Read Online Leaving Liberty, a Western Romance (Book 5) (Texas Hearts) by Lisa Mondello - Free Book Online Page B

the folder on the table next to the tray of iced tea.
    “I look around and I see a functioning ranch. The barn has a roof that is patched, not replaced. The house is in good shape, but nothing is updated. You have about half the head of cattle a ranch like this could hold. You had one ranch hand. One.”
    “My father and I—“
    “This ranch isn’t working to capacity at all, Libby. And I had to wonder why. I’ve been around ranching all my life. I know when a ranch is failing. This ranch isn’t failing. It’s under-producing. Didn’t you think I’d wonder why?”
    “You said the investigation was over,” she said quietly.
    He ignored her and said, “The only reason I could come up with was that the ranch was cash poor.”
    “Since when was my family’s ranch practices under investigation?”
    “Since I saw the bank statements. There’s nothing there. I knew the property was mortgaged but the full report didn’t come in until yesterday. Doug knew I was wrapping things up here so he brought the report to me personally in case it had some bearing.”
    “This is my family. My privacy you’re invading.”
    “It’s my job to find out what happened to your father, Libby.”
    “You said it was over.”
    “Where’d the money go, Libby?”
    “How dare you do this?”
    Jackson pushed himself to his feet and came toward her quickly. “Did Cole take it?”
    “We’re back to Cole? Are you crazy? Cole never took a dime more than his paycheck. Never. He’s the most honest person I know.”
    “Large amounts of cash withdrawals have been taken out of the account.”
    “My mother was sick for a long time. She had breast cancer. My father did everything he could to make sure she had whatever care she needed. Some of that was experimental treatment that the insurance company refused to cover.”
    “Your mother died ten years ago. A ranch like this could have bounced back. These transactions are recent.”
    “Don’t push this, Jackson.”
    “Why not? Where did the money go, Libby?”
    The last thing she wanted was Jackson’s probing gaze keeping her still. But there she was. Her biggest fear realized. Forced to confess things she wasn’t yet ready to talk about.
    “Don’t you need a warrant to get personal information like this? Why didn’t you tell me?”
    “I didn’t need to. I was investigating Buck Calvert’s death. His name is on the bank account. None of that will transfer to you until his estate goes through probate. Mortgage information is public record and this ranch was recently remortgaged. I had to check it out, Libby.”
    “I told you. We had a lot of medical bills for a long time. It took a toll on my father. After my mother died, my father threw himself into the ranch again and John decided to leave for the military. It was John’s way of coping with my mother’s death. That’s when Cole came to work at the ranch. I’d just graduated high school about that time.”
    “In the ten years since your mother passed, your father should have been able to bring the ranch back to its potential. But still, the ranch is in full debt. More money is going out than is coming in.”
    “I know you’ve done your homework, Jackson. You know my brother was killed in Iraq.”
    Jackson’s demeanor changed. “Your father had a lot of grief to deal with. I understand that.” He sighed and she could see the war raging on his face. The man who wanted to be sympathetic still had a job to do. So he pushed on. “Are you telling me your father gave up?”
    “No. The man didn’t have quit in his vocabulary. I think there were times he wanted to, but…I think he kept a brave face for me.”
    “Does the debt on this ranch have something to do with the fence breaks? Was there someone threatening your father?”
    “No.”
    “What aren’t you telling me? Why do I feel like I’m pulling teeth to get the most basic information from you?”
    “Because I’m a private person. I don’t talk about my private