Learning to Stand (56 page)

“
Sue Ann,” Alex said. “We
don’t have any idea what Cee Cee Joiner is up to. Every road is
blocked. Buffy has not cooperated with our investigation. Becki
cooperated until Cory was well enough to leave the hospital. Her
lawyers stepped in and she won’t speak with us.”

Sue Ann’s face flushed.

“
Stupid. They’re just happy
their kids aren’t dead. They don’t realize Cee Cee will sell them
out soon enough.”

“
I hope not,” Alex
said.

“
He sold you out and you
saved his life over and over again,” Sue Ann said.

“
How do you know that?” Alex
asked.

“
He told me,” Sue Ann said.
“He doesn’t think he does wrong, Alex. And I… I should have said
something, done something… but...”

“
You were too dependent on
him,” Alex said.

Sue Ann nodded her head.

“
Did he tell you anything
else?” Alex asked.

Sue Ann shook her head.

“
Just that you got in his
way. I thought he was threatening me… and he probably was...
“

Sue Ann fell silent. Her eyes welled with
tears.

“
My boys never got in his
way and they are dead. Alex, let me work for you. Buffy thinks I’m
a pathetic joke. I can get her to trust me. I’ll find out what’s
going on.”

“
It’s too dangerous,” Alex
said.

“
I have nothing to lose,”
Sue Ann said.

“
Do this for me,” Alex said.
“Get well. Learn how to be an insurance agent. Then we’ll talk
about Pecos Oil. That’s enough.”

“
I’ll do it. You’ll see,
Alex.” Sue Ann nodded. “You’ll be really proud of me.”

“
I already am.” Alex smiled.
“Listen, your boys loved you because you were worth loving. I know
that’s cold comfort right now, but in time... You’ll see what I
see.”

“
You can count on me,
Alex.”

Alex squeezed Sue Ann’s hand.

“
There is one
thing...”

“
What?” Sue Ann’s face
brightened at the idea that she could be useful.

“
Why does Cee Cee have so
many children?” Alex asked. “We can’t find anyone who will answer
that question.”

“
That’s because no one
knows.” Sue Ann coughed a laugh.

Alex nodded. Shifting, she moved to get
up.

“
I know why he has so many
children, Alex,” Sue Ann said. “I started at Pecos Oil in Cecil’s
office. I was an assistant to his secretary while I finished
college. When I graduated, Cecil found me a position in accounting.
I worked my way up.”

Alex sat back down. She watched Sue Ann’s
face.

“
I see what you mean,” Sue
Ann said. Nodding her head, she continued, “I can’t do this because
I want to get back at Cee Cee. I have to do it because it’s the
right thing to do. I’m going to tell you something that’s a
secret.”

Alex nodded her head. In that moment, Sue
Ann became animated and impassioned. Alex saw a flicker of the
woman she had been before her nightmare began.

“
Cee Cee doesn’t have any
money in his own right,” Sue Ann said.

“
What?” Alex jerked with
surprise.

“
Surprising, isn’t it?” Sue
Ann smiled. “Pecos Oil was founded on an oil well on Cee Cee’s
grandparent’s ranch. A lot of people think Cecil killed his
in-laws, but I can’t imagine it. Cecil’s wife was the great love of
his life. They had a true partnership in every sense of the word.
They had trouble conceiving. That’s why they only had Cee Cee. She
used to say it wasn’t for lack of trying.”

Sue Ann smiled at the memory.

“
Cecil loves everything
about the oil business and his wife loved the money. Cecil set up
the business so he got what he loved, a business to play with, and
she got what she loved, money. ”

Alex settled in her chair. There was a story
to be told, and she didn’t want to miss a single word.

“
Mrs. Cecil Joiner. That’s
what she liked to be called. She was a grand old dame. And she did
love money. She’d flow into the office wafting expensive perfume,
flashing diamonds and furs,” Sue Ann chuckled. “I liked her. I can
tell you, Cecil worshiped her.

“
Anyway, she died maybe
sixteen years ago. For all her flash and airs, she was smart. Her
will stipulated that Cecil inherit the business and profits from
the business. Cee Cee was to work at Pecos Oil, draw a salary. Cee
Cee was furious. He couldn’t live off an oil man’s
salary.”

Alex snorted.

“
Right. Mrs. Joiner’s will
stipulated one other thing. Cee Cee would receive a million dollars
for every child and two million for every boy. That’s per year. I
think Mrs. Joiner thought he would use the money to support his
children. She didn’t stipulate if the children were legitimate or
illegitimate. Buffy had no intention of having children but for a
cool two million a year... They had Tristan the next
year.”

“
By killing his
boys...”

“
Cee Cee lost six million
dollars per year,” Sue Ann smiled. “That gives me great joy. Of
course, Cee Cee will have more kids to replace the income. But for
the next couple of years...”

“
How did it work? You had
the child...”

“
Oh no, Cee Cee did a DNA
test when I was pregnant. He wanted to ensure Danny was his child.
He got his money as soon as the tests were turned into his mother’s
estate. Krystal refused to do the DNA tests, so Cee Cee doesn’t get
any money for her kids.”

“
I do like Krystal,” Alex
said.

“
Me too,” Sue Ann
said.

“
How did Mrs. Joiner die?”
Alex asked.

“
I think Cee Cee killed her.
But who knows? You should ask Cecil. I bet he’d tell
you.”

“
I’m sorry, Sue Ann. Cecil
is very ill with Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Sue Ann’s eyes flashed. Her mouth stretched
into a wide grin. In her stricken condition, she looked like a
macabre Halloween pumpkin.

“
Cecil Joiner is not ill.
He’s hiding out from Cee Cee. Did someone talk to
Águeda?”

“
One of my team,” Alex
said.

“
She was their housekeeper’s
daughter. She’s like a daughter to Cecil.”

“
Cecil Joiner still runs
Pecos Oil?”

“
You’d have to kill him to
get him not to,” Sue Ann said. “See, Alex, I can be very
helpful.”

Having used up all of her energy telling the
story, Sue Ann collapsed into herself. Alex signaled the nurse.
Rushing forward, the nurse pushed Sue Ann’s wheelchair to her room.
Alex, Vince and Krystal followed behind. They were almost to Sue
Ann’s room when Sue Ann reached for Alex’s hand again.

“
When I’m better, we’ll go
see Cecil together,” she said.

“
I’d like that, Sue Ann,”
Alex said. “Would you mind one more question?”

“
Anything,” Sue Ann
said.

“
Is this Águeda?” Alex gave
Sue Ann the photo of Cecil Joiner and his nurse.

“
Yes,” Sue Ann said. “That’s
her.”

Alex pointed to the young woman. “That’s
Águeda?”

“
Oh no, I don’t know who
that is,” Sue Ann said. She pointed to the woman Ben identified as
the cook. “That’s Águeda.”

Alex pointed to the cook.

“
That’s Águeda? You’re
sure.” Alex pointed to the bent, haggard cook.

“
Of course Alex. I knew her
as a young woman. She’s aged horribly but I’d know her anywhere.
Why?”

“
Oh nothing,” Alex smiled.
“You’ve really helped.”

Sue Ann smiled at Alex. The nurse closed Sue
Ann’s door on them. Alex, Vince and Krystal walked to the front of
the nursing home together.

“
Do you really need Sue
Ann’s help?” Alex asked.

“
I need help,” Krystal said.
“I knew Sue Ann before she met Cee Cee. She was the controller of a
division at Pecos Oil. She’s smart, just not very smart about men.
But then who am I to talk?”

“
I thought your luck was
changing,” Alex said.

Krystal gave Alex a dreamy smile.

“
How is Sue Ann able to
afford…”

“
Don’t worry, Alex. Her
insurance covers everything. She’s got quite a road in front of
her.”

“
I’m betting on her,” Alex
said.

“
Me too,” Krystal
said.

Alex hugged Krystal good-bye then she and
Vince made their way across the parking lot to the rental car.
Leaning against the fabric seat, Alex closed her eyes in a silent
prayer for Sue Ann.

She would never understand what made Cee Cee
Joiner tick. Clearly, he thought selling Sue Ann’s house and
removing her financial support would send her over the edge. One
thing was true, Cee Cee Joiner underestimated Sue Ann.

“
You Ok?” Vince
asked.

“
Sad,” Alex said.

Vince nodded. Turning on the car, he began
driving back toward the airport.

“
Ok, what are the three
biggest lies in Texas?” Vince asked.

“
Lies?”

“
I’ll tell you.”

“
Is this a joke?” Alex
asked.

“
Yes, it’s a joke. The three
biggest lies in Texas are...” Vince turned onto the highway. “I won
this belt buckle in a rodeo.”

“
That’s a big buckle,
mister.” Alex smiled.

“
Exactly. The second biggest
lie is: ‘This truck is paid for.’”

“
That’s a big truck…” Alex
started.

“
Mister,” They said in
unison. They laughed.

“
And the final biggest lie
is: ‘I was trying to push this heifer over the fence.’”

Alex made a puzzled face.

“
You know, push the
heifer.”

“
I don’t get it,” Alex
said.

Vince laughed at Alex’s deadpan face. He
drove to the airport and checked them in on their commercial
flight. They chatted about the wedding through the line at
McDonald’s. Alex was halfway through her Big Mac when she
exclaimed.

“
OH, push the heifer! You
mean...” Alex made a gesture and Vince nodded. “That’s
funny.”

Vince joined her laughter.

F

CHAPTER FORTY-seven

Three weeks later
Thursday night
May 15 – 9:30 P.M. MDT
Near the Gulf of Mexico

“
You remember, we have the DEA car auction tomorrow night,”
Raz said into Alex’s ear bud communicator. “Drug dealers have
the
best
vehicles. And we own
no
vehicles.”

“
We own my CJ,” Alex
said.

“
A thirty-year-old Jeep
doesn’t count as a vehicle,” Raz said.

“
You realize it’s in
Barstow,” Matthew said.

“
We’ll be there in time,
right?” Raz asked.

“
You know, usually you let
me sleep in the helicopter!” She laughed.

“
It’s not my fault. I’m not
there,” Raz said. “You’d get your beauty rest if you’d let me
come.”

“
YEAH, if I was there, I’d
get my beauty sleep too!” Troy said in her ear bud.

Alex laughed.

“
Are you ever going to tell
us why this mission is called ‘Something Big’?” Mathew
asked.

“
Probably not,” Alex
said.

They started the day at Fort Carson. The
Fort set up a command center for Raz, Troy, Matthew and, by
temporary assignment, Heath Walker. Her Sergeant would act as a
relay for all the factions – US military, Mexican police, and the
new Fey Team. Alex, Vince, Joseph, Larry, Trece and White Boy were
going to complete the first new Fey Team retrieval. They picked up
a medic at Fort Carson. So far, the medic had been too intimidated
to utter a word to them.

Much to the Jakker’s chagrin, the Army
insisted on flying them to Fort Hood. He whined until he realized
he could nap the entire way to Fort Hood. Tonight was going to be a
long night. He needed his rest.

There was another brawl at Fort Hood. The US
Calvary, along with about a billion soldiers who showed up when
they landed, wanted to be involved in the first new Fey Team
retrieval. Air Force brass got involved. Army brass got
involved.

Alex dragged Zack and the rest of the team
to dinner at Fort Hood’s finest steak house, Texas Land and Cattle.
Alex picked at her salad while the men argued over steak. Joseph
was paying the bill when Alex received the call.

Joint team, joint effort.

The Jakker
could fly to the destination but the Cavalry would take them out of
the country. They picked up another medic and piled in a Hercules.
They would land at Mérida Air Force Base, hoped into a Black Hawk
and head to their destination. The Policía Federal had monitored
the situation all day. They were set to take over when the team
slipped away.

“
How does it look?” Alex
glanced jealously at the men sleeping in the
compartment.

“
Very quiet, sir,” Heath
said. “They put him to bed at six as we expected. Outside of the
guards, we haven’t seen any activity for the last hour.”

“
We’ll go radio silent once
we land at Merida, I expect...”