Sarah Armstrong: Blood Lines Part 18

As much as I dreaded upending Faith Robertss world more than it had been by her sisters death, I stood front and center with David and two uniformed officers at her front door. Id posted two more at the back door, to block any escape attempt. Serving warrants in the middle of the night is a traditional police tactic; catching the bad guys at home, preferably groggy from sleep, makes the arrest easier. Most of the time, it works.

I knocked, and a few minutes pa.s.sed before Faith edged the door open.

"Lieutenant?" she said, startled to see me. "Is something wrong?"

"Is your husband here?" I asked.

She nodded. "Upstairs."

"Which room?" I asked.

She looked at me questioningly, but said, "First door on the right."

The uniformed officers quickly brushed past, on their way to make the arrest.

"Whats this all about?" she asked, wary. "What do you want with Grant?"

"We have a warrant for his arrest," I explained. "Im sorry, Faith. I know this is hard, but hes been charged with Billies murder. We have a signed statement from Clayton Wagner, the head of Century Oil, confessing that he and his partner, Ty d.i.c.kson, paid Grant five hundred thousand to murder Billie."

"Paid him? Why?" she asked.

"To cover up an oil field scam," David said.

"But why Grant? Why would he do it?"

"Because youd inherit Billies money, which meant he would inherit her money, and because he was furious at Billie. They had an affair," I said. "Billie dumped him."

For just a moment, Faith appeared confused, pressing her palm to her forehead as if attempting to quell the rush of thoughts and emotions that flooded through her. "I dont understand. Not Grant, he wouldnt-"

Just then, a door opened upstairs followed by sounds of a scuffle and the thud of a body slammed against a wall. On instinct, I pushed Faith out of the entryway, into a small paneled study, and motioned for her to hide behind an oversized desk, while I pulled out my .45 and hid behind one of the rooms French doors. Hearing, undoubtedly, what Id heard, David silently retreated, backing up into the living room, out of eyesight of the staircase, as heavy footsteps above us creaked floorboards beneath the worn carpeting.

My eyes on two sets of descending legs, I didnt notice Faith stand up behind me.

"Grant, stop this nonsense," Faith shouted, as she attempted to push past me toward the staircase. "This is obviously some kind of mistake."

From above us, the parade of legs grew closer, one following the other down the staircase. "Sure, Faith," Roberts said, with a short laugh. "Youll fix it, just like youve tried to fix everything in our marriage. Youll fix it like you tried to fix me, and even Billie. See how well that worked?"

"I dont understand," she cried out, as I shoved her hard toward her hiding place. "The lieutenant says you murdered Billie. Grant, you couldnt have. You wouldnt have hurt her."

"I should have known that d.a.m.n ranger was here," Roberts said, seething.

Pushing harder against her, Faith at first fought me, but then I caught the first glimmer of understanding in her eyes, the first resignation that perhaps what Id told her was true. This time, when I urged her back down, Faith hesitated, but then did as instructed.

With no good cover in the living room, David stood off to the side, his gun drawn and targeted on the stairs. On the staircase, the legs grew longer, the first two in blue uniform slacks, followed by two barefoot and wearing blue-and-white-striped pajama bottoms.

"I know youre here, Lieutenant," Roberts shouted as he pushed the young cop forward. "Come out so I can see you before I pull the trigger and kill this poor cop."

David shook his head. My impulse was to agree, until I saw the terrified kid in the cop uniform. Roberts had him by the collar, with a Glock pressed to the back of his head.

"So, what do we do now?" I said, as I stepped forward, pointing my gun at Roberts.

"Youre going to put your gun down," he said. "Now. On the floor. Then stand up and back away, so I can get out that door."

I smiled. "I dont think so," I said. "In fact, I know thats not going to happen."

"If you dont, Ill kill this cop," he said. "Ill pull the trigger. I promise you, I will!"

"Thats not going to happen, either," I said, being careful not to look at David, not wanting to blow his cover. "Youre a smart guy, Mr. Roberts. Smart enough to realize that a dead hostage isnt any good to you."

The uniformed cop looked ready to argue the point. His stark blue eyes were bulging, and his face was drained a deathly white. I might have been sure Roberts wouldnt fire, but his hostage obviously had doubts.

Appearing not to know what to do, Roberts stopped on the stairway, on the second from the last step, and peered at me, as David came out of hiding, his pistol aimed at the back of Grant Robertss skull.

Our suspect did a head swivel, sizing up David then back to me. "This gets more complicated all the time, doesnt it?" I said. "You really need to put that gun down."

Furious, Roberts shook his head. "Not a chance," he said. "Im not going to prison. Wont happen. Ill kill this cop if I have to."

"That officer is all thats keeping you alive," David warned. "You kill him, and I fire. Of course, that would be poetic justice. Youll end your life the way you killed Billie c.o.x. The last thing youll feel is a bullet slicing through your brain."

"Guess they didnt cover effective hostage taking in real estate school?" I said, staring him down. "Time to admit this isnt your area of expertise and move on. Better to face a murder charge than die."

For moments, Roberts stood on the steps with his gun pressed against the young officers head, most likely playing through possible scenarios in his mind, like a chess player not yet ready to admit hes been checkmated. Finally, he must have realized he had no way out. Letting go of the kid cop, who fell forward on legs weakened by fear, Roberts turned the gun around, and held it toward me by the barrel. I grabbed it, as David pulled him down off the final step. Before he barreled up the stairs to check on his partner, the kid cop threw David a pair of handcuffs.

"Theres a business card in my wallet. A lawyer, the best criminal guy in town. Ive already retained his services. Hes expensive, but worth the money. Call him, Faith," Roberts ordered, as David ratcheted the cuffs tight around his wrists. "Youll have Billies money once the estate is settled. We can afford someone good."

Out from her hiding place, Faith glared at her husband. "Call that lawyer yourself, but make sure you tell him there wont be any big paycheck," she said, each word dripping in contempt. "I wont use a penny of Billies money to defend her murderer."

"Youll do as I say. Call the d.a.m.n attorney. Its all set up. I need someone good," Grant ordered yet again. "Youre my wife. I expect you to stand by me."

"You expect? You have no right to expect anything," Faith said, pulling her blue terry cloth robe tight and cinching the belt around her narrow waist. "I should have known youd target Billie. Money has always been more important to you than people. How could I not have known you were behind all this?"

"Faith, please," he said, his demands softened to pleading. "Dont believe them. Listen to me. Im innocent. You know me. You know I couldnt kill Billie."

Without responding, she walked over to a hall table where her husbands wallet sat on a small porcelain dish. She flipped through receipts, a little folding money, a small stash of business cards, and found what I a.s.sumed was the one from the lawyer. Her hands steady, Faith stared at her husband as she tore the card up and let the pieces drift to the beige carpeted floor. Then, she grabbed four quarters out of a pile of change on the same table, and handed the coins to me. "Lieutenant, this is for my husband," she said. "So he can call a cheap lawyer."

"Why you b.i.t.c.h," Grant slurred.

"With the little bit we have in the bank, our meager community property, maybe youll qualify for a public defender. Or you can use the blood money you got for killing Billie," she said.

"As soon as we find it, thatll be confiscated," I explained. "Im afraid h.e.l.l have to find other funds."

"Its settled then," Faith said, her face a mask of calm in a room electric with tension. "Since I a.s.sure you that I wont donate a penny for your defense, a public defender it is."

"Wait until Im free," he said. "Ill . . . Youll be . . ."

As entertaining as Grant Robertss frustration was, we had a job to do, and I was ready to call it a night. "Itll be a long time before youll be free," I said. "Too bad you took Wagners and d.i.c.k-sons money. Now those old men can testify against you."

"Theyre the ones," he snapped. "I dont know what they told you, but theyre the killers. They wanted me to murder Billie, but I wouldnt do it. Im innocent."

"You be sure to tell that to the judge and jury," David said. "Right now, youre heading downtown, for booking."

The young cop was helping his partner down the steps, an egg on his forehead the size of a quarter. While David helped them take Roberts to the squad car I lingered with Faith. She cried softly, and I put my arm around her. "I didnt want to admit it to myself, but I think I knew," she whispered. "Down deep, I suspected Grant was Billies lover. I saw the way he looked at her, and I knew my sister better than she knew herself. I understood that as smart and beautiful as Billie was, she was still that motherless child, with an emptiness inside her that made her vulnerable to any man who said the right words. And thats something my husband excelled at, selling himself, first to me, then to my sister. What I dont understand is why he had to kill her."

"Its hard to know if Grant would have murdered Billie if Wagner and d.i.c.kson hadnt offered him the half-million," I said. "Your sister knew enough to send them to jail and cost them millions, two things those old men couldnt let happen."

Faith nodded, but her face mirrored her disgust. "My sister was worth so much more than money. How pitiful that they didnt understand that," she said. "Lieutenant, if theres anything you need from me, any way I can help with the case, please ask. Grant may technically be my husband, but only until I can get divorce papers filed, and my loyalty is to my sister."

"I understand," I said. "But now I think wed better go. We have paperwork to complete before we call it a night. Will you be all right, or is there someone we can contact for you?"

"Theres no one," Faith said, wiping her damp cheeks with the back of her hand. "Billie was everything to me, my only family."

"Im sorry," I said. "I truly am."

"You have no reason to be. My husband and those two old men are responsible," Faith said, with certainty. "Thank you for solving my sisters murder. Thank you for believing me. Now, perhaps, Bil-lie can rest in peace."

"Okay," I said. "But if you need someone to talk to, someone to listen and offer support, I can call the victims a.s.sistance folks, and theyll be out here in a flash."

She shook her head. "Ill get through this, because I know it isnt forever," she said. "Thanks to Dr. Dorin, I understand that Billie and I will be together again, although not in this life, in the next."

Twenty-seven.

I woke up to a ringing phone early the next morning, Monday, and, still half-asleep, I grabbed for the cell on the nightstand. I felt groggy and tired. Id hit moms bed at three and slept little. I wasnt sure why. It felt like something gnawed at the back of my mind. I couldnt figure out what needled me. But there was something there, just out of reach.

"Lieutenant, its about time you picked up," Rick Barron said. "Wheres Ca.s.sidy? The press is calling, and none of us know what to tell them. This thing is turning into a nightmare."

d.a.m.n, I thought. I looked at the phone in my hand. Sure enough, it was the old one, the one the captain had ordered me not to answer. Wishing Id been awake enough to realize, I said, "Miss Collins is in a protected place. Thats all I can tell you."

"Are you with her?" he asked.

"No," I lied. "I dont know where Miss Collins is, but I know that the captain has made arrangements to be sure shes being protected."

"Well, is she playing the rodeo tonight?" he asked, sounding frustrated. "Weve got more than seventy-thousand fans with tickets. The captain says she is, but are you sure? Is she going to perform?"

"Im not in touch with Miss Collins," I said, wondering if at that moment someone was tracing the signal, pinning down my location. Why hadnt I just let the d.a.m.n phone ring? "All I can tell you is that the captain told me the same thing he told you, that Miss Collins will put on her show at the Houston rodeo tonight as scheduled."

"Lieutenant, does that mean youre closing in on this Argus? Youll have an arrest today?" Barron asked, sounding relieved at even the suggestion that it was possible the turmoil of the past months might finally be behind him. "Can we count on that?"

"Mr. Barron, now that weve taken over Miss Collinss security, the situation has changed. I dont know where she is, but if I did, I couldnt tell you, and details about our investigation are off limits," I said. "All you need to know is that Miss Collins is safe and she will be at the rodeo tonight, just like the captain told you. Have your crew get ready, as they would for any other performance. Goodbye."

I hung up and turned off my cell, rolled over in bed and buried my face in the pillow, when I heard someone walk in. I reluctantly squinted at the figure beside me with one eye, exhausted and just wanting to turn back over and sleep.

"No, Im not! And you cant make me," Ca.s.sidy said, peering down at me, her hands folded across her chest in the universal stance of defiance.

"I understand how you feel," I said, pushing myself up on my side and running my fingers through my hair. It was no use. As soon as I moved my hand my frizzy mop flopped back into my eyes. "Lets talk about this, calmly. Im sure I can explain why Agent Garrity and Captain Williams want you to perform."

"You cant force me to," she said, furious. Still, compared to the in-your-face kid whod arrived on our doorstep, this was a new Cas-sidy. I could tell she was at least trying to maintain control. "Lieutenant, you cant force me to get on that stage. No one can."

"Ca.s.sidy, this isnt about your fans, its about your future. I dont care whether or not you disappoint a bunch of teenage girls. I do care about catching Argus," I tried to explain. The kid looked ready to turn and run. I couldnt say I blamed her. "We havent been able to get a solid lead on him. We need to draw him out."

"Sounds good. Go ahead," she said. "But youll need another pigeon. This ones had it. When its your life, you make the decision. Right now, this schizo wants to kill me, and hes making fools of all of you big-shot cops."

"California hasnt come up with anything to help us?" I asked, again. Id heard it once but didnt want to believe it.

"Nothing," David said, with a shrug. "They havent found Jack Shaw, and he remains our most likely suspect. Turns out hes the son of one of the old women who lived at the trailer park, just like Ca.s.sidy thought. The woman was Sharlene Shaw. I say 'was because she pa.s.sed away the year after Ca.s.sidy moved. The other two old ladies couldnt tell us much about him. The California office questioned the other men on our list and found no indications that they were at all involved in the stalking. In fact, they all have alibis for the periods when Argus was known to be following Ca.s.sidy. Their computers were seized as part of the search warrants on their homes and offices, and the tech guys came up dry. They arrested one man for having child p.o.r.n, but nothing suggests that either one is our stalker."

"Great," I said. "Its always so good to wake up to good news. First Ca.s.sidy overhears me on the telephone with Barron. Now California comes up dry. Everyone else is eliminated and no leads on that Shaw pervert."

"Ive got to admit that its not going particularly well," the captain said, stating the obvious. Id called him right after the kids blowup, and the three of us were powwowing around the kitchen table. I figured we looked like the characters in one of those old paintings, the ones with schemers around a campfire or candle, their faces etched by anxiety and glowing in the light of a flame. "Seems like were losing instead of gaining momentum. No need to say it again, I know, but I hoped wed be able to explain our plan to the girl with more finesse. I thought Id talk to her this morning, since we dont have to deliver her to Reliant Stadium for the concert until about six this evening."

Whether or not he wanted to rub it in, his words. .h.i.t their mark, and I squirmed a bit in the old spindle-backed chair, resulting in the complaint of wood rubbing wood as its worn joints strained. The captain rubbed his eyes and looked as fatigued as I felt. This case was wearing on all of us. I had to admit Id felt safer having David at the ranch 24/7 since our flight out of Dallas. Having him close was comforting, even if I knew it was only temporary. But the poor guy hadnt even been able to run home to pick up his newspapers. This morning, he wore another of Bills shirts, black with pearl-topped snaps. For a Yankee, he made a pretty fair-looking cowboy. I refocused, bringing my mind back to the job at hand.

"Obviously, I didnt realize Ca.s.sidy was walking through the hallway while I was on the phone," I said, yet again. "No excuses, but I was pretty foggy after being out most of last night. While I admit my mistake, the rodeo is tonight, Captain, so we had to tell her soon. If she wont perform, I dont see how we can help her. The only other option is to ship her back to California."

"You cant do that," Ca.s.sidy said. Moms old house, additions tacked on over the years when she and Pop had a few extra dollars to spend, obviously had way too many nooks and crannies where folks could hide and eavesdrop on other folks. With Mom, Maggie, and me, it wasnt a problem. We didnt have many secrets. But lately, it complicated the heck out of keeping anything private.

"You cant send me to L.A.," she said. "Argus knows where I live. Hed find me. I need to stay here."

"Miss Collins, Im not sure youve thought this through," Captain Williams said. "Sit down with us. Lets talk."

The kid ignored him and focused on me, pleading. "Lieutenant Armstrong, please dont send me back. You just cant. You need to find this creep. Please, help me."

I saw the panic in her eyes at the suggestion that we could wash our hands of the case and felt a surge of sympathy for the kid, but the truth was that we were running out of ideas.

"Ca.s.sidy," David pleaded. "If youll just sit down with us for a few minutes as Captain Williams suggested, well discuss this."

"No. You have to listen," she said. She tucked her hands under opposite arms to stop them from shaking. "You have to help me. Please."

Politely asking the kid to listen didnt appear to be working, so I figured, as much as I hated to, that maybe we needed to wallop her with a heavy dose of reality. "Ca.s.sidy, the captains right. You havent thought this through," I said. "Youre smart, but this guy has you running scared. Thats putting you in even more danger. You want to help us stop this jerk? Take a breath and listen to Agent Garrity and the captain."

"Why should I?" she challenged.

"Because like you said, its your life, and with your help, we might be able to save it," I said. "And because I dont see anyone else standing in line to help you get out of this mess."

Our eyes met, and for a long moment, she said nothing. Id about given up hope when somehow it appeared that my words had hit their mark. "Okay," she said, her voice quaking. As frightened as she was, I had to give the kid credit for even attempting to hold it together. "Im not agreeing to anything. But Ill listen."

The plan, as the captain explained it, was relatively simple. We wanted Argus to make his move, to act while we were fully manned and ready to pounce on him, so Ca.s.sie didnt have to worry that one day hed attack while she was alone and vulnerable.