Texas Forever (The Tylers of Texas 6)

“I agree with you.” Beau slid behind the wheel. “But I don’t think he had any reason to murder Will. The bastard already had Will over a barrel. All he had to do was wait.”

“What about the syndicate? They want the ranch.”

“The syndicate is a legitimate investment company, with a decent reputation. They’re hardly the Mafia. And they had no reason to kill Will. All they had to do was wait for the bank to foreclose, then snatch up the property at a bargain price. Let’s move on. I can guess where Will might have gone next.”

Erin didn’t need to ask. Her father had never been much of a drinker, but he’d turned to alcohol more often since his wife’s death. After the letdown at the bank, he’d have been wanting a drink, or at least a beer.

They parked next to the Blue Coyote and went inside. Erin wasn’t legal to be there, but when she walked in with Beau, Abner didn’t object. The hour was still early. A couple of out-of-towners sat at a table with their beers. Otherwise, the place was empty.

“I already talked to the sheriff.” Abner wiped down the bar with a towel as he responded to Beau’s question. “I’ll tell you what I told him. Will showed up right after I opened the place, which would’ve been about eleven. I handed him a Corona, because that was his usual. He paid, took it, and sat in the corner, drinking. He didn’t want to talk but I could tell he was hurting bad. After about twenty minutes, he got up and went out to his truck. I heard him drive away. That was the last I saw of him. Damned shame what happened. We had our differences in the past, but Will was a good man.”

“Who else was here when he left?” Beau asked. “Was there anybody who might have made a call

, or taken a shortcut to get ahead of him on the road?”

“I see what you’re gettin’ at.” Abner hadn’t forgotten his own lawman days. “But it was early. The only ones here, besides me, were Shep and Herman.” He named a couple of old men to whom the bar was like a second home. “They didn’t have phones, and they stayed till the place got busy around noon. Then they left, probably walked home. Neither of them drives anymore. If you’re looking for a suspect, I think you can cross them off your list.”

“What about Marie Fletcher, Sky’s cousin? Didn’t she used to work here?”

“Not for me. That was when Stella owned the bar. But I do remember her. Toughest woman I ever knew. Nobody messed with Marie. Too bad. She must’ve been pretty before her face got cut. Might’ve had a whole different life without that.”

“You know she got out of prison, don’t you?”

“I know. And it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if she’d been the one to shoot that nice, young deputy. Probably came here to rob the place and got stuck in the stairwell. That’s what I told the sheriff. But I wish him luck trackin’ her down. Cyrus is out of his league with that one. She’s Comanche, and a helluva lot smarter than he is.”

“What are the chances she might’ve killed Will?”

Abner shook his head. “Doesn’t make sense to me. She didn’t have anything against Will. And killing in broad daylight doesn’t strike me as her style. She’d more likely do it at night, like a cat.”

“Anything else you can tell me?” Beau asked.

“Just that I’ll be shutting down the Blue Coyote for Will’s funeral tomorrow. That’ll be a big one. Will had a lot of friends.”

“Yes,” Beau said. “A lot of friends and at least one enemy.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“WELL, NO SURPRISES SO FAR.” ERIN FASTENED HER SEAT BELT AS Beau drove away from the Blue Coyote. She’d hoped, at least, to learn something that might help Luke. But that hope was already beginning to fade. “It’s too soon to get discouraged.” Beau seemed to read her mood. “Think of putting a jigsaw puzzle together—a piece here, a piece there, and at some point you begin to see the whole picture.”

“Or maybe you never do,” Erin said. “Not if too many pieces are lost. My dad got turned down by the bank. He stopped by the Blue Coyote for a beer, then headed home and died on the way. That’s all we’ve learned. And it isn’t enough.”

“So we keep trying,” Beau said. “Right now I’m going to the jail to talk to the sheriff. I want you to stay put in the car. He’s apt to tell me more if you’re not with me.”

“What about Luke? Will you be able to see him?”

“He’s probably still being processed. But that’s not why we’re here.” Beau pulled into the parking lot of the city and county complex and found a shady spot in the farthest corner. “Wait for me here. I’ll leave the keys so you can turn on the AC if it gets too hot. I’ll try not to be too long.”

“It doesn’t matter. Take the time to find out everything you can.”

Beau left, and Erin settled down to wait. Time crawled past. The sun climbed higher in the sky, shrinking the patch of shade that kept the car’s interior from turning into an oven. People arrived and left. Still there was no sign of Beau.

She imagined herself bursting into the jail, demanding to see Luke, maybe even taking him at gunpoint and whisking him off to someplace safe, like Mexico. Silly schoolgirl fantasies. The reality was, there was nothing she could do.

By the time Beau showed up, Erin had the car running with the air-conditioning on high. Beau climbed into the driver’s seat. His grim expression scared her. She forced herself to ask the question. “What did you find out?”

Beau shifted into reverse and backed out of the parking spot. “Plenty. Most of it not so good. You may want to write this down when we get home.”

“Fine. But tell me now. How’s Luke?”