the kinks out of his back. He'd headed straight to the bunkhouse yesterday after the ride out to the construction site, then back to the pond for the rest of the night, trying hard to focus on his job instead of Jennifer Rodgers.

Since Jennifer had left him in the dust after their exploration of the new alligator pond, he'd made sure she was safe inside the big house before he'd made himself a sandwich from the supplies she'd left for him, walked around the perimeter of the property, done a little paperwork and finally gone out to settle down out under the stars in his bedroll.

“Nobody visited the site during the wee hours last night,” he said now. “I was awake back there most of the night—just me and a few coyotes and foxes, I think.”

“Have to watch those foxes,” Oliver said with a grin.

“Don't I know it,” Anderson retorted. He went over a list of suggestions about the security around the rescue center.

And he had a list of reasons why he shouldn't be so attracted to Jennifer Rodgers, but he kept that list to himself. Ben would yank him right off this case if he even hinted at that attraction.

“Anderson?” Ben asked, jarring him back to business. “Got anything else to report?”

Anderson let out a grunt. “Miss Rodgers and I rode out to the alleged drop site yesterday to check on a new fence that was vandalized. It was cut with heavy-duty wire cutters. We also found a campsite that shows recent activity. And someone had deliberately dropped a brand-new circuit board into that campfire. They cut
the power to her equipment and pumping shed, too. She had a small office and a refrigerator in there.”

“You don't say.” Ben let out a grunt. “The cartel's already harassing her?”

“Looks that way. She started construction on this new alligator pen last week. Somebody doesn't want any activity back there.”

“Except the criminal kind,” Cade retorted. “Anything else?”

“Miss Rodgers spotted what looks like part of a marijuana cigarette. Apparently, whoever this is has been taking time to smoke a little pot back there. I've tagged it for evidence and I'll get it to the crime lab along with everything else I have after I leave here. It's a long shot, but maybe the DNA will give us a hit.”

Ben pushed at his chair. “That's a full report, Ranger.”

“You're telling me,” Anderson said. “Oh, and then there's the break-in at the tack room that I reported yesterday. But the place was pretty quiet last night. Haven't heard back from the lab on the prints I scanned from the barn incident, but honestly, I don't think we'll be able to get any prints on that. And she didn't get a good look at the man she saw running away from the cut fence.”

“You think it's the ornery neighbor you mentioned?” Oliver asked as he jotted notes.

“My gut is leaning toward him. I can't see what a cartel lowlife would be doing snooping in there now that their man snitched to us, unless they hoped to scare Jennifer even more. I figure the cartel will keep coming if they think she knows something. I expect things to escalate if she refuses to stop building that pen.”

“Just stay on top of things,” Ben replied. “And re member, I'm assigning you and Daniel to sit in on the upcoming Alamo Planning Committee.”

Daniel Riley lifted his head. “I'm happy to take the lead. We'll need to go over security measures since they received that cryptic letter.”

Anderson nodded and wrote in his notebook. “Got it. That should be routine just as a precaution, right?”

“Should be,” Ben said. “But these days, you never know. The letter indicated something bad would happen if the thing wasn't called off. I'll let you read the whole thing after the meeting.”

Anderson didn't really savor sitting in on a boring committee meeting, but the 175th Anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo coming up this summer was a big deal around here. Threatening letters regarding a celebration with a big crowd of people couldn't be good—whether serious or not.

“Okay. We'll check into it.” He looked over his notes. “Regarding this case, I'll keep trying to make contact with that disgruntled neighbor I told you about—Ralph Chason. He didn't answer his door and I saw no sign of him around his property. I'm running a check on him.”

“Just keep at it,” Ben said, glancing around. “By the way, our coma man hasn't moved a muscle and the photo's been on all the news stations and in the papers for at least a couple of days. If we get any hits on that, Anderson, you'll need to be in on the action. I'd like you to follow through on any leads.”

“I can do that,” Anderson replied, glad to have something to focus on. “It's slow-going around the farm. But
hey, I'm learning how to feed hawks and milk goats. And I never knew there were so many kinds of turtles in this world.”

Gisella chuckled. “And how are the alligators?”

Anderson let out a laugh. “So far, so good. I tend to stay away from them. The new pen is definitely infringing on the drug cartel's territory. Looks like an old trail runs right through one side of the land being turned into the gator park.”

Oliver shot him a glance. “They might stay away if they think it's too hot.”

“Not if they've already starting wreaking havoc on Jennifer's plans. I guess they think she'll shut it down if they harass her. So far, they've only damaged property but the threats could get more personal.”

“Yeah, and that's where you come in, my friend,” Ben reminded him. “Stay on the case, but watch out for Miss Rodgers, too.”

The group compared notes for a while longer, then the meeting was dismissed. Anderson looked around as the others left the room, thinking he'd lay down his life for any one of them. This was a strong team. But this kind of work was hard on any sort of home life. They all tended to stay away from serious relationships because of that very reason.

He was a Ranger first, Anderson thought on the drive back to the rescue farm. His job was harsh and hard and time-consuming. In his mind, that left very little room for a normal life. He knew not to mix business with pleasure.

So why did Jennifer make him dream of things he'd vowed to not think about? Such as romantic dinners,
long walks in a meadow, maybe a boat ride on the river? He'd never had much time for anything other than the occasional hunting trip with his father and brothers. He never had time to date. Best he remember that and focus on the job, rather than the woman he was getting to know.

He parked and glanced around once he'd entered the gates. Everything looked perfectly normal. No one would ever suspect some dangerous criminals might be doing their nocturnal dirty work around here.

Anderson went inside the bunkhouse, leaving the door open to the cool air, then put on a pot of coffee to percolate. He decided to call Ben.

“I thought of something else. Might as well run a check on the part-time helper—Jacob Slaton. I think he's clean but…you never know. He's worked here for a few years now and seems like a good kid.” He gave Ben all the information he'd managed to glean from talking to both Jacob and Jennifer.

When he turned back toward the door, he found Jennifer standing there with a basket of what looked like muffins. But before he could grab at one of the good-smelling muffins, she sat the basket down with a heavy thud, causing the contents to bounce up and down.

“You're doing a check on Jacob?”

“Oh, you heard that?”

“Yes, I heard that,” she retorted, her eyes full of anger and accusation. “Honestly, why don't you just arrest the both of us and shut the place down since you don't trust anyone around here.”

“Hey,” he said, his own frustrations matching hers, “I told you everyone is suspect. I thought we'd gotten past
this, Jennifer. I'm also getting background information on your neighbor Ralph Chason, too.”

She frowned, tapped her booted foot, frowned some more, then finally let out a long sigh. “I don't like it, but I guess I understand. I came here to share these as a peace offering.” Shoving the muffins at him, she said, “Here. One of our volunteers brought 'em by. She's in the goat pen right now. You might want to frisk her and run a check on her, too. But I can give you a physical description. She's almost five feet tall with gray hair and she's usually wearing some sort of velour and good quality orthopedic shoes. Real dangerous-looking granny.”

Anderson had to put his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. “I'll get right on that.”

She held a mock frown. “I just reckon you will.”

Jennifer plopped down on a rickety high-backed chair. “Her name is Ethel and she plays the organ at the local church. That is, when she's not hanging around the campfire waiting for the next drug runner to appear.”

He sniffed at the muffins and picked one up. “I get the picture. I might have to question her, but I promise I won't frisk her.”

Waiting for her to smile, he motioned toward the old percolator he'd found in the tiny efficiency kitchen. “I found the supplies and food staples you left—thanks for that. It looks like mud, but I made coffee. Want some?”

She shook her head. “I just drank my quota for the day. I didn't sleep very well.” Her look indicated his presence and the problems with her gator pond were the
reasons. But she reached for a muffin. “Do you ever get tired of tracking down criminals?”

Anderson poured himself a cup of the rich brew then sat down across from her. “I get physically tired and I get aggravated as all get-out, but no, I don't get tired of bringing criminals to justice. It's my life.”

She let that soak in. “Well, you'll never run out of them, that's for sure.”

Anderson bit into the juicy muffin. “Hmm. That is good. I think I need to meet Miss Ethel.”

Jennifer finally laughed and ate her own muffin. “She'll fall for you right away. She might be old and a widow but she likes to flirt.” She leaned close. “Especially with a tall, handsome Ranger.”

Anderson leaned in, too, giving her a playful smile. “Is that how
you
see me?”

She immediately stood up, her blush as pretty as a new blooming rose. “I'm not sure how I see you—except as someone who's here to remind me I'm no longer safe in my own home. I gotta go call the electrician and make up some explanation as to why my circuit box got toasted. Just wanted to give you a muffin.”

He noted the worry in her eyes, then grabbed another muffin, deciding he wouldn't push the issue for now. “Thanks. I'll be out to help with the rest of the morning feedings in a few minutes.”

She backed toward the door, then glanced up at him. “So did you stay up all night filing your reports and running background checks on people? Or did you do the stakeout thing all night?”

“How do you know I was up last night?”

She blushed again. He sure loved that sweet blush. “I told you…uh…I couldn't sleep, so I roamed the house and saw your light on around midnight.”

He didn't tell her that he left the light on for a reason. “I spent most of the night out on my stakeout.”

Her brows lifted at that. “And?”

“Nothing. All quiet for now.”

“I kept waking up, thinking about someone deliberately cutting that fence and frying that circuit breaker. I don't like feeling so vulnerable. It's creepy.”

It would be hard to sleep knowing everything you held dear was being threatened. “I'm doing everything I can to nip this in the bud, Jennifer. Just bear with me.”

“Easy for you to say. It's like waiting for a lion to pounce.”

She had no idea her choice of words hit the nail on the head. “I won't let any lions get you,” he said, allowing her a long look.

She nodded on that. “I think I could handle a real lion better than a threat I can't see.”

“I hear you. Hey, about the construction crew coming in—let's stick with the cover of me just being a new hire. We can't be certain one of them isn't involved in this mess.”

“Great. Now I have that angle to consider, too.”

He followed her outside. It was turning out to be a nice fall day—crisp and cool with just a hint of winter in the wind.

“There's always an angle to consider,” he said. He
couldn't tell her a lot about this case. But he could keep reminding her that she was in danger.

She whirled to stare up at him. “What happens if
nothing
happens, Anderson? How long can you stay here?”

“Until I find something,” he replied. “I'm gonna bunk down near the alligator pen every night.” Then he pointed to a big sack on the table. “First, I'm gonna make this place a little more secure.”

“I told you, I can't afford a security system right now. I have lights and cameras ready to be hooked up, but they're not working yet.”