Texas Tall (The Tylers of Texas 3)

“We kept a gun in the drawer below the cash register. He had access to it anytime.”

“Were you aware that on the night in question, your brother was riding around on his motorcycle with drugs and a gun?”

“Objection!” Clay Drummond broke in. “The witness isn’t on trial here.”

“No, I want to answer,” Stella said. “Nicky was an adult. I never told him what to do or what not to do. As long as he showed up for work, his personal life was none of my business.”

“I see.” Tori’s tone was skeptical. “But do you agree that if he was carrying drugs, he’d be more likely to act in an aggressive manner—say, by drawing a gun or using a knife?”

Stella shrugged her ample shoulders. “How should I know? I always told Nicky to be nice to people. But I don’t know how he might’ve behaved when I wasn’t with him.”

“But didn’t you just tell the court your brother was harmless and would never hurt anyone?”

“Objection! Badgering the witness!” Clay protested.

“Withdrawn.” With a knowing glance at the jury, Tori turned away. “No more questions for now.”

“Mr. Drummond?” the judge asked.

“The people rest, Your Honor.”

Stella strutted back to her seat, a stormy look on her face as the judge dismissed the court for a lunch break. The prosecution’s case had proven little, but the trial was far from over. This afternoon it would be Tori’s turn to present her case. And it would be Clay Drummond’s job to rip holes in her defense.

* * *

Clay had brought a couple of ham sandwiches from home, planning to have lunch in his office. But once there, he realized he was too churned up to eat. Pouring himself two fingers of bourbon in a Dixie cup, he slumped at his desk. He knew better than to return to the courtroom with alcohol on his breath, but what the hell, he needed a drink.

He’d struck a few blows for the prosecution, but he was off his game, too tired and stressed to think straight. He’d hoped to get a few slipups out of the daughter, but Erin had turned out to be almost as poised and cool as her mother. Drew Middleton hadn’t been much help, and even Stella had faltered under Tori’s sharp cross-examination.

Will would be the afternoon’s remaining witness. All along, Clay’s best hope of a guilty verdict had been to convince the jury that the defendant had tried to cover up the crime. Now, once Tori had introduced the audiotapes supporting Will’s motive, it would be the only remaining hope.

The jangle of his personal cell phone triggered a spasm in Clay’s stomach. It was Stella. And he knew better than to let the call go to voice mail.

“You were dead on your feet out there, Clay.” She sounded like she was talking through clenched teeth. “You let the Tyler woman ask me too many questions. And that little brat of hers made you look like a fool. You need to up your game. I want that bastard brought to his knees!”

“I’m doing everything I can, Stella.”

“Not by me, you aren’t.”

“I’ll get my chance at Will this afternoon. Don’t worry, I’ll give it all I’ve got.”

“You damned well better. If Will Tyler walks out of that court a free man, you’re finished.”

The call ended in silence.

The clenching sensation in Clay’s gut had become a sharp pain. Maybe he was getting an ulcer. Scrolling down, he punched in Abner’s cell phone. The sheriff had gone back to work after his testimony. Now Clay was going to need him again.

“Are you alone?” he asked when Abner answered.

“For now. How’s the trial going?”

“Still dicey. I’ll want you back here to confirm that the knife was bagged at the scene and found to have been wiped clean of prints.”

“No.”

“What?” Clay almost dropped the phone. “Why, for God’s sake?”

“You know why. I’ve been doing some soul-searching, Clay. If anybody finds out I wiped that knife myself before it was dusted for prints, and then lied about it under oath, I could go to jail. I’ve got a new grandson, a fine boy, to raise. I want to be there for him.”