Page 25 of Truth is the Ultimate Weapon

“Give them to me, and I’ll investigate,” Rip said.

“Done. I am sending them your way. I don’t see anything obvious on here, just… locations. There appear to be several plots of land Mama bought all over the county.”

“If we have the deeds, we can work backward to see who brokered the deals, represented each party, and so on.” Coy smiled, a sense of satisfaction spreading across his face at the long-awaited breakthrough in the case, a development they had been yearning for and desperately needed.

Kenzie's phone pinged, instantly capturing her focus. With a sense of eagerness, she reached for it, her anticipation palpable as she read the message displayed on the screen. However, as she scanned the words, her expression turned icy, and a wave of panic washed over her.

“Kenz?” Coy prodded. “What is it?’

“Glen… he’s been shot.”

11

“Oh no,” Kenzie exclaimed, hurrying to her Uncle Glen's side as he perched on the edge of Ellis Steele's office desk. His shirt was stained with blood, his face drained of color, and his expression seething with anger as EMTs tended to him. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at the hospital.”

“He refused to go, Sheriff.” The EMT said. “Says he’s fine.”

“You are not fine. You need to go.” Kenzie scolded. “You’re bleeding and…”

“Oh, calm down, dear. I’ll go. I was waiting for you.” Glen admitted. “By the time I get to the hospital, I’ll be all drugged up and my memory fuzzy. I wanted to give you a statement while it was fresh in my mind and, well, my mind was still fresh.”

“What happened, Glen?” Coy asked directly, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic scene of scattered files, pictures strewn on the floor, and broken glass. It was clear that some kind of altercation had taken place.

“I came in to feel Steele out, just like we discussed. I decided, unannounced, would be the best route, and it certainly was. When I got here, he was destroying files. I played all nonchalant like I didn’t notice what he was doing and talked a little business first.”

Glen gestured toward the large, bulging garbage bags propped against the wall, with a paper shredder positioned nearby. “There’s no question in my mind now that he was up to something no good –– he was destroying evidence is my guess. This is what he was working on when I got here. Took it right out of his hand. It’s all that’s left, unfortunately.”

Coy's gaze focused on the top section of a file folder that Glen had retrieved, noting the label: Delilah Stone. “My mother’s file.”

“I’m sorry, son. If I’d have gotten here just a bit sooner, we might have all the answers we’re looking for.” Glen shared, his voice heavy with sorrow. “At the very least, though, we know whatever he did, it wasn’t good, or he wouldn’t be destroying those files.”

“Looks like he’s been destroying files all day.” Coy chided.

“Indeed, it does.” Glen nodded in agreement as the EMT prepared to insert the IV, grimacing slightly from the pain as the needle pierced his skin. “The son of a bitch took his computer with him when he left.”

Coy sighed, “Of course he did.”

“This is a crime scene now. I’m roping it all off, and we’re going through all of these files. Lawyer or not, attorney-client privilege just went out the window.” Kenzie fumed. “I have every available deputy hunting for him and asking for support from other agencies, including rangers and marshals.”

“You’re smart to do so. He’s armed and dangerous, honey.” Glen admitted. “There was always something about that man that didn’t sit right with me. I never expected this, though. Aside from whatever is in all those files, he’s capable of murder. He knows who I am, that I’m retired law enforcement and my niece and only real relative is the Sheriff, and he still pulled that trigger. That cold bastard just laughed when I asked him about Delilah. I think there’s far more to Lilah’s passing than we suspect.”

“She died of cancer, Glen,” Coy spoke with a somber tone when his deceased mother was mentioned. “I don’t think he had anything to do with that.”

“But what if he did? What if he advanced her passing somehow, or what if it wasn’t the cancer that took her but something else? Look at all those files. I only took a look at a few and didn’t like what I saw. Something ain’t adding up, son. With all the trouble that’s landed on your family since Lilah’s passing, then all this… it doesn’t feel like much of a stretch.”

“You think he killed my mother.”

“I think anything is possible when you walk into a man’s office, and he shoots you and runs,” Glen said.

“Why did he shoot you, Glen? I can’t imagine it being over shredding some files.”

“It wasn’t, at first. We talked a little business. Told him I heard he was good at handling final affairs and that I needed to get my affairs in order.”

“Uncle Glen,” Kenzie probed, a sudden worry creasing her brow as she contemplated her uncle's prognosis. “Is there something wrong? Are you sick?”

Glen patted her shoulder, “No, darlin’, not even a gunshot wound can take me out, as you can clearly see. I just thought I would be vague and suggest the possibility to really pique his interest, given the theory we all came up with. Thought I’d test it out and it worked. He tried to convince me the best way to address my affairs would be to put the boat and the ranch in a trust. The red flag went up when he recommended that I have you sign over your portion of the ranch, Kenzie dear, to put in the trust since I’m leaving it all to you anyway.”

“You’re kidding me.” Kenzie shook her head in disbelief. “So bold and brazen.”

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