Rex ran his trembling fingers through his hair. His head throbbed. Not from any physical ailment, but from the bombardment of her thoughts and feelings. He was glad that her mental walls had dropped, but the recriminations and self-doubts were almost more than he could stand. He needed to go to her. To hold her and reassure her that none of this was her fault. That there was no way that she could have or should have known who or what her ex-husband was.
Instead, he was stuck here in the tiny waiting room of the local sheriff's office. Thankfully, it was not the original one that had been turned into a tourist trap. Still, the modern version which was tucked in the small lot behind it was not that much bigger. It did not need to be. The biggest crime to hit Comfort was usually a couple of drunks mashing up the local bar on a Friday night.
The sheriff here was decidedly unprepared for a suicide. Though Andrew Kerr had made the whole process worse by insisting that it be thoroughly investigated as a murder, that had meant a few statements taken on Grandfather's ranch was not sufficient. All of them had been drug down here and questioned individually. Only Guadalupe had been allowed to remain to care for the child.
He looked at the clock on the wall, eight forty-seven. They had been here for over six hours. He had been interviewed a couple of hours ago but refused to leave without Jaycee. The others had all given sworn statements and left one by one. They must have been quite a sight driving through town like a funeral procession. Kerr in the Sebida county sheriff's car had led the way, each of them had followed in their vehicles since there was not enough room in the sheriff's car for all of them.
No, Jaycee alone had been subjected to that humiliation. At least Sherriff Todd had not given into Kerr's assertion that she be handcuffed and read her rights. It had been traumatic enough for Angel to have her mother torn from her after...
He shook his head and sighed. This was not how he had wanted things to end. Had it even ended? Would it ever? He had so much work to do with his mate and their daughter. He had not even been allowed to phone the ranch to check on the little girl until after he was interviewed. Even then, he had used the phone at the station. His cell phone would not be returned to him until he left the building.
Thanks to Kerr's allegations, this investigation was being taken much more seriously than suicide normally would. Not that the sheriff here in Comfort believed that it was murder. At least not by the time he got around to interviewing Rex. With matching statements from Grandfather, Mitch Taylor, both the Marshalls, Hector, and Tim Masters, Kerr was the lone dissenter. Todd just wanted to make absolutely sure that the investigation was so thorough and unbiased that the other man had no grounds for complaint.
Rex chuckled; the look on Kerr's face had been priceless when they had arrived. He had attempted to push his way into the lone interrogation room in the back. Todd had stood toe-to-toe with the man, reminding him that in this county, he was nothing more than a witness like all the others. Rex could tell from the look on Kerr's face that he meant to argue the point, but the other man preempted it by suggesting he wait with the others in the reception area -- make sure no one had the opportunity to get their stories straight.
Sherriff Todd had interviewed Tybor Marshall first. He could see that the man was not well, even before Mitch Taylor had intervened. The attorney had demanded to be allowed into the room with his client, but Sherriff Todd had pointed out the conflict of interest since he, too, was a witness. Marshall waved the man's concern's aside and disappeared into the back with Todd.
Rex had wanted and needed to wrap Jaycee in his arms to comfort her, but Kerr had preempted even that, demanding that they all sat apart in silence until it was their turn. Marshall had not been in the interview room for more than half an hour before the visibly weakened man emerged. Sherriff Todd had interviewed Mitch Taylor next so that he could get the elderly man out of there. His interview, too, had not lasted much more than half an hour. It was a pattern that was to continue with the younger Marshall, Tim Masters, and Hector.
Kerr would have been next, but he insisted that Grandfather be interviewed before him. That left just the three of them sitting in the waiting area. Kerr was pacing back and forth like a soldier on guard. But Rex was more concerned about Jaycee, who sat curled into a ball in the chair across the room from him. She rocked back and forth with tears streaming down her cheeks. He had tried to reassure her then, but she gave no response to his gently whispered words in her mind.
When Grandfather emerged from the interrogation room over an hour later, she had begged Sherriff Todd to let her call the ranch and check on her daughter. Rex could see that the man would have agreed, but Kerr was not having it. Todd had smiled and nodded, then demanded that Kerr was next to be interviewed. The man shook his head, saying that the two suspects should not be left alone to get their stories straight. Todd had pointed to a camera in the corner that he had not noticed and assured him that was not a concern. The man had practically dragged Kerr to the back.
Jaycee had flung herself at Grandfather, begging and pleading with him to take care of Angel. Other than her self-recriminations, her daughter had been her only thoughts. It was not merely the seizures, that was worry enough for any mother. But the little girl had been witness to her father's suicide. Hell, Kerr was demanding that the child be interviewed too. But so far, at least Todd had been able to put that one off, insisting that specialist interviewers from Austin and Texas Rangers be called in for that.
Kerr had been in the interview room far longer than any of the others, over an hour, closer to two. When he emerged, he had gone to take a seat across from Jaycee. But Todd had been adamant that he was free to go. When Kerr protested, Todd had taken both of them to the back, leaving the other man alone.
Rex wanted to protest when Todd had led them to the empty cells; there were just two. He wanted the sheriff to interview Jaycee first while he waited in the cell. If Kerr came back here, well, his fist might still be a bit sore, but he could handle himself.
"I'm sorry, son. But the little lady needs to be interviewed last." Todd had closed the solid metal door to the reception room. The click of its lock held such finality.
Jaycee had roused herself enough to give the man a weak smile, "It's fine. May I lay down on the bed?"
The man nodded, "I've ordered a couple of burgers from the local dinner. I figure you ain't eat much today."
She nodded and smiled, "It's my daughter that I'm worried about."
"I called the ranch and spoke with that nice lady caring for your little girl. I ain't gonna lie to you; your daughter is mighty upset. How could she not be? But the woman said to tell you she has not had any more seizures."
Jaycee practical collapsed onto the small cot in the corner then, "Thank you."
He took a step to go to her, but the sheriff put his hand out to stop him, "I need to read you your rights, son."
Rex's heart had accelerated at the man's words. The words 'why' on his lips as a smile broke across the older man's face, "It must have felt damned good to hit that bastard. I'm sure it was self-defense, right?"
He had drawn him out of the room and down the hall. That was almost four hours ago. Jaycee had been in that room for over two hours now. What could she possibly tell the man? He ran his hands through his hair again as he shut his eyes and sought the calm that had eluded him since the moment Angel's seizure began.
Rex felt a firm hand grip his shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked up, expecting to see Sherriff Todd, but it was not the older man. "Ryan, what are you doing here?"
***
Ryan Ranger studied his cousin, "You look like shit."
The man only shook his head, "What are you doing here, Ryan? Why would your employers care about a simple suicide? I'm assuming you did not rush half-way across the country because Grandfather called you."
He chuckled, "No. How is the old man anyway?"
"Until this started, he's been fine. He's taken Jaycee's little girl under his wing the way he did us and Jack. You know how much having an apt pupil revitalizes the old man. But you still have not answered my question. What does the US government care about the suicide of one lawyer?"
