Lone Star Justice (19 page)

A number of emotions raced through him. Relief that Maddie and Brandy were safe. Disappointment that he hadn't been able to keep them safe in the first place. Frustration that he hadn't been the one to save them. He'd poured his whole life into law enforcement, nearly giving up hope of ever having a family of his own, and now that he had a daughter who'd needed him, all his training, his dedication, hadn't done a thing to help. Three elderly townspeople did his job for him.

Several of the deputies jumped in to help, taking over for the exhausted crew. The rest fanned out to look for Aaron.

Andy said, "They ain't gonna find him. He took the boat we rode in on. He knows this area better than any of us."

Rand called in to the station to tell Linda to alert the highway patrol to watch both highways that crossed the river nearby. They would catch him if he didn't stop somewhere in between.

He went to Brandy and gently wrapped his daughter in his arms. "I'm sorry baby. I tried, but I couldn't keep you safe."

"It's okay, Dad. It was my fault." She sobbed against his shoulder. "I thought he was someone else. I broke Mom's number one rule, and he found us. Because of me."

Maddie walked over to where they stood and Brandy turned away from Rand to curl herself into her mother's arms.

And there it was again. He was on the outside, watching, but not part of the family. He'd always felt like that at home, with his parents. They were a closed circle, while he was the kid looking longingly through the window.

Maybe that was what had drawn him to Maddie in the beginning. Though he was popular at school, he knew what it felt like to be left out. With Maddie, he'd always been the most important person in her life. Until she'd left him without looking back, and he'd been alone. Again.

***

Word had spread by the time they put the fire out and returned to Greendale. Gertie, Andy, and Harold had bummed a ride with the deputies. He couldn't believe they'd beaten him there by going up the river. Rand was still kicking himself for not thinking of that. He might have arrived in time to be the one to rescue them.

He shut down that line of thinking. Maddie and Brandy were safe, and it really didn't matter who got to play the hero. The old folks were eating up the attention. Andy beamed as he told and retold the story, Harold nodded and occasionally managed to get a word in. Gertie rolled her eyes at both of them, but Rand noticed when she slipped her hand into Andy's and he smiled down at her. Definitely a budding romance there.

He glanced across the crowd at Maddie and Brandy. They stood close together, arms around each others' waist. At some point, he needed to get statements from everyone involved, before details were forgotten or their perspectives changed. But he'd allow them their few moments of glory before he went back to acting like a sheriff.

Linda leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Why aren't you over there with them?

Rand shook his head, turned on his heel, and left the lobby. There was work to be done, and it wasn't going to do itself. He shut the office door behind him, peeled out of the Kevlar and put his riot gun in the corner. He should put the equipment away properly, but he knew Linda would take care of it later. Right now, he didn't feel like doing much of anything.

He sat at his desk and started writing his report of what had transpired. Some of the information had come from the Smith County Sheriff's office, including the fate of his deputy, who had been found bound and gagged, but alive, hidden in the bushes behind the hospital. He'd have a headache for a day or two, but was otherwise unhurt.

There would be a long list of charges against Aaron when they caught him, but at least Rand wouldn't have to house him in the jail for long. With serial murder, kidnapping, assault on a police officer, impersonating a sheriff's deputy, drug trafficking, and arson, the Feds would be arguing amongst themselves about who had jurisdiction.

Doc was another story. Rand was pretty sure there would be a change of venue for the trial, because there were bound to be some very strong feelings against him in Greendale. Not much chance of a fair and impartial jury. Too bad Maddie couldn't oversee the proceedings. Then he'd be sure Doc would get what was coming to him.

Rand leaned back, his mind wandering back to the past. He tried to remember Aaron as a teenager, but mostly he remembered a punk kid with a chip on his shoulder and a surly attitude. Why had they ever believed he'd gotten into med school? His grades hadn't been all that great in high school. But Rand had been a kid back then and his life had just been turned upside down and inside out. He really hadn't thought about Aaron at all. When girls started turning up dead, he'd been relieved that Maddie wasn't one of them and was no longer around to be a target. He'd never wondered who was behind the killings until after he'd become sheriff, and they'd stopped just about the same time.

The coincidence hit him, then. It was no coincidence at all. Doc had put Aaron in a mental institution to stop the killings so Rand wouldn't investigate them.

Damn him. This whole mess could have been avoided if Doc hadn't kept trying to protect him.

As a new father, he could understand to some degree. But he couldn't understand Doc standing by while girl after girl was murdered.

He called Detective Thacker to tell him what had happened, then faxed him a copy of the report so he could finish his investigation into Anne Pioretti's murder. They talked for a few minutes, comparing notes. "Anything new up there that relates to Maddie Cooper?" Rand asked.

"Nothing since her house was ransacked. Her next door neighbor cleaned up most of the mess, so other than needing a new couch and television, she should be clear to come home whenever she's ready."

Though he hated to admit it, Rand was pretty sure that would be as soon as they caught Aaron.. She hadn't found what she was looking for in Greendale. Not safety, not peace, and definitely not him. Rand couldn't be the man she needed.

***

Maddie watched Rand walk away and wanted to follow him, to thank him, but he'd been so withdrawn on the drive back to the station that she hesitated. Did he blame himself for their capture? It wasn't his fault. She and Brandy both made stupid mistakes, mistakes they wouldn't make again. In fact, she wasn't sure she could trust anyone after today. People weren't always who they appeared to be.

She wasn't sure what to do now. With Aaron on the loose, she and Brandy were still in danger. If they went back to Oklahoma, he might follow them. If they stayed here, he might find another way to get to them. She had a feeling that no matter where they went, he'd find them. He was obsessed.

At least with Doc in jail, the attempts to frighten her would stop. Rand was sure Doc was behind those, though Doc refused to admit to anything. But that didn't explain the things that happened back home. Doc had been right here in Greendale, so he hadn't been the one who put the dummy on her porch and came inside while they slept. He couldn't have ransacked her house, either.

It was all too much to take in. Three people who hated her enough to torment her, one who hated her enough to kill her. And she'd never done anything to a single one of them, at least not intentionally.

And now Rand was avoiding her, just when she'd thought they'd come to some kind of understanding.

After a while, the crowd finally dispersed, leaving Maddie and Brandy alone with Linda.

"Why don't you two sit down and wait for Rand? He'll be out in a few minutes. I imagine he's tying up loose ends." Linda led them to the break room down the hall, away from the lobby where the large glass expanse along the front left them too exposed and vulnerable. She bought them drinks and snacks from the vending machines and sat them down at one of the round café-style tables.

Maddie's legs wobbled a bit and she plopped hard into the chair.

"You okay?" Linda asked. "Should I have Rand take you back to the hospital?"

Maddie shook her head. "No, I'm okay. I think it's just a delayed reaction to everything that's happened today. I'll be fine in a minute."

Brandy scooted her chair close to Maddie's, as though afraid to be separated even by a couple of feet. "I've never been so scared in my life. I'm sorry, Mom. It was all my fault."

"No, honey. It was my fault. I should have kept a closer eye on your online activities." She ruffled Brandy's hair. "Sometimes I forget you're still a kid."

Linda shook her head. "If anyone's to blame, it's me. I was supposed to keep an eye on her. If I hadn't left her in my office alone, she wouldn't have gone out to meet Aaron, and you wouldn't have left the hospital with him."

"We all have some responsibility for what happened today." Rand stood in the open doorway. "Beating ourselves up over it isn't going to help. We have to make sure it never happens again, because I don't think Aaron will give up after one attempt. He came too close to getting what he wanted. He'll feel compelled to try again. But next time he'll be smarter, more devious."

Brandy shivered, and Maddie put an arm around her, pulling her close. "It's okay, I'm not letting him get near you again. We know what he looks like now, and you know not to talk to anyone you don't really know online."

Rand sat in the remaining chair across the table from Maddie. "This time, I want you both at the ranch. No argument. I'm taking a leave of absence until Aaron is caught so I can be with you twenty-four seven."

"But boss, who's going to take your place?" Linda looked shaken by Rand's announcement.

"Cody. I've already talked to him. Matt Everett will be his back up. Every law enforcement agency in the area is combing the woods and watching the highways, looking for Aaron. Cody can coordinate things from here. You can call me if there's any problem."

"Sure, boss. Whatever you say."

Rand looked at Maddie. "You aren't going to argue with me?"

She shook her head. "Not this time. It hasn't served me very well so far."

He nodded. "Good. I have two deputies checking out your place right now. We'll go pack your things and move you out to the ranch now if you're ready."

Linda squeezed Maddie's hand as she stood. "I'm really sorry, Maddie."

Maddie gave her a hug. "It's okay. Please don't blame yourself."

Rand said, "You can make it up to Maddie by watching her cat for a few days."

"But," Brandy said, "I can't leave Domino."

"Yes, you can. It's only for a couple of days and Linda will take good care of him. I can't watch you properly if I'm constantly tripping over a cat, and there's the chance he'll get loose. It's either Linda or board him at the vet."

Brandy glared at him. "Fine. I'd rather Linda keep him."

"I'll take good care of him, sweetie."

Linda smiled and nodded at Maddie's mouthed
thank you
. Maddie and Brandy followed Rand out the door. The sun was beginning to set, leaving pink and purple streaks across the sky. How something so beautiful could herald the end of such an awful day, Maddie couldn't imagine.

It was fully dark by the time they'd packed the majority of their possessions and left the house. One of the deputies secured crime scene tape across the door after making sure the door was securely locked. The other one went around the house to do the same with the back door. Her SUV was parked in the garage. Maddie hated the idea of leaving her car behind, but she understood why.

"Why the tape?" Maddie asked.

"Just in case Aaron doesn't know you're both alive. I thought this might buy us a little time if he decided to come check the house, just in case." Rand held the car door open so they could climb in the back.

With the two deputies as escorts, they drove out to the ranch. After carrying Maddie and Brandy's possessions into the house, the deputies came back outside to stand watch.

Maddie took a deep breath and forced herself to walk through the door.

CHAPTER NINE

Nothing happened. No ghosts jumped from the shadows to warn her away. There were no voices reminding her she didn't belong. No feelings of dread swept over her.

In fact, she was surprised to see that the main room looked nothing like it had before. Where Rand's mother had favored cabbage roses on the walls and furniture and deep, plush carpet on the floors, Rand had replaced those with smooth-textured walls in shades of tan, and hardwood floors. The furniture was black leather with accessories in dark teals and rust. It gave the room a feel of the southwest without being overdone.

Maddie began to relax. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she'd feared.

Rand took her on a tour of the house, with Brandy following close behind. He'd updated  the kitchen with gleaming stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and maple cabinets and knocked out the wall between the kitchen and dining room, opening it up into a friendly, inviting space with bay windows and skylights. The small den was now a home office, with an oversized desk, leather chairs, and bookshelves lining the walls.

The guest bathroom was no longer pink. He'd used large slate tiles to line the walls, replaced the outdated fixtures with modern ones, and added a walk in shower.

Everything suited him. While not overwhelmingly masculine, he'd rid the house of the fussy, stuffy feeling Maddie had despised. It was no longer his parents' house, but his and his alone. "It's beautiful, Rand. You have excellent taste."