Page 81 of Silent Deception
Kristin checked Clint’s sutures, examined the surgical wound for any sign of infection, then applied a new dressing. “I have to admit, my knees still shake when I think about it.”
“Leland had no intentions of leaving witnesses,” Clint growled.
Clint had been airlifted to the hospital in San Antonio, where he’d had surgery, but after just two days he’d insisted on coming back to the ranch this morning.
“You’re doing very well, Mr. Gallagher. You’re on powerful antibiotics, which should take care of any infection. But if you start running a fever, chill, or have increased pain, make sure you call me right away.” She snapped her medical case shut. “Otherwise, I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon to check your dressing again.”
Charlotte followed her into the hall. Her eyes glistened as she took Kristin’s hand. “If there’s ever anything I can do for you.Anything.You must tell me.”
The older woman was even more pale than before, her eyes sunken with weariness. “For starters, you need to go rest. I’ll bet you sat up with him all night long. I’d guess your health is far more fragile than his.”
“Perhaps.” A corner of her mouth lifted as she met and held Kristin’s gaze. “I can tell by your expression that you realize how ill I am. Ironic, isn’t it? He and I spent a lifetime apart, unable to coexist. Now he’s wounded and I’m dying, and we’ve come back together for whatever time we have left.”
The poignancy of those lost years touched Kristin. The parallel between their relationship and hers with Ryan was too obvious to ignore. “At least you’ve got each other now,” she said wistfully. “I can see that you love each other. Some of us will never have what you have.”
“Sometimes you need to fight for what matters most.” Charlotte squeezed Kristin’s hand, then released it. “Though some of us learn that lesson far too late.”
“But for some, love isn’t enough. The incompatibilities, different dreams, just lead to heartache.”
“Don’t be so sure.” From the bedroom, Clint called out for Charlotte. “Wade and Ryan are in the study. I think they want to talk to you before you leave.”
Kristin watched her return to Clint’s bedside, then headed for the study. Wade and Ryan stood at the window, deep in conversation, but both stopped at her approach.
“We’ve done quite a bit of investigation over the past couple days,” Wade said. He motioned her to a chair and then sat across from her, a folder in his hands. “The district attorney is in the process of filing a long list of charges against Leland—including second-degree murderandattempted murder—so you don’t need to worry about him going free.”
“S-so it was Leland who ran my dad off the road?”
Wade nodded. “I did some checking after I tracked down some Simpsons who live around here. Apparently, he borrowed his nephew’s car just once,. He probably hadn’t wanted to use his own in case someone saw him.”
“But wasn’t it damaged?”
“Yep. He gave the kid twice what it was worth just to get it off the street.”
She’d thought she would feel a sense of victory if she could prove the circumstances of her father’s death. But now she sat back in her chair, stunned and shaky. “He might never have been caught.”
“Leland helped Clint find and hire the investigators who examined the Four Aces books, but those guys were in Leland’s pocket, from what we can tell.” Wade tipped his head toward Ryan. “Leland also covered his thefts by blaming Oscar’s ‘mismanagement’ and Nate’s embezzlement.”
“I thought Clint and Leland werefriends.”
“Clint thought so too, I guess. Big mistake.“
Incredulous, Kristin shook her head. “So it was Leland, then. Not anyone else.”
“He wasn’t just the ranch lawyer, he was the financial advisor who could oversee and approve contracts or major expenditures while Clint was away. Which was most of the time, given Clint’s political career.” Wade tapped the file. “He’s been a signatory on ranch checks for years, along with Clint and the foreman. Now there are grown sons here to handle things. But when the boys were small, it was a setup Clint needed.”
“Leland has been filtering money for years,” Ryan added. “He also tricked my father into some phony investment shells and several nonexistent offshore investment schemes—the sort of under-the-table deals a guy like my dad would be happy to use if he could avoid taxes. That aura of secrecy just helped Leland succeed.”
“But none of this makes sense. What about my dad?”
Ryan and Wade exchanged glances, then Wade nodded. “I’ll let you two talk. I need to visit with Clint for a bit.”
“I couldn’t figure it out at first, either.” Ryan accepted the file from Wade, then pulled up a chair next to her. “Wade contacted the state authorities. He got a report back about a murder victim found near the Mexican border. Dental records in Homestead were a match for Oscar Ruiz.”
She stared at him. “But why?”
“We figure Oscar must have caught on to Leland. Maybe he threatened to tell Clint or the sheriff. After Oscar disappeared, Leland probably went through the files and covered his own tracks by altering or destroying all the evidence he could find.”
“Which is why Oscar held his job as long as he did. He’d been doing fine until his so-called incompetence was ‘discovered’ later.” A wave of sadness engulfed her. “I suppose the same thing happened to my dad.”
