Read Online One Night Standoff by Delores Fossen - Free Book Online
Authors: Delores Fossen
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is bad off. Might not make it, but Ranger Morris here didn’t seem to understand that this isn’t a good time for a visit.”
Oh, Lenora figured he understood all right, but obviously he had some official reason for being here. A critical reason. Because if he hadn’t, Stella would have probably already managed to send him on his way.
“I’ll handle this,” Clayton told Stella. “Why don’t you go ahead and take Lenora inside while I talk to the Ranger.”
Stella aimed a huff at Ranger Morris and motioned for Lenora to follow her. “I’ll be inside in a minute,” Lenora explained to the woman. First, she wanted to make sure this visit had nothing to do with everything else going on, and if it did, she was staying to hear what Morris had to say.
The Ranger volleyed glances between Clayton and her as if he was checking with Clayton to make sure it was all right for her to be there.
“You’re here about Jonah Webb,” Clayton said to the Ranger. So, not about the shooting, but Clayton didn’t seem to be shutting her out of the conversation.
Lenora remembered hearing that the body of a man had been found several months earlier. Jonah Webb. He’d been head of the children’s home where Clayton was raised. It’d been a nightmare of a place, from all accounts, and Webb had been responsible for most of the bad stuff that’d gone on there.
“I remember reading that Webb’s killer was caught,” she said to the Ranger.
Morris nodded. “His wife, Sarah, confessed to the crime, but we have a lot of evidence to indicate that she didn’t act alone. She’s not a large woman, and someone would have almost certainly had to help her move the body from the second floor of the building and then bury it.”
Oh, mercy. Did the Rangers think Clayton had done that? “Did Sarah Webb name an accomplice?”
He shook his head. “And she’s in a coma. She’s been that way since she was shot three months ago.”
By Clayton’s foster brother Dallas. Lenora had read all those details, too. Dallas had been forced to shoot the woman when she tried to kill him and his soon-to-be wife, Joelle.
“I wanted Webb dead,” Clayton volunteered. “But I didn’t help Sarah kill him or dispose of the body. And no one else in my family did, either.”
Ranger Morris didn’t have a reaction to that and looked at the notepad he pulled from his pocket. “I saw in your medical records from Rocky Creek that you were running a fever the night Webb disappeared.”
“One hundred two degrees,” Clayton confirmed. “I slept through the night.”
“So a couple of your brothers said.” Morris drew in a long breath. “I guess you see the problem with that. All of you are each other’s alibis, but we know that Sarah had an accomplice who either lived in the facility or had access to it.”
“There were plenty of other kids living in that place,” Clayton explained. “I hope you’re looking as hard at them as you are at me and my brothers.”
“I am.” Morris paused. “And, of course, I’m looking into your father, too.”
“Kirby had nothing to do with this,” Clayton snapped.
He glanced at his notes again. “That’s the identical comment I got from all your brothers.”
“Because it’s not just a comment, it’s the truth.” Clayton didn’t hesitate.
The Ranger made a sound that could have meant anything. “I have to put this in my report, so I need to know if you saw or heard anything suspicious the night that Webb disappeared.”
“Nothing.” Again, no hesitation, but this time Clayton opened the door. “I need to get Lenora off her feet,” he added, and it had a definite goodbye tone.
Ranger Morris looked as if he wanted to demand that the interview continue, but Lenora slid her hand over her stomach. She wasn’t hurting, the baby had even stopped kicking, but she figured it would get Morris to back off.
It did.
He tipped his hat. “I’ll be in touch with you soon,” Morris assured him, and he
Oh, Lenora figured he understood all right, but obviously he had some official reason for being here. A critical reason. Because if he hadn’t, Stella would have probably already managed to send him on his way.
“I’ll handle this,” Clayton told Stella. “Why don’t you go ahead and take Lenora inside while I talk to the Ranger.”
Stella aimed a huff at Ranger Morris and motioned for Lenora to follow her. “I’ll be inside in a minute,” Lenora explained to the woman. First, she wanted to make sure this visit had nothing to do with everything else going on, and if it did, she was staying to hear what Morris had to say.
The Ranger volleyed glances between Clayton and her as if he was checking with Clayton to make sure it was all right for her to be there.
“You’re here about Jonah Webb,” Clayton said to the Ranger. So, not about the shooting, but Clayton didn’t seem to be shutting her out of the conversation.
Lenora remembered hearing that the body of a man had been found several months earlier. Jonah Webb. He’d been head of the children’s home where Clayton was raised. It’d been a nightmare of a place, from all accounts, and Webb had been responsible for most of the bad stuff that’d gone on there.
“I remember reading that Webb’s killer was caught,” she said to the Ranger.
Morris nodded. “His wife, Sarah, confessed to the crime, but we have a lot of evidence to indicate that she didn’t act alone. She’s not a large woman, and someone would have almost certainly had to help her move the body from the second floor of the building and then bury it.”
Oh, mercy. Did the Rangers think Clayton had done that? “Did Sarah Webb name an accomplice?”
He shook his head. “And she’s in a coma. She’s been that way since she was shot three months ago.”
By Clayton’s foster brother Dallas. Lenora had read all those details, too. Dallas had been forced to shoot the woman when she tried to kill him and his soon-to-be wife, Joelle.
“I wanted Webb dead,” Clayton volunteered. “But I didn’t help Sarah kill him or dispose of the body. And no one else in my family did, either.”
Ranger Morris didn’t have a reaction to that and looked at the notepad he pulled from his pocket. “I saw in your medical records from Rocky Creek that you were running a fever the night Webb disappeared.”
“One hundred two degrees,” Clayton confirmed. “I slept through the night.”
“So a couple of your brothers said.” Morris drew in a long breath. “I guess you see the problem with that. All of you are each other’s alibis, but we know that Sarah had an accomplice who either lived in the facility or had access to it.”
“There were plenty of other kids living in that place,” Clayton explained. “I hope you’re looking as hard at them as you are at me and my brothers.”
“I am.” Morris paused. “And, of course, I’m looking into your father, too.”
“Kirby had nothing to do with this,” Clayton snapped.
He glanced at his notes again. “That’s the identical comment I got from all your brothers.”
“Because it’s not just a comment, it’s the truth.” Clayton didn’t hesitate.
The Ranger made a sound that could have meant anything. “I have to put this in my report, so I need to know if you saw or heard anything suspicious the night that Webb disappeared.”
“Nothing.” Again, no hesitation, but this time Clayton opened the door. “I need to get Lenora off her feet,” he added, and it had a definite goodbye tone.
Ranger Morris looked as if he wanted to demand that the interview continue, but Lenora slid her hand over her stomach. She wasn’t hurting, the baby had even stopped kicking, but she figured it would get Morris to back off.
It did.
He tipped his hat. “I’ll be in touch with you soon,” Morris assured him, and he
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