Rebecca Winters – Her Texas Ranger Hero (страница 7)

Three weeks ago their sixteen-year-old daughter, Yu Tan, didn’t come home from school. One of her friends said she ran off with a man from a disco club in the city, where she often went dancing without permission. I don’t believe it. Yu Tan is a sweet, well-brought-up young woman with plans to make the Olympic team and go to college. She’s won all kinds of awards in gymnastics.

As Ally continued to read Soo-Lin’s concerns about Yu Tan’s disappearance, that sickness grew, until she slid off the bed to look for her purse. Inside was the card Luckey had given her with his phone number.

Maybe there was no connection between the words she’d just read and the case that Luckey was working on, but she needed to get his permission to discuss this with her parents. The news in Soo-Lin’s letter had struck too close to home.

* * *

LUCKEY LEFT THE morgue with the swatches of material in his pocket and headed for the office. On his way down the hall he was relieved to see Cy coming out of the lunchroom with a mug of coffee. There was no one he’d rather talk with about this case than him. “Ranger Vance, as I live and breathe!”

Cy saw him and grinned. “Where have you been for the last couple of weeks?”

“You don’t want to hear about it.”

“Actually, I already did. TJ spread the word that you nailed those three felons. Grab some coffee and come in my office so we can play catch-up.”

Luckey didn’t need to be persuaded. In less than a minute he was sitting across from Cy at his friend’s desk and sipping the hot liquid. “How’s the baby?”

“She’s a heartbreaker, like Kellie.”

“Another champion barrel racer?”

“Maybe.” He eyed Luckey. “But the important question is, how’s your personal life?”

He’d been concentrating so hard on thinking about Ally Duncan, the question took him by surprise.

Cy’s eyes narrowed. “What’s this? Silence from our dedicated bachelor?”

After a pause he said, “Do you remember the day you bumped into Kellie outside the radio station in Bandera?”

“What kind of a question is that? You know damn well it was the greatest day of my life.” His friend studied him. “Okay, buddy. You’re setting me up for something. Out with it.”

“I had a similar experience yesterday.”

“Yeah?” Cy broke into a smile that lit up his face. “I guess I don’t need to ask if she’s drop-dead gorgeous.”

“Nope.”

He let out a yelp that filled the room and jumped out of his chair to slap Luckey on the shoulder. In the process he set down his mug so hard some of his coffee spilled. “I knew it had to happen sooner or later! Wait till the guys hear about this. What’s her name?”

“Dr. Duncan.”

“That has a nice ring. Where did this encounter happen?”

“At the university. She was coming out of her office and we...collided.”

Cy chuckled. “I can relate and haven’t been the same since. What were you doing there?”

“I needed to find an expert in Chinese to help me on my new case.”

His brows lifted. “She teaches Chinese?”

“Yup. She went to the morgue with me to identify the writing on some fabric.” He pulled an evidence bag from his pocket that held the samples of embroidered silk and lace. “You’re looking at some swatches that are going to crack it.”

“So the morgue was your first date?”

“Nope. We had breakfast at the Magnolia Café first.”

“You’re a dark horse, you know that?” His friend rolled his eyes. “So she’s a knockout and she speaks Chinese. There’s only one more important question to ask. Does she ride?”

Luckey burst into laughter. “She lives on her family’s ranch, so I’m assuming as much.”

“Three out of three. Now you’ve got my attention.” Cy walked back to his chair and sat down. “All right. I want you to start over and don’t leave anything out.”

“Just remember, I have no idea how she feels about me.”

No sooner had he spoken than his cell phone rang. Luckey pulled it out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. He couldn’t believe it. Needing privacy, Luckey got up from the chair and walked out into the hall. He clicked on. “Ally?”

“Hi. Forgive me for bothering you when I know how busy you are, but I need to discuss something really important with you. Can we meet again?”

His heart thundered in his chest. “Where are you?”

“I’m home, but I’d be glad to drive to your office if you’re there.”

“How soon can you get here?”

“I’ll leave the house now. What’s the address?”

He gave her the information. “I’m on the second floor when you come up the stairs. Third door on the left.”

“Thank you. I’ll be there shortly.”

After hanging up, he walked back into Cy’s office.

“Was that who I think it was?”

Luckey took a deep breath. “Yes. She’s on her way here to discuss something important about the case.”

Cy was all smiles as he cleaned up the coffee spill. “Sure she is. What was it you said? Something like ‘I don’t know how she feels about me’? She’s doing both of us a favor, because I want to get a good look at her.”

Luckey shook his head. “She sounded serious.”

“While you wait for her, tell me why you need a Chinese expert.”

“It’s a female trafficking case involving a Chinese victim.”

For the next little while, he told him what he’d uncovered and they talked about possible theories. “I believe the victims are being held here in Houston or Austin or somewhere nearby. I’ve got to find out where.”

“Don’t be afraid to use me if you want help.”

“Thanks, Cy. I might take you up on it.”

He got up and went out into the hall to keep watch for Ally. The office was busy, with lots of staff milling around, but she was impossible to miss when she appeared at the top of the stairs. She was wearing the same outfit she’d worn to breakfast. “You got here fast,” he said, walking toward her.

She sounded a little out of breath. “The traffic cooperated.”

“Come with me.”

Cy had just emerged from his office with the empty coffee mug. Luckey slowed down. “Ally? I’d like you to meet a friend and colleague Cy Vance.”

A smile broke out on her face. “Another famous Ranger. I always wanted to meet one. Now I’ve met two.” She shook his hand.

“Even if the famous part is fiction, that’s the nicest thing anyone has said to us in a long time.” Luckey saw the way Cy’s eyes lit up. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m on my way for more coffee. Do either of you want some?”

“Not for me, but thank you,” she said.

Luckey flashed him a private glance. “We’re good. Talk to you later.” He turned to Ally. “My office is right down here.”

He showed her inside and shut the door. “Have a seat.”

“Thank you for meeting with me again so soon.”

“When I’m on a case, I don’t let anything interfere with my work.” Luckey sat down behind his desk. “Tell me what’s happened.”

“During the years we lived in China, our family was watched by the Ministry of State Security. The MSS employs a variety of tactics including cyber spying to gain access to sensitive information. They also engage in industrial espionage. Because of this, I was never allowed to use email or the phone.

“As I told you, Soo-Lin and I met and became friends at the university. Any news passed back and forth had to be done in person, either at school, my parents’ home or when I traveled to her home in Yongzhou. When I went there on vacation, I didn’t contact my parents at all during my stay in order to avoid a paper or electronic trail. The MSS is always looking for subversive chatter.”

Luckey marveled over her family’s ability to function under such difficult conditions. “That couldn’t have been easy.”