The Texas Ranger by Diana Palmer Read Free Book Online

and forcing him out of the race with it.”
    â€œThat was never proved,” Simon reminded her.
    â€œI know. But Jake Marsh’s name was mentioned, and not only in connection with Dale. Now, Webb is well on his way to the nomination for the United States Senate. He’s a rising star.”
    â€œThere’s one little hole in your theory, Josette.Murderers don’t usually stop at one murder, unless they’re crimes of passion,” Simon remarked, thinking out loud.
    â€œNobody stood in Webb’s way until now. If Dale Jennings had something on him, some sort of proof, what would a man in Webb’s position do?”
    â€œFirst, he’d make sure proof existed.”
    â€œI don’t know how there could have been any tangible proof since nobody saw Mr. Garner’s murder. The only real evidence was the blackjack they found in the passenger seat of Dale’s car. I never saw it, but he didn’t deny that it was his. He never pointed his finger at anybody else. I don’t see what could have spooked anybody into killing him. No, if there was blackmail, there had to be something else, something that would prove Webb guilty of something besides Garner’s death. But the burden of proof will be on us. Otherwise Dale’s death will be another senseless, unsolved homicide.”
    â€œOkay. Take the ball and run with it. But you have to work with Brannon.” He held up a hand when she started to protest. “I know, he’s a pain in the neck and he’s prejudiced against you. But he’ll balance your prejudice against Webb. Besides, he’s one of the best investigators I’ve ever known. I got involved in this to put Jake Marsh away. That’s still my primary goal. I think he’s involved. If he is, the investigation is going to get dangerous. Brannon,” he mused, “is good protection. He’s a master quick-draw artist, and he can even outshoot my brother Rey.”
    â€œRey won medals in national skeet-shooting competition,” Josette recalled.
    â€œHe’s still winning them, national and international ones, too, these days.” He stood up. “Keep this conversation to yourself,” he added sternly. “The governor and Webb are good friends. Webb has powerful allies. I don’t want to get anyone in San Antonio in trouble. We’re investigating a murder that we hope we can link to a notorious mobster who’s probably paid off a lot of people. Period.”
    â€œI’ll be discreet.”
    â€œI hope you and Brannon and the San Antonio CID can turn up something on Marsh. And the sooner the better,” Simon added with a wry smile. “Because I’ll go loopy if Phil Douglas has to take over your job as well as his own.”
    â€œPhil’s a nice boy, and a good cybercrime investigator,” she defended her colleague.
    â€œHe’s a computer expert with a superhero complex. He’ll drive me batty.”
    â€œYou’re the attorney general,” Josette reminded him. “Send him on a fact-finding trip.”
    â€œThere’s a thought. I’ve always wanted to know what the police department’s computer system looks like in Mala Suerte.”
    â€œMala Suerte is a border town with a populationof sixteen, most of whom don’t speak English. Phil isn’t bilingual,” she pointed out.
    Simon smiled.
    Josette held up a hand. “I’m history. I’ll report in regularly, to keep you posted.”
    â€œYou do that.”
    She nodded, picked up her files and left.
    But once she was outside in the hall, the pleasant expression left her face and she felt as if her knees wouldn’t even support her. Running into Marc unexpectedly like that had shattered her. It had been two years since she’d set eyes on him, since the trial that had made him her worst enemy. She felt drained from the conflict. She only wanted to go home, kick off her shoes, and curl up