the days around my husbandâs disappearance. My housekeeper who lives here. My uncle stayed with me when Axle didnât come home and I couldnât get in touch with him. The day he disappeared I was at a conference in Dallas. My daughter was here with Juanita, and when Axle didnât come home, I had her go to my uncleâs until I could get back to San Antonio.â
âI just like covering all the facts and details of a case. Iâve been assigned to find out what happened to your husband.â
âAgain, I want to know what case youâre working on.â
âOne that could have far-reaching consequences. Thatâs all I can tell you right now.â
And she wouldnât tell him that she had contacted the FBI in Dallas after her conference to tell them the little she knew about her husbandâs activities. Axle had let her go to the conference since she was the chairperson of the committee working for the mayor on drug education. Heâd known she wouldnât do anything with Kaitlyn in his hands, that she would never leave her daughter behind in SanAntonio. But also, she was sure Axle had her followed. That feeling had stayed with her during her brief time in Dallas and all the way back to San Antonio. She still felt she was being watched. All she wanted was for Daniel Riley to leave her and her daughter alone.
She massaged her temples. âI donât know anything more and my daughter will be home any minute. I donât want anyone upsetting her.â She pointedly stabbed him with her gaze. The door heâd used to come into the house was through the mudroom, which she could close off so Kaitlyn wouldnât see the busted door.
âIâd like to talk with Juanita, but Iâll make sure Kaitlyn doesnât know why Iâm here.â
âI appreciate that. She doesnât understand why her daddy was gone for so long and then last week we had a funeral for him.â The sound of the garage door going up rumbled through the house. Melora wearily shoved herself to her feet. âJuanita and Kaitlyn are home.â
He followed her into the kitchen. âI noticed your daughter was at the funeral.â
Yes, and Melora had noticed he had been there, too, with the other Texas Ranger, Anderson Michaels, whoâd come to the Alamo Planning Committee in October. Another committee she was on. Axle had wanted her to project the right image to the world, and sheâd never complained because she liked making a difference and helping where she could. In fact, she still tried to maintain as normal a schedule as possible although sheâd buried her husband two days ago.
She threw him a glance. âKaitlyn needed some closure with her father.â She hoped instead of Kaitlyn getting distressed because her father hadnât come home that her daughterâs nightmares would stop since sheâd gotten to say goodbye to her daddy at the funeral.
The knob on the door to the garage turned. Melora fortified herself with a deep breath and faced her daughter who raced into the room with Juanita trailing at a more sedate pace.
âMommy, youâre home.â Kaitlyn threw her arms around Meloraâs legs. âI had a great time at Caraâs.â
While her housekeeper made her way toward her suite off a back hallway, Melora hugged Kaitlyn. âIâm so glad. Weâll have to have Cara over here soon.â
âTomorrow?â Her daughter bent back and looked up expectedly.
Melora forced a chuckle that fell flat. âWeâll see.â
Kaitlyn leaned around Melora, peering at Daniel Riley. âWho are you?â
He crossed the kitchen, a smile lighting his gray eyes as though they were pieces of silver. âIâm a friend of your motherâs.â
Her daughter tilted her head and studied the Texas Ranger. âHow come Iâve never seen you?â
His shoulders lifted in a shrug. âThatâs going to