Cut and Run(65)

“Yeah,” Hayden said.

“If Jack Crow hadn’t been tortured, I could have bought the theory that Dirk snuffed his old man and then tried to kill his sister for the land.”

Hayden shook his head. “The old coot stirred up one hell of a hornet’s nest. And we’re going to keep stirring until all the bees are accounted for.”

Brogan looked toward Second Chances. “I’d like to bring Garnet into the station this morning and ask him a few questions. Maybe he, Delany, or Heather have other properties we don’t know about. There are none under Delany’s name, but Melissa Savage is searching property records for Garnet, as well as for Heather Sullivan.”

“He has Paige Sheldon’s flyer in his bar,” Hayden said.

“Hiding in plain sight,” Brogan said.

Hayden drew in a breath. Neither Ranger expected Garnet to cooperate when they knocked on his door. But if they could link Garnet and Heather to the ranch, it would be enough for a judge to sign a search warrant for his financial records.

Hayden approached the front door and tried the door handle. It was locked. “I can’t wait to hear what this guy has to say.”

He peered through the front window, but didn’t see any signs of activity. On the bar there were several cases of bottled beer that looked like they needed to be stocked. He reached for his phone and dialed the bar’s number. As they stood there, the telephone rang, but no one answered.

“Do you think he took off?” Brogan asked.

“I don’t know. Let’s have a look around the back.” They rounded the street corner and cut down the alley that ran along the building. They passed a dumpster piled high with trash and broken bottles. A lone rat scurried along the brick wall.

Hayden passed a black pickup with Texas plates registered to Garnet and touched the engine hood. It was cold. “If he’s inside, he’s been there awhile.”

Brogan moved to the back door covered with chipped green paint and tested the handle. It didn’t turn. “It could be stuck and not locked. My toolshed door does the same thing sometimes. I just have to put my shoulder into it.”

As Brogan tightened his grip on the door, Hayden nodded toward the security camera posted in the alley. “We need to be smart about this. If this case ends up in court, I don’t want to see Garnet or Sullivan walk because of an illegal search.”

Brogan released his grip on the handle, but a deepening frown telegraphed his frustration.

“I want to find Paige Sheldon as much as you do.” Hayden reached for his phone again. “I’m calling for a search warrant so we can search that bar.”



In Second Chances, Garnet heard the Rangers rattling the door, but by then his hands were tied to a chair in his basement and there was a gag shoved in his mouth.

He should have bolted right after Faith had visited the bar, but he thought the cops might be watching. He had played it cool as he’d gone to the basement, cleaned out his safe, and grabbed his passport. He had closed up the bar a half hour early and, when he thought the place was cleared out, had made a break for his car.

Jesus. He remembered the day Faith had been born, remembered handing her over. And he’d trusted Crow to take care of the dead woman and the other baby who had been on the verge of dying.

Fuck you, Jack Crow, was all he could think as the man who’d clubbed him unconscious two hours ago in the alley reached for a hammer. “They’ll be back soon. I don’t have much time, so with your permission, I’d like to start.”

Garnet twisted his hands, trying to break the zip ties that were as unyielding as steel. The man was young, midforties, nicely dressed, and didn’t look like the sort of guy who did this kind of work.

When the man pulled the gag from his mouth, Garnet rasped, “Who the fuck are you? And what do you want?”

A soft chuckle rumbled in his chest. “That’s a fairly bossy tone for a man in your situation.”

The hammer came down hard on his right index finger. Bone shattered and pain rocketed through his limbs like white lightning. “Where is it?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Garnet choked on a scream.

The hammer cracked over the knuckles of his left hand. More pain sliced through him, stealing his breath. His heart rattled so hard against his chest he thought he cracked a rib. “You know. The package. You didn’t give it to Crow. If Macy had found it, we’d all know by now. And you didn’t give it to Heather. Where is it?”

“Where’s Heather? What did she say?”

“Sadly, not enough. Hopefully, you’ll do a better job of talking.” He slammed the hammer on another knuckle.

Garnet screamed as the pain vibrated up his arm. “Okay, okay,” he wheezed. “I’ll tell you.”

The hammer skimmed gently over his broken and bent knuckles. “Thank you.”

He tried to move his fingers but they didn’t work, and any twitch or wiggle hurt like a bitch. “Look, I know that I got greedy with the money. I realize that. I won’t ask for more.”

Hot breath smelled of mint and cigarettes. “The problem is you asked for more money and then you got really stupid and you made threats. And threats cannot be ignored.”

“I won’t make any more threats.”

“I know that,” he said softly. “Where is the package?”