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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Charley. But I always knew you’d be a success. I should have paid more attention to my
brain years ago.”
“Dallas…”
“It’s okay. Just commenting. Go ahead with your work. I might doze a little.”
As tightly strung as he was at the moment I didn’t think that was possible, but he
stretched back out on the couch and pulled his ball cap down over his face. I looked
around the cabin. Some of the band members were sleeping, others were reading. Two
of them had the ear buds from iPods plugged in. One of the rhythm guitar players had
his instrument out and was idly picking at it.
Sawyer was still in his seat at the back, briefcase open, scribbling on a yellow pad of
paper. I’d have given anything to be able to walk over there and get a look at what he
was doing.
I shifted my gaze to Morgan, who was working on the little netbook he always
carried with him.
“It’s how I keep up with the ranch,” he told me. “My foreman sends me reports
every day. It also allows me to tap into the financials on Dallas.”
“I love mine. That’s for sure.”
I turned back to the papers in my hand. The next page made me frown.
“There’s something funny about Todd Mullins’ wife and child. Rick sent someone to Benton
Springs to talk to them but there was no one there. The neighbors don’t know a thing except
they’ve never seen a child and the wife is gone a lot.”
The place inside me where my gut instinct lived began to itch, a sure sign that
something was hinky. I just couldn’t figure out what. Did Todd not have a child? What
possible reason could there be for creating a phantom? And how would that play into
this situation? He’d been with Dallas all these years. Surely if something was off-key
Dallas would know about it. I made a mental note to ask him about it later.
“Rick said someone’s on this and we’ll find out whatever we need to know. Call me after you
land and get checked into the hotel. Also more about Sawyer Black. Rick says he’s checking
something but he won’t say yet what it is.”
Sawyer Black. Wouldn’t I just love to pin something on him but I still couldn’t find
a motive. Besides, he’d been in the trailer with us when the shot was taken at the
concert and in New York at a dinner when the truck had been shot at. Of course he
could hire someone but a stranger around the group would be a red flag.
The early notes had indicated the band and road crew were all in Texas at the time
so realistically it could have been anyone of them. Great. No suspects or an abundance
of them.
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Downstroke
The last item was on Randy Mueller.
“Rick says the guy is bad news. He was in the truck when Dallas rolled it, and five surgeries
couldn’t make his hand work enough to play guitar again. All his medical bills were paid and
Dallas made sure Sawyer Black got roadie gigs for the man. According to sources, he began to
drink heavily and nearly got fired several times. His wife left him and he lost his house to
foreclosure. Sawyer apparently straightened him out so he could work. When Dallas began to
tour again he insisted Randy be part of the crew. But apparently he still hangs out in country
bars when he’s not working and badmouths Dallas any chance he gets. Tells anyone who’ll listen
the man ruined his life. More to come, I’m sure.”
Randy Mueller was a bad apple but was he really a killer? Except for the lighting
truss incident he’d been pretty invisible since we came on board with the tour, but the
whole thing could be an act. In my experience simmering anger often was the most
dangerous kind.
A lot of loose threads were still twisting in the wind, and I had to be careful not to
pull the wrong one. Jump on someone just because I didn’t like them. That was too easy
to do. In my early years with the FBI, that had happened a couple of times. A very
expensive lesson learned the hard way.
We had a lot of work to do yet and I still needed to talk to Lynette Touhey.
Swallowing a sigh, I shoved the papers back into my briefcase and looked at my watch.
Less than an hour before we landed. I forced myself to finish my lunch then powered
up my netbook to check my emails.
One from Lynette, speak of the devil.
“Will call you later today. Found some interesting things and trying to follow them.”
From Jacquie…
“Look for more emails today.” And an additional note that she was sending updates
about other contracts we had going at the moment. “Nothing big. Just keeping you in the
loop.” What would I ever do without her? Sometimes I wondered which of us was really
in charge.
From Chase…
“Everything on target with equipment and road crew. Update later.”
I shut down the little laptop, stashed it in my tote and leaned back in my seat. I
didn’t realize I had dozed off until Morgan reached over and touched my hand,
startling me awake.
“We’re getting ready to land, Charley.”
I blinked, trying to shake the sleep from my eyes. Well, I’d hardly had any rest the
night before and my body must have been complaining.
“Okay. I’m good.”
I looked at Dallas, who was sitting up on the couch now. He gave me one of his
long, slow smiles and a warm feeling seeped through me. Three days ago I’d still been
141
Desiree Holt
ready to roast his balls if I ever saw him again. Now I was clinging hopefully to the
possibility of a future. Funny how things turned upside down so quickly.
Chase and Mike were first out of the plane as soon as the door opened and the
stairs lowered.
“Let’s wait until we get the all clear,” I told everyone else, raising my voice enough
to be heard.
There was some grumbling as Sawyer and the band members moved forward to
deplane but Dallas just stared at them and everyone kept their thoughts to themselves.
Finally the little radio on my belt crackled to life with Mike’s voice giving me the all
clear, and I began shepherding people onto the tarmac. I insisted Dallas wait with me
until everyone else had climbed down the stairway.
Mike was waiting for us beside the ever-present black SUV. I knew behind his
sunglasses he was scanning the area, hand resting on the grip of his pistol, until we
were all loaded and on the way. The other vehicles carrying the musicians and Sawyer
were already pulling away and I stared after them. Someone close to Dallas was a killer.
I felt it.
Was it one of these people?
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Downstroke
Chapter Fourteen
Dallas swallowed a smile when they walked into the suite and he glanced around. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
