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.""She helped me get enough information to know Kyle's got a potentially huge story.For his safety, as well as yours, he might need some help, Sarita." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a slip of paper."These are the names of a couple of people who know how to get things done and aren't interested in taking any credit for the story.Whoever's behind this scheme isn't going to let one reporter get in their way, but if three or four have to be eliminated they might decide it isn't worth the risk and back off.""What did you find out?""Enough to know there's a lot of money involved.People have been killed for a lot less.""I wish he would let you help him.""The chances of that are slim and none, Sarita.""You know, Ms.Carlisle, Kyle is like you in many ways.Smart, but very stubborn.""Well, right now he better be working on plain old scared.Whoever is involved won't let one reporter ruin a good thing.If he gets in their way, they'll kill him."By late afternoon, I was on the road back toward Kerrville.Sarita had been right about Kyle and me.We were both stubborn, with a nearly self-destructive need to work things out alone.I had spent the last fifteen years going it alone, and only recently realized it hadn't been a particularly happy journey, even if I had been satisfied with the work.Or at least I thought I had been.It was hard not to think about what my life would have been like if I had been less.less what? I could spend the rest of my life wondering about that and never arrive at an answer.Too bad you can't see what's on the road ahead, so you'd know when to pull over for a U-turn and when to accelerate toward it.The distance between San Antonio and Kerrville wasn't far enough for much self-psychoanalysis, thank God.I was too tired to think about what might have been or should have been and didn't want anything except a long, hot shower before falling into my own bed.Only the final remnants of sunlight remained on the horizon by the time I turned into the drive leading to my house.Low mesquite blocked my view until the second curve on the gravel and dirt road.As the number of trees decreased, I caught sight of my house for the first time and saw that there was a light on inside.It was Friday and no one should have been there.Instinctively, I took my foot off the accelerator and let the car continue rolling forward, but there was enough gravel on the road to make it nearly impossible to approach the house without being heard.Rounding the last curve and breaking into the open clearing that became the front yard, I saw Lena's car parked in front of the house.I looked around the remainder of the property and wished the sun would hang in the sky a few moments longer.I didn't see any other vehicles anywhere and thought maybe Lena had something important to tell me and decided to wait around until I got home.Shrugging off my unease as paranoia, I got out of the car and grabbed my bag from the backseat.If Lena was waiting for me, I could expect a tongue-lashing for keeping her waiting so long.From the foot of the porch steps I could see that the front door was ajar.The light I had seen wasn't coming from the front room but appeared to be from the window in my office.I took the steps two at a time and pushed the door farther open, looking into the darkened living room.Even in the growing darkness, I knew someone had been there and possibly still was.I was afraid to call out Lena's name and wished I had a weapon.Setting my bag down inside the front door, I caught the screen to keep it from slamming shut.Every piece of furniture had been thrown around the living room.Broken pieces of glass from the end table reading lamps crunched under my feet.Otherwise, the silence was overwhelming."Lena?"There was no answer, and I went to the kitchen doorway and glanced in.Dishes and pots were strewn on the floor.Several beer bottles were sitting on the kitchen table and appeared to be the only unbroken items in the room.Anger, mixed with fear, was beginning to work its way into my mind, but by then I was convinced that whoever had been in the house was no longer there, or I would have already been attacked.Raising my voice a notch, I called out again, "Lena!"Subconsciously, I knew the rest of the house had also been trashed, but where the hell was Lena? The only light came from the partially opened door of my office, and I crossed the living room toward it.Standing to one side of the door, I took a deep breath and pushed the door open with one hand and scanned the office from one side to the other before entering.If possible, the office was in worse shape than the living room and kitchen.Other than the mess, there was nothing else in the room.As quickly as I could, I searched the rest of the rooms.There was still no sign of Lena, and I began to hope that she hadn't been able to start her old car and had gotten a ride home from a friend.Going back into the living room, I switched on the overhead light and looked for the phone.My hand was shaking from an adrenaline overdose caused by a combination of fear and anger as I dialed."Sheriff's department," a man's voice answered."This is Joanna Carlisle, out on Route Fifty-four.My house has been broken into.""Do you know how long ago, ma'am?""No.I've been out of town for a few days and just got back.But my housekeeper's car is here.""Can your housekeeper identify the intruder?""I haven't spoken to her yet.She might not have been here.Look, just send a car out here.""Someone should be there in ten or fifteen minutes."I hung up and wondered if they had left any beer in the refrigerator.Flipping on the kitchen light, I went toward the refrigerator, but before I could open it, my hand froze on the handle.Lena's fabric bag was lying on the floor not far from the kitchen table.She was still here someplace, but I had already looked everywhere in the house.Going onto the porch, I went down the steps toward her car.The doors were locked, but when I looked through the side windows, I didn't see anyone inside.I stood for a few minutes with my hands on my hips and looked around.Finally, taking a high-beam light from the rear storage area of the Blazer I walked around the outside of the house, shining the flashlight into the trees and bushes that enclosed the yard.By the time I returned to the front of the house, I wondered whether whoever had been here had taken Lena with them.Sitting down on the porch steps to wait for the sheriff's deputies to arrive, I leaned back and looked up.There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and stars were beginning to appear, as the sky grew darker.When I was a kid, I had loved to lie in the grass and look straight up at the stars
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