Beneath the Badge

Beneath the Badge
Rita Herron

Beneath the Badge

Rita Herron

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Table of Contents

Cover Page (#uf588dd80-0a05-5722-9acc-2c5b8940a9f4)

Title Page (#u23a9e97e-a702-5d06-a2c0-7ca53eb28aed)

About the Author (#ubaaa5d16-6d99-544c-986e-d56e35b758e4)

Dedicatoin (#ud40ec197-237d-56d3-a5cd-3be13c84ffb5)

Chapter One (#ulink_6a3a7f35-2bdc-5a3d-bd39-bb87c00560d6)

Chapter Two (#ulink_14f0da1c-d23b-5cf5-9c83-4e5612be26cd)

Chapter Three (#ulink_3007a695-b1ce-5f2c-b972-5dea96f8c68d)

Chapter Four (#ulink_5a9aafed-6949-5a6c-aeaf-09a1c5782618)

Chapter Five (#ulink_4a484b5c-b9ae-56ef-8e70-d806f35e89ff)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-One (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-Two (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

Award-winning author Rita Herron wrote her first book when she was twelve, but didn’t think real people grew up to be writers. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job. A former teacher and workshop leader, she traded her storytelling to kids for romance and writes romantic comedies and romantic suspense. She lives in Georgia with her own romance hero and three kids. She loves to hear from readers, so please write to her at PO Box 921225, Norcross, GA 30092-1225, USA or visit her website at www.ritaherron.com.

To Rickey and Delores for making me fall in love

with the Rangers…

Chapter One (#ulink_e194fde4-aaa1-53c7-ab7f-8316b99de565)

“Taylor Landis needs protection.”

Sergeant Hayes Keller pushed his half-eaten bloodred steak away, his appetite vanishing. He knew Brody McQuade, his lieutenant, was still pissed at him for sleeping with his sister, Kimberly, and forcing him to babysit the richest, prissiest heiress in Texas must be his way of punishing him.

“But Montoya killed Kimberly,” Hayes said, “and Carlson tried to kill Caroline, and you took care of him.”

Brody cleared his throat. “We have to tie up loose ends. I’m at the crime lab in Austin, and we got the results of Carlson’s autopsy. Egan said Carlson acted as if he’d been drugged, and the coroner found ketamine in his system.”

“Ketamine—that’s Special K on the streets. I’m not surprised,” Hayes said. “Carlson had money. He ran with the party crowd.”

Brody sighed, sounding weary. “We need to search Carlson’s place, see if we find evidence of the drug.”

“Why? He’s dead. Good riddance.”

“Yeah. But during the shoot-out, when Egan confronted Carlson about being on drugs, he denied taking anything.”

“So you think someone else drugged him?”

“That’s what I want to know.”

Hell. He wouldn’t be at all surprised that someone else wanted Carlson dead.

“And we still aren’t sure who planted that bomb that blew up Taylor’s car. It looks as if it was intended for her, not for Caroline. Which means that if Carlson tried to kidnap Caroline because she had him fired and he didn’t commit all these murders, someone else wanted to hurt Taylor.”

“So she’s still in danger.” Hayes slapped his beer down on the bar. He so wanted this case to be over, so he could leave Cantara Hills. “Carlson probably set the bomb.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Caroline is worried sick about Taylor. She said that Taylor admitted that Kimberly and Kenneth Sutton had argued before the hit-and-run. I want to know what that argument was about.”