The drive downtown didn’t take long. Deacon was getting awfully familiar with the highway leading to Fort Worth from Jacobstown. Part of him wanted to argue that he felt more at home in the city than he did on the ranch. That couldn’t be true, though. Could it?
Deacon loved the land. He loved his family even more. It was probably his stubborn streak rearing its ugly head that had him wanting a life outside of it all. Granted, he would always love his family and he wanted to be connected. He just needed to figure out where he fit in the big picture of the ranch. He didn’t have the passion for it like his oldest brother, Mitch, and his baby sister, Amber, had. His brother Will had fallen somewhere in the cracks of ranch life, too. Nate and Jordan were the other two of Deacon’s brothers who were questionable. They had lives of their own, and Deacon figured he should talk to them and see where their heads were in regards to moving to the ranch full-time.
It was already getting dark by the time Deacon and Leah arrived downtown. Dinner had been served at the ranch and Connor had been bathed before Deacon and Leah had headed out.
Connor took to the ranch and Deacon’s family, and part of him wondered if it was such a good idea to mix his worlds in that way. Even though he’d been with Jackie for a year, she’d never met his family nor had Emery. He figured they could all meet once he popped the question and she said yes to being his wife. Looking back, it seemed odd to him now that he hadn’t wanted to bring her home to his family. Had he thought she wouldn’t fit in?
Did a part of him realize that he loved her for the wrong reasons? That he’d fallen in love with the three of them as a family? He and Jackie rarely had time alone until Emery had gone to sleep. He would’ve done anything for that little angel. Including marry her mother, that annoying voice in the back of his head stated. Damn. Was that true? Had he confused loving the three of them as a family with loving Jackie? Because she’d never stirred his heart or mixed up his emotions as much as Leah.
The first stop in the downtown tour was an underpass beneath I-30 along Lancaster Avenue to find George Washington, dubbed GW. Deacon bit down the irony that he was searching for a homeless man who shared the same name as the first president. Deacon also figured the man had mental health issues, as so many homeless people did. He wanted to know more about GW and possibly help the man if he could.
There were a couple dozen blankets laid out with grocery shopping carts dotting the landscape. The place smelled like urine and days-old garbage.
“What’s going on down here? Why are there so many people?” Deacon quietly asked Leah.
“Budget cuts hit the city hard. Quite a few shelters shut down a couple of months ago because grants were tightened up. Money has been hard to get,” she said. “It has especially affected our citizens dealing with mental health challenges. People who don’t have families to take care of them.”
Deacon wasn’t naive and he didn’t live in a vacuum. Well, he sort of did. The ranch was a safe haven and Jacobstown was the kind of place people moved to in order to get away from crime in the city. He’d grown up in a sanctuary compared to most. He got that. Serving his country was the first time he’d seen the other side of the coin. He was proud of his service, and it had opened his eyes to life outside the bubble. His parents had been generous souls and had devoted themselves to various causes. His mother had had a huge heart and soft spot for sick children, animals and people with disabilities. All of the kids had been brought up to help their fellow citizens. Deacon’s mind was already reeling as to how he could help.
“These people need food and shelter.” Deacon also knew that many had developed drug or alcohol dependency. His personal belief was that anyone who wanted help should be able to find it. “A rehab program would do a world of good here.”
“I can connect you with people who can help you set that up if you’re serious,” Leah said quickly. “That’s the worst part of my job. I see all this need and I can’t do much about it. Let’s face it, arresting people after the fact doesn’t help with the reason they did whatever crime they committed. I’d love to see more prevention measures that would make my job obsolete. I got started in law enforcement to make a difference to victims’ families. And now, after all I’ve seen, I think my time would be better spent making sure no one ever had to go through this in the first place. Does that sound strange?”
“Makes perfect sense to me,” Deacon said reassuringly.
A couple of occupants were scattered around. Leah walked up to the first one they came to. It was an elderly-looking woman who was hunched over her shopping cart. She glared at Leah and Deacon while spreading her arms over the contents, like she expected them to rob her.
Seeing this was heartbreaking. Deacon knew right then and there he had to do something.
“You know anyone by the name of George Washington? Some people call him GW,” Leah said to the woman. Leah pulled out her badge and showed it. The woman relaxed her grip on the cart.
“Haven’t seen GW since the other day,” she confessed.
“Any idea where I might be able to find him? He’s not in trouble. I just have a few questions about something he witnessed,” Leah said.
The woman shrugged bony, rounded shoulders. “Haven’t a clue.”
“Do you know him?” Leah asked.
“As well as anybody could, I reckon,” the lady said.
“What can you tell me about him?” Leah’s voice held compassion and respect.
Deacon appreciated her manner with people. He could see that she was a good detective. And a good mother, that voice in the back of his head reminded. He told the voice to be quiet.
“He sleeps over there.” She pointed to a spot next to a pylon.
There wasn’t much there from what Deacon could tell. Did the man sleep on the ground with no coverings? On second glance, Deacon saw a hint of color. Whatever it was couldn’t have been big enough to cover a grown man.
“Where’s his blanket?” Leah asked.
“Doesn’t have one. He sleeps sitting up. It’s the strangest thing but he swears it helps—” she flashed eyes at them before continuing “—keep his mind clear. Says if he lies down, the ants’ll crawl into his brain.”
It was clear that GW had issues.
“Do you have any idea when he’ll be back?” Leah seemed to already know the answer to the question but had to ask anyway.
“There’s no check-in time here at Casa Royal.” The older woman swept her arm across the air as though presenting a room in a five-star hotel to distinguished guests. She grinned, obviously pleased with herself for making a joke. “Haven’t seen him in at least two days.”
“If you do see him, will you give him one of my cards? He’s not in trouble. I just need a few minutes of his time.” Leah pulled out a card from her handbag and handed it to the woman. “Thank you.”
“Anytime. And bring handsome back if you come again.” The woman snickered, clearly feeling like she was on a roll.
Leah walked over to the spot GW called home. An army jacket was folded over next to the column. Leah picked it up and dusted it off. The name patch read Washington.
Knowing a veteran slept in these conditions was a gut punch to Deacon. He pulled out his phone and began making calls in order to set up a temporary shelter and provide food. That would accomplish phase one of his plan—a plan that was taking shape as he followed Leah away from the makeshift home for what had to be three dozen folks or more. If any one of these people wanted help, they’d have it.
Leah was quiet the rest of the way to the car. Once inside, she started the engine and then sat there, staring out the front windshield. “You have a habit of going around rescuing people? That some kind of Cowboy Code or something?”
“I can’t fix every problem. No one can. But I have a moral obligation to help anyone I meet who is in need of a hand up. It’s not a Cowboy Code. It’s being a decent human being.” Deacon meant it. His parents hadn’t brought him up to turn a blind eye to someone in need and he was fortunate to have the resources to follow through.
“That why you’re helping me? Moral code?” There was defeat in her voice and it took a minute for the reason to dawn on him.
“At first? Yeah. Something like that. But, now? I’m here because I have feelings for you, Leah. Feelings that are too new for me to be comfortable talking about them. All I know is that I need to know you’re going to be safe. I need to know Connor will be okay. That’s as far as I can let myself go right now.”
“Oh.” He hated the sound of disappointment in that one word.
“Can we just live in the moment? I’m doing my level best not to get too inside my head. I like the feeling of being around you. There’s something different when I’m with you. Is that enough for now?” He sure as hell hoped it would be because he couldn’t imagine walking away, and somewhere down deep he knew it was a lot more than just her well-being that was a magnet he didn’t want to pull away from.
LIVE IN THE MOMENT. Leah had been thinking the same thing earlier. Why did it feel somehow less than that to her now? She wasn’t ready to get inside her head, either.
The club would open soon.
“Jax should be at The Sloppy Pig by now.” She took in a deep breath. “Ready?”
“Let’s roll.”
The Sloppy Pig was a ten-minute drive from the underpass. The ride over was quiet. The air was still when Leah exited her vehicle.
She walked toward the bar. A feeling of the world righting itself came over her when she felt Deacon’s hand on the small of her back. It was probably a mistake to allow the gesture, the physical contact, to comfort her. It did.
The Sloppy Pig was one of those nightclubs with a DJ and several dark corners to congregate in. There were plenty of country and western bars in the area. This place wasn’t one of them. There was an edgier crowd here. People wearing mostly black clothes with dyed-black hair and multiple piercings patronized this place. Leah and her fellow officers knew The Sloppy Pig because it was a good place to scrounge up informants. Motorcycle gangs frequented the place.
The burly-looking young man in his late twenties who stood in front of the entrance was most likely Jax. Leah pulled her badge from inside her pocket and held it out as she approached. “Jax Hanks?”
The guy’s face paled. “Am I in some kind of trouble, Officer?”
That was a strange reaction from an innocent man. She held on to the thought but pushed it aside for the moment.
“Not if you haven’t done anything wrong,” she stated.
Jax’s gaze shifted from her to Deacon and she could tell Jax was sizing Deacon up. Yeah, Deacon was taller and more muscular. Jax looked like a linebacker from a college frat party, tall with a round middle and strong. In a fight, Deacon would take Jax and the bouncer seemed to know it.
Jax crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s going on?”
“You witnessed a man leaving a crime scene the other night. I believe you spoke to my colleague, Detective Dougherty...” Leah hesitated at Jax’s reaction to the detective’s name. His left eye twitched. Leah didn’t like the implication that Jax was afraid of Dougherty.
“Yes, ma’am.” The guy’s voice was tight. Unraveling him and getting anything out of him had just become more difficult.
“Can you tell me what you saw?” she asked.
“I already gave my statement. There any reason I need to give it twice?” His hesitation didn’t sit well. Was he trying to remember what he said?
“Where were you exactly when you saw the man you identified leaving the crime scene?” If she fired a few questions at him, maybe she could loosen him up.
“It’s in my statement.” He looked at her with blank eyes. “Do I need a lawyer?”
“No. Why? Should I take you downtown to answer my questions?” She stood there boldly in order to let him know she wasn’t intimidated. There was no way she would do what she said but he didn’t know that.
“I’m good here.” He wasn’t giving her much to work with. His responses gave her the impression he was afraid to talk. The way he’d buttoned up the minute she’d mentioned the case didn’t sit well.
“Then why don’t you start answering my questions?” She had no real leverage so she softened her approach.
“I took a walk because the weather was nice.” He flashed angry eyes at her. “I got a lot going on, trying to save for school, and I’ve been having roommate trouble. I live with a couple who broke up and it’s messy. I needed fresh air after being inside our place with them.”
“Where did you go?” At least he was talking. She could check his answers against his statement later.
“On the trail,” he supplied like she should know that already.
“Any specific spot? It’s a big trail,” she continued.
“Near the bend. I didn’t hear anything but I saw a man acting weird,” was all he said.
“How? What was he doing?” She didn’t like the fact that his answers seemed rehearsed. He wasn’t giving away more than he had to. Was he afraid he’d slip up?
“He wouldn’t look at me. He kept to the shadows. That’s why I noticed him in the first place. He seemed... I don’t know... Creepy. He had long greasy hair like he hadn’t washed it in a few days and he looked surprisingly strong for a man who was so skinny.” Jax’s answers bothered Leah for a couple of reasons. His voice was even. He was giving too much detail—people always gave too much detail when they were lying.
“I thought you said he kept to the shadows?” she reminded Jax.
Leah didn’t have a copy of his report but experience told her his statement would be almost exactly what he was saying to her now. Because on instinct she could tell he was lying.
“I’ve said everything I can remember. Maybe you should talk to this guy.” Jax pulled a business card out of his wallet. It belonged to Dougherty. Leah bit back a curse.
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Hanks.” Leah turned to Deacon. “We’ve heard enough.”
Deacon nodded and she appreciated that he seemed to know when to speak and when not to. She turned before she cleared the area and looked back at Jax one more time.
“Hey, Jax,” she said.
“Yes, ma’am,” came the response.
“I’ll be back to check on this place. You know, make sure everything’s running legit and no customer gives you a hard time.” It was a veiled threat that he would understand. She was saying that he needed to keep his nose clean or she’d find a reason to haul him in.
“Look forward to seeing you again.” His voice hitched and she could tell that she’d struck a chord. Good. She didn’t need him talking to Dougherty as soon as she disappeared.
Deacon didn’t say a word until they were inside her vehicle. Then came, “He didn’t see anything.”
“You picked up on that?” She was impressed.
“His reaction to your presence. The way he remembered too many details but said he was in the dark. My question is why? What does he have to gain?” Deacon asked.
“Good question.” Leah put the key in the ignition. “Maybe we’ll get more from Nick Chester.”
The drive to Frisco took longer in traffic. Nick Chester lived in a two-story house on a suburban street of newly built homes. The row of houses was similar with brick-and-stone facades. Every house on the block had two stories and a solid-wood door. The yards were similar in size and scale, and trees were nothing more than saplings. The word cookie-cutter came to mind as Leah looked at the endless stream of similar-looking homes. She figured not much would be different on the inside of the places. This was the land of carpools, Suburbans and 2.5 kids.
A twinge of jealousy struck Leah that was so out of the blue it caught her off guard. Because behind those wooden doors were real families. Holidays with tables full of parents and grandparents, and pretty much everything Connor would never have.
Leah looked at Deacon as they got out of her vehicle.
He stopped and froze. “Everything okay?”
She shook off the reaction she was having as a bout of Saturday Evening Post nostalgia. Those families could be dysfunctional. She’d been called out to play referee on countless holidays when crazy Uncle Billy decided to pick a political fight with conservative Aunt Jean.
“Yeah. Fine.” She palmed her badge and walked toward the front door. This neighborhood had a front-entry garage, a relatively uncommon concept in this area that was meant to maximize backyard space.
Leah knocked on the door. She heard a male voice shout that he had it and she assumed he meant the door.
An attractive man in his midthirties answered. A TV blared a familiar cartoon in the background. The man was tall with a runner’s build and sandy blond hair combed over in the front that made him look like he could be from a well-known democratic Massachusetts family.
Leah flashed her badge. “Nick Chester?”
“Yeah. This is his place. Hold on a minute. I’ll get him,” the surprised-looking man said. He partially closed the door until only a crack of light peeped through. Leah had no grounds to go inside when she wasn’t expressly invited but she knew something was up. And then a minute later the garage door was opening.
She and Deacon turned around from the front entry in time to see a luxury sport utility come roaring out. Leah ran toward the vehicle but it was too late. She couldn’t catch Nick in time to stop him.