Gunsmoke in the Grassland
Author
Carla Cassidy
Reads
18.0K
Chapters
13
Chapter One
Ashley King used a large pair of scissors to trim the long grass that encroached on her father’s headstone in the Coyote Creek cemetery. It had been almost four months since “Big John” King had been murdered while standing in his driveway. He’d been shot twice in the chest and the crime still hadn’t been solved.
“I miss you, Daddy,” she said and sat back on her haunches with a deep sigh. Every day for the last six years, since she’d moved out of the family home at the age of twenty-one and into town, her father had called her each morning.
His deep voice would boom over the phone as he asked, “How’s my baby girl?” and they would talk about anything and everything for fifteen or twenty minutes or so.
Lordy, but she missed those morning phone calls. She’d give anything to have just one more call from him, one where she’d be sure and tell him just how very much she loved him.
She sucked in a deep breath in an effort to stanch the tears that threatened to fall. He’d been her hero. He’d taken her to her dance lessons once a week for six years and had attended every one of her recitals and every one of her school events.
He’d held her in his big, strong arms when she’d been twelve years old and heartbroken, and Ron Ellers had told her he didn’t want her as a girlfriend. Her father had made her laugh by telling her most twelve-year-old boys were extremely dumb and one day Ron would be sorry.
He had been there to celebrate every success and counsel her when life gave her a swift kick in the behind. And now he was gone—gone forever.
She clipped a few more errant blades of grass and then finally got to her feet and brushed off the back of her slacks. It was time for her to get to her shop and open up for the day.
As she walked through the Coyote Creek cemetery to where her car was parked, she couldn’t help but notice again how pretty, how utterly peaceful, it was here. There was a pool of water in the center of the area with a small fountain feature. Benches ringed the pool, encouraging people to sit and reflect or grieve.
There were trees scattered all around the cemetery, including a huge, beautiful weeping willow that somehow seemed appropriate in this place of grief.
She tried to visit here a couple of times a week, as her grief and sense of loss were still a huge part of her life. She tried to stay strong for her mother, but there were some days it was difficult for her to stay strong for anyone.
She reached her car and got inside. She immediately started the engine and turned on the air conditioner to combat the hot early July heat. Summers in Coyote Creek, Kansas, could be miserably hot and humid.
Things would be so much easier on her, on her entire family, if they knew why Big John had been murdered. She wanted to know who had killed him, but more importantly, she wanted to know why.
She knew what her brothers thought. At the time of his murder, Big John had been running for mayor of the small town of Coyote Creek. Everyone in town had believed he was a shoo-in for the position. Her brothers believed the man running against him, Wayne Bridges, might have been behind the crime. Ashley wasn’t sure what to believe. Two of her brothers also had a suspicion about another person, but they were tiptoeing around talking about that particular person.
As she headed back toward town, she pushed all the thoughts of murder out of her mind. Instead, she focused on her business, called Bling and Things. It was work that had kept her sane through the grief of her father’s untimely death.
In three days, the whole town would celebrate the Fourth of July. All the stores would be having sidewalk sales and other vendors would sell their wares along Main Street. There would be food and drinks, along with a big carnival, and the night would end with a huge fireworks display. The newly elected mayor, Stella Black, had promised a day of fun with activities for the whole family.
She was looking forward to the festivities and hoping her three brothers and her mother would enjoy the day without any grief to weigh them down. They all deserved a day off from their sorrow.
Coyote Creek had a main drag about three blocks long. Her shop was smack-dab in the middle. It was located in a long two-story building that also housed the police department and a tattoo shop.
As she parked in front of her place of business, her heart expanded with pride. Bling and Things was the culmination of planning and saving and dreaming for years, and after almost two years of it being open, it was already far more profitable than she had ever dreamed it would be.
She got out of her car and unlocked the glass front door of the shop. She flipped on the lights and then turned the Closed sign to Open.
Along one wall was the cash register and a display case, while the opposite wall held a rack with chic and trendy clothing. In between the two outer walls were three aisles of various beautiful and fun items for sale. The air inside smelled delicious from a display of candles and soaps.
When she’d first moved into town from the family ranch, she’d rented a house several blocks away from the store, but a little over a month ago she’d moved into the apartment above her store.
It had always been her intention to live upstairs in the building, but the place had needed a lot of renovation before she could move in. Now it was a beautiful, homey two-bedroom apartment and she loved it.
Carrying her purse to the back room, she hoped to be able to ring up some nice sales today. She’d bought extra inventory for the Fourth of July day sale and at the moment it filled up her back room, with boxes piled high.
While she was in the back, the bell tinkled over the front door, letting her know somebody had walked into the shop. When she headed back onto the sales floor, a tall man stood before one of the shelves. He had his back to her, and a fine back it was. His broad shoulders tapered down to a slim waist, a nice butt and long legs.
She was vaguely surprised. Male customers were generally few and far between unless a man came in to buy a gift for the special woman in his life. “Hi, can I help you find something?” she asked.
He turned around to face her. “Jacob,” she said on a gasp of stunned surprise.
“Hi, Ashley,” he replied with a warm smile. “Long time no see.”
“It has really been a long time,” she replied, still shocked to see him.
The last time Ashley had seen Jacob Black, he’d been eighteen years old. At that time, she’d been almost eleven years old and had a mad crush on the handsome teenager.
However, Jacob had left the small town of Coyote Creek after he’d graduated from high school and the last she’d heard he was working as a police officer in Kansas City, Missouri.
The teenager she’d known was now thirty-four years old and the years had only made him more attractive. His sculpted features had matured, his dark hair was cut short and his eyes were a sharp emerald green. He was definitely a piece of hunky eye candy.
“I didn’t know you were back in town,” she said.
“I got in late last night,” he replied.
She could smell him now, a wonderful scent of minty soap and a spicy cologne that evoked a bit of warmth in the pit of her stomach. He wore black dress slacks and a short-sleeved silver-gray button-down shirt.
“Are you here to stay or just visiting?” she asked.
“I’m here to stay,” he replied.
“Are you staying at Stella’s?” she asked. Stella Black was Jacob’s mother and owned the ranch next to the King ranch. When Ashley had been growing up, Jacob and his sister, Chelsea, were often at the King place, hanging out.
“For now,” he said. “Eventually, I intend to find my own place here in town. I heard you had this shop from my mother.” He looked around and then returned his gaze to her. “It’s a beautiful store, Ashley. You must be very proud of yourself.”
“Thank you, I am,” she admitted. “It’s taken a lot of hard work and scrimping and saving, but this shop has become my own little piece of heaven.”
“I’m sure Big John was very proud of you, too. I was really sorry to hear about his death,” he said.
“You mean his murder,” she replied and an arrow of anguish shot straight through her.
“Ashley, I was shocked to hear about his murder. How is your family all doing?” he asked with obvious sympathy.
“Johnny and Luke are still angry that we have no answers,” she said, naming her two older brothers. “Mom is still deeply grieving and who knows about Caleb.” Caleb was her younger brother, somebody who concerned her day and night. “I have to say the most difficult thing about Dad’s murder is not knowing the who and the why of it.”
“Well, I was just on my way to the police station for an interview with Chief Caldwell.” Lane Caldwell was the Coyote Creek chief of police. “If Lane hires me on, then maybe a fresh set of eyes on the investigation into your father’s murder will bring some answers,” he replied.
“Oh, Jacob, that would definitely help all of us heal.” She took a step toward him.
“There’s nothing I’d like more than to catch the person responsible. I cared about Big John. When I was growing up, he was like the father I didn’t have,” he said.
“I know.” She smiled at him. “I remember how often you hung out at my place and would have long, deep discussions with him.”
He returned her smile. Oh, he had a beautiful smile. “And I remember a certain little tomboy sneaking around all the corners eavesdropping on us whenever she got the chance.”
She laughed. “Don’t embarrass me by reminding me of that. I realize now I was a pesky little kid.”
He also laughed and then sobered. His gaze held hers intently for a long moment and once again a rivulet of pleasant warmth swept through her.
“The first thing I need to do right now is get the job.” He looked at his watch. “And on that note, I’d better get next door for my interview. It would not make a good impression to be late.”
“Lane would be a fool not to hire you, whether you’re late or not,” she replied.
He laughed once again. It was a pleasant sound, deep and full-bodied. “Then let’s hope he isn’t a fool. Ashley, it’s good to see you again.”
He took several steps toward her and then pulled her into him for a bit of an awkward hug. He held her only a moment and then released her.
“You, too,” she replied. Even though the hug had been clumsy, it had felt incredibly good to be held, if just for a few seconds. He had such broad shoulders and big arms, and she hadn’t been held by any man since her father’s murder.
“I’m sure I’ll be seeing lots of you now that I’m back in town,” he said as he walked back toward the front door.
“That would be nice. Good luck on the interview, Jacob,” she said and then he was gone, and seemed to take all the energy of the shop with him.
She walked to the chair behind the cash register and sank down. Jacob had certainly grown up to be one handsome man. Definitely, every single woman in town would be after him. Even though he had quickened her heart rate a bit, he probably still thought of her as the pesky kid who had chased him all around the King ranch whenever he was there.
It would be wonderful if he really could finally solve the case of Big John’s murder. It was the only thing that might help heal her broken heart, the only thing that might help her family heal...and the only thing that would make her feel whole again.
JACOB LEFT ASHLEY’S shop with his head full of a dozen thoughts. The little girl who had driven him half-crazy whenever he’d visited the King ranch had grown up to be a stunningly beautiful woman.
Her long dark hair looked silky and rich, and was a perfect foil for her bright blue eyes. She’d been wearing a pair of black slacks that had hugged tight to her long legs. Her blouse was a sleeveless light blue that had showcased her slim waist and medium-sized breasts.
Yes, she’d grown up to be a beautiful woman, and when he’d briefly hugged her, he’d smelled the alluring scent of fresh wildflowers with just a hint of vanilla. He’d found it very attractive.
He quickly emptied his mind of all thoughts of her as he walked into the police station next door. He’d had a few email exchanges with the chief of police, but hadn’t met the man in person. He knew Lane Caldwell had been the chief for about fifteen years. He’d been elected to his position the year after Jacob had left town.
The first person he encountered was a gray-haired woman who was sitting behind the receptionist desk. Her sharp brown eyes gave him a once-over and she had on a name tag that identified her as Willie Wright. “Can I help you?” she asked.
“I have an appointment with Chief Lane Caldwell. My name is Jacob Black,” he said.
“Ah, yes. He’s ready for you. He’s the first door on your right.” She buzzed him through the security door and he entered a long hallway.
The first door on the right was closed, so Jacob knocked and heard a deep voice bid him entry. He opened the door and walked into the office. A tall, slender man with thinning brown hair and pale blue eyes stood from behind the desk. Jacob walked to the man and held out his hand. “Jacob Black,” he said.
“Lane Caldwell. It’s nice to finally meet you in person, Jacob. Please have a seat.” He gestured to the chair in front of the desk and Jacob sat. Lane smiled at him. “From what I understand it’s been a long time since you have been in town. Have you had a chance to look around?”
“Not much,” Jacob admitted. “But from what little I’ve seen it looks good and like it’s thriving, and I saw a lot of new storefronts, which is always a good sign in a small town.”
“The town is definitely thriving,” Lane agreed. “And lately crime here has been thriving as well.” For just a moment, the chief looked tired and his pale blue eyes appeared sad.
He seemed to pull himself together and smiled once again. “I’ve read the résumé you sent to me and I have to say I was quite impressed. My question is why are you giving up your position as a decorated detective on the Kansas City police force to come to work here?”
For just a brief moment Jacob’s head filled with the sounds of squealing tires, gunfire and a woman’s cries. A whisper of anguish swept through him and he consciously shoved it aside, along with the memories of that one tragic night.
“It just felt like the right time for me to come home,” Jacob replied. “I’ve missed my family and Coyote Creek.”
Lane nodded. “Well, I’ll just put it out there. I definitely want you on my team, but I can’t offer you the salary you were making in Kansas City.”
“Then make me an offer,” Jacob said. He wanted the job. He’d worked in law enforcement since he was twenty-one years old. He didn’t know how to do anything else and he definitely didn’t want to do anything else.
Lane made an offer, and after some back-and-forth, Jacob accepted and for the next hour they talked about how things worked in the department, what his hours would be and that he would begin the job in one week. That would give Jacob a chance to get reacclimated to the town.
“I understand that John King’s murder is still unsolved. Would it be possible for me to take a look at his file before I start the job next week?” Jacob asked.
“Absolutely. Hang on a second.” Lane picked up an interoffice phone and punched a button. “Willie, I need you to pull the file on John King and make a copy of everything that’s in it and then bring it into my office.”
“On it, Chief,” she replied, obviously on speakerphone.
Lane hung up and looked at Jacob. “Maybe your fresh eyes on the case will see something we’ve missed. While we were working on the King murder, we had two other troubling cases to deal with. As you probably know, your sister was nearly killed by her best friend and then Luke King’s fiancée almost died at the hands of a man who had a vendetta against her. Both of those issues pulled us off the King case for a while. We’re a small force and trying to juggle everything has been difficult.”
Lane drew in an audible deep breath and then released it slowly. “It’s like lately there’s something in the water that is suddenly bringing out all the wild in town.”
“I’d like to thank you for everything you did for Chelsea,” Jacob replied. Chelsea had called him to tell him that she was being stalked by somebody who wanted to hurt her. Ultimately it had turned out to be her best friend.
“Hell, I didn’t do much of anything to help her, although me and my men did the best we could.”
Jacob smiled at the man who would be his new boss. “That’s all anyone can expect from you.”
The two discussed what other crimes Jacob would be dealing with, like public drunkenness, fights at the Red Barn—a popular bar—and petty theft.
“You shouldn’t have much to deal with on the day shift. We’re mostly a town of good people,” Lane continued. “We usually don’t have much crime around here and what little we do have is normally resolved very quickly. But I’ve got to tell you, Big John King’s murder definitely haunts me. I considered him a good friend and he helped me get elected, but so far we’ve been unable to solve his murder.”
As if on cue, a knock came at the door. The woman who had greeted Jacob initially walked in with a file folder in her hand. “Here’s everything we’ve got on the King case,” she said and handed the folder to Lane.
“Thank you, Willie,” Lane said.
“No problem, Chief,” she replied and then left the office.
“Well, here it is,” Lane said. He stood and held out the folder. Jacob also got up and took the file. “Now, let’s go down the hall and get you a couple of uniforms. When you come in for your first day of work, I’ll set you up with a departmental gun and a vehicle.”
“Sounds good to me,” Jacob agreed.
Thirty minutes later Jacob walked out into the bright sunshine and headed for his car. He was pleased that he’d gotten the job and he was eager to read the file on Big John’s murder.
John King had been a huge part of Jacob’s teenage years. He’d been the father figure that had been missing in Jacob’s life. Jacob’s father had died in a farming accident when Jacob had been two. He had no memories of his biological father or of any father figure except for John King.
Big John had known how unhappy Jacob had been in his home life and that his mother, Stella, was a helicopter mom who was slowly suffocating him to death.
It had been Big John who had encouraged Jacob to build a life elsewhere. In fact, Big John had given Jacob the seed money to leave Coyote Creek behind and strike out on his own.
Once Jacob had been hired by the Kansas City police force, he had slowly paid back Big John every penny the man had given him. It had been the right thing to do even though Big John had told him it was a gift and not a loan. As he drove back to his childhood home, a vision of Ashley once again filled his head.
She had looked beautiful when he’d seen her earlier that morning, but there had been a haunting sadness in her eyes. He knew how important Big John had been to his family and specifically to Ashley.
He could remember her often crawling up on her father’s lap for a cuddle. She had definitely been a daddy’s girl when she’d been little and he doubted the passing years had changed that.
He left the city limits and headed into the ranching area that surrounded the small town. Rolling pastures were on both sides of the road, the green grass dotted by herds of cattle. As he drove along, there were little ranch houses and the scents of rich earth and cattle filled the air.
The King ranch was the biggest, most prosperous operation in the entire county. His mother had also ranched, though on a smaller scale, right next door to the Kings.
As he pulled up in front of his childhood home, myriad emotions swept through him. He had spent some happy moments here, but also many more unhappy moments.
He’d had a lonely childhood. He was eight years older than his sister, Chelsea, and although they were close now, there had just been too many years’ difference for them to have been close as children.
His mother, Stella, had been good to him, but besides running the ranch, she also kept busy socially. There had been women’s teas and committees, and garden-party gatherings, and Stella had been a part of it all. She’d finally reached the pinnacle of success by recently being elected as mayor.
When he’d been about twelve years old, his mother had suddenly become hyperinterested in his life. She told him how to dress and how to act and who his friends should be. At every social event she could, she’d drag him out like a trained puppy to show him off.
It had been a particularly difficult time for him. He’d felt suffocated and without a voice. The only person who had really listened to him was Big John and now the man he’d loved and admired was gone...murdered.
He got out of his car and headed into the two-story house where he’d grown up. “Is that my baby boy I hear coming in?” Stella’s voice called out from the kitchen.
Jacob walked through the attractive living room and into the large, airy kitchen. “I’m not exactly a baby anymore,” he replied.
Stella Black was an attractive woman with silver hair and blue-green eyes. She walked over to him and kissed him on his cheek. “Son, you’ll always be my baby,” she said. “Now, guess what I’m doing.”
“You’re making me one of my favorite meals.” He took a seat at the round oak table.
“How did you guess?” she asked in surprise.
He smiled at her. “I see a big pot on the stove and I can smell the tomatoes and garlic. I would guess we’re having spaghetti and meatballs for dinner later this evening.”
“Bingo!” Stella exclaimed in delight. “And that’s what makes you the most brilliant detective in the whole wide world.”
“Speaking of that, I got the job and I start next Monday,” Jacob said.
“That’s wonderful. However, I knew Lane would do the right thing and hire you.”
“Now that I have a job, my next order of business is to find a place to live,” he said. “Do you happen to know of any houses for rent in town?”
“Oh, Jacob.” She walked over and sat across from him at the table. “Please don’t be in a big hurry to leave here so quickly. You just got home after being away for so many years and I’ve missed you so much. Please stay here for a while before even thinking about moving out.” Her eyes pleaded with him.
“We’ll see how things go,” he replied noncommittally. “Before I went in for my interview with Lane, I stopped in Bling and Things and saw Ashley. She’s certainly grown up to become a pretty young lady.”
“Ashley’s a lovely young woman. She’s been a rock for poor Margaret since Big John’s death. Margaret has been through so much. I don’t know if I told you that up until a couple of months ago, she’d been battling breast cancer for years. I worried that Big John’s death would be the end of her.”
Jacob remembered Big John’s wife, Margaret, as a sweet and loving woman who doted on all of her children and loved her husband deeply.
“I’m sorry to hear that about her struggles,” he said. “And I was really upset to hear about Big John’s murder. Lane gave me the file he had on the crime and I intend to look at it backward and forward to see if I can see something everyone else has missed so far.”
“Let’s just hope the murderer isn’t smarter than the very best detective in the world,” Stella replied and smiled at him.
It was much later in the evening as Jacob walked into his childhood bedroom that he thought of his mother’s words. He knew he was a good cop and he would see when he read the file how good the local police were at investigating a crime.
He’d love to get Big John’s murder solved, if for no other reason than to lift the shadowed darkness in Ashley’s eyes. With that thought in mind, he sat at the small desk in one corner of the room and opened the file.
