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“Dusty probably didn’t kill Julie.” Ryker kept his gaze locked on the defense attorney. “He’s right-handed. Julie’s killer was left-handed.”
Jose arched a brow. “Excuse me, Ranger Montgomery, but that doesn’t mean a thing. He could’ve hired someone to do it. Dusty is a known drug dealer and has been charged with murder before. I’m sure he has a host of misfit friends who’d be happy to aid in his criminal deeds.”
An icy finger of trepidation touched the back of Ryker’s neck. If Claire’s informant was correct, Dusty had contacted some old friends for help to kill Hannah. Had he done the same with Julie? It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. But that didn’t mean Thomas wasn’t involved.
Ryker kept his tone even. “Our investigation has uncovered evidence that Thomas was using his wife’s name to write narcotics prescriptions for fake patients. We believe that’s where the money hidden in the bookcase in the office came from. Thomas and Dusty were working together. It’s not a far cry to believe they conspired to kill Julie. And are now going after Hannah.”
“Those are serious accusations.” Jose was nonplussed. He leaned back into his chair casually. “Can you prove my client has had contact with Dusty? Or that Thomas was running a drug scheme?”
“The investigation is still early. It’s possible Thomas is using a go-between to communicate with Dusty.”
Jose’s gaze narrowed as his mouth hardened. “Are you accusing me of something, Ranger Montgomery?”
“No, sir. My colleague and I merely wanted to ask why you didn’t recognize Dusty from the courthouse surveillance footage. It seemed odd that you’d defended Dusty against serious murder charges, but never mentioned it to anyone in law enforcement even when his name was released to the media.”
“There’s no mystery to it. I merely forgot.” Jose glanced at his watch, hit a button discreetly placed on his desk, and then rose from his chair. “You’ll have to forgive me, gentlemen, but I have another meeting to attend. Please keep me informed about the progress of your case.”
The secretary appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Ryker and Eli followed her back to the elevator. Before the doors closed, Ryker caught a glimpse of Jose speaking on his cell phone. His expression was pinched. Despite his calm demeanor, their questions had rattled him.
Ryker didn’t believe for one minute that Jose hadn’t recognized Dusty from the surveillance video. He’d purposefully hidden his connection to the criminal. Worse, he’d known Dusty’s name but hadn’t shared it with law enforcement. They’d lost days in their investigation trying to learn who “Cash” was.
Why had Jose lied? Was it because he was protecting Thomas? His client had been running a million-dollar drug scheme. They’d traced it back years. It’s possible Thomas wasn’t the only doctor involved. The entire thing could be part of a bigger network.
What had they stumbled into?
And was Jose a part of it?
TWENTY-TWO
“Thank you for taking the time to see me.” Julie’s mother, Mandy Jackson, wrapped her fingers around the mug of tea Hannah placed in front of her. Her gray hair was swept back from a face lined with exhaustion and grief. “I’ve been following the developments in the news. I’m very sorry about the lawyer from your office. The one that was murdered. Kristin. That was her name, right?”
“Yes.” Hannah pulled out a chair across from the other woman. A pang of sadness hit her at the mention of Kristin’s name. The young woman hadn’t deserved to be terrorized by a murderer. “Kristin Michaels. Her family is from San Marcos. That’s where the funeral will be.”
“Her poor parents.” Mandy swallowed hard. “I know all too well what they’re going through.”
“I know you do.”
Mandy had called an hour ago requesting a meeting. Normally, Hannah wouldn’t have invited Julie’s mom to the ranch, but given the threats, it seemed like the best option. It was also an opportunity. Mandy and her daughter had been close and their family dinners had often included Thomas. They’d spent holidays and vacations together. Mandy had known her son-in-law well.
Hannah needed additional names of individuals Thomas might’ve roped into his drug scheme. She wasn’t convinced Jose was involved. Too risky. The rangers were doing a deep dive into his background, but other than representing Dusty seven years ago, there were no other obvious connections.
Ryker set a plate of cookies in the center of the table before pulling out his own chair. He looked stressed. His hair was rumpled, as if he’d been running his hands through it, and faint lines bracketed his mouth. After interviewing Jose, he’d come back to the ranch, and they’d worked for hours following various leads. None had brought them any closer to figuring out who Thomas was using as a go-between.
Not even questioning Lorrie had yielded any new results. She’d been forthcoming with information, but because of the clandestine nature of her relationship with Thomas, hadn’t been introduced to any of his friends. The young woman had known little about the man she’d had an affair with.
“I won’t beat around the bush, Hannah.” Mandy straightened her shoulders and drew a breath in between her teeth. “I’ve heard news reports that the charges against Thomas will be dropped soon. Perhaps as soon as tomorrow morning. Is that true?”
“No. The investigation is still ongoing. I don’t want to decide until we are closer to trial.”
“Have you talked to your boss about that?”
Hannah frowned. Her last conversation with Bruce hadn’t been cordial. He’d called shortly after Kristin’s murder, and once again, clarified that he wanted the charges against Thomas dropped. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Was Bruce planning to drop the charges without telling her first?
No. Surely not. Her boss was politically savvy and was facing increasing pressure over this case, but he’d never make a decision without informing her about it first.
Hannah shared a glance with Ryker before turning back to Mandy. “I haven’t recently, but he knows what my feelings are.” She reached across and placed a hand on the other woman’s sleeve. “Be careful about listening to news reports. The reporters can exaggerate and overanalyze every nugget of information.”
“I know.” She twisted the mug between her hands. “I just… you’re aware Thomas and Bruce were good friends.”
