Her Texas Ranger Hero (17 page)

Her eyes gleamed. “I'm so glad I learned Chinese the way I did, if only to find the man who brought about Yu Tan's death. I'm going to start making more phone calls and fish around for any information.”

Luckey released her hand with reluctance. “You're right, Ally. Two people working together makes the job go so much faster.”

For the next few minutes he listened to her have several phone conversations, and watched her jot down more notes. While she was still on the phone, he went to the kitchen and made some grilled cheese sandwiches to keep them going. He brought them to the den along with fresh coffee, and waited for her to hang up.

“What do you think? Did you learn anything helpful?”

“Not yet, but I've got one more person on the list to phone.” She reached for a sandwich. “Thanks for this. I didn't realize how hungry I was.” She placed her last call. His interest piqued when a quick back-and-forth question-and-answer session ensued. He could tell she was on to something.

Again he heard
xiexie ni
before she clicked off. Ally shot him a glance. “I asked this trainer how the girl gymnasts get picked. He told me talent scouts circulate throughout China trying to find the most promising ones at the various schools. When I inquired further, he gave me names of three scouts. Here they are. I've written their Chinese equivalents so you can understand them.”

Ally passed him her notepad. When he looked down, one stood out in blazing letters:
Sima Wang.
That was Robert Martin's stepfather.

“Ally? Do me a favor and call the man back. Ask him to tell you anything he knows about Sima Wang—where he lives, how often he's in China. Get a description if you can.”

She stared at Luckey. “All right, but I'll have to be cagey.” After placing the call, she again conversed back and forth. Finally, Ally thanked the man and rang off. “He said Sima Wang is a dark blond American, and rich. He lives somewhere in China and is probably in his forties. Every so often he comes around to Hunan Province. About five weeks ago he was in Changsha, giving a demonstration in kung fu.”

* * *

R
OBERT
M
ARTIN
HAD
taken on his stepfather's name while he perpetrated his evil in China. Robert's birth parents were dead. Were his adoptive parents dead, as well? Had he killed them, too?

Luckey jumped out of the chair. “You found him, Ally!” He pulled her into his arms and swung her around. “We've got him. You did it!”

“But how do you know?”

He carried her over to the couch and lay down next to her, trapping her legs with his own. For a little while he lost track of time, kissing her. Finally, he lifted his head to look down at her. “First things first. Where did you come from? Out of all the men in the world, how was I lucky enough to meet you?”

She kissed his mouth with a hunger that thrilled him down to the last cell in his body. “The real question is how is it possible that out of all the Chinese experts you could have talked to, you came to me first? I love you so much.”

“You're my heart, Ally. My love for you knows no bounds.”

A bewitching smile appeared on her face. “I notice you forgot our rule to stay three feet away.”

“No more rules. Sweetheart...” He kissed her again and again, unable to stop. “We have to get married as soon as I arrest Wang. My boss will give me time off for a long honeymoon. We're going to need it. The way I'm feeling right now, we may never come back.”

“Oh, yes, we will. As your mother reminded me, you're a restless man, but I've already accepted that fact. Now tell me how you know Sima Wang is the man you've been looking for.”

Luckey buried his face in Ally's neck. “I can't think while you're in my arms.”

“I could stay like this forever, too, but I want to get married. The sooner we can make an arrest, the sooner we can do that.”

Ally was a living, breathing miracle. He devoured her one more time, then eased himself off her and got to his feet. He reached for her hands to pull her up. “Come on, slave driver. You've motivated me to stay on track until this is finished, so I'm depending on you to keep me focused.”

She threw her arms around his neck. “I'd do anything for you.”

“My feelings exactly.”

They kissed with growing passion before he found the strength to let her go. Once they sat down at the desk again, she looked at her notepad and tapped Wang's name. “Why do you know he's the one?”

“That day I went to Freeport, I learned that Sima Wang was the name of Martin's Chinese adoptive father.”

“You're kidding!”

Luckey went on to explain everything he'd learned about the man. “It appears Martin has taken over in Sima's stead. No doubt the adoptive father is dead.”

“You think he killed him?”

“Maybe. His adoptive mother could be dead, too.”

Luckey could hear Ally's mind working. “Are his birth parents still alive?” she asked.

“No. I found a record of their deaths in Freeport.”

“What was her name? Maybe he operates there when he's in the States.”

Luckey shook his head. “I've already done a thorough search. Nothing showed up. To answer your question, her name was Sybil Martin Mott. I looked for any Martins or Motts living in Freeport or the surrounding areas, but came up with nothing.”

Ally wrote the woman's name on her pad. Her delicately arched brows formed a frown. “Let's do a statewide search of all Martins and Motts.”

“I love your energy, sweetheart, but we won't be able to get into that database before morning.”

“Then let's keep going through the last few names on the carriers' list of deliveries. Martin's hands were on Yu Tan's body before she was brought into the morgue. I keep thinking about Soo-Lin's letter. She talked about Yu Tan's friend who said she'd gotten involved with a man at a disco club. Maybe Martin threatened her friend, who saw the abduction. He could have forced her to make up that story, threatening to kill her and her family.”

“I have no doubt of it.”

“He has to be hiding out here someplace close when he's in Texas.” Luckey felt Ally shudder. “He's evil.”

“After stealing eight million dollars, he has the money to go where he wants and live the way he likes. His job looking over new gymnast prospects gives him the perfect opportunity to handpick the girls he wants for his operation. We know he was in Jakarta because of the testimony from the Indonesian girl rescued from the spa. With China and Indonesia as his oysters, he's set up a widespread ring using various aliases, an operation that could go on for years if he isn't stopped.”

“You'll catch him and I'm going to help you.”

With Ally at his side, Luckey could believe it.

“Can I see all his aliases?”

He handed her the sheet in the file folder. “So,” she said, studying them, “we're looking for either Dino Morten, Bobo Marten, Sid Marteen, Momo Demott, Angelo Martin or Sima Wang.”

“Or even another alias that hasn't shown up on the rap sheet,” Luckey murmured.

“They're such bizarre names.”

“He puts on kung fu shows and probably uses them like a stage name.”

“Of course.” Ally reached for Luckey's hand. “No matter how much money you get paid for doing your job, it couldn't possibly be enough. But I know you're not in it for the money, so I'm sorry I brought it up. I admire you so much, Luckey.”

Her voice broke, causing him to lean close and kiss her for a long time before they got back to work.

“Let's start by tracking down the last of these deliveries.

“I'll write the addresses and names on my pad for quick reference.”

“Tomorrow we'll call each number to find out what information we can.”

She watched the screen with him. “It's amazing how many people buy this cream online.”

“We've become an online society,” he murmured. “Health remedies gross in the millions of dollars. If we can find Martin going this route, I'm going to be more thankful than ever for the internet.”

They worked until three in the morning. Ally's eyelids were drooping when Luckey closed the file they'd been working on and sat back in his chair. “Time for bed. My guest bedroom is yours for the night. You know where it is. Sleep as long as you want. Tomorrow we'll make a big breakfast and get started again. Don't ask me to kiss you good-night.”

“I know better than to do that.” She got up, kissed the top of his head and disappeared out of the den with her purse in hand. Her touch was pure torture and she left a trail of fragrance he couldn't get enough of.

Before he called it a night, he opened an email that had come from the silk merchant in Jakarta.

Re your request: The silk sample is called karawo from Gorontalo. It has become the people's pride, but not so many have it, since karawo is a cultural heritage. Below is the name of my shop in Jakarta that carries it. I am pleased to be of service.

Luckey immediately responded and thanked him. After telling him he was investigating a police matter, he hoped the man could give him the names and addresses of anyone who'd purchased that specific material in the last two years. His request would probably be denied. If so, he'd ask TJ to notify the authorities in Jakarta and issue a warrant in order to obtain the information. But it was worth a try to ask the man first.

With that accomplished, Luckey went to bed. Knowing Ally was safely under his roof, he fell asleep the minute his head touched the pillow.

Chapter Eleven

Ally woke up at nine, excited to have awakened in Luckey's home. She had texted her teaching assistant before going to sleep and told him she would need the week off. He sent back a message saying he had it covered. She slipped across the hall to the guest bathroom to freshen up. When she'd dressed, she headed to the den and realized Luckey must still be in bed. Taking advantage of the time, she hurried to the kitchen and fixed breakfast for the two of them, bacon, eggs and pancakes.

Once she had the coffee brewing, Luckey appeared in the doorway showered and shaved, wearing a golf shirt and jeans. Ally melted to see him walk in the kitchen, and gravitated to him. He kissed her long and hard.

“This is what it's going to be like after we're married,” he whispered into her hair. “I don't think I can wait.”

“That's why we're going to keep working all day.”

He cupped her cheeks. “Have I told you how beautiful you look in the morning?”

“I hope that's always the case,” she said. “Where you're concerned, you take my breath away no matter what the hour. Sit down and I'll serve you.”

She'd been counting on him having a big appetite and he didn't disappoint her. They ate until he'd finished off the last pancake. After the dishes were done they went to the barn to feed Persey and lead him out to the corral, where he could enjoy the day.

“We'll go riding later.” Luckey patted his horse, and then reached for Ally's hand. They headed back inside to the den and he told her about the silk merchant from Jakarta. “I'm hoping he'll give me the information without going through the authorities.”

“I wish I spoke Indonesian. Do you know if he speaks Mandarin, too?”

“I didn't think to ask.”

“Why don't you call him back? If the answer is yes, I'll talk to him and tell him how crucial it is we learn everything we can. He might be willing to help us.”

“If anyone can get him to talk, you can.” Luckey reached for his phone and put through the call. “It's gone to his voice mail. I'll leave a message for him to call me back. We'll see what happens. For now, let's get started making phone calls to all those numbers you jotted down last night.”

Ally loved working with Luckey. Together they pored over this last list of numbers, discussing each one to see if it was worth investigating. So far Luckey didn't feel any of them set off alarm bells.

At two o'clock he received a phone call from headquarters. He darted her a glance. “One of the guys needs backup. I have to go.”

The news disappointed her, but this was Luckey's life. She didn't dare think about what he might be walking into.

“I'll go home and see you later.”

He gave her a hard kiss that made her knees buckle. “When I'm through, I'll come by for you and we'll go out to dinner. I owe you after all the work you've done.”

“All I want is to be with you.”
I love you, love you, love you, Luckey.
That mantra was still on her lips as she put the notebook in her purse and they left the house together. She walked around the side of his home to her car. When she called out to Persey, he neighed. It put a smile on her face during the drive home.

After discovering her folks weren't there, Ally made a sandwich and hurried upstairs to shower and wash her hair. They'd probably left to go visit family before her dad had to fly back to DC on Sunday. She left them a text telling them where she'd been and that she was home, but she would be going out to dinner later with Luckey.

At last she was ready and could start calling the numbers listed. But before she started, she needed to think of a plausible excuse for phoning a stranger, whether it be a business or residence. After coming up with several ideas, she decided on a plan she felt would work and tried it out with the first number.

“Hello. I'm a marketing representative hired by Gema Pharmaceutical, calling to see if you received your DMSO product and if you're pleased with it.” She told them the date she knew it had been delivered, and then asked several questions about who was using it. Did they intend to buy more? How did they rate the product in terms of pain relief? How did they hear about it? Would they buy it again? Were other members of the family using it?

A half-dozen calls revealed the majority of recipients were middle-aged and had seen the company advertised on the internet. She found it amazing how much information they were willing to share about themselves. Though she would go over every set of responses with Luckey after he came for her, she didn't hear anything she thought was important.

Three calls later an elderly woman answered. Ally started out the same way as before, but the woman laughed. “Oh, no, dear, it's not for me. You're asking the wrong person. I have a grandson who has it sent here. It's for him.”

Ally's pulse picked up speed. “Is he in a lot of pain?”

“Oh my, yes. He puts on exhibitions around the country, but spends part of every month with me. When he comes home, he uses the cream to soothe his joints.”

“That's interesting. What does he do?”

“Oh, I don't remember exactly, and I have macular degeneration so I can't read anymore. When he was little he said he wanted to grow up to be like that Chan fellow in the movies.” She laughed again.

Jackie Chan? The Chinese karate expert?

Ally had trouble keeping the tremor out of her voice. “I see. Well, thank you very much for your time. You've been so helpful with this survey. The company appreciates every endorsement. Goodbye.”

Ally hung up in shock.
This was it!
She knew it in her bones.

Luckey hadn't phoned yet, and it was still light out. She double-checked the address for Vera Jarvis and decided to take a drive past her house. The woman lived in the downtown area of Austin. Ally couldn't wait to tell Luckey, but she didn't dare disturb him. Instead she sent him a text.

I'm positive I've found Robert Martin through his supposed grandmother, Vera Jarvis! I've left to drive by the address and check it out. Call me the second you can!

A few minutes later she headed downtown and before long found the house where Vera Jarvis lived. It looked as though it had been built in the 1960s, but for an older home it was nicely kept up. Ally took several pictures with her phone and then parked across the street, in front of another house farther down, to wait until Luckey contacted her. Fifteen minutes went by, and the next thing she knew it had been an hour. Still no word from him. As she'd learned the night Ranger Landrey had been shot, it could be tomorrow before she heard from Luckey.

For the first time in her life she had an idea of what a police crew went through when they put a house under surveillance. The waiting for something, anything, to happen grew old in a hurry. Her chances of spotting Martin when he happened to be in Austin were probably one in a million, but it didn't matter. She was here now and planned to sit this out for as long as she could.

Cars went by. A few people came home from work and entered driveways. She wished she'd brought a snack with her. Around six her mom texted her to say they'd gone to her uncle Nick's and would be home by nine. Another text came in from Ally's assistant at the university. He'd emailed her some department information. Ally texted him back to thank him.

As she lifted her head, she saw a new black Ford Explorer turn into the older woman's driveway and enter the garage. No. Way. Ally couldn't believe she hadn't seen the driver or glimpsed the license plate in time. Was it Martin? Or a caregiver, maybe? Did anyone else live with Vera Jarvis? The woman might require help.

While Ally waited to see if anything would happen, she texted Luckey again with details about the Explorer. By eight o'clock she realized it was pointless to stay put any longer and started her car. But no sooner did she signal to pull out into traffic than she saw the Explorer back out of the driveway and whip right past her.

At this point her heart started beating like a jackhammer. She followed the SUV from a distance. Before long the driver headed out on US Highway 183 toward the airport. Then, to her surprise, he unexpectedly turned into a gated, grubby looking warehouse in the 7900 block. A high chain-link fence surrounded the entire property. There were half a dozen cars parked haphazardly beneath old oak trees.

Ally slowed down to watch the car pull up to one end of the medium-sized building. It was dark now, with only minimal lighting, but she could tell it was a tallish man who got out and went inside. Her adrenaline picked up as she pulled into a closed service station across the street. She turned off her lights and waited to see if anything else was going to happen. While she sat there she sent another text to Luckey, letting him know this address.

Forty-five minutes passed before she saw a different SUV, not the Ford, come around from the back of the warehouse. When the gates opened, the driver turned down the highway toward the city. Why hadn't Luckey texted her back yet?

She started her car and took off after it. Her heart was in her throat by the time it turned into an alley off Lamar Boulevard. Ally didn't dare follow. She made a U-turn to backtrack and saw the sign for a Chinese massage parlor on her right.

Ally knew in her gut another poor victim had just been delivered from that warehouse. She texted the location of the massage parlor to Luckey. This was how Martin did it. He brought in girls from the airport and took them to the warehouse. From there they were driven to whatever vile place he picked. Yu Tan had been held at that warehouse. Before she could be taken to a place like this, she'd tried to escape and had been shot.

Those poor girls...

Wild with fury for what he'd done to them, Ally took off for the warehouse once more, to keep an eye on Martin. But when she reached the service station and pulled in, she saw that the black Ford Explorer had gone. Were there any girls being held in there tonight? Filled with anguish, she was too slow to realize two Caucasian men had approached her from the shadows. They were armed with assault rifles. “Get out of the car!” they ordered.

Her hands froze on the wheel. Time to use her wits. “I'm lost, looking for someone. Please let me go.”

Suddenly one of the men shattered the side window with the butt of his rifle and opened her door. Glass grazed her cheek. The other man dragged her out of the car and tied a foul-smelling cloth around her mouth. He pulled her across the highway to the gate, which he unlocked with a remote device. The man who'd broken the window held her purse and phone. She'd stumbled into a nightmare.

They took her into a small office and tied her to the chair behind the desk. The man holding her purse ripped through her bag and tore her wallet apart. “Well, look who we have here. Allison Forrester Duncan, age 28, five foot seven, eyes blue, address Crystal Mountain Road.” He whistled. “Ritzy. What's a gorgeous babe like you doing slumming around here this time of night in that fancy car?”

Ally made sounds while the other man checked out her cell phone. “I'll tell you what she's been doing. She's been spying on the boss and sending messages. He's not going to like it when he hears about this. I'll call him while you take her out back. Don't rough her up too much until he tells us what he wants done with her.”

“We don't have any more empty rooms.”

“Then throw her in with one of the girls.”

The man untied her hands and dragged her through another door. After leading her down a long hallway with doors on both sides, he unlocked one and threw her inside, knocking her to the cement floor. She heard a shuffling sound in the room before the door clanged shut.

A small vent to the outside near the ceiling prevented the space from being completely black. Over in the corner huddled a figure. Ally got up on her knees and made her way to her. In a minute the girl undid the cloth and it fell away.

“Xie xie,”
Ally said to her in Mandarin. “My name is Ally. I'm here to help you. The man I'm going to marry is a policeman. Soon he will come and get us out of here. While we're alone, tell me everything you can about what has happened to you.”

The girl broke into a spate of Chinese, speaking so fast Ally had trouble following her. They must have been there, talking, for an hour before they heard the door open. Someone shone a flashlight in their faces. Ally was jerked to her feet and dragged down the hall to the same office as before.

This time a light had been turned on. She found herself looking into the cold hazel eyes of a tall, dark blond, athletic-looking man. “So
you're
Robert Martin, the dragon with the split yellow tongue. To refresh your memory, you're wanted for murder, armed robbery and female trafficking. You're without a doubt the most depraved man on the planet,” she spat out.

He gave her a stinging slap across the face that cut her lip and would leave bruises, but her outrage was stronger than her fear.

“You know how I can tell?” she asked, baiting him. “You reek of garlic from the cream you use. I can smell the stench from here. That's what gave you away.”

His eyes narrowed to slits. “You're the woman who duped my grandmother on the phone.”

“What happened to your adoptive father and aunt? Did you kill them, too? Does your grandmother know about that? Your days of rounding up female gymnasts like cattle has come to an end. You can kill me, but it won't stop the Texas Rangers from putting you away for the rest of your unnatural life.”

He screwed up his face. “The Texas Rangers don't know squat about me.”

“Want to make a bet? Who do you think received all those text messages I sent?”

A nervous tic played havoc with the corner of his mouth. “You're lying,” he growled. “Who are you?”

“I'm the daughter of Lawrence Duncan, former ambassador to China for fifteen years, until last summer when he was recalled to the States. Your entire operation throughout Asia is going to be closed down, sending the hundreds of evil kidnappers who work for you to prison.