Lone Star Lonely by MAGGIE SHAYNE

on
the fourth ring did he get nervous. Where the hell was she?
    He snatched up the phone and barked an
impatient “Yeah?”
    There was a brief pause. Then, “Who is this?
Where’s Kirsten?” The voice was belligerent—and male.
    “This is Kirsten’s bodyguard,” Adam sort of
lied. “And she’s busy. Who’s calling?”
    “Phillip–Mr. Cowan’s driver.”
    Former driver, Adam thought, unless
you’ve got a hearse handy. “She won’t be needing you tonight,”
he told the man instead.
    “Is she all right?” The man on the phone drew
a breath. “Look, I heard about what happened, and I’m concerned
about her being there alone–”
    “That’s why I’m here. Believe me, pard, no
one’s gonna get near her tonight. So you can quit worrying.”
    “Oh. Well, that’s…reassuring.”
    “I’ll bet. You and she have something going
on?”
    There was a series of half-blurted words
followed by an indignant “Of course not!”
    “Just curious,” Adam said, not sure he
believed the guy.
    “Joseph Cowan has been like a father to me,”
the man said. “My God, I’ve been with him since I was—” He broke
off there.
    “Go on. Since you were…?”
    “It’s none of your business. Are you some
kind of cop, or–?”
    “Where are you calling from, Phil?”
    “It’s Phillip. And I’ve already explained all
this to the police. I’ve been out of town for several days. This
was my week off.”
    “Sounds like a solid alibi,” Adam said. “I’m
sure the rangers will verify it.”
    “I imagine they’re doing it as we speak,” he
replied, seemingly unruffled. “I didn’t even know about…about Mr.
Cowan’s death…until they contacted me here to question me.” He
sighed, and the breath was broken, as if he really was grieving
over this—or over something. “I’m coming back right away, of
course.”
    “Of course. Look, I’m kinda busy here.
Anything else I can do for you?”
    “No. I’d just…I’d feel better if I could
speak with Kirsten directly,” Phillip said.
    “Yeah, well, I’ll pass that along.” The hell
he would. “If she feels like it, she’ll call you when you get back.
I’m afraid that’s the best I can do.”
    “All right,” Phillip said softly. “All
right.”
    Adam hung up the phone.
    So what was up with the driver? His interest
had seemed more than casual, that was for sure. Sighing, Adam
dropped a cover on the pan, turned the burner off and headed out to
find Kirsten. If she’d been in her room she would have answered the
damned phone. Wouldn’t she?

    The good thing about not drinking often was
that it took very little time and effort to get completely blasted.
By the second shot of Jack Daniel’s, she felt the frayed edges of
her nerves begin to smooth out. After she downed the third her lips
were starting to go numb. Always a good sign.
    She poured a fourth. She didn’t want to think
about anything. Not the fact that a killer was on the loose, or
that she was probably going to end up in prison soon. Or that the
man she loved—correction, the man she had once loved—hated her guts
and was doing his best to torture her now. Or that she was a
prisoner in her own home. She didn’t want to think about her dad,
either, sitting alone in that nursing home. Believing all the lies
she’d told him…so many lies. He should have been here, with her.
Adam was right about that. But she couldn’t bring him. She
couldn’t. Seeing her with Joseph would have killed him. Her father
knew her too well. He would have started figuring things out, and
once he realized the truth…no, his heart never would have taken it.
But God, now that Joseph was dead, she should be able to bring her
father home. But she couldn’t. How would he bear seeing her
arrested and taken away in handcuffs? How could he survive a
murderer skulking around the place? Not to mention finally learning
the truth about all the lies she’d told.
    No. It would have to wait. Just a little
longer. She would