Page 42 of Lone Star Target

So much more.

Yeah, Ramsey was a vicious sonofabitch. But the man was still her father. And something like this happening to him likely hadn’t even been on Kit’s radar. It certainly hadn’t been on his.

“The Bandera Bluff’s sheriff’s department is stretched thin because of the kidnapping investigation,” Ruby continued a moment later, “but the sheriff is already on the way to your father’s estate.”

Hell. Jace didn’t like any of that, especially the stretched thin part since Kit and he were about to leave for the courthouse.

Except maybe they weren’t.

Jace was about to ask Kit about requesting a delay, but Ruby addressed it before he could.

“Sheriff Manning said you could ask to have your testimony postponed,” Ruby added. “And that the judge would almost certainly grant it.”

Kit stayed quiet a moment and shook her head. “No, I’d rather just get this over and done.” She stared at Ruby on the screen. “Is there any idea who murdered my father?”

Ruby shook her head. “Everything’s in the preliminary stage right now, but as soon as I find out something, I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you,” Kit muttered, and she checked the time. Sighed. And closed her eyes for a moment. “We need to leave,” she said after she opened her eyes and looked at Jace.

They did, but Jace figured Kit could use at least a minute or two. Heck, she could use a lot more than that, but if she did indeed want to go through with the testimony, then they would have to leave very soon.

“I’ll keep you posted,” Ruby assured them, and she ended the call.

Kit just stood there, staring at the blank screen. She finally shook her head and muttered something Jace didn’t catch before she started toward the door that led to the garage.

“Trevor will inherit everything,” she spelled out as all three of them got into Jace’s SUV. Angel took the backseat while Kit rode shotgun. “That means no more money problems for him.”

“You really believe your brother murdered him?” Angel asked, taking the question right out of Jace’s mouth.

She shrugged. “Money’s a strong motive, and my father is worth millions.” Kit stopped. “At least I think he is. But then, I thought Trevor was financially solid, too, and it turns out he isn’t.”

Yeah. But there was someone else in this equation who didn’t have those solid finances any longer.

“Deanna had motive,” Jace pointed out. And because he had no choice, he had to add one other name. “Brandon, too, if he wanted to fix the money problem for his mother.”

Kit certainly didn’t jump to argue, or agree, about that, but Jace knew she was processing it. That, and her father’s death. With her having so much on her mind, this trip could definitely turn out to be a mistake.

Jace kept watch as he drove, and without even glancing in the rearview mirror to confirm it, Angel was doing the same thing.

They were still a good mile away from the town when Kit’s phone rang. “It’s Brandon,” she muttered, and she took the call on speaker.

“Aunt Kit, you’ve heard about Granddad?” Brandon immediately asked.

“I have.” And she paused. Maybe because she was waiting to hear her nephew’s reaction. Or maybe because she was remembering the doubts she had about his kidnapping.

“God, I can’t believe it. Do you think my dad could have done this?” he asked, voicing what Kit had already been asked.

“I’m not sure,” she settled for saying. “Do you?”

He groaned. “I don’t know. I hope not. Where are you right now?” he tacked onto that.

Kit opened her mouth, closed it and looked at Jace. He gave a slight shake of the head. “I’m safe. What about you? Where are you?”

“Bandera Bluffs. I was already here, waiting for you, when Mom called with the news about Granddad.”

Kit’s mouth went tight. Again, maybe because of those doubts she now had about her nephew. It couldn’t have put her at ease to hear him say he was waiting on her. Because he could be waiting to kill her.

“Are you still going to testify?” Brandon came out and asked.

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