The Texas Ranger's Reward (Undercover Heroes) (5 page)

Not wasting another second, she headed for her parents’ home.
She knew they had a business dinner tonight, but maybe they hadn’t left yet.
Melissa needed to talk to them. She had an idea.

Chapter Three

After dropping Casey off at school Monday morning,
Travis drove to work. Despite the promise of another hot, beautiful September
day, he was in a foul mood.

As he was getting out of his car, Chaz walked over to him.
“Things must be better with Casey or you wouldn’t be here.” But when he got
closer and scrutinized him, he added, “So how come you look like you haven’t
slept in a week? What’s wrong?”

“Let’s just say I’ve been haunted by a ghost.”

Chaz frowned. The guys knew about Valerie and had always been
sensitive to his moods. “That doesn’t sound good. Want to talk about it?”

Travis let out a deep sigh. “Maybe I should.” He looked around.
Roman wasn’t here yet. When his boss arrived, they were going to go over the new
missing person’s case he’d been assigned. Travis had barely started the
groundwork, and had some questions only Roman could answer through his
connections with the police department. “Sure you have the time?”

“I’ll make it. Come on.”

He followed Chaz inside. Somebody had brought SweetSpuds for
the staff, probably Mitch. Since marrying Heidi Norris, whose family owned the
SweetSpuds doughnut company, Mitch kept them in good supply. Before long they
would all have to go on a strict diet, but not this morning.

Travis poured them coffee and took it to Chaz’s office, while
his friend carried the doughnuts. “You know the therapist Casey saw last week,
and then he suddenly had a miraculous recovery?” He sat down heavily in a
visitor’s chair.

Chaz’s eyes narrowed as he settled behind his desk. “Yeah?”

Travis rubbed his face with his hands before letting out a
groan. “Weird as this may sound, she looks and acts like…Valerie.”

A shadow crept over Chaz’s face. “You mean…”

“I mean Melissa Dalton could be her double, in a superficial
way, of course. I almost had a heart attack when I met her.” His voice grated as
he continued, “It hit me so hard, I couldn’t respond naturally around her.” He
drank some coffee, but forgot it was hot, and the liquid scalded his tongue.

“And Casey?”

“I don’t even know where to begin.”

Chaz leaned forward. “Has he said she reminds him of his
mother?”

“No. I think he’s afraid to admit it to me, but I’m convinced
he’s already bonded with her. Since she went to that movie with us on Friday,
he’s worked himself up into seeing her again. I shouldn’t have given in to him.
I feared there’d be a price to pay, but the thought of him refusing to go to
school drove me to it. I purposely made it for the afternoon and—”

“Travis,” Chaz broke in. “I’m confused.”

“You’re not the only one.”

“Try telling me this from the beginning.”

He nodded. “Okay. Last Monday, when I took Casey to his first
appointment with her, she challenged him to walk without his crutches. Just like
that, he put them down and started walking around the therapy room with her. It
was amazing. If I hadn’t been there to witness it, I wouldn’t have believed
it.”

For the next five minutes Travis unloaded to Chaz. When he’d
finished, his friend stared hard at him. “My next question for you is might
there be a part of you that wants to see her again?”

“Hell, no!” Travis shot out of the chair and began pacing. If
he did want to see her again, he’d need his head examined. “But Casey does.”

“How come you’re so upset? If you don’t want anything more to
do with her, then Casey will have to accept it. Even if he goes into another
funk for a week or two, that will be the end of it.”

Travis sighed. “You’re right. I just need to get over the
shock. Thanks for talking to me. I’d better get to work. Roman should be here by
now.”

“Bring Casey over tonight. We’ve invited Mitch and Heidi.
They’ll bring Zack. It’s still beautiful weather. We’re going to grill some
hamburgers out on the deck. Lacey and Abby will be thrilled if you two
come.”

“Thanks, Chaz. I think I’ll take you up on that. It’ll be fun
for Casey. I’ll bring the dessert.”

His friend smiled. “Not necessary. Just make sure Dexter comes,
too. Abby loves him.”

“Will do.”

Travis headed to Roman’s office, feeling better after having
aired his fears to Chaz. But he hadn’t told him everything. On Friday he’d
discovered Melissa Dalton was the only woman of his acquaintance who showed no
personal interest in him. He knew it when he couldn’t feel any vibes coming from
her.

Travis wasn’t a vain man, but the few times she’d glanced at
him, she’d seemed to look right through him. Their conversation on the phone
when he’d told her about Valerie had been brief and to the point. She didn’t
draw things out or show undue curiosity. Didn’t voice the usual platitudes.

Generous as she’d been to Casey, Travis sensed she wouldn’t
like it if he brought his son around her again. She’d been professional and
accommodating to her patient, but there was a limit, and Casey had reached it.
Travis
needed therapy if he allowed this
situation to get to him. There was no reason they would ever see each other
again. Ships passing in the night.

Roman had arrived, and motioned to him from his office. “Come
on in and sit down. I’ve got something to discuss with you.”

“I was just going to ask you a few questions concerning the new
case myself.”

His boss shook his head. “I’ve turned it over to Rand.” Rand
was one of the older P.I.s who’d worked there for several years.

Travis squinted at his boss. “Maybe you didn’t realize that
Casey is fine now and back in school.”

“I heard and it’s great news. But something else has come up
and your name was mentioned as the person to get the job done. Ever heard of
William Roberts?”

“No.”

“He’s the CEO of the Wasatch Front Steel company.”

“
That
name I’ve heard of.”

“Everyone has. Their family is one of the most prominent in our
fair city. They’ve owned property in the Kamas area for close to eighty years,
up in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The first Roberts settlers erected a
cabin in 1935, and it has been used and maintained by the family ever since.

“After the twenty-fourth of July, his daughter went up several
times alone and discovered that someone, maybe several people, have been using
the cabin on weekdays. She’s nervous to go up there at all now, and had a talk
with her parents. Mr. Roberts told her he’d look into it the next chance he
got.

“Apparently owners of other cabins farther down the mountain
have had occasional break-ins too, but the police have told them they can do
nothing unless they see a crime in action. To Mr. Roberts’s knowledge, nothing
in their cabin is missing, but there are definite signs of occupation. He phoned
our company to look into the problem and catch the intruders. I talked with him
yesterday. He requested you.”

Travis was mystified. “Because of another case I’ve worked
on?”

“No. Because you’re a former Texas Ranger. It seems his
daughter has met you and learned you’re now a P.I. She recommended you to her
father and he called me.”

The hairs stood up on the back of Travis’s neck. “What’s her
name?”

“Melissa Dalton. Does it ring a bell?”

The news brought him to his feet. With a different last name,
it meant she was either divorced or widowed. It would explain the absence of a
ring on her finger, and her dinner date for Friday night. At the time he’d
wondered if she didn’t wear rings because she did a lot of physical therapy with
children.

After concluding that she had
no
interest in him, Travis found, his thoughts going through a 180-degree
reversal. He’d never told her that he worked as a P.I. now. The subject hadn’t
come up. Which meant she must have learned it through Casey.

Travis thought back to last week. The only time the two of them
were alone was at the movie, when he’d gone out to buy popcorn. Had she asked
Casey questions out of curiosity? Or had his boy just been chatty and told her
the story of his life in those five minutes?

What kind of work Travis did since they’d moved from Texas
wasn’t a secret. But with Valerie’s killer still on the loose, everyone kept
quiet about his former occupation. For her of all people to find out, and then
go to her father, came as a big surprise. Knowing how she felt—or didn’t
feel—about him made it an even bigger one.

“What’s going on, Travis? This woman obviously means something
to you.”

Roman’s question jerked him out of his thoughts. He glanced at
him. “She’s the therapist who worked with Casey last week.”

His boss smiled. Travis didn’t miss the twinkle in his eyes.
“Whatever went on, nice job.”

“Nothing went on.” Roman could be a terrible tease.

“Whatever you say.” His boss stood up and handed him the new
file. “Her cell phone number is in there, along with the notes I took. Mr.
Roberts wants you to work with his daughter. She’s the one who uses the cabin
the most, and can tell you everything you need to know.

“He’s made phone calls to his neighbors and indicated that a
lot of well-heeled cabin owners up there will be indebted to you. The list is
included. They’re willing to pay any amount to get rid of the trespassers, and
want you to start today.”

“After that buildup, I guess I don’t have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice. You know that.” Roman had more
integrity than anyone he knew. “Say the word and I’ll give it to Rand.”

Travis broke out in a cold sweat. This was a dilemma he could
never have anticipated. But as long as Casey didn’t know about it, and Travis
kept any contact with Melissa Dalton to a minimum, he supposed it could work.
“Today, you say?”

Roman nodded. “Gather your crew. Anything you need, just let me
know. Jose and Lon are available for backup. Adam’s on another case, but should
be finished shortly.”

Jose was ex-FBI with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms, and had worked for years on assignments in Latin America. Lon was a
retired police chief who’d once headed the Salt Lake City SWAT team. Both were
great resources among the many operatives Roman employed. Travis liked working
with them when they were available. “That’s good to know. Okay, I’m out of
here.”

“Keep me posted, comrade
.”

Travis chuckled. Because of his Russian heritage, Roman often
put in an exaggerated accent when he spoke to the guys. He was a bit of a
joker.

The first thing Travis needed to do was let Deana know not to
fix dinner, because he and Casey were going to Chaz and Lacey’s.

Next, he dipped into the file Roman had given him. After
finding Melissa’s cell number, he programmed it and the clinic number into his
iPhone, then went out to the firm’s shop to gather batteries, surveillance
cameras and a listening device.

Everything for the staff’s use was stored in there. Roman’s
brother, Yuri, manufactured electronic gadgets and sent them out from the East
Coast for the firm to try out. The place was a gold mine for the latest
state-of-the-art equipment. Sometimes Yuri flew out with his family. He was an
even bigger tease than Roman. The two brothers were so entertaining, everyone
flocked around.

Travis wore a smile out to the car, but once inside, he felt
the reality of the situation hit home.
Just call her and
get it over with, Stillman.

Gripping his cell, he phoned the clinic and left a message with
the receptionist for Melissa Dalton to call him ASAP. He needed a key to her
family’s cabin, and directions. If he didn’t hear from her within the hour, he’d
try her cell. With that accomplished, he headed for home to change clothes and
load his truck.

* * *

M
ELISSA
HAD
JUST
TAKEN
a shower and was eating toast
in the kitchen when her cell phone rang. Her heart kicked, which surprised her.
It hadn’t done that in years.

She checked the caller ID, wondering if it might be Travis
Stillman. On Sunday her father had talked to the owner of the Lufka firm and had
hired them, specifically Mr. Stillman, to check in to the problem at the cabin.
But Casey’s dad might be in the middle of another case and one of the other
P.I.s would have to be assigned.

Even if Casey’s father had been available, he might have
declined taking the case when he found out Melissa had been the one to suggest
him for the job. Then she would know in a hurry he preferred to have no more
contact with her. Whether it was because she reminded him of his wife or some
other reason, she would have to let it go. It surprised her that she even
cared.

When she saw the clinic’s number on her caller ID, she felt a
double spasm of disappointment before picking up. Why were they phoning when
she’d taken the day off?

“This is Melissa.”

“Hi. It’s Susan. Sorry to bother you at home, but Mr. Stillman
just called the clinic and asked if you would phone him right back. It sounded
important. Here’s his number.”

Melissa ran over to the counter where she kept a pad and pencil
and wrote it down. To her frustration, she saw her hand was unsteady. “Thanks,
Susan.”

After she clicked off, she phoned Casey’s father, taking
several calming breaths while she waited for him to pick up.

“Ms. Dalton?”

“Yes.”

“I appreciate your calling me back so fast, but I didn’t expect
your receptionist to interrupt one of your therapy sessions.”

“She didn’t. I’m at home.”

He was quiet for a second. “You’re not ill, I hope.”

“No. Nothing like that. I took the day off when my father told
me he’d hired your firm. He wants me to be available for you.”

“I see. Casey must have told you about my work.”

“When he explained that Spider-Man caught bad guys, he also
mentioned that you look for bad guys ‘for real.’
I
asked him what he meant and he told me you were a P.I. who worked for Lufka’s. I
looked it up on the internet and found the website. When I saw the word
surveillance,
I thought it an amazing coincidence.”
She was talking too fast, but couldn’t seem to stop herself.