Cold Case at Cobra Creek

Dugan raked his hand over the lot of them, spreading a half dozen different licenses across the bed. “Each one of these has a different name.”

“My God, Dugan,” Sage whispered. “Ron Lewis wasn’t his real name.”

“No.” Dugan met her gaze. Aliases indicated the man might have been a professional con man. “And if he lied about who he was, no telling what else he lied about.”

* * *

SAGE SANK ONTO the bed, in shock. “I can’t believe he lied to me, that he had all these other identities.” She felt like such a fool. “Why would he do that, Dugan? Why come here and make me think he was someone else? Just to make me fall for him?”

Dugan’s mouth flattened. “Do you have a lot of money, Sage?”

“No.” She gestured around the room. “I put everything into remodeling this house as a bed and breakfast.”

“You don’t have a trust fund somewhere?”

“God, no,” Sage said, embarrassed to admit the truth, “I’m in debt up to my eyeballs.”

“Then he didn’t fabricate his lies to swindle you out of money,” Dugan said. “My guess is that this business of a land development was some kind of sham. You just happened to get caught in the middle.”

“So, he never really cared for me,” Sage said. She’d asked herself that a thousand times the past two years, but facing the truth was humiliating. It also meant she’d endangered her son by falling for Ron Lewis’s lies.

Dugan’s apologetic look made her feel even more like an idiot.

“Even if he was running a con, maybe he really did fall in love with you and Benji,” Dugan suggested.

“Yeah,” Sage said wryly. “Maybe he was going to change for me.” She picked up one of the fake IDs, read the name, then threw it against the wall. “More like, he took me for a moron and used me.” She studied another name, her mind racing. “But why take Benji that day?”

“I don’t know.” Dugan shrugged. “Did he know about your debt?”

Sage nodded. “He told me not to worry, that when this deal came through, my B and B would be overflowing with business and we’d make a fortune.”

“Maybe he meant that,” Dugan said. “Maybe he really wanted to make things better for you and your son.”

Sage made a sound of disgust. “Like you said before, Dugan, he lied about his name. What else was he lying about?” She scattered the IDs around, trying to recall if he’d mentioned any of the other names he’d used. “I can’t believe I fell for everything he said.” Because she’d been lonely. Vulnerable.

Had liked the idea of having a father for her son.

Never again would she let down her guard.

Not for any man, no matter what.

* * *

DUGAN GATHERED THE fake IDs to investigate them. As much as he wanted to assure her that Lewis had been sincere about his intentions with her, the phony IDs said otherwise.

A liar was a liar, and Dugan hadn’t found just one alias. The man had a string of them.

Meaning he probably had a rap sheet, as well, and maybe had committed numerous crimes.

It also opened up a Pandora’s box. Any one of the persons he’d conned or lied to might have wanted revenge against him.

The fact that he’d lied to Sage suggested he might have lied to other women. Hell, he might have a slew of girlfriends or wives scattered across Texas. Maybe one in each city where he’d worked or visited.

All with motive, as well.

“Do you know who Lewis met with in town about the new development?”

“George Bates, from the bank,” Sage said. “He also met with the town council and talked to several landowners, but I’m not certain which ones or how far he got with them.”

“I’ll start with Bates.” Dugan stuck the envelope of IDs inside his rawhide jacket.

Sage followed him to the door. “Are you going to the sheriff with this?”

Dugan shook his head. “I don’t think he’d like me nosing into this, and I don’t trust him to find the truth.”

“I agree.” Sage rubbed her hands up and down her arms, as if to warm herself. The temptation to comfort her pulled at Dugan.

God, she was beautiful. He’d admired her from afar ever since the first time he laid eyes on her. But he’d known then that she was too good for a jaded man like him. She and her little boy deserved a good man who’d take care of them.

And that man wasn’t him.

But just because he couldn’t have her for himself didn’t mean that he wouldn’t do right by her. He would take this case.

Because there was the possibility that Benji was alive.

Dugan wouldn’t rest until he found him and Sage knew the truth about what had happened two years ago.

Sage caught his arm as he started to leave the room. “Dugan, promise me one thing.”

He studied her solemn face. Hated the pain in her eyes. “What?”

“That you won’t keep things from me. No matter what you find, I want—I need—to know the truth. I’ve been lied to too many times already.”

He cradled her hand in his and squeezed it, ignoring the heat that shot through him at her touch. “I promise, Sage.”

Hell, he wanted to promise more.

But he hurried down the steps to keep himself from becoming like Lewis and telling her what she wanted to hear instead of the truth.

Because the truth was that he had no idea what answers he would find.

* * *

SAGE WATCHED DUGAN LEAVE, a sense of trepidation filling her.

At least he was willing to help her look for the answers. But the phony drivers’ licenses had shocked her to the core.

How could she have been so gullible when Ron was obviously a professional liar? And now that she knew Ron Lewis wasn’t his real name, who was he?