Page 14 of Homicide in Water Creek

“My guess is that Wade Owens is a cover,” King said, his voice low and grumbling. Something about his demeanor was off today, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. “His cover is a bit too perfect. Then there was what I overheard when he was on the phone last night.”

King was angry. That’s what was off about him. Was he angry at her? Granddaddy? Keene? His mother? Jacks didn’t know, but he was definitely angry. Wait. He heard Chinos on the phone last night?

“What did you hear last night?” Granddaddy asked. She slid closer to the doorway to hear better.

“I’d been to see Keene and was taking the shortcut back to town. I heard Chinos on the phone behind the arena, talking to someone. He kept referring to the boss but didn’t give any names. I could only hear his side of the conversation, so it wasn’t entirely clear what his reason was for being here, but it’s not to be a cowboy.”

“How did you hear him without being seen?”

“I was able to hide behind a bush and wait.”

“What did he say to this guy on the phone?” Granddaddy asked, his voice trembling with anger.

“He said he’d done the reconnaissance work and that he almost had it. He didn’t say what ‘it’ was or how he would obtain it. Whoever his boss is, he gave Chinos two weeks to get the information.”

The room fell silent. She knew those two men better than anyone else in her life and could picture their mannerisms in her mind's eye. Granddaddy was staring over King’s right shoulder, his jaw ticking as he processed the information. King was calm on the outside, but his body was tense as he tapped his fingers to the rhythm of his favorite ’80s rock song.

“What are we going to do about this?” Granddaddy finally asked.

“I’ll head to the station to run a more thorough background check. If nothing turns up, I may need to get his prints. In the meantime, don’t let on that anything is amiss. Keep dibs on him and don’t let your guard down. Make sure your houses are locked and that he’s accounted for at all times until I get in touch. I hope to have the information sorted by tonight.”

“Then what do we do?” Granddaddy asked.

“Depends on what I find.”

“Do you think he’s out to hurt us?” Granddaddy’s voice held a hint of fear.

“I don’t think he’s here to hurt you physically. I think he’s here to harm your business, but I can’t prove it just yet. Give me a few hours, and we’ll get back together.”

“We’ll be riding outside today, which should keep him busy. He’s mucking the horse barns right now with the rest of the guys. I’d like to point out that it’s going to be hard to get his prints, King. His fingertips are gone.”

“If it comes to that, we’ll have to try to get a complete thumbprint, since he still has those, but I understand it will be a challenge.”

“We’ll do it your way,” Granddaddy said. “Everyone will be back for chow at six tonight.”

“I’ll plan to meet you here then,” King paused, and she imagined him checking the clock. “That gives me eight hours, which should be more than enough time to ferret out the truth about this guy. Call me with any problems.”

“Thanks, Dean.”

When she peeked around the corner, they were shaking hands, both men staring each other down. It was King who spoke next, and his words took her breath away.

“On a personal note, Jackson, I want to apologize for my granddaddy.”

“What did that old bastard do now?” Granddaddy laughed, but King did not.

“This happened a long time ago. This morning, he revealed to me that he was the one who told Jacks we couldn’t see each other. I just wanted to apologize for whatever he said to convince you to comply with his wishes. It wasn’t right of him to do that.”

That explained his anger. He was mad at Keene for trying to control his life all those years ago.

Her granddaddy shook his head, his hand going to his hip. “Dean, Keene didn’t convince me to do anything. I agreed with him after he explained his position.”

She froze in the kitchen doorway, staring at the man who had raised her like a daughter. She couldn’t suppress a gasp as she rubbed her side. “You have got to be kidding me,” she whispered, taking a step back, then another.

“Jacks,” King said, holding out his hand as she turned and darted through the house.

“Let her go,” Granddaddy said, and that was all she needed to hear.

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