Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #2 (14 page)

Clay's phone pinged and he looked at it. For several moments silence echoed through the room while he read whatever it was that had him so riveted. He looked up. “Well, that's interesting.”

“What?” Seth asked.

“It seems that Hank Newman had ten thousand dollars in cash deposited to his checking account five days ago.”

FIFTEEN

T
onya shook her head and sighed. “Okay, so someone paid him to come after me? That doesn't make any sense. No one paid him anything four years ago to attack me. Who would pay him—?” She ran a hand through her hair. “Argh! Nothing makes sense anymore.”

“So what's changed between then and now?” Clay asked.

“Nothing.” She stood and walked to the nearest window and looked out. “Nothing.”

Seth rubbed his eyes. “Okay, wait a minute. You said you found your favorite chocolates on your motor-home steps every Christmas.”

“Yes.”

“What if someone followed Grant?”

She shook her head. “That's only at Christmas.”

“But you're always in the same place every Christmas.”

She sank back onto the chair. “At the finals. In Las Vegas.”

“Grant would know that.”

“Of course he would.” She frowned. “But if Hank followed Grant back in December, why wait six months to start terrorizing me again?”

Seth pursed his lips and looked at Clay. “Good question.”

“Did you two talk about coming to Wrangler's Corner around anyone at the rodeo?”

Seth shook his head. “No, no one.”

Clay stood. “All right. Let's get you two back to the ranch.” Clay's phone rang. “Let me get that.”

Tonya and Seth slipped out the door and Lance followed them. They stood in the hall and waited for Clay to finish his call. “Thanks for your help, Lance.”

“Of course. Anytime.” He glanced at Seth's leg. “I heard you signed up to ride on Thursday night.”

“Yep.”

“You up for it?”

“I'm always up for it.”

Lance turned to Tonya. “Saw you on the lineup, too.”

She gave him a tight smile. “Yes.”

“Think that's a good idea?”

She lifted a brow at Seth. “
He
seems to think this is all going to be cleared up by then.”

“Sure hope he's right.”

Tonya nodded. “I do, too. Don't worry—if it's not, I won't be there. I won't put anyone in danger.”

“Hey, guys?” Clay stepped from the conference room and shut the door behind him. “That was one of my detective buddies in Nashville. He called to let me know that one of the workers from the rodeo reported his shirt missing and had to ask for another one. Said he was coming from another job and had it in his bag, but when he went to put it on, it was gone.”

“That just goes to prove that we were right,” Seth said. “Hank stole the shirt and put it on in order to gain access to staff areas.”

“Who was the staff person?” Tonya asked.

Clay consulted his notes. “Someone named Brian Lee.”

“I know him,” Tonya said. “He works a lot of the rodeos.”

“We'll track him down and see what he can tell us.” He nodded to the door. “I'll follow you back to the ranch. I have a couple of deputies who will be taking turns watching the place. Even have a few off-duty officer buddies from Nashville who've volunteered to spend some time here helping out, too, so we're well covered.”

“I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.”

Tonya and Seth climbed into Seth's truck and he turned the vehicle toward home. Clay fell in behind them.

They drove in silence for the next few minutes and Tonya figured Seth was doing what she was. Processing. It was a lot to take in. The fact that someone could want her dead simply because she didn't return his affection was beyond crazy. And frankly, if it hadn't been happening to her, she wouldn't have believed it.

“Where's he going?” Seth asked.

“What do you mean? Where's who going?”

“Clay. He just pulled off.” He unclipped his cell phone from his belt and passed it to her. “Can you call him and ask him what's going on? He's number three on speed dial.”

“Of course.” She pressed the button. The phone rang four times, then went to voice mail. She hung up. “He's not answering.”

The frown stayed on Seth's face and he pulled into the parking lot of a gas station that had long since closed down. He tapped his fingers on the wheel. “The only reason he'd turn off is if he knew we weren't in any danger.”

“And the only way he'd know that is if he knew where Hank was,” she said.

Seth nodded. “All right. We'll just keep going. He'll call when he can.” Seth pulled back out into the street and headed for the physical therapist's office. Tonya leaned her head back and sent up prayers. Hope dared to sprout. Seth was right. His brother never would have left them alone if they were still at risk. He knew where Hank was.

The phone rang and she looked at the screen. “It's Clay.” She handed the phone to him.

“Where'd you go?” Seth listened, then shot Tonya a victorious smile. “They've got him in custody.”

Relief crashed through her. The small seed of hope bloomed into a giddy gladness that made her light-headed. “Really?”

“Really. He's being taken into an interrogation room as we speak.” He turned his attention back to the phone. “So you have enough to keep him?” More listening. “Okay, keep us updated.” He hung up and parked in front of the physical therapist's office.

Tonya didn't move from her seat. She simply stared out the window. “I want to talk to him.”

“What?”

“I have to, Seth.”

“No, you don't.”

“If I don't, I'll never get past this fear, this hold he has on me. I want to see him.” Lifting her chin, she turned to him. “Correction. I don't
want
to—I
have
to.”

“And there's nothing I can do to talk you out of this?”

“No.”

“Fine.” He shoved a hand through his hair and sighed. “We can see what Clay says. I'm guessing they'll hold Newman here in Wrangler's Corner, question him, then move him to Nashville.”

“Then take me to see him, please.”

* * *

It was a small jail. Six cells for simply holding prisoners until they could be transferred to a prison in Nashville. Hank Newman sat in the second cell on the right. Heart thundering in her throat, Tonya approached it. Seth stayed right next to her and she appreciated his nearness.

His strength and unwavering support.

She stopped in front of the cell and looked at the man who lay on the cot in the corner. Hank Newman. The subject of her nightmares. The reason she'd had limited contact with her family. Seeing him behind bars gave her such a sense of relief she almost couldn't speak. And seeing him also confirmed that he'd been the one who'd followed her into the storage room at the arena. Not that she'd really doubted it, but his appearance was quite different. All except his eyes.

“How did you find me?” She was surprised how steady her voice was. Even with the bars between them, she still wanted to flee. Seth placed a hand on her back and she drew in a deep breath.

Hank simply looked at her. She met him stare for stare, refusing to look away, to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cower before him. She lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes.

A slight smirk curved his lips. He sat up, his dark gaze still locked with hers. “So kind of you to pay me a visit.”

She gave a light snort and felt her nerves ease slightly. “Kindness had nothing to do with it. How did you find me?”

He shrugged. “A little birdie told me.”

So someone really had told him? “What's kind is for that someone to pay you ten thousand dollars to kill me.”

His brows rose. “Hmm.”

“Who paid you, Hank?”

He sighed. “No one. I'd been saving for a while and just simply made a deposit before coming to watch the rodeo. Nothing illegal about that.”

“It's illegal to break into someone's home and try to strangle her. It's illegal to shoot at two people riding in the woods. It's illegal—”

He held up a hand and frowned. “What are you talking about? I didn't shoot at you.”

She snorted. “Right.”

He leaned forward and it was all Tonya could do not to step back. Her pulse still thundered, but she was in control. Hank was once again behind bars and he could no longer hurt her. “You're a liar,” she said softly. “A pathetic liar and I almost feel sorry for you.” She turned on her heel and nodded to Clay, who twisted the knob.

“I'm not a liar,” he called. “I'm many things, but I've never lied to you!” She turned back, almost believing him. He grinned and the lack of...anything, the emptiness in his eyes, chilled her all over again. How had she fallen for his smarmy charm and fakeness? She'd been so blind. He nodded. “You know I'm right. But it doesn't matter. You should have just married me, Tonya. All this could have been avoided if you'd just married me.”

She gave him her back without another word. Clay opened the door and she stepped into the hall. Seth reached for her and she slipped into his arms and laid her head against his chest. His heart beat as fast as hers. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“For what?”

“Being here.”

“Nowhere I'd rather be.”

And standing there in his arms, her past finally behind her sitting in a jail cell, she decided she was just fine to let him hold her.

Clay cleared his throat and Seth gently pushed her back from him, glanced at his brother, then back at her. He cupped her chin. “I hate to be the one to say this, but you realize this isn't over, don't you?”

“What do you mean?”

Clay crossed his arms. “My brother's right. Hank may be in jail, but he recently deposited a large sum of money into his bank account. I won't rest easy until I know why.”

She frowned. “Like I said before, it just doesn't make any sense. Why would someone pay Hank to kill me? Who knows enough of our relationship to even think of doing it?”

“Well, Hank didn't pay
himself
ten thousand dollars, so this isn't over yet.”

* * *

By Wednesday morning, Seth was ready to concede that maybe Hank had been working alone. All had been quiet even though Clay hadn't called off the officers watching the house. Contrary to what Seth thought, however, Clay was still convinced Hank hadn't been working alone.

Seth propped his sore leg on the ottoman and leaned back in his father's favorite recliner. Tonya had been gold around the ranch, working and helping like one of the hands. His parents were crazy about her and Seth had to admit he could understand that. She'd been quiet and preoccupied since seeing Hank in the jail but had talked to her family, who'd said they planned to come for the rodeo. “
If
I ride in it,” Tonya had told him.

He'd nodded. “That's your call at this point. I thought once Hank was out of the picture...” He'd shrugged. “But if there's someone else involved, I'm inclined to agree it might not be the best idea. But it's been quiet, so...” He'd spread his hands. “I don't know what to tell you.”

“I know. I don't know which way to go with this. I'm already committed, so...” She'd sighed and gone back to working on the saddle she'd been cleaning.

His phone rang, pulling him from his thoughts. It was Clay. “Hey there, big brother. What's up?”

“I just got some information I thought I'd pass on to you.”

“What's that?”

“Our computer guy was able to enlarge the badge enough to see the name. John Dough. Spelled
D-O-U-G-H
.”

Seth groaned. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. Someone with some skills was able to duplicate one of the badges, print it off and make it look authentic. But there's no way that's a real name.”

“Great.”

“Yep. Just wanted to let you know.”

“Thanks.”

Seth hung up, pinched the bridge of his nose, then decided he needed to talk to someone. He dialed his buddy Jake. “'Lo?”

“You sleeping in the middle of the day?”

“Glory was over here last night whining about the rodeo being canceled and wondering what she was going to do in the meantime. Just FYI...she was also full of regrets about walking out on you.”

Seth's heart didn't even twinge. He smiled. “That's because Jodie's not in the top fifteen anymore.” He held no ill will toward Glory. Instead he just felt sad for her.

“Yeah, that's what I figured.”

Jodie McDonald had been one of the favored riders to be headed to the NFR in Las Vegas in December this year. When Seth had been knocked out of last year's finals, Jodie had been bumped up to the fifteenth spot, squeaking his way in. Glory had latched on to him like a leech. Only now Jodie had had two bad rides and was lagging behind at around the seventeenth spot. “Poor Glory.” He sighed. “She'll figure it out one day.”

“One can hope. And who knows? Maybe Jodie will have a miraculous comeback? Kinda like someone else we know?” He cleared his throat. “So how are you doing? You at your parents' ranch?”

Seth sat up and put his feet on the floor. He ignored the twinge in his leg. At least it was feeling better. He'd been doing his physical therapy exercises even though he'd skipped the appointment on Monday. He'd been a bit preoccupied. “I am.”

“Man, it's been crazy around here. Wish I had some place to escape to.”

“You're still at the arena?”

“They're letting us stay put for now. Looks like the rodeo might happen week after next.”

“Cool. I'll put it on my calendar.” He'd been so out of touch he hadn't heard that the event had been rescheduled.

“You riding in the Wrangler's Corner rodeo that's starting this Thursday?”

“Yep. I'm all signed up.”

“Think I might join you.”

Seth frowned. “Why would you do that?”

“Got nothing better to do and it would be fun to raise money for charity. You got that little RV park on the outskirts of town, right?”