Justice Undercover Read online

  As soon as the waitress took their orders, Kylie rested her elbows on the table. “So what happened? Did you learn anything?”

  “If Alcott is behind these attacks,” Luke said, “he is one cool character. He claims he doesn’t remember Tommy, or Brandon Coffey.”

  “You asked him about Brandon?” Kylie leaned forward. “What did he say?”

  “He said he has a lot of employees and can’t remember them all.”

  “But what about the Coffey-family murders? You know, the witness who was to testify against him.”

  He and Jax exchanged glances.

  Luke cleared his throat. “You seem to know a lot about Alcott. Have you been doing research on the man?”

  Kylie shifted in her seat. “Some. I find it intriguing a popular businessman brought up on money-laundering charges by the Feds went free after his witness was killed. I remember when his story hit the news. I followed it faithfully.”

  Was it as simple as being fascinated with a local news story? Luke knew some people were devoted to crime shows and believed themselves armchair detectives.

  Jax had been listening intently to their exchange. “Did Alcott have anything to say about the death of his witness?”

  Luke brought his attention back to his partner. “He has an alibi. He was home getting ready for the trial. Had his movements on his security camera and supplied the police with a copy of the footage. How did your interview go with his construction crew?”

  “Everyone sang Alcott’s praises,” Jax said. “I made a list with their names and will run a background check on each one.”

  “I was afraid no one would talk.” Luke tapped his fingers on the table. “Even if any of Alcott’s crew have damaging information, I doubt they’d report it.”

  The waitress returned with their drink order and placed the glasses on the table. After she left to serve other customers, Luke threw his hands in the air. “I don’t understand what these guys want. Why target me? Do they believe I have something of Megan’s? Maybe none of this has to do with Tommy and his employer. Or maybe it’s someone from a past case.”

  “Let’s go over this again. You weren’t around on the first attack, only Kylie and the twins. The attacker, a local thug named Trey Rigsby, was shot at the dollar store by an unknown assailant.”

  “Correct. I looked at Rigsby’s arrest record this morning. I don’t recognize the man and it was the sheriff’s department who arrested him for drug possession and a couple of misdemeanors. Not the Texas Rangers.” Luke turned to Kylie. “Did you know him?”

  She shook her head. “Never heard of him before the assault.”

  “We don’t have an ID on the man with the ski mask who shot Rigsby,” Jax said, picking up where he left off. “Nor the man driving the red Dodge Charger who burned Kylie’s camper. Neither you nor your sister’s kids were around.”

  “Right,” Luke said. “And then there’s the man who shot at us today in the stolen truck. That’s four attackers, unless one of these guys pulled more than one of the hits.”

  Jax took a long look at Kylie. “You’re the common denominator. Did you recognize any of these men?”

  “No.” She sat straight in the booth, removing her elbows from the table. “The guy who chased us from Megan’s house today looked familiar, but I’m not certain where I know him from. I hope his name will come to me.”

  Jax was barking up the wrong tree. Luke couldn’t sit by and watch his buddy interrogate her. “Kylie’s only in this mess because she works for me.”

  His coworker narrowed his eyes. “I’m only pointing out the obvious. Trying to follow the facts, and right now, we’re short in that department. What’s to gain from burning her camper? Were they trying to kill or scare her? And why your nanny?”

  Kylie paled and grew quiet, and Luke doubted if he should’ve brought her along. Being chased and shot at was enough stress for one day.

  The waitress carried three plates of burgers and fries to their booth. “Ketchup is on the table. Do you need anything else?”

  Jax smiled. “No, ma’am. Thank you.”

  After the waitress walked away, Luke lowered his voice. “Maybe Megan’s killer believes Kylie and I are a couple and wants to hurt me. Perhaps that’s why Megan was killed. Because of me.” He didn’t look at Kylie to get her reaction. Just saying they could be a couple out loud caused his mouth to go dry.

  “We went through all your cases after Megan died. There were no feasible suspects.”

  “Look again.” Luke tapped his foot under the table trying to rein in his frustration. “Someone murdered her for a reason.”

  “I will. But you need to keep an open mind.”

  No one had to tell Luke to keep an open mind. He wanted to find Megan’s killer more than anyone. And if someone was targeting his nanny, he’d do everything in his power to keep Kylie safe.

  SEVEN

  When Kylie walked through the front door with Luke, they found his folks’ house dark, with only a lamp on in the corner of the living room.

  “Looks like everyone’s already in bed.” Luke switched on the kitchen light.

  “No, they’re not. I’m up.” Dottie padded out of the back bedroom in pajama pants and an oversize shirt that read I’d Rather Be Gardening. She spoke quietly. “There’s leftovers in the fridge if you’re hungry.”

  “No, thanks,” Luke said, and held up a small bag. “We went by my house and I grabbed some clean clothes. I’m going to take a shower and clean up.”

  Kylie watched him head down the hallway. The drive home had been quiet, both of them lost in their own thoughts. She turned her attention to his mom. “Thank you for the offer. We stopped by the store and bought me a few things, and I probably need to shower, too. Besides, we had a hamburger and fries. I couldn’t eat another bite.” Actually, Kylie hadn’t eaten much for dinner. The topic of conversation had ruined her appetite.

  “There’s Texas sheet cake if you change your mind.”

  “Okay. I’ll take a slice.” The words were out before Kylie could stop them. She laughed at Dottie’s surprised expression. “I haven’t had homemade chocolate cake in a long time.”

  Dottie grinned and patted her shoulder as she went to get the dessert. “You want a glass of milk to go with that?”

  “Sounds wonderful.” Kylie hadn’t eaten Texas sheet cake in years. Her dad loved big meals with desserts, and that pleased her mom just fine. Her mom claimed what she wanted most out of life was lots of kids and family gatherings around the table. Simple things.

  Dottie placed the plate and glass on the table, and then sat across from her. “Oh, dear, what’s wrong?”

  Kylie took a big mouthful of cake to hide her discomfort and tried to blink back the tears, but a few drops seeped out against her will. Ever since she’d learned of her mom’s cancer, Kylie had been struck with the realization she might not ever see her mom alive again. Never taste her mom’s cooking again. Never get to take her on a vacation like she had promised her. No matter how determined Kylie was to come out of hiding, it might not be soon enough. She swallowed. “Nothing. I guess it’s been a long day.”

  “It’s been tough on everybody, especially you.” Dottie brushed a hair away from Kylie’s face. “A few tears never hurt anyone. My son will figure this mess out. Luke’s good at his job. Real good.”

  “I can see that he loves his work.” Thick chocolate frosting clung to her fork, and she paused before taking another bite. “I’m ready to get this behind me.”

  “Of course. If you think you’d be safer somewhere farther away from the danger, I’m sure Luke wouldn’t mind if you stayed with family. We can help with the twins.” The older woman frowned. “You do have family, don’t you?”

  Well, now she felt silly. Here she was sitting at the table of a woman who’d lost a daughter to murder only a few months ago and getting
all emotional. She should be the one consoling her. Get a grip, she chided herself. Kylie smiled and nodded. “My dad passed away a few years ago, but I still have my mom, two brothers and three sisters.”

  “I thought you didn’t have much family.” Luke strode into the kitchen barefoot wearing a T-shirt and a fresh pair of jeans. His hair was wet and messy, like he’d combed it with his fingers.

  Kylie wiped her face. What had she told Luke about her family? “I think I told you I hadn’t seen my family in a while. But there’s a lot of us.”

  “Hmm. You don’t talk about them much.” He grabbed a plate from the cabinet and cut himself a piece of cake. “Looks great, Mom.”

  “Thank you.” Dottie watched them as they ate, her gaze bouncing between the two of them. When Kylie shoved away her plate, his mom asked, “Would you like more?”

  She leaned back. “Yes, but I’m going to say no. That was absolutely delicious.”

  The older woman smoothed out a paper napkin on the table. “Did you learn anything helpful?”

  “You know how it is, Mom. We’re gathering information and won’t know what we have until we go through it.”

  “Hold on.” Kylie jumped up from the table, retrieved her cell and held it out for Dottie to see. “Do you recognize any of these men?”

  Luke cut his eyes toward Kylie before looking over his mom’s shoulder.

  “I don’t believe so.” Dottie pursed her lips together. “Nope, I’m certain I don’t know any of these men.”

  “Do you mind?” Luke took the phone and scanned through the pictures, pausing on the young man in the Rocky Creek Bulldogs cap. He ran his fingers across his jaw. “This one looks familiar.”

  The same guy Kylie thought she recognized. “I thought so, too.”

  “I’ll have Jax research him first.” Luke tapped the screen. He got up from the table and placed his plate in the sink. “I’m going to bed. Kylie, do you have everything you need?”

  “I’m good.” If that was true, why did she have the desire to ask him to stay and discuss the case? Surely because her thoughts were consumed with learning more about the suspects, and not that she’d miss his company. “See you in the morning.”

  After Kylie told Dottie good-night, she took a quick shower and dressed in the new T-shirt and shorts she’d bought at the store. Since all of her clothes burned in her camper, it’d take a while to replace the variety of outfits she’d grown accustomed to owning. Just three years ago, she’d had to do the same thing when she’d left her world behind. She climbed onto the bed with her iPad and opened her files. She scrolled through document after document but didn’t find the young man. Names that began with letter J kept going through her mind, but nothing positive. She ran a search for words beginning with the letter, but her vision blurred. With a yawn, she turned off her iPad and settled in.

  Like numerous other times these past few weeks, she clasped her hands together and said her prayers.

  That night, Kylie didn’t sleep well. She got up a handful of times and peered out the window. The sky was clear, the stars bright. Nothing moved, except for cattle grazing in the pasture. If a car came down the road, it would be visible even with the headlights off in the bright moonlight. Maybe it was because the explosion at the safe house where Lori Coffey and her children were had occurred in the dark, but Kylie couldn’t help but worry about the safety of the Dryden family. It wasn’t fair to put them in danger.

  She needed to be near the twins to make certain they weren’t harmed. The more she learned about the case, the more she thought Luke needed to know the whole truth. She’d just have to trust him not to give away her cover if it was learned Hal wasn’t connected to these attacks.

  Evidently, Kylie wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep. Several times she heard footsteps in the living room, and once the back door opened and shut.

  By morning, she couldn’t wait to see if Jax had learned anything on the young man in the Bulldogs cap, even though she realized it was a bit too soon.

  She dressed in a new pair of jeans that fit, which was better than having to deal with the hem dragging on the ground all day. Megan must’ve been taller than her five-feet-one-inch height. She walked out of her room and found Dottie in the kitchen.

  “Good morning.”

  The older woman asked, “How do you take your coffee?”

  “Black.” She didn’t see anyone else, but there were two cups in the sink. “Luke still around?”

  His mother shook her head. “He received a call and left over thirty minutes ago.”

  Grr. Kylie purposely had stayed in bed longer so she wouldn’t wake anyone. If she’d just known... “Do you know where he went?”

  “He said he’d be back soon.” She smiled.

  Kylie couldn’t stay here all day. She’d go crazy with worry. She drank her coffee much too fast and accepted a piece of toast his mother offered. As soon as she was back in her room, she called Luke.

  “Dryden.”

  “Luke. Where are you?”

  “I’m sorry, but I wanted to check something out.”

  “What? Did you learn something? Your mom said you left thirty minutes ago.”

  He sighed and mumbled something about family. “Nothing so far. Stay put, and I’ll let you know.”

  She clicked off. If Hal Alcott was behind these attacks, Luke had no idea what he was in for. She needed her Jeep right now.

  Kylie marched into the living room, frustrated at the prospect of being stuck at the house.

  “Here are his keys.” Luke’s mom dangled them in front of her.

  “What?”

  “Luke took the ATV. He left his truck here. Sam’s in the shop and will be around all day. We have a good security system, and both of us know how to shoot a gun.”

  Kylie smiled. She grabbed the keys and headed toward the door.

  “Honey,” his mom said, following her and talking in hushed tones. “I don’t know if you’re familiar with the place, but the rock quarry is across from our north pasture, about three miles that way.” She pointed.

  Luke was at Munson Rock Quarry. Megan’s body had been discovered there. Kylie had read about the man-made bottomless pit with perilous cliffs and a deceptively deep, clear lake at the base. She hadn’t realized it was this close to the Dryden home, but she intended to find out what brought Luke to the murder scene.

  * * *

  Luke drove the ATV through the pasture as fast as he dared. The land was littered with ravines and terraces, sometimes indistinguishable until you drove up on them. Irritation flowed through him at hearing his parents talk the other night about how the twins resembled the family. What made it worse, is he agreed. Braden did favor Sam. Now that Tommy was potentially out of Braden’s life, and Megan was dead, the toddler needed that connection only Luke’s parents could supply.

  He gripped the handlebars tighter. He’d been an outsider ever since he learned Sam wasn’t really his dad.

  Luke had been working a cold case where the family believed their missing daughter was alive. After the initial investigation, he’d found evidence that suggested their twenty-one-year-old daughter was living on a beach in Galveston with her new boyfriend. But by the time they located the woman, she was dead. Murdered only three days before.

  The case had been a Pandora’s box to his family’s troubles. Luke had wanted to get away to Mexico for a much-needed vacation, so he’d applied for his passport. When he’d gone through an old file cabinet in his dad’s office and found an old birth certificate, he saw “Unknown” was listed under his father’s name.

  He thought it was a mistake and questioned his mom. Reluctantly, she had admitted Sam Dryden wasn’t his father, but rather a boy she’d known in high school. Sam had legally adopted him when Luke was four and a new birth certificate had been issued. In a second, everything he knew—or thought h
e knew—unraveled.

  In school, he had plenty of friends whose parents were divorced, a couple of kids that didn’t know who their fathers were. One of his friends was adopted. But why did his parents deceive him? Why didn’t they simply tell him the truth from the beginning? Was his biological father so bad?

  His mom used to make comments how much Luke looked like his father—Sam. Both were tall and handsome. Ridiculous. Did his mom believe he resembled Sam, or was it an attempt to keep Luke from being suspicious of the truth? Tightness in his chest made his heart ache. The wind beat against his face, making him feel that if he drove fast enough, he could outrun his past.

  He’d always been close to his family and wanted to be like his dad. Weeks after he’d learned about his parentage, Megan pulled away from the family, including him. Then Tommy left her. Then Megan was killed.

  He released a deep breath as he maneuvered around mesquite brush. There was no turning back the clock. No chance for his parents to be honest with him and no chance for him to save Megan. All he could do was find Megan’s killer and protect her kids.

  Munson Rock Quarry was an old abandoned rock pit on private land where daring teenagers used to go. Before Megan’s death, he’d only been to the site once, back when he was fourteen. Someone had pulled the gate off its hinges and driven a pickup load of kids in. Never a great swimmer, he’d almost drowned that day.

  How did Megan wind up out here?

  Law enforcement first thought she had drowned, but the autopsy ruled that out. Blunt force to the head. Investigators believed she might’ve hit her head on the cliffs on the way down.