Chapter 8 #2
Gunner pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
“Explain this to me like I’m in kindergarten.
Since Dixon never admitted to ordering the hit and it was never public knowledge that it was happening, then how did Samuels get his info?
Who told him that? How would he come by that information when the hit men were unknowns? ”
Asher stilled. The pause between their conversation grew longer and longer, and then he sighed. “Well, shit. I can’t say as I can answer that right now. Are you okay at Dad’s?”
“Yes. All is well.”
“And no one knows where you are, right?”
“Samuels knows. I told him,” Gunner said.
“Well shit, again,” Asher muttered. “Just stay vigilant. I don’t know why you would still be on anyone’s radar now. Not after you presented Dixon with your ultimatum.”
“Consider this,” Gunner said. “If there was a dirty cop who was desperate to hide his tracks, and I’d already unknowingly admitted to that dirty cop that I thought there might be one in our department, and that cop knew I’d already publicly fingered Burgess Dixon if anything happened to me, then that dirty cop would have no trouble getting away with my murder. ”
“Damn it, Gunner. I don’t like how this is playing out one bit.”
“Neither do I, but right now, if it is my boss, he has no idea he said too much, or that I caught it. Just dig into his background. See if you can find a reason why he would even do this. He’s been my lieutenant for seven of my eight years in Homicide.
I would have trusted him with my life. Now I’m not so sure.
I would hate to think he’d been dirty all this time. ”
“On it,” Asher said. “Have you responded to the texts you’ve been getting?”
“No, not to any of them,” Gunner said.
“Then don’t, and tell Dad that if anyone calls asking to speak to you, tell him to say that you went back to Dallas,” Asher said.
“That won’t be a lie. I am going back. I have to.
Staying here won’t stop this situation. I’m not going to put my family in danger.
I can hole up in my house as easily as I can here.
I’ve given Dixon enough time to call off his dogs, which makes him think he’s in the clear.
But if there’s any truth to this, Samuels won’t see this coming, and if he hadn’t given himself away, neither would I. ”
Asher sighed. “I hate to admit you’re right. You’re a really smart cop, Gunner. Just stay aware. I’ll be in touch soon.”
* * *
Gunner was now regretting he’d come home.
Even the notion that his presence could endanger people he cared about was terrifying.
All of his plans had just come to a screeching halt.
Until the dirty cop was caught, he would be a constant target.
He needed to get back to Dallas before anyone knew he was on the move, let Samuels know he was back, then set up a trap at his house and wait.
If he was wrong, then thank God. But if he was right, they’d come for him there.
His plans to quit law enforcement hadn’t changed. But they were going to be delayed.
He glanced at the clock. It was just after 3:00 p.m. He hated that this was happening, but the sooner he was gone, the quicker any danger to Jacob and Pearl would be removed.
And then there was Holly. He didn’t want anyone to know he was in the beginning of a relationship with her.
If someone wanted him dead and couldn’t find him, they’d use someone he cared about to draw him out.
If he left within the hour, he would be back in Dallas around 10:00 p.m. His dad was busy in the bar, and Pearl was at the Rose, so he went to pack, loaded up his Jeep, and then sent his dad a text.
Can you pop into the kitchen a minute? I need to tell you something.
Less than a minute later, he heard his dad coming into the living room and heading to the kitchen.
Jacob walked in smiling. “What’s up?”
“I’m packed and heading back to Dallas. Stuff has come up that can’t be ignored. If anybody calls here asking for me, just tell them I’m in Dallas and nothing more.”
“What’s wrong?” Jacob asked.
“I’ll just say… The dirty cop may have just revealed himself without knowing it, and it could have put me in his crosshairs.
But forewarned is forearmed. Asher knows and is working on confirmation, and I’ll be holed up in my home, waiting.
Just know that I am in no more danger now than I would be just doing my job every day, okay?
It’s just coming from another direction. ”
“Does your boss know you’re going back?”
“He will soon enough, but I don’t want that happening until I’m already there.”
“What the hell, son? Don’t you trust him anymore?”
Gunner shrugged. “Right now, Dad, I trust no one from that department, and that’s all I’m going to say. Tell Pearl I’m sorry I won’t get to say goodbye, but the sooner I leave, the sooner I get to Dallas and end this.”
“What about Holly? I thought you two were hitting it off.”
“We are. But she’s in healing mode, and we’ll reconnect later. I’ll let her know I’m leaving, but nothing more needs to be said about her to anyone outside of our circle, okay?”
Jacob wrapped his arms around his son and hugged him long and hard. “Godspeed, son. Stay safe. Call when you can.”
“I will. Sorry about all this,” Gunner said.
“Hell no, you have nothing to apologize for, understand?”
“Understood. Love you, Dad, and I’m still moving back here. It’s just been delayed a bit,” Gunner said.
Jacob nodded. “Love you, too, boy. Love you, too.” His shoulders slumped as Gunner walked out.
After all these years, Jacob had learned that the hardest thing about parenting was after the children are grown and gone. Whatever was going on in their lives from one day to the next was now off-limits and beyond his control.
Then he remembered where he was supposed to be and went back inside the bar, pretending everything was fine. He’d have to tell Pearl when she got home, but that was a secret to share for later.
* * *
Gunner pulled out onto Highway 86 eastbound with the sun behind him and didn’t look back.
He didn’t want to think about things that could go wrong or the last memory of home he might have would be the Tumbleweed, disappearing behind him in the distance.
He’d rather remember the feel of his dad’s arms around him and the look of expectation on Holly Dillon’s face.
The urge to call her was huge, but she’d just gone home to rest, and the last thing he wanted to do was give her something else to worry about. He’d call after he was back in Dallas, when there was more time to explain.
* * *
Once Dixon was convinced all parties had been notified that the bounty had been nullified, instead of being relieved, his embarrassment at being outsmarted by a cop began to overflow into his legal business.
Whistler became witness to Dixon’s random acts of rage at other people, including his secretary at the office, the staff at the estate, and even the managers at his Dixon Down and Dirty cleaning services.
Whistler had never seen the boss so uncertain or afraid, and he knew it did not bode well for his place in the system.
Dixon’s solution to a problem was just to kill all persons involved, and Whistler was now in that mix—because he’d let a cop catch him off guard, and in Dixon’s eyes, that meant he was no longer trustworthy.
Which also meant Whistler’s days were numbered.
Now he had to decide if he should just disappear or first get rid of the man who knew all of his secrets, and where they were buried.
* * *
Unaware of Gunner’s hasty exit from Crossroads, Holly had showered, changed into pajamas, and then crawled up on her bed with her laptop to go through her email.
Her boss at the realty office was sympathetic to her situation but was now asking when she planned to return, and she didn’t know that answer for herself.
The thought of her dad all alone in this big ranch house made her sad.
And knowing Gunner was planning to move back to Crossroads made going back to Dallas even less appealing.
She was still going through the messages when Trudy saw her and knocked.
“Mind if I come in?” Trudy said.
Holly put the laptop aside and patted the side of her bed. “Of course not. Are you okay?”
“I’m as fine as any of us can be right now. Is everything okay at your work?” Trudy asked.
Holly sighed. “Funny you should ask. I just got an email from the boss, wanting to know when I plan to return.”
“I wondered as much. Are you worried about your dad?” Trudy asked.
“Yes. When we leave, and Travis packs himself off to college, Dad will be alone. The thought of that breaks my heart,” Holly said.
“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Trudy said.
“If it helps for you to know this, I intend to move back to the ranch to be with him. Santa Fe is just where I went after I was widowed. It was hard to be here without my cowboy. I have friends in Santa Fe, but no one I can’t bear to leave.
What I can’t bear to think about now is leaving my son alone. ”
Holly gasped. “Oh, Granny! That’s wonderful. Have you talked to Dad about it?”
“We’ve talked. I think I’ve convinced him that the older I got, the less I looked forward to being alone, and it would break my heart to leave here again, knowing he would have no one to come home to when the day’s work was done.”
Holly went weak with relief. “I’ve felt the same way, and I’ve been thinking it was going to fall on me to stay.”
“Absolutely no need,” Trudy said. “Garrett and I will get Travis settled at college. You leave when you’re ready. Don’t jeopardize your livelihood for us. We’ll be fine. Just take as long as you need to rest up before you begin that long drive back to Dallas, okay?”