Hole in the Heart Read online

  “Thanks.” Farrell stood at the front of the office and glanced around. The building was old, red brick two storey, but the inside had been updated. A dozen desks, a few filing cabinets lining the back wall, and a hallway leading to two or three private offices.

  He stood and waited, and a deputy in uniform strolled out of the back and came towards him with a big smile on his face. “Hey, you Dead-eye Donovan out of Austin?” The big guy stuck out a hand and Farrell shook it. “Always wanted to meet you, buddy. Come on back and tell me your troubles.”

  I ain’t your buddy.

  Farrell faked a smile and followed down the hall and into the sheriff’s office. This guy, Deputy Matt Singleton, must be acting while the sheriff was off. Farrell disliked the asshole right away. Heavy build with his brown curly hair hanging in his brown eyes, the guy walked with a swagger that would get him killed in seconds in the wrong part of the city.

  “What can we do for the Violent Crime Team here in Rankin County? We’ve got a peaceful little piece of Texas here and we like to keep it that way.” He chuckled as if it was all his own doing.

  “You had a request from a Miss Avery Dennison about her missing sister a couple of days ago?”

  “Did we? Things have been hectic with the spring fair on in Eldorado n’all.” Matt turned on the sheriff’s computer and did some typing. “What day was it?”

  “Wednesday evening, I believe,” said Farrell, “and Miss Dennison said she’d called a couple times since then.”

  “Don’t see nothing here, but then we get a lot of calls that are just that—calls about nothing.”

  “How can it be nothing if her sister’s been gone three days?”

  “Hey, don’t get all snarky with me Mr. Dead-eye Donovan. Could be any number of reasons and nothing to do with law enforcement. Get my meaning?”

  Fuming and itching to plant a fist in Matt’s miserable face, Farrell stood up and leaned on the desk. “Tell me what steps you took to find her sister.”

  Matt shrugged. “Hey, I don’t know. It wasn’t assigned to me.”

  “Who was it assigned to?”

  “Can’t tell you that. Nothing in the computer.”

  “Give me the sheriff’s home number.”

  “No fuckin way. You won’t get that out of me on his day off.”

  “Forget it. I’ll get it myself.”

  Bluebonnet. Texas.

  SUPER PISSED at the dickwad deputy, Farrell jumped in his truck and punched Bluebonnet into the GPS. He followed the navigator babe’s directions and drove west then north, then west again. He thought for sure he was lost, swore at Lola or whatever her name was a couple of times, then she came through for him. He was there.

  Welcome to Bluebonnet, the sign said in big blue letters with blue flowers scattered all over the white sign. The main street of Bluebonnet was two blocks long, if you could call them blocks. The first block was occupied by a small grocery store with signs for an ATM and cold beer. Next to the store was a barber shop. A diner with a neon ‘open’ sign in the window was on the other side of the street. One car parked at the curb.

  The second block had a hardware store that filled up one side of the street and opposite was an old two-storey brick building with the store fronts boarded up and an apartment for rent upstairs. Farrell drove through the village and the last business offering was a gas station with a convenience store attached.

  He pulled into the parking area in front of the store and went inside. “I’m trying to find Avery Dennison,” he said to the girl at the front counter. “Do you know where she lives?”

  “Sure do.” She stood up and pointed. “Go back one block and take a left. She lives in the little trailer park past the ball diamond, next to the river.”

  “Thanks a lot… Sandy.” Farrell read her name tag.

  “No problem. You need gas or anything?”

  “I’ll get a fill-up as soon as I’m done talking to Miss Dennison.”

  “This about Sylvie?” asked Sandy. “I think she just run off, you ask me.” She giggled. “But you didn’t.”

  No, I didn’t.

  Farrell turned, went back one block and found the road that led past the ball park. A wooded lot came up on the right side of the road and a sign at the gate said Bluebonnet Gardens. Farrell stopped inside the gate and made a call. “Miss Dennison, this is Ranger Farrell Donovan. I’m here at y’all’s trailer park and I wonder if you could tell me which trailer belongs to you.”

  Avery gave a little squeal. “Oh, I’m so happy that you came all this way. Number six on Indian Flower.”

  Once around was more than enough to sort through the flowery street names and Farrell found the trailer. He parked in the drive and shut off the engine. A neat white trailer with a little fence out front surrounding a flower bed full of purple pansies. He stood on the step and knocked on the door.

  The door opened wide, and Farrell couldn’t have been more surprised. A tall, tanned girl with long blonde hair stood smiling at him. Gorgeous was the thought that filled his head. Her denim cut-offs showcased long muscular legs and her black tank top barely held her considerable upper assets.

  My God a ten out here in Bluebonnet. Who woulda thought?

  Temporarily tongue-tied, and in lieu of speaking, he held up his creds. She nodded and motioned him inside.

  “I’ll get you some sweet tea. That was a long drive for you… you… what should I call you? Ranger or Deputy?”

  “Call me Farrell,” he drawled.

  “What a cute name,” she smiled, and he melted into the chair she pointed at.

  Pictures were spread out on the table and he presumed she was looking for a good one of her sister. “This is your sister?”

  “I was looking for one that was more recent. Like after she had her baby.”

  “She has a baby?”

  Farrell hadn’t heard a baby cry. He gazed down the short hallway of the spotless little trailer and thought the baby must be a sound sleeper.

  “Uh huh. He’s here. That’s why I know she wouldn’t run off. She wouldn’t want to go anywhere without Diego.”

  “Does Diego have a father?”

  “He did.” Avery nodded and teared up. “Diego and Sylvie were going to get married when he came back from his tour in Afghan, but he didn’t come back. That’s when Syl moved out of Sonora and came to stay with me. She named the baby after his father.” Avery’s voice cracked, and she tried not to cry. “Syl was so sad.”

  “I bet.” Farrell stared at the pictures and compared the sisters. Sylvie looked nothing like Avery. Tall with long dark hair. Pretty in her own way, but a total opposite of her sister.

  “Did you talk to Ranger Blackmore about helping me find her?” Avery set two glasses of sweet tea with lots of ice on the table and placed a napkin at Farrell’s elbow.

  When she came close, Farrell inhaled a whiff of her perfume and felt a little dizzy. “Uh huh. I did, and I’ve been to the sheriff’s office. They had no record of you calling.”

  “Bullcrap.” Avery stamped her foot and Farrell wanted to smile. “I’ve called there at least four times. Are they brain dead?”

  “They seem to be,” said Farrell. “Uh huh.”

  Avery smiled. “Can you say that about other cops?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I say anything I feel like sayin. Not sayin its always polite neither.”

  “I like you, Farrell.”

  Farrell felt heat inside him and he tried to ignore it. “Did your sister work somewhere?”

  “She worked at the diner in town in the evenings when I was here to watch Diego. I work days at a ranch down the road. I exercise horses and muck out stalls.”

  “Right.” Farrell kept his eyes down and made notes of everything. He took a sip of his sweet tea and it cooled him down a little. Not enough. Being this close to Avery made him feel… crazy happy. Nothing he’d ever felt with Mary. This was different.

  “All that’s left to do now is interview the guys at the garage,�
�� said Farrell. “I talked to both of them on the phone, but I’ll drop in there on my way home and see what else I can find out.”

  “Did they give you a clue?”

  “Nope. What I can do if you’re comfortable with it, is have your sister’s Jeep towed to my forensics garage and have the techs go over it.”

  Avery sucked in a little breath. “Like… looking for blood?” she asked in a whisper.

  “Not necessarily blood. Possibly evidence of someone else being in the vehicle.”

  “Oh, right. That too.” She nodded. “Sure, that would be something at least.”

  Farrell stood up and wondered why he didn’t want to leave. He could happily spend the rest of his life in this little trailer talking to Avery Dennison.

  What the hell is wrong with you?

  Sonora. Texas.

  TWIN AUTO was closed for lunch between twelve and one. Farrell arrived at twelve thirty, read the sign, then cruised down the highway looking for the closest barbeque place.

  He had a great lunch and a couple of drafts at a place called The Pit Stop. All during lunch he couldn’t stop thinking about Avery Dennison and wondering if she had a boyfriend.

  Why wouldn’t a girl that hot have a boyfriend? Or ten? Remembering how great she smelled made him hard.

  Jesus, man. You don’t get like this over girls.

  Stop thinking about her he told himself and get to work. At a quarter after one he arrived back at Twin Auto. The open sign was in the window and the door was unlocked. He walked through the parts and service door and came face to face with a husky guy with a day’s ginger scruff on his face. His black polo shirt said Twin Auto on the right side and Jeff on the pocket.

  “Hey, Jeff, I’m Ranger Farrell Donovan. We spoke on the phone.”

  “Are you sure you didn’t talk to Joey?”

  “I talked to both of you about Sylvie Dennison’s Jeep.”

  “Yep, now I remember. Did you come to pay for it?”

  “How much is it?”

  “Let me see.” He fumbled through a pile of work orders on a clipboard and pulled one out. “Three and a quarter.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Farrell slapped down his credit card and watched Jeff run it through.

  I’m getting a vibe off this guy.

  Farrell sat in his truck in the parking lot with the key to Sylvie’s Jeep in his hand. He called the forensics garage in Austin for a tow and decided to wait for the tow truck. If there was something going on, he didn’t want either one of the Golden boys messing with the Jeep before the techs got it.

  He called Jesse and gave him an update.

  “The missing woman had a child?” asked Jesse.

  “Avery said her sister would never go off and leave her baby boy. His name is Diego.”

  “Yeah, I can relate to that. Let’s see what we get off the Jeep. We might have to put surveillance on the garage brothers. It’s the last place she was seen.”

  “They’re twins, boss. Creepy vibes coming off the one.”

  “And the sheriff’s office was no help?”

  “They said there was no record of Avery calling.”

  “That’s weird. They must be disorganized. Okay, we better help her.”

  Farrell’s next call was to Travis and he picked up on the second ring. “Hey, partner, Lil said you went out of town on a call-in. Didn’t know we did that.”

  “We don’t, but I wasn’t busy, and I ran it by Jesse and he okayed it.”

  “Is it gonna be something?”

  “I think so and I could use you tonight. I need surveillance on twin brothers who run a garage.”

  “Sounds fun. I’ll bring the unit. Where can I find you?”

  “As soon as impound takes the missing girl’s Jeep to our garage I’ll head to the Hampton Inn and get us a room and some brewskis.”

  “I’ll gas up the unit and get going. I hate the fuckin weekends when I have nothing to do.”

  FARRELL checked into the Hampton Inn with no luggage other than a bag of snacks from the convenience store and a dozen cans of Lone Star. He opened the drapes and settled into his room on the second floor.

  After a quick trip to the bathroom, he sat in the one easy chair by the window and called Avery Dennison. His heart thumped in his chest as he waited for her to answer.

  Don’t get all crazy over a woman you can’t have.

  “Hi, Farrell,” she said, and he started to sweat.

  Get it together.

  “Hi, Miss Avery. Just calling with an update. I had the Jeep towed to Austin to the forensics garage and I decided to stay another day to see what I could find out. Another member of my crew will be joining me in a couple of hours.”

  “Thank you so much for doing something, Farrell. Did they let you have the Jeep, or did you have to pay the bill first?”

  Smart girl.

  “Umm… I had to pay for it, but don’t worry about it.”

  “No. I’ll pay for it next time I see you. I can’t let you do that.”

  I’m going to see her again.

  He could hear Diego in the background.

  “I found a better picture of Sylvie, but it needs to be enlarged. Would you have time to pick it up or should I bring it to you?”

  “I’m waiting for my partner, but if you can drive into Sonora with the picture, I’ll take you for dinner. Be my pleasure.”

  “Oh, Farrell, you are so nice.”

  He could hear the ‘for a cop’ on the end of the sentence, but she didn’t say it. “Do you know where The Hampton Inn is?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’m in room two twelve.”

  “I’ll call from the lobby when I get there.”

  Farrell grinned as he ended the call.

  Cautious. I like that.

  “This day is getting better and better,” he mumbled to himself. He scrolled to the office number, then remembered it was Saturday and Lil wasn’t working. He called her cell instead.

  “Hey, Farrell, did you talk to the Bluebonnet girl?”

  “I’m there now—well in Sonora at the Hampton Inn. If you have time could you dig up what you can on Jeff and Joey Golden. They run a garage called Twin Auto in Sonora. Anything you can give me. If they have priors or home addresses would be good too.”

  “You getting vibes from them?”

  “Only met the one in person—Jeff—and he creeped me out. I sent the girl’s Jeep to our garage. Let me know if Sue calls.”

  Lily giggled. “She won’t call me. She’ll call your cell, super stud.”

  “Jeeze, Lil, don’t say that.”

  Lily giggled. “Sue has it bad.”

  Farrell smiled as he ended the call. He stripped down, showered and put the same clothes back on. He tried to straighten his crazy blond hair with his hand and nothing helped.

  Wish I had a toothbrush.

  “I should have told Travis to bring me a change of clothes and my shaving stuff. Fuck it. I’ll buy a razor if I have to.”

  His cell signaled a text and he thought it was Travis.

  “I’m downstairs in the lobby.”

  She’s here. “Why the hell am I nervous?”

  “Be right down.”

  He dashed back into the bathroom for another look in the mirror. “Shit, I never looked worse.”

  THE ELEVATOR doors opened on the marble floor of the lobby, and Farrell crossed in front of the registration desk to where Avery was seated. Trying to appear relaxed and casual he was probably coming across as a complete jackass. He sat in the chair across from her and stared. Nobody had ever looked better in jeans and a t-shirt. Nope. Nobody. “Hi.”

  Avery smiled. “You were staring at me.”

  “Sorry. Can’t help it. You are so gorgeous.”

  “Thanks.” She held out a brown envelope. “I got this picture enlarged on the way here.”

  “Good, that will help. I’ll send a copy to the office and have Lil circulate it.”

  “I was thinking about what you said whil
e I was driving down and I wondered why you needed another person?”

  “Umm… Travis is a surveillance specialist and I want him to do a couple things for me.”

  “Are you like almost the boss when Ranger Blackmore isn’t around?”

  Farrell laughed. “Sure. Almost is good. Blacky is my brother.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know that. I saw him on TV and you don’t look like him.”

  “My foster brother. We both have the same Mom.”

  Why am I telling her this? I never talk about myself.

  Farrell was saved from blabbing more about his secret self by the arrival of Travis. The big former Marine blasted through the front doors of the hotel and strode over to them. “Howdy, ma’am. I’m Deputy Travis Bristol, at your service.”

  Farrell had never been jealous before in his life, but he was now. It was a sure thing and he didn’t like the feeling one bit. “I promised Miss Avery dinner if she drove the picture of her sister into town.”

  “I could eat,” said Travis, “and a beer wouldn’t hurt.”

  “Do you have any favorite spots to eat in Sonora?” asked Farrell as they walked to the truck.

  “I’m not sure. I don’t eat out much.”

  “Oh, right,” said Farrell. “Who’s watching the baby?”

  “My mother. She watches him when I’m at work too.”

  Farrell gave Avery a hand into the red Silverado and closed her door. Travis winked at him and jumped in the back seat. “How about Chili’s? I saw one earlier.”

  “Fine for me,” said Avery.

  “Me too,” said Travis. “Anywhere is good as long as they have cold beer.”

  AT MIDNIGHT, Twin Auto was all in darkness and locked up tight. Not even a security light left on. Farrell parked behind the garage in a line of vehicles waiting there for service.

  “I won’t be long,” said Travis. “In and out.”

  “Don’t set off the alarm,” said Farrell.

  “As if.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Sunday, May 3rd.

  University Hospital. New Orleans.

  BLAINE left the Fairfax Inn at ten for his appointment with Doctor Lee Chang. He wanted to have Misty released so he could take her home and look after her until she regained anything that she was going to regain. She couldn’t talk or was choosing not to—that was evident—but that might change. She could smash dishes against the wall with a thought and that was new… and breathtaking. Anything else that came up, he could handle. He was sure of it. He loved Misty and he wanted her to come home.