Page 42 of Daybreak

“I am so sure that you could bet a million dollars on it. We can talk about the whys and what-ifs another day,” he said. They resumed the walk, but he was holding on to her now and didn’t turn loose until she was seated in the limo.

He stepped back as the driver closed the door, then stayed, watching until the limousine was out of sight.

* * *

The Tumbleweed parking lot was full when Gunner got home. He made a quick change out of dress clothes, then he sat down at the kitchen table with his laptop and began checking his phone and email for messages.

There were text messages from at least eight of the detectives from his department, including his partner, Cliff, expressing their outrage at the bounty and hoping he was okay, and there was one message from Lieutenant Samuels regarding the man on the motorcycle.

An update on your would-be assassin. He was patched up enough to be arraigned and has been moved to a prison hospital. Also, word on the street is that the hit has been officially called off. Hope you are okay.

Gunner paused, frowned, and reread the message three more times, trying to figure out what there was about it that seemed off. Then the skin crawled on the back of his neck when it hit him.

There had never been any “word on the street.” It was never public knowledge that a hit had been issued. Not even Gunner knew it until the man on the Yamaha. Dixon never admitted being the one who’d set it in motion, so how did Samuels come to know this? Where did he get his information?

His heart was racing as he picked up the phone and called Asher. It rang twice, and then his brother’s voice was in his ear.

“Hey, kid… You okay?”

“I just got a message from my boss, asking me if I was okay and telling me that word on the street was that the hit had officially been called off.”

“Okay… Isn’t that good news?” Asher asked.

Gunner pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Explain this to me like I’m in kindergarten. Since Dixon never admitted to ordering the hit and it was never public knowledge that it was happening, then how did Samuels get his info? Who told him that? How would he come by that information when the hit men were unknowns?”

Asher stilled. The pause between their conversation grew longer and longer, and then he sighed. “Well, shit. I can’t say as I can answer that right now. Are you okay at Dad’s?”

“Yes. All is well.”

“And no one knows where you are, right?”

“Samuels knows. I told him,” Gunner said.

“Well shit, again,” Asher muttered. “Just stay vigilant. I don’t know why you would still be on anyone’s radar now. Not after you presented Dixon with your ultimatum.”

“Consider this,” Gunner said. “If there was a dirty cop who was desperate to hide his tracks, and I’d already unknowingly admitted to that dirty cop that I thought there might be one in our department, and that cop knew I’d already publicly fingered Burgess Dixon if anything happened to me, then that dirty cop would have no trouble getting away with my murder.”

“Damn it, Gunner. I don’t like how this is playing out one bit.”

“Neither do I, but right now, if it is my boss, he has no idea he said too much, or that I caught it. Just dig into his background. See if you can find a reason why he would even do this. He’s been my lieutenant for seven of my eight years in Homicide. I would have trusted him with my life. Now I’m not so sure. I would hate to think he’d been dirty all this time.”

“On it,” Asher said. “Have you responded to the texts you’ve been getting?”

“No, not to any of them,” Gunner said.

“Then don’t, and tell Dad that if anyone calls asking to speak to you, tell him to say that you went back to Dallas,” Asher said.

“That won’t be a lie. I am going back. I have to. Staying here won’t stop this situation. I’m not going to put my family in danger. I can hole up in my house as easily as I can here. I’ve given Dixon enough time to call off his dogs, which makes him think he’s in the clear. But if there’s any truth to this, Samuels won’t see this coming, and if he hadn’t given himself away, neither would I.”

Asher sighed. “I hate to admit you’re right. You’re a really smart cop, Gunner. Just stay aware. I’ll be in touch soon.”

* * *

Gunner was now regretting he’d come home. Even the notion that his presence could endanger people he cared about was terrifying. All of his plans had just come to a screeching halt. Until the dirty cop was caught, he would be a constant target. He needed to get back to Dallas before anyone knew he was on the move, let Samuels know he was back, then set up a trap at his house and wait. If he was wrong, then thank God. But if he was right, they’d come for him there. His plans to quit law enforcement hadn’t changed. But they were going to be delayed.

He glanced at the clock. It was just after 3:00 p.m. He hated that this was happening, but the sooner he was gone, the quicker any danger to Jacob and Pearl would be removed. And then there was Holly. He didn’t want anyone to know he was in the beginning of a relationship with her. If someone wanted him dead and couldn’t find him, they’d use someone he cared about to draw him out.

If he left within the hour, he would be back in Dallas around 10:00 p.m. His dad was busy in the bar, and Pearl was at the Rose, so he went to pack, loaded up his Jeep, and then sent his dad a text.