Page 27 of Ranger Bravery

“Todd doesn’t have the same criminal record as his brother,” Daniel passed out his own packet of papers. “Wally has been in and out of trouble for decades. His charges are extensive and he’s bounced in and out of prison. Todd, on the other hand, hasn’t been in trouble for years. Not since his twenties. A history of breaking and entering, one charge of domestic violence that was dropped, and a few drug charges that were pled down. Then nothing for almost a decade, until recently. He was arrested last year for possession of marijuana during a routine traffic stop. The charges were later dropped.”

“Either of these guys have experience building explosives?” Lieutenant Rodriguez asked.

“Wally spent some time in the military before being dishonorably discharged for assaulting his girlfriend. He didn’t work specifically in the bomb-making squad, but he lived with a guy who did. It’s possible he picked up a thing or two from his roommate.”

“Let’s interview the roommate and find out.”

Daniel nodded. “On it.”

Jackson flipped through Todd’s arrest record. “Paul Kingston represented Todd in his recent drug charge. What about Wally?”

“Shawn is listed as his attorney,” Felicity said. “It’s not surprising, though, right? The Kingstons are well-known criminal defense attorneys.”

Jackson nodded absently, but his mind was whirling. “The Kingston Law Firm also represented Marcus, the man who shot at Piper yesterday morning. So far, everyone involved in this case has ties to them. Including Elena.”

“What are you suggesting?” Derek asked.

“I’m not entirely sure. It seems far too coincidental that Piper was shot at and then nearly blown up right after Elena’s murder. There’s no direct evidence to connect these crimes together, but it’s the only thing that makes sense. If the killer was merely trying to destroy evidence, he could’ve blown up Elena’s house at any time. He specifically waited for Piper and me to enter. So, let’s assume the incidents are all connected for a moment. What do we know about the gun Marcus used? Is it the same one that killed Elena?”

“No. It’s connected to a robbery in Houston from five years ago. Store clerk was shot and killed. No suspects.” Derek frowned. “Marcus couldn’t have committed the crime. He was in county lockup at the time on a disorderly charge.”

“Criminals sometimes give weapons to their attorneys, don’t they?” Piper asked. “Unless charges were filed, the Kingston Law Firm would have no obligation to hand the weapon over to the prosecution.”

“True, but Marcus and the Hutchinson brothers live in the same neighborhood,” Derek pointed out. “It’s reasonable to assume they knew each other. One of them could have given the gun to Marcus.”

Jackson nodded. He studied the whiteboard. A few crime scene photos were tacked up, held in place by magnets. “Elena was beaten before being stabbed. That’s a lot of rage. It’s personal. And Shawn lied to us about the affair with Elena.”

Felicity shrugged. “Maybe he didn’t want his wife to find out. Shawn wouldn’t be the first person to lie about an affair.”

“True, but I offered him a chance to come clean about the affair and I would do everything in my power to keep it quiet. He’s response was hostile.” The reaction didn’t sit well. “What if Shawn and Wally are in it together? Shawn could’ve lured Elena to the parking lot under false pretenses, claiming he needed help, and then killed her. It could explain why Elena’s cell was taken by the killer, along with her purse. Shawn didn’t want us to uncover the affair they were having. Things got complicated when Elena ran into Piper though. Now Shawn has a detective and a Texas Ranger on his tail.”

Derek frowned. “So he hires Wally to do what? Kill you two. That would only put more focus on the case. It makes far more sense that Wally is behind all of this. He kills Elena to get revenge and then targeted Piper because he’s worried she saw something and can identify him. It explains why he disappeared after the murder.”

“Do Wally and Marcus know each other?” Lieutenant Rodriguez asked.

Piper nodded. “They live in the same neighborhood and went to school together.”

“Then I have to agree with Sheriff Martinez. It’s a stretch to believe Shawn would hire Wally. We won’t ignore the possibility, but without solid evidence, it’s unwise to put our focus there. Our primary objective should be finding Wally and Todd. As far as I’m concerned, they’re persons of interest in this matter. Has anyone filed a missing person report for Gerdie?”

Felicity nodded. “Her sister did.”

“Good. We need to put resources into finding her too.”

There was a knock on the conference room door. When Derek barked for the person to enter, a deputy stuck his head in the door. “Sorry to interrupt, sir, but the Kingstons are here to see you. They insist on speaking to you and Ranger Barker about the murder case.”

Jackson’s brows arched. “They found out we know about the affair.”

“Probably.” Derek pushed away from the table. “That’s okay. I have a few questions of my own. While it’s likely these crimes are connected, we don’t have solid evidence linking them. For the time being, Elena’s murder case is separate from the bombing and yesterday’s shooting. Shawn hasn’t been cleared from the suspect list. Since he had an affair with Elena, he had motive to want her dead. We need to keep working until we can eliminate him.”

“I’ll coordinate with Daniel and Felicity about the interviews and evidence we still need to review,” Lieutenant Rodriguez said. “I may include another few rangers to the task force since you’re short-staffed, sheriff.” Her expression darkened. “I don’t take kindly to someone coming after a fellow law enforcement officer. It doesn’t help when one of my men is getting caught in the crossfire.”

The lieutenant was very protective of her team. It was one of the reasons she’d attended the meeting today. No one would get away with threatening someone on Company A. Not on her watch.

Derek gave her a sharp nod. “It’s appreciated, Lieutenant.” He started for the door. “Jackson, Piper, you’re with me.”

Jackson rose, collecting his cowboy hat from the table and settling it on his head. Interviewing Shawn again took some mental preparation. He hardened his heart as his gaze swept across the whiteboard. These cases were connected. He was sure of it. Shawn’s reaction when he was questioned about Elena was suspicious. Maybe he was covering up his affair, but Jackson had a feeling there was more to it. Shawn could’ve hired Wally to kill Piper. If nothing else, it would help cover up the true motive for Elena’s murder.

Jackson’s gaze met Piper’s for a moment. The questions rolling through his mind were reflected in her eyes.

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