A Texas Family

The door opened and his friend Levi Coyote strolled in with two cups of coffee. “Hey, I haven’t seen you in a week, so I thought I’d stop by for a minute. I even brought coffee.” He and Levi had been friends since they were kids. Along with Ethan James, another friend, they’d been as inseparable as brothers growing up. Ethan was a detective in Austin and Levi was now a private investigator, but their roots ran deep in Willow Creek.

“Thanks. I could use it.” He took a sip from the disposable cup.

Levi pulled up a chair. He was a tall, muscled guy. Carson and Ethan decided a long time ago that in case of a fight it was always good to have Levi on their side.

“What’s the hangdog expression about?”

“Jena Brooks is back in town.”

“Shit.” Levi almost spit coffee all over the room. “Is her child with her?”

“No, and that’s the problem.” He told his friend what Jena had told him.

“Man, that’s quite a story.”

“Yeah, but she’s not lying. I found the bloodstain in the basement.”

Levi shook his head. “Asa’s always been a little off-kilter, but since losing Jared he’s been way off.”

“He hasn’t been able to cope with Jared’s murder, and I’m so afraid...that baby is dead.”

“If he did something so heinous, you’ll never find the body on the Bar C. It’s too big. Where would you start digging?”

“Oh, man.” He ran his hands over his face. “This is hell. I might have to arrest Asa. I can’t do that, Levi. I can’t do that to my own father.”

“Just take it slow. You’ll need more than that stain in the basement to prove Asa was involved. Start searching for info. You know people around here love to talk, and I’ll help. I’ll be away on a case today and tomorrow, but I’ll check with you when I get back.”

“Thanks.” Carson placed his hand on the papers on his desk. “I’ve been going through the murder files, and I can’t understand why Lamar would kill Jared. You were around at the time. Did he hate Jared?”

“Just the opposite. He bragged about his daughter marrying a Corbett. She’d never want for anything.”

“Did Jared ask Jena to marry him?”

“Not to my knowledge, but I remember he was crazy about her.”

“Maybe it was more about the sex than something long-term. Maybe Lamar confronted Jared and demanded he marry his daughter and one thing led to another.”

Levi shrugged. “Could be. But it was real stupid of Lamar to leave his shotgun at the scene.”

“Mmm.” Carson flipped through the files. “After my dad was ruled out as the murderer, no one else was ever questioned.”

“Nope. They closed the case and no one objected.”

“Why? That’s not normal police procedure.”

“I was clocking a lot of hours as a cop in Austin at the time, but Pop said the sheriff investigated and a Texas Ranger got involved. Then suddenly the case was closed. Like I said, no one was too concerned who killed Lamar Brooks. He’d murdered an innocent boy, and everyone felt he got what he deserved.”

“That’s not justice.” Carson had a bitter taste in his mouth that so much about what had happened back then seemed to be overlooked and easily forgotten.

Levi shrugged.

Carson shifted through the papers. “Bernie doesn’t have too much, but I’ll read through all of it, and then I’ll go to San Marcos to see what the sheriff has on the murders.”

“Don’t expect too much.” Levi crushed the cup in his hand. “The case was wrapped up quickly. My advice is to talk to Minnie again. She’s your weak link. And, of course, Asa.”

“He had a bad night. When he wakes up, I plan to confront him.”

Levi stood and aimed the cup toward the trash can. It landed perfectly. “Bam. Three points. Coffee’s on you next time.”

“You got it.” He picked up the lawyer’s card from his desk. “Ms. Brooks works for a criminal attorney now. She’s giving me a chance to find her child, and then she’s turning it over to the attorney.”

“Damn. That’s the last thing you need.”

“Yeah. Because of Pa’s involvement I can’t let her do that. I’ll have to call Ms. Brooks and ask for more time.”

“Do you think she’ll agree to that?”

“I don’t know. She seems...nice.”

“Nice?” Levi lifted an eyebrow.

“She was determined at first, but when I talked to her last night she seemed more amenable. She just wants to know what happened to her child, and I understand that. I feel for what she’s been through.”

“Oh, crap.”

“What?”

“You’re getting...hmm?” Levi’s eyes narrowed in thought. “What is that word women keep telling us we don’t have?” He snapped his fingers. “Emotions. Yeah, that’s it. You’re letting your emotions rule your head.”

“I am not!”

“This is how it starts, you know. The dance. The romance.”

Carson leaned back in his chair. “I can honestly say there will never be any romance between Ms. Brooks and me. There are a million reasons why. The number one reason is her father murdered my brother, and there’s no love strong enough to overcome that. Besides, I have no romantic interest in Ms. Brooks. My goal is to find her child and try to keep my father from being arrested.”

“What does she look like now?”

“What?” He was thrown for a second.

“She was a pretty teenager. I bet she turned into a beautiful woman.”

“I didn’t look that closely.” He frowned at his friend. “Besides, the first time I saw her, she was hurling accusations right and left, and I just wanted to get her out of my office and out of my life.”

“Good.” Levi glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to run. Talk to you when I get back.”

As Levi walked out, Carson linked his hands behind his head. He had lied to his friend. He knew exactly what Jena Brooks looked like: she had sad, soulful dark eyes, dark flowing hair and a smooth curvy body that was titillating when bathed in sweat. He’d never admit that to anyone but himself. Since Beth, he hadn’t even looked at another woman, and it bothered him that he’d noticed Jena.

No, there could never be anything between him and Jena except a past they both wanted to forget.