Deadly Texas Rose

Adam shook his head. “You saw the man’s eyes. He was too far gone. For some strange reason, he picked a bad day to rob the place.” Then he shook his head. “And even though we let him get away, he left a trail of evidence—bloodstains on Julia’s blouse and fingerprints on both the outside door and the swinging door from the kitchen.”

“Got any leads?”

“As a matter of fact, I think we do,” Adam said, handing Eric a printout, then added, “Of course, officially, I’m not supposed to have this information. So, unofficially and just for your information, we had a sketch artist come over from Longview and talk to several of the witnesses, including Julia, Cat and me.”

Eric lifted his chin. “Yeah, I gave a description while I was in the hospital, the whole routine. Tell me something I don’t know.”

Adam tapped the papers he was holding. “Based on the sketch and the fingerprints we were able to lift, we’ve established his identity. We found some fresh prints on the back door, ran ’em through AFIS and came up with a positive match. We’ve narrowed it down, based on the eye witness descriptions and the sketch. When we hear from the DNA samples, we’ll have it confirmed. His name is Mingo Tolar, last known address a seedy hotel in El Paso. And he has a record as long as my arm.”

Eric read over the sheet, then glanced at the sketch. “Petty theft, drunk and disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, trespassing and resisting arrest, possession of narcotics. Why does that not surprise me?” Then he shook the rap sheet. “So if this is our man—and this looks exactly like him—how’d he wind up all the way across the state in a tiny town like Wildflower?”

“Maybe he was a mule,” Adam replied. “Just passing through on a drug run along the interstate. Maybe he needed some drug money. He might have sampled the goods, panicked, thought he’d better replace the merchandise. He was high when he hit us, so that means he was also careless. We’ll know more when the DNA results from the blood drops we found come back from the CODIS lab in Ft. Worth.”

“Did we locate a vehicle?”

“Not yet. He either had someone waiting in a getaway car, or he might have hidden until he could run. He was pretty strung out, best I can remember.”

“No wonder he was such a loose cannon.”

“All the more reason for us to get Julia away from him before he could take off with her.” Adam shrugged, shook out the tightness in his muscles. “I just wish I could have caught him. We searched every building around here and immediately sent out patrols. Amazing how he got away so quickly.”

Eric nodded, letting the information settle in his gut. Letting a bad guy slip right through their fingers hadn’t gone over very well with the department. Reminding himself that he and Adam had at least saved Julia, he shifted on his feet. “Something just isn’t sitting right.”

“Maybe the fact that I’m stuck on a desk job until this is cleared up, and you’re on sick leave for a few more days, or that we’re not even supposed to be investigating this thing, period?”

Eric looked around, then shrugged. “We were involved. That tends to make a man curious. And…regardless of whether I’m the official investigating officer or not, I need some answers.”

Adam slanted a look at him. “Talk to me, brother.”

Eric closed his eyes, going over the details one more time in his mind. He thought about Julia’s expression, about the man’s skittishness, about how she’d silently appealed to Eric to help her. There had been something else there in her eyes, something Eric couldn’t quite pinpoint.

But Adam’s next words brought it all to the surface. “It’s like he went straight for Julia, know what I mean? Almost like the money was an afterthought.”

Eric glanced from his friend back into the restaurant. “Yeah, I do know what you mean. And you know what else? It’s like Julia Daniels had been expecting someone to do just that.”

She hadn’t expected all this attention. The publicity generated from both the newspapers and the television stations had Julia’s head throbbing. And had her even more worried that she’d somehow be discovered. It was bad enough, having to give detailed statements to the investigators, then having to describe the man to a sketch artist.

If she only knew what she’d been running from, she might be able to get a better grip on her sanity. Between the ringing phone and the network crews from both Longview to the west and Shreveport to the east in Louisiana, she hadn’t had a chance to even do her Saturday chores and errands. And Moria was asking more and more questions.

Julia glanced out the front window, glad to see the camera crews had left. She wasn’t giving any more statements. She was done with this.

But as she turned to go do the laundry, she heard a car door slam. Rushing back to the window, she peeked through the blinds to see who was out there now.

Eric Butler.

Julia’s heart went into overdrive. What was he doing here? And why hadn’t she combed her hair and put on some makeup this morning? Running her hands through her long tresses, Julia decided she didn’t care. She had too much to worry about. The good deputy was probably just checking on her out of a sense of duty.

And she did owe him a lot. At least a cup of coffee and a slice of pie.

But when she opened the door, Eric Butler didn’t look as if he were in the mood for either. “Hello,” Julia said, trying to give him a reassuring smile.

“Hi, yourself. Got a minute?”

“Of course.” She waved him into the room. “I’m glad you came by. I’ve been meaning to come and see you.”

He gave her one of his level, steady looks. “Oh, and why is that?”

Julia’s heart sent a warning jolt through her system. “Well, to thank you, of course. You most likely saved my life. I…appreciate it.”

He waved his good arm in the air. “Don’t worry about that.” Then he looked into her eyes, his expression as calm and centered as the still American flag hanging on her front porch. “We couldn’t let that man take you with him.”

“I didn’t want to go with him.” She turned toward the kitchen. “Want some coffee? Some of Cat’s famous apple pie? She brought a fresh one by just this morning.”

Silence.

Julia turned to look at him. “Deputy?”

“Call me Eric,” he said, lifting a shoulder off the porch post.

“Okay. Eric, would you like some coffee and pie?”

“What I want, Mrs. Daniels, is the truth.”

Swallowing back her surprise, she retorted, “Call me Julia.”

“Okay. Julia, we need to talk.”

Julia could understand how a criminal would be intimidated by this man. He stood almost six feet tall and right now he was all business. “I’m not sure I understand,” she said, wondering if he’d already found out about Alfonso’s mysterious death. Had he also found out something that would incriminate her? “I’ve talked to just about everyone in the sheriff’s department and the police department. What do we need to discuss?”

Eric took two long strides toward her. “I want you to tell me why that man would have come to Wildflower…. Looking for you?”

Julia gasped, then shrank back. “I don’t…I mean…I didn’t know he was looking for me.” She sank down on a chair, then stared up at him. “What are you talking about? Was he looking for me?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Eric replied, his tone gentle now, his expression relaxing. “I’m just trying to figure this thing out, so it can make some sense. I don’t believe this was a routine robbery. Got anything you’d like to share with me about all of this?”

“I didn’t know that man, if that’s what you’re asking,” Julia replied, praying Moria would stay in her room a little while longer. She didn’t want her daughter to hear this conversation. “I’m telling you the truth. I’d never seen him before. Maybe you need to be honest with me, too, Deputy. If I’m in danger. If my daughter is—”

“I didn’t say that.” He let out a breath. “We’re still investigating. We’ve put out an APB based on eyewitness descriptions and our findings, and we have a rap sheet and a positive ID on someone who fits the robber’s description. He’s a dangerous man, which is why I’m trying—on my own time—to do a more detailed investigation into his background.”

“So I don’t have to talk to you, since you’re not even supposed to be here, right?”

His gaze swept over her face, then back down. “No, you don’t have to tell me anything. But…I’m trying to help you here.” He glanced at the picture of Moria sitting on the coffee table. “For your daughter’s sake, at least.”

Julia couldn’t tell him to go away after that. “What do you need to know?”

Satisfied that they understood each other, he said, “His name was Mingo Tolar. Ring a bell?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry, it doesn’t.”