Chapter 16
ALEXANDER
As the District Attorney, Alexander Rogers liked his job. He liked helping people. He liked protecting the community.
He wanted the world to be a safer place.
Finding out that he had a granddaughter that he didn’t know had rocked his world.
His wife finding out that he had cheated on her hurt. Because he didn’t mind her getting mad at him. He’d made the mistake to have an affair, but he didn’t want her to take it out on Willa.
That wasn’t an option that his wife was interested in agreeing with.
She saw Willa and she saw his indiscretion in human form.
Deciding to try and have a relationship with Willa meant that his wife had to take a step away. He’d ended up paying for her to have a separate home in San Antonio and starting the process of divorce.
He hadn’t explained any of that to Willa. He didn’t want her to think that she was responsible in any way. Alexander knew how difficult her life was without potentially adding that kind of strain onto her shoulders.
Someone knocked at his office door, and he called for them to, “Come in.”
The door swung inward, and Alexander saw the tall form of his old friend filling the door.
“Ted. What’s going on?”
Ted Tomlinson had been Alexander’s friend from childhood. They’d been born and raised in the same affluent area of San Antonio.
“I was just coming to check and see how things are going with you. Annie?”
Alexander straightened behind his desk and felt that familiar twinge of strain in his neck whenever his wife was mentioned. “Annie’s great as far as I know. She likes to keep me updated on all the fun she’s having without me.”
“Spending your money, you mean.”
Alexander heard Ted’s cold tone and shrugged. His own wife Sophie was Annie’s good friend.
“Well, someone has to spend it. It’s not like I do much outside of work.”
“I still think it’s a shame. I get that she thinks you’re an ass for fooling around, but that was ages ago. You’re not still doing that, right?”
“Of course not,” Alexander growled. “You know that.”
“Well, we don’t always know things like that. Do we?”
“We’ve known each other for ages, Ted.”
“Annie would have said the same thing about you at one time.”
That, Alexander decided was a low blow.
“Are you saying that you’ve got secrets I should know about, Ted?”
He was surprised when Ted shrugged instead of denying it outright. Maybe he was just trying to get under his skin.
“Look, I’ve got to get back to work. I need to catch up on some things.”
Ted stood there in the doorway. He didn’t move. “Did something happen? You seem like you’re on edge, more than usual.”
Alexander tossed his pen down on the file he was working on. “Willa had a scare the other night.”
“What?” Ted’s voice showed his concern. “‘What happened?”
Sitting back in his chair, Alexander folded his arms across his chest and looked down at a point on his desktop. “She went out to a bar after going to dinner with her… with that Ranger that’s been watching after her. She saw someone in the crowd and… she thinks it was the man who tried to kill her.”
“Really?”
Alexander heard the scoff in Ted’s tone. “Yes, really.” He narrowed his eyes at his friend. “What are you implying?”
“Nothing. Not a thing. I’m just saying that’s a strange kind of coincidence.”
“Are you implying that it’s more sinister than it already seems?”
Ted held up his hands. “I think you should take a look and see what else has changed since you’ve let your granddaughter into your life. Goodness knows that she’s been through a lot since her friend Kimmy was killed.”
“She’s been through too much, that’s for sure, but I don’t see that it has anything to do with Landon Cooper. He’s a well-respected ranger.”
“You don’t think it’s strange that he’s on the task force and he was the one who saved her all those years ago?”
“What are you saying? That Landon is somehow involved in Willa’s attack now?”
Ted shrugged. “Not saying anything like that. I’m just asking questions. I’m concerned for your granddaughter, Alex. I know how much you care about her.”
“What would Sophie think of that? We both know how close she is to Annie.”
“I’m certainly not going to tell her that I’m asking. We all have lives that are different from our wives. It’s how we keep sane. Besides, I’ve told you before what a ball-buster Sophie is.”
Alex had to agree with that. As short as Annie could be with him, Sophie was explosive.
“Well, I’ll have to think about it- About Landon.”
Ted nodded. “You do that,” he pushed himself away from the doorframe and nodded. “I’ll be around if you need anything.”
Ted was almost out of sight when Alexander called out to him.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks, Ted. You’ve always been a good friend to me.”
“Absolutely, Alex. I just want the best for you.”
When he disappeared, Alexander couldn’t settle his mind back to work. Instead, he started to think about Texas Ranger Landon Cooper.
What had he missed about the ranger?
When he’d talked to the higher ups at the Rangers, they’d told him that they’d think about who was the best man for the job. Strange how they’d almost immediately settled on Landon.
Had that even been a thought?
Or had Landon volunteered for the job?
He’d have to do a little digging into the situation.
The man had insinuated himself into Willa’s life a second time. If there was something going on… and he’d missed it?
Alexander knew that he’d never forgive himself.
He’d only recently found his granddaughter, there was no way he was going to lose her again.
WILLA
Diving into work made everything better.
Work meant she was actively finding solutions, helping people.
Dealing with personal drama? Not so much.
She’d meant a lot of what she’d said to Landon. Putting herself out in the world meant that she was putting herself into potential drama, but after she’d talked to Landon and explained what had caused her anxiety to spiral, he’d taken it to heart. And that was before the forensic artist from Weston’s office of the Texas Rangers showed up at the house.
That was a whole other mess of drama.
It was one thing to remember the scene at the bar it was quite another to watch the forensic artist’s talented hands literally put him on paper.
And Willa had to keep looking at it as the artist put his features together in a drawing. Thicker than normal eyebrows, triumphant eyes, more than a hint of a smile on his lips.
It was a bit of a dimensional issue for her, too. Seeing a drawing where he was flat on a paper was different. It didn’t make him any less scary, it just made him look like the ghost she’d had in her head for years.
Willa took a few breaths, in and out, trying to keep her focus.
THEMAN22: Hey there, cutie
The pop up shook her out of her head and brought her back to the present.
TEENAGE_REBEL: Everyone says that
THEMAN22: I bet. But I bet they don’t back it up
TEENAGE_REBEL: oh? how?
THEMAN22: I can give you lots of stuff that other guys cant. I got money and I want to give you things
TEENAGE_REBEL: right lol
THEMAN22: im serious.
TEENAGE_REBEL: I’m 16
THEMAN22: im cool with that
Willa shuddered and sighed. “Here we go again.”
TEENAGE_REBEL: you’re 22?
THEMAN22: close enough. I know how to treat women the right way
TEENAGE_REBEL: suuuure you do but why me? I don”t even date guys at my school
THEMAN22: their loss
Willa glared at the screen. “It’s going to be you, you nasty jerk.” She saw the three dots on the screen. “Come on, big gross fishy… take a bite.”
DING
The next message was up and Willa had to swallow to keep the bile from creeping up onto her tongue.
LANDON
When he went into his captain’s office, he didn’t expect to see Willa’s grandfather standing beside the captain’s chair.
Captain Watts got up on his feet and gestured to the chair in front of his desk.
Landon hated to sit down at times like this.
He wasn’t afraid of his captain or what else might be going on, but sitting when the others in a room were standing, felt wrong.
“Landon-”
“Ranger Cooper.”
Landon saw the look on his Captain’s face and knew that he didn’t appreciate the District Attorney speaking over him.
Alexander Rogers didn’t seem to read the room. Or care to.
“Ranger Cooper. I came here this morning to ask the captain to assign another Texas Ranger to be the lead in this task force.”
Landon didn’t reply. He wanted to hear more before he spoke.
The captain opened his mouth and the District Attorney spoke again.
“I know that you’re in a personal relationship with my… with Willa Abelson and while you’re allowed a private life, I’m concerned about the affect that your relationship might have on prosecutions stemming from this task force.”
“Sir,” Landon spoke, but he thought out his words twice before letting them out of his mouth, “my relationship with your granddaughter isn’t affecting the collection of evidence in this case. Willa is a consummate professional. And what we do in our personal time-”
“I don’t want to know what it is that you’re doing to Miss Abelson in your ‘private’ time. I just know that I’m here to protect the citizens of Texas and you should be too.”
Landon felt his temperature rise, but he was more than aware of where he was and who and what he represented.
Captain Watts pushed into the rather one-sided conversation. “District Attorney Rogers, there is nothing to suggest that what Ranger Cooper and Miss Abelson are or are not doing in their private time would affect any kind of prosecution.”
“I think I’m the one who will be deciding what does and doesn’t affect prosecution. I’ll be the one dealing with any fallout and defense attorney strategies. There could be a horrendous fall out on my granddaughter, Ranger Cooper. Imagine the kind of questions she might be asked by defense attorneys.
“She’s the one who will bear the brunt of any kind of scandal. Women are always the ones who suffer the most, Ranger Cooper. Are you willing to let her suffer like that?”
“That’s not… I’m not-”
“Again, this is about her. Not you, Ranger. Could we focus on Willa?”
Landon wanted to bite back at the man. “She is my primary concern.”
“Then act like it.”
Landon looked at Captain Watts, but he could see the measure of defeat on the man’s face.
The captain looked at Willa’s grandfather. “I can see what you’re saying, sir, but I also wonder at your involvement as well, if your concern is personal involvement. A defense attorney worth the money that they pay him or her would also bring up your personal connection and wonder if you’re the one determining which cases to prosecute since it is your granddaughter who is the one pretending to be an underage girl online.
“If you’re concerned with nasty comments and inferences, then perhaps you’d like to assign the prosecutions to other people in your office and erect a bit of a Chinese Wall between yourself and any decisions made on cases involving Willa.”
The district attorney’s posture changed, making him appear taller and his expression, darker, more imperious.
“When I need your opinion, Captain Watts, I’ll be sure to ask you.” He drew in a breath that inflated his chest. “Until then, I want to know what you’re going to do about this task force, and his participation in it.”
Landon knew what the captain was going to do, but he also knew that the captain wasn’t going to give in to the man’s demands right away.
He didn’t like it when people, well, anyone really, tried to force his hand.
“I’ll consider your opinion, sir, but as of right now, I believe this conversation is done.”
Alexander Rogers gave them both a look that spoke volumes. Mainly one phrase, over and over. He was not a man you want to mess with.
It didn’t take long after the door closed behind the district attorney before Captain Watts sat down on the edge of his desk with a sigh.
“I know that you and Willa wouldn’t do anything to endanger these cases-”
“But,” Landon sighed, “it’s not actual damage that we’re concerned about. It’s the appearance of impropriety.”
Captain Watts nodded.
“Everyone, including juries, love a scandal. It gives them reason to act on emotion rather than logic and truth. If you and Willa are an item-”
Landon nodded.
“Then it might be a good idea for us to switch someone else in as the lead on this from the Rangers.” The captain’s jaw muscle flexed as he shook his head. “I don’t know how to keep this from looking like you were removed for a reason, even if I state that it’s otherwise.”
Landon waved a hand in the air. “I’m not concerned with what it looks like when it comes to me. Anyone who would believe that I’ve done something wrong or inappropriate wouldn’t believe me anyway. My record should stand for itself.”
“It does,” the captain agreed, “with the people who know you and care about the job.”
“Willa’s grandfather loves her,” Landon had to admit, “but he’s pretty heavy handed in his ways of proving it. It’s one of the reasons why Willa keeps her distance from him.”
“I have to admit that it must be difficult for her between the two of you.”
Landon looked at the captain with a curious raise of his eyebrow. “How?”
“She’s been on her own for awhile.”
Landon nodded. It had been years since she’d been hurt and he’d met her.
“Having both of you staking a claim on her time has to be difficult. Carving up a life that had been purely her own and trying to give you both time with her, but trying to keep her own time to herself?”
Landon thought over the captain’s words.
Since he’d been assigned to the task force he’d been with Willa almost constantly. He hadn’t wanted to be away from her and she hadn’t exactly thrown him out or left him alone either, but the captain was right. They’d spent a lot of time together.
Was he there by her choice? Or did she just have him around because he… was?
That was a question that he’d need to answer.
He just wasn’t sure that he’d like the answer if he put it to Willa, and that was the worst of it.