Texas Ranger Showdown. Margaret Daley

stolen his identity and money, then disappeared. But Caitlyn hadn’t been a therapist at that time. Thankfully, after years of being a law enforcement officer, he wasn’t as gullible as he’d been when he was in his midtwenties, but the incident wasn’t something he’d shared with anyone. “What did this guy say?”

      “‘Stop me!’” Emma said before Caitlyn could. “But the worse part was the silence.”

      “Nana, if I was on the radio, I’d have long silences too.” Ian caught Caitlyn’s gaze and held it. “I admire how you deal with all the different problems people call about.” When he’d been growing up, he’d often come to her for advice, so her career choice hadn’t surprised him.

      She grinned. “Talking has always come easily to me. But I’ve had many people freeze up when they go live on the radio. Some I never hear from again. Others get over it and ask me to help them.”

      “I hope that guy isn’t one that calls again.” Sally took a drink of her iced tea.

      “You said you have a new case. What is it?” Caitlyn asked him.

      “Now that the family has been notified, I can tell you. Jane Shephard was found murdered outside of town in a ditch.”

      His grandma’s jaw dropped. “Jack is in Austin. Poor Ruth’s all by herself.”

      “The senator is on his way home.”

      Nana looked at Sally. “We’ll need to go to the church and organize some support for them. Jane was their only child. They will be devastated.” She rose and took her plate and mug to the sink.

      “Yeah, we can’t go to yoga. We need to call the people on the church’s phone tree.” Sally joined her friend at the counter.

      When they headed toward the hallway, Ian asked, “Do you want me to take you to the church later?”

      “Yes,” Nana said as she and Sally began making plans.

      Ian swiveled toward Caitlyn, who stared at a spot on the table between them, color drained from her face. “Jane was younger than me in school, but you were closer in age. Did you know her very well as adults?”

      “Yes,” she said and lifted her gaze to his. “She’s—was one of my patients. When did this happen?”

      “Based on her lividity when I saw her, she was probably killed between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.”

      “Make that between nine and ten. I had an appointment with her at eight this morning. She left my office a few minutes before nine.” Caitlyn shook her head. “I can’t believe this.”

      “What can you tell me about her? Was anyone threatening her? Harassing her?”

      Caitlyn stood and gathered up her dishes. “I need to talk to her parents first. I don’t think what we talked about had anything to do with her death.”

      “I need to re-create her steps. Did she mention going anywhere after her session?”

      “She was meeting a couple of her Dallas friends for lunch and shopping afterward.”

      “Who was she meeting?”

      “Terri Hudson and Zoe Adams.”

      “Was she dating anyone?”

      “The last serious relationship she had was Max Collins, but that ended months ago. Come to think of it, they got into a big fight at Longhorn Café right before Christmas. Max accused her of seeing someone else.”

      “Who?”

      “Frankly, I’m not sure. She didn’t discuss it, so I’m not sure she was dating another guy at the same time.” She took the dishes to the sink. “I’d better leave now if I’m going to make my appointment.”

      “I’ll walk you out to your car.”

      “You don’t have to. As far as what she was going to do right after seeing me, I don’t know anything more. She was dressed casually, as though she might be going back home until she met her friends for lunch. What was she wearing when you saw her?”

      “Jeans, boots and a blue blouse.”

      “That’s what she had on for her appointment.” Caitlyn grabbed her purse on the counter. “I can tell you that what she was seeing me for wouldn’t have made her a target for a murderer.”

      “People murder for all kinds of reasons. Any insight into Jane would be welcomed.” Ian followed Caitlyn from the kitchen. “Having been away from Longhorn for years makes me realize I don’t know the town like I used to. Considering your occupation, I’m thinking you do.” A woman had been discovered killed with no obvious reason in a town where murder was very rare. He opened the front door and let Caitlyn go outside first. “If that caller hassles you, please let me know.”

      “I’ll help you any way I can. Just like old times.” She strolled beside him down the sidewalk toward her car. “But I won’t need your help. For all I know, the caller doesn’t even live in Longhorn.”

      He gestured toward her Thunderbird. “When did you get this baby? I’m jealous.”

      “Nine months ago, when my program was syndicated across the country. It’s my one extravagance. I live in a two-bedroom town house. Nothing fancy.”

      He put his hand on the door handle and glanced at her. “And I’m sure you’re going to let a good friend like me drive it soon.”

      She laughed. “Not until I see how good a driver you are now. When we were growing up, speed was all you thought about when you got behind the wheel.”

      “I’m older and wiser now. Plus, I’ve taken a driving course to teach me the finer points of a high-speed chase.”

      “And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”

      Ian smiled as he opened the driver’s-side door.

      Caitlyn started to slip into her seat but halted halfway, her stare fixed on something in the car.

      Ian looked in the same direction.

      On the white leather driver’s seat lay a photo of Jane in the ditch, dead. Written across the top were the words Stop me!

       TWO

      Caitlyn couldn’t take her eyes off the same words she’d heard from the caller.

      Stop me!

      All the feelings of the morning began to overwhelm her, leaving her shivering despite the sunlight beating down on her shoulders.

      A hand touched her arm. She gasped and jerked away, nearly falling on top of the picture of Jane.

      Ian gripped her upper arm and kept her upright. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I wanted you to step away from your car. Besides the photograph, there may be other pieces of evidence left behind.”

      She scanned the interior of her Thunderbird. “What?”

      “Fingerprints. Maybe something else. This is clearly connected to Jane’s murder.”

      Jane’s killer had not only called her show but had approached her car and placed the picture on her seat in the past forty-five minutes. Brazen. Another chill shimmied down her body. She would never again leave the top of the car down while not sitting in it. Longhorn had its crime, but generally it was a peaceful town.

      “I have a client coming to my office in—” she checked her watch “—fifteen minutes. I try to always be on time, especially with this patient.”

      “I’ll call the chief and have an officer stand guard while I take you to work. Do you know if any of the neighbors have security cameras that might show your car or the street?”

      She shook her head.