Page 52 of Lone Star Wanted
Cassidy’s posture stayed relaxed, but Kincade felt the tension roll off her like heat. He kept his face neutral and walked forward slowly, eyes scanning for signs of what kind of game they were about to walk into.
Sheriff Becker stepped forward first. “We were just talking about you two.”
Moran gave a nod. “We’re here to take your statements about the situation with Ginny Lang. Figured we’d wrap this up quickly.”
“Why are you here, Sheriff Moran?” Cassidy asked.
Moran didn’t miss a beat. “Becker asked me to sit in. Thought it might help to have someone familiar with your background.”
Kincade didn’t buy that for a second, and from the way Cassidy’s jaw tightened, she didn’t either.
Vance didn’t speak. He just glared at them. Kincade returned the look without blinking.
Becker gestured to the hallway. “Let’s go to the conference room. Your pal, Jericho, is already there.”
Cassidy gave Kincade a glance that said loud and clear: keep your guard up. Something he sure as hell planned to do for every second they were in this building.
Kincade followed her into the conference room, instantly noting the setup. Several laptop stations lined the wall, the kind usually used for typing up witness statements. But it was the main table in the center that drew his attention.
Jericho was already there, sitting, arms stretched across the back of his chair as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He offered a smirk as they walked in, but Kincade caught the flicker of alertness in his eyes. Jericho might’ve been playing it cool, but he was on edge, too.
They all took seats, the atmosphere growing thicker by the second.
Becker cleared his throat. “You’ll have a chance to write out your statements shortly, but I’ve got a few questions first.”
Before anyone could respond, Vance leaned forward, voice sharp. “Why the fuck did you conduct a covert rescue instead of calling it in to law enforcement?”
Cassidy didn’t flinch. “I am law enforcement.”
Vance scoffed, eyes flashing. “Don’t play word games with me. You had no right to go in there. You weren’t thinking about Ginny Lang. You were hunting for something—something to clear your brother.”
Kincade met his gaze evenly. “Was there something there that could clear him? Something that pointed to someone else being responsible for Daniel’s murder?”
Vance’s face reddened. He jerked back in his chair and looked straight at Becker. “You see? This is a witch hunt. They’re not after justice. They’re after someone to pin this on.”
Kincade didn’t blink. Neither did Cassidy. And Jericho just smiled like he was ready to throw a match into the powder keg.
Yeah. This meeting was heading sideways fast.
Becker turned his attention to Cassidy, then to Jericho and Kincade. “Let’s go over this again. How exactly did you find Ginny Lang? And why didn’t you call it in? That trailer was in county jurisdiction.”
Kincade kept his voice even. “We weren’t sure she’d be there. It was a recon run more than anything. Quiet approach, confirm what we could.”
Jericho leaned forward, elbows on the table. “I had Marlene’s cell records pulled and cross-referenced with burner phone activity. We triangulated a location that lined up with where several of the texts to her originated. The trailer came up as a possible match.” He raised his hands. “Emphasis onpossible. We didn’t even know if anyone was still using it.”
“You weren’t looking for Ginny,” Vance snapped. “You were looking for something else. Maybe something to frame someone.”
Kincade tilted his head slightly. “You sound nervous, Vance. Afraid we’d find something you didn’t want us to see?”
Vance slammed his palm against the table, but Becker raised a hand to settle him.
Kincade didn’t react, but his thoughts spun, wondering just how far the mayor would go to keep his secrets buried. And who he was willing to pay to do the dirty work.
Moran cleared his throat, trying to sound more level-headed than the mood in the room allowed. “Did Ginny Lang or the guard say anything? Anything at all to suggest who was behind her abduction?”
Kincade shook his head. “No.”
Cassidy echoed him. “Nothing.”
