Page 36 of Lone Star Rescue

“No,” Rafe said, and Bree shook her head. “I just assumed she was embarrassed at flunking out of college,” Rafe added. “Or that maybe she wanted a clean break.”

“Yeah,” Wade muttered. “I figured those things, too, but I always guessed she’d come back and explain why she did what she did. And then when I thought those were her bones, I said to myself—well, that’s why she hasn’t returned. She couldn’t. Coming back was a choice that was taken away from her because somebody killed her.”

Rafe could understand that logic. Again, it was a coping mechanism. But not knowing had to be hard as hell, too.

“I’ll start looking for her again,” Wade said after another long silence. “Maybe I can even hire Ruby Maverick and your team. If anybody can find Tessa, Maverick Ops can.”

That was true. But the truth might end up being a bitter pill to swallow since it was indeed possible that Tessa was dead.

Bree touched Wade’s arm to get his attention. “Wade, about those bones we found. The forensic anthropologist believes the dead woman is a relative of Tessa’s. A familial match like a half sibling or a first cousin.”

The color drained from Wade’s face. “A relative? Who?”

“We don’t know,” Bree said. “Any idea who she could be?”

He shook his head and seemed still caught up in the emotion of learning that his baby girl could still be alive. “Tessa’s an only child.”

“Is it possible you fathered a child you don’t know about?” Bree pressed, and Rafe could tell she had dreaded bringing thisup. But it had to be asked. “A daughter who would have been a couple of years younger than Tessa?”

“I don’t have any other children,” Wade was quick to say, and he seemed to be searching for possibilities that would cause this to make sense. “But I have an uncle. I’m not close with him, haven’t seen him in years, and he’s got kids. I can ask him.”

Bree didn’t think that would be enough to create this kind of familial connection. Any children from Wade’s uncle would be Tessa’s second cousins.

“Oh, and my mom had an identical twin sister, Aunt Ida, who married a man who was also an identical twin. They had a child, a daughter, I believe. Both Ida and her husband died young, but their daughter would be pretty close kin to Tessa, right?”

“Possibly,” Bree conceded. “Could you give us their full names and a way to get in touch with their next of kin? And any other relative you can think of who might match?”

“I will,” Wade assured her. “I have to go,” he said, standing. “I need, uh…I just need to go.”

“I understand,” Bree assured him, and they walked with him to the door.

“Do you still have the postcard Tessa sent you?” Rafe asked him.

“Of course.” Wade’s voice barely had any sound. “It was all I had of my baby girl for so long. Why? Did you keep yours?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Rafe had to admit. “When I was on deployment, the storage facility with my things burned, and I lost everything in it. But if you have the postcard, it could be processed for prints or some other evidence that might tell us where Tessa is.”

It was a long shot, but if Buckner’s prints were on the postcard, it could mean Buckner had not only sent it but alsomurdered Tessa. If so though, where was her body? Or was she truly still alive and out there somewhere?

Wade’s eyes brightened a little. “Yes. I hadn’t thought of that, of the postcard giving us some clues. But, yes. I have them at home. I’ll put it in a plastic bag and have someone bring it to you.”

“Use this.” Tessa got up, went to one of the drawers in the kitchen and came back with an evidence bag. “The postcard will already have a lot of contamination on it, but this will save it from getting more.”

True. In fact, plenty of people had likely handled that postcard already. Still, an evidence bag could maybe prevent fingerprints from being smeared.

“Have it brought to the police station,” Rafe instructed Wade. “Then, I’ll get them to Ruby right away and see if she can work some of her magic.”

That brightened his eyes even more, and Wade actually gave them both hugs before he headed back to his truck.

“Maybe the bones belong to this child from the aunt that Wade mentioned,” Bree said as they went back inside.

Rafe was already taking out his phone to do a search on that and to alert Ruby to the incoming postcard that he’d have couriered to her. Ruby’s place was over an hour away, and Rafe didn’t want to take the time to go there today. Not when Bree was already gathering her things to head to the police station.

“On the drive into work, I’ll contact Buckner’s lawyer and arrange for another interview,” Bree said, grabbing her keys. “Hopefully, today.”

Rafe doubted that. He figured Buckner wasn’t going to be so cooperative for a second round of questioning. The man had to know they suspected him of something. Murder, even.

Rafe followed Bree to the garage where she’d parked the cruiser, and he’d just fired off the text to Ruby when his phone rang.

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