A Texas Child

“Hi there, Myra. How are you today?” Tom was divorced and considered himself a ladies’ man. Being unattached made her a target for his unwanted flirting.

“Any news?”

“No. Nothing is popping up. It’s as if he’s disappeared into thin air.”

“Have the Brownsville police made another visit to Marco’s parents’ house?”

“Now, sweet cheeks, they’ve got as big of a caseload as we do and they’re not going to keep tabs on that house. They don’t have the manpower.”

She took a deep breath. “A little boy is missing.”

“I know that and we’re doing everything we can. If I hear anything, I’ll call you.”

“I’m hiring outside help.”

“Well, sweet cheeks, that’s your prerogative. But I didn’t know the D.A.’s office was into funding preferred cases.”

“This has nothing to do with the D.A.’s office. This is personal and we’re not using public resources, so you can take your snotty-nosed comments and stick ’em.”

“C’mon, Myra, I—”

She clicked off and took several deep breaths. “Idiot.” She wasn’t going to let that chauvinist ass upset her. As a lawyer, she’d met numerous Tom Hadleys and their egos were the biggest part about them.

She checked her messages. Why hadn’t Mick returned her call? He was usually very prompt. Movement by the nurses’ station caught her attention and she saw Stu and an orderly had arrived. Myra hurried over.

“You okay?”

“Yes. Just a little tired.” Stu was in a wheelchair with a portable oxygen tank attached if he needed it, which he did. His face was flushed from the drive over.

“I’ll take him in,” she said to the orderly.

“Have you seen her?” Stu asked.

“I was waiting for you, but the doctor says there’s no change.”

She pushed Stu into one of the small rooms that faced the nurses’ station. Natalie lay completely motionless with tubes in her arms and a ventilator tube in her throat. A tube was also attached to her head where they had drilled holes in her skull to release the pressure on her brain. They’d shaved her head, too. The left side of Natalie’s face was badly bruised, as was her neck. She was very pale and the only color on her face was the dark eyelashes lying softly against her skin. The only sound in the room was the beeping of the monitors.

“Oh, my poor baby girl.” Stu reached out a hand to touch his daughter. “Baby, it’s Daddy. Can you hear me? Please wake up. Daniel needs you. I need you. Baby, please wake up.”

As Myra watched her lifeless friend, she blamed herself. She’d seen all the signs, the bruises and heard the lame excuses Natalie made for them. They were roughhousing or making love and Marco didn’t mean to hurt her. Then her vibrant energetic friend had turned into someone Myra didn’t know. Natalie was continually late for work, broke their lunch dates and, most of the time, looked stressed. When Myra questioned her, Natalie would become defensive, so she’d backed off and let her live her life her way. Looking back, Myra should’ve had the bastard arrested the first time she saw a bruise. Why hadn’t she? She respected Natalie’s privacy. But that counted for very little now.

“Ms. Delgado,” a nurse spoke from behind her.

She turned. “Yes.”

“There’s a man asking for you.”

“Here?”

“He’s in the waiting area.”

“Did he give a name?”

“No.”

“Give me a minute.”

The nurse walked out.

It had to be Mick. He must have tracked her down, but that was odd for him. “I’ll be right outside,” she said to Stu.

“Take your time. I just want to look at my baby girl.”

Myra patted Stu’s shaky hands and went to the nurses’ station. The nurse pointed to the waiting area and whispered, “If he’s single, I want his phone number.”

Myra was taken aback. Mick was portly and bald. She couldn’t imagine him generating that kind of response. She stopped short in the entrance to the room. The place was empty except for the man standing at the window looking out: tall, broad shoulders, in jeans, boots and a Stetson. Only one person stood that straight with a proud lift of his head.

Levi.

She swayed as the blood rushed from her head to her now-wildly beating heart. Had he changed his mind?

“Levi, what are you doing here?”

* * *

LEVI SWUNG AROUND, wondering the same thing. He did what he’d been taught his whole life. He told the truth and didn’t stonewall. “You wanted to hire me. I’m here.”

“But you said—”

“I know. I let my anger get the best of me, but I realized I don’t have to work with you. You’re just the middle person. I’ll do my best to find Stu’s grandson and then we’ll part ways again. This time for good.”

“I see.”

The hurt look in her dark eyes got to him for a second and then he quickly pushed it away. He wasn’t making this personal.

“What about Valerie?”

“She understands my job takes me away from time to time and she trusts me.”

“Must be nice.”

“Mutual trust always is.”

She opened her mouth to say something and snapped it shut. Myra wasn’t known for holding back. Maybe she had matured.

“If the trail leads to Mexico and the drug cartel, Stu will have to admit it’s a lost cause. There’s no way to guarantee anyone’s safety in that situation.”

“I’ve already contacted another P.I.,” she said more to herself than to him, it seemed.