"Someone to Trust" PART TWO
Katheryn felt a little bit of warm sunlight gently rest against her bare arm as she gazed down below over the railing of the dojo loft office. Trent's voice echoed up to her, mingled with that of his students' eager tones as he called commands and they repeated them back to him accompanied by the latest maneuver he taught them. A slow smile eased onto her face as she watched Trent conduct the class. Inwardly she wished to be a black belt sooner rather than later as she surveyed each move of every student and Trent's eager teaching as he looked upon each of his students with a smile. She was about to sink into her reverie even more when the regular phone line tore her out of it with a bit of a startle.
Katheryn reached for the phone by near impulse, placing the receiver to one ear and her free finger to her other ear. "Thunder Karate. Oh, hi, Ranger Walker." She glanced back over the railing, stretching a bit to see Trent still conducting the class before turning back to the call. Katheryn wrinkled her nose. "He's in the middle of a class. Should I tell him you called?" Loud kiais filled the entire dojo and sent an echo throughout. "Alright." She smiled. "You too. I'll tell him."
The phone made a bit of a ring as she set the receiver back against its home and hurried from her seat, skipping a step or two as she made her way briskly to the main floor of the dojo. "Trent!"
Trent glanced upward from where he currently was instructing a young student in the back of the room. He turned back to the girl. "Now keep practicing what I showed you. You'll be an expert at it in no time." Trent smiled and proceeded to maneuver his way through the class of eager karate students. He caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall as he walked. "Alright class. You did a fine job." He planted himself firmly in front of the crowd and focused his determined eyes proudly on every child there. "Keep practicing. And I'll see you all tomorrow. Tommy." He nodded to his younger brother who then stepped forward out of the crowd and placed his hands firmly at his sides.
"Face Mr. Malloy. Bow." The entire class did as bid. "Class dismissed!"
Katheryn waited at the foot of the loft office stairs and issued smiles and goodbyes to the students as they filed out of the class, each one talking to a friend or simply recovering with deep breaths from a job well done.
Trent and Tommy were close behind the crowd, easing closer to Katheryn as the students eased out.
"I'll be in the back changing if you need me." Tommy softly tapped at Trent's arm before hurrying off to the back rooms.
"Okay." Trent called out to Tommy with a slight grin before turning to Katheryn. "What's up?"
"Walker. He was on the phone just now."
Trent listened more intently now, knowing that if Walker called it had to be important. "Did he say what was wrong?"
Katheryn shook her head. "He just said he needs to speak with you as soon as possible."
"I see." Trent's forehead creased as he processed several scenarios in his head, including the possibility that Carlos was somehow in danger or needed help clearing his nephew.
"Alright. Ready to head out." Tommy beamed a grin, glancing back and forth between a silent audience as she strode forward. A sly smile eased to the corner of his mouth as he finally settled his gaze on Trent, noticing his big brother's intense thoughts. "What—what is it?"
"Walker called." Trent immediately pulled himself out of the worries and turned to Katheryn. "Can you give Tommy a ride home?"
Tommy rolled his eyes. "I should have my license by now."
"But you don't." Trent glared at him with wide, brotherly eyes. "So let Katheryn take you home. Got it?"
"Well, it's not like I have a car anyway." Tommy scoffed, a playfulness edging his tone.
Trent hid a smile as he turned to head to the back rooms to change. He stopped short with a half turn. "I'll call you both when I find out what Walker wants."
Katheryn and Tommy nodded, bidding Trent their goodbyes. Katheryn suddenly stopped short, turning to Tommy as Trent disappeared around the next corner away from view. "You know, I think I'll stick around here for a little while. Get in a bit of a workout before I head home."
Tommy sighed, his eyes rolling slightly. "But I need a ride."
Katheryn's sigh nearly gave way to the disappointment she dared release. She needed a workout. She wanted a workout. It would do her wonders to go at with the punching bag for half an hour. But it would have to wait. Perhaps she could call up Ranger Hunt or Officer Cooke sometime within the next day for some one-on-one. "Alright. I'll wait." A grin eased to her face. "But only because I'm a really nice person. And you're practically my little brother by adoption anyway."
Tommy scoffed as Katheryn moved in to tussle playfully with him a bit.
"Alright, I'll see you guys later." Trent emerged from the back rooms, picked up a duffle bag next to the bulletin board, and started for the door not noticing the light wrestling match occurring nearby. His thoughts must have wandered a bit.
Katheryn and Tommy laughed the moment off and cleaned the dojo up a bit before heading out, watching through the windows as Trent's Stingray roared into motion and accelerated away from the curb and around the corner. The sound had a bit more purpose in it; almost as if Trent's thoughts flowed to his foot as he stepped on the gas. Either way, his private investigation instincts were without a doubt in full working order.
Ranger Headquarters greeted Trent warmly. The courthouse's broad structure shadowing over him as he hurried up the steps and into the building, leaving his Corvette by the curb just behind Walker's Dodge. He reached the Company B office in record time, easing through the corridors and into the large office in a uniform stride. The door gently closed behind him in the wake of his purposed entrance as both Walker and Trivette looked up from their desk work at the same time.
Trent stopped in between the two Ranger's desk with a deepened exhale. "Walker. What do you need?"
"Have a seat, Trent."
Walker stood and eased from around his desk, straddling the front corner nearer Trivette's desk as he turned to face his protégé now seated and awaiting what the Ranger had to say.
"I received a call this morning from a good friend of mine. His name is Luther Dobbs. He served as Deputy Commissioner. A couple of years ago, I proposed a plan to Senator Hutchinson for a reform camp for convicted and imprisoned felons. It didn't go over quite well with either of them. But I asked them to at least give it a chance. They did. Dobbs was sent to evaluate my program. He thought for sure it would fail."
"What happened?" Trent was clearly intrigued as he sat up a bit straighter and stayed seated towards the edge of the chair.
"Well, Trent, it was not without its hard times. But after that six week period, eight out of my ten recruits turned their lives around. They now help lead the camp for other felons alongside Dobbs."
"That's incredible. You said eight made it through. What about the other two?"
Walker sighed. "One was killed after trying to run away. The other never seemed to catch on to the purpose of it all. He's back in Huntsville as we speak."
Trent shook his head with a sigh. "Wow. That's really something." He turned back to Walker. "But what does that have to do with me?"
"Dobbs called to let me know he will be away from the camp for a month or two and would like me to fill in. Since I did such a great job starting the program." Walker smiled. But it didn't last long. "Trouble is…"
"The case with Carlos' nephew," Trent finished Walker's statement with an understanding nod.
"Yep." Walker sighed. "But I told Dobbs all about you. And he thinks you'd be an excellent candidate for the job."
"Me?" Trent nearly chuckled.
"Yes, Trent. You. I have full confidence in you. You've been an instructor in the Army. This will be no different."
Trent nodded but that soon merged into a weak shake of his head. "But dealing with felons is much different than teaching dedicated soldiers hand-to-hand combat."
"Oh, it's not that much different."
Trivette scoffed from his place behind his own desk as he kept on pecking at the keys on his computer's keyboard.
Trent glanced over at Trivette and smiled, shifting his gaze back to Walker as the Senior Ranger eased off of his desk and reached for his Stetson.
"Well, I guess if you have all faith in me, who am I to question it?" Trent exhaled as the heavy thoughts drove him to his feet. "When do I head out?"
"Tomorrow morning. Can you do that?"
Trent processed the information against his own schedule. He'd have to lay out a schedule for the next six weeks for Tommy who would undoubtedly be leading the karate classes until he returned. He could always depend on Walker or one of his instructors from Kick Drugs to come in on occasion and lead a class. And then he'd have to entrust the protection agency to Katheryn until he returned. He would be asking Carlos to help Katheryn…as if he even had to ask that of his love-struck best friend.
Trent inhaled and exhaled sharply one time each before nodding resolutely, slipping his hands into his jeans' pockets beneath his leather coat with one last nod following. "Alright. I'll do it."
##
Katheryn settled into the chair at Trent's desk in loft office of Thunder Karate. Soft droplets of afternoon rain beat against the window, slowly signaling that spring was well under way. Rain never quite mellowed her out. It put her in rather a pensive mood, forcing a reflection of sorts as she tried to keep her thoughts on her work instead of the fact that Carlos was occupied with his nephew, Trent had left for Camp Justice that morning, Tommy was at school with Tandy and Ty, and Mrs. Malloy had Bible study to lead at church. Even Molly had an appointment to keep that afternoon that kept the two friends apart.
Katheryn let out a rather heavy sigh that blew her hair to the side of her face as she propped her chin on her fist, fighting off a frown brought on by all of these seemingly gloomy thoughts. She looked up from the pile of paper work she promised Trent she would have completed for him upon his return to see the darkened, empty dojo suddenly light up as a flash of lightning struck nearby. A clap of thunder settled over the street side a few seconds later. The storm would be over soon, Katheryn concluded in her thoughts and turned back to her task at hand.
It was almost five minutes later that Katheryn heard a brief sound of an engine as a vehicle came to a stop outside. The sound ceased as the engine was shut off.
Katheryn glanced at her watch, taking notice that the five minutes had felt more like thirty minutes. She arched a brow, scoffing softly as she waited subconsciously to hear the door to the dojo open and shut. She could briefly hear the anticipated outdoor noises as the door did open seconds later. Sounds of a closing umbrella and subsequent sigh followed as the person seemed to be gathering their composure upon being sheltered out of the rain.
"Katheryn?"
Katheryn turned in her seat as hearing her name called pulled her out of the silly little daydream. An inaudible stutter led the way as she opened her mouth. "Up here!"
Footsteps sounded through the short hall and traced the steps up to the loft slowly and carefully to reveal Molly. Her slender figure shivered slightly as she shed her coat and took a seat next to Katheryn.
"What are you doing here?" Katheryn beamed a smile.
Molly drooped her coat over her lap and shot a glance around the room. "Oh, I thought I'd come by and keep you company while you worked. Trent told me you said you'd do some work for him while he was away."
Katheryn nodded. "Yeah. Thankfully, Trent hasn't had a new case since last week. It's been sort of slow. But I promised him I'd keep a good eye on things." She ended with a firm smile which was quickly shattered by the piercing echo of the protection agency phone line's telephone ring.
Anxious glances were exchanged between the two women as they both turned to look at the phone by impulse, vaguely retracing Katheryn's last words in both of their minds as intense ring echoed against their eardrums.
Katheryn took up the device in hand and put it to her ear. "Trent Malloy. When all else fails."
Molly watched silently as Katheryn stepped into Trent's familiar role and wondered what would come of the phone call.
Silence weighed heavy in the vast room as only the settling rain showers seemed to taper into a light drizzle within that brief window of time.
Katheryn nodded as the person on the other end of the phone heartily introduced herself and seemed in decent spirits for a person in need of a private investigator. "And what seems to be the problem, Mrs. Wilkins?"
"Theft out at my ranch. The Lazy T. It's not a huge ranch. But we do alright for ourselves. I've called the police three times. And each time they sent an officer out to keep an overnight watch for twenty-four hours. Nothing ever came up. But without fail, something of value would disappear a few days later out of nowhere. I'm a gracious woman. All that's been vanishing is tools and supplies here and there. But now that they've stolen a prized horse, they've just gone too far. And…I've heard that Trent Malloy is good at what he does. So I wanted to give him a call."
Several uncertain thoughts cluttered in Katheryn's mind as she processed the woman's situation mentally, assessing the situation as Trent had taught her by default. Most of what she knew came naturally from simply watching him work. And that was nearly the best way to learn. That combined with the experience he had provided her with along the way gave her the confidence she needed to continue on in his absence.
Katheryn exhaled softly. "Is it okay if I come out to your place and take a look around? I'm afraid Mr. Malloy isn't available for several weeks. But I'm his partner. I'd be more than happy to help you." Katheryn could sense an edge of aggravation in the woman's deliberative sigh amid the brief silence.
"Uh, that'll be okay. Can you come by this afternoon?"
"Of course." Katheryn smiled and proceeded to jot down the woman's address as she dictated it to her. The pen settled against the desk with a slight echo as Katheryn released it and switched the phone from the cradle of her neck back to her ear. "Thank you, Mrs. Wilkins. I'll see you this afternoon."
"New case?" Molly spoke almost as soon as Katheryn had returned the phone to its base.
"Yep." Katheryn nodded and scooted the chair back to stand up. She reached for her jacket and the piece of paper that had Mrs. Wilkin's address on it before easing passed Molly. "I sure wish I could stick around."
"Where are you headed?"
"The Lazy T Ranch. It's about a twenty minute drive out of Dallas."
"Hmm," Molly breathed as she wrinkled her forehead, her eyebrows drawing nearer as the young woman dwelt in her own thoughts. She stood from her seat also and heeled Katheryn from behind as they descended the loft steps to the main floor of the dojo.
Katheryn paused at the foot of the stairs, waiting for Molly as she caught a glimpse of her friends' creased forehead and narrowed eyes. "What is it?"
"Oh, I, um," Molly stood straighter and tried pulling herself from her reverie, "The Lazy T Ranch. My mom has told me she has so many memories from her childhood there. Grandpa used to bring her up to Dallas to visit a friend and they'd try to spend a day on the trail and camp out in the woods of the Lazy T Ranch before heading home."
"That's sweet." Katheryn smiled and started forward again. "Would you like to come with me?"
Molly grinned as the twosome stepped into the cool aftermath of the rain showers that had pounded Dallas not ten minutes ago. "I'd love to."
Katheryn smiled her approval and circled the front of her Stingray intent upon boarding as she nodded to Molly, indicating for her to get in also. She quickly let the top down on the beauty to let in the afternoon breeze. The storm had passed thankfully. Now there was only that all too familiar rising scent as the asphalt was dotted with little pools of rainwater here and there, reflecting the daylight let in dimly by the clouded skies above.
With a firm crank of the engine, Katheryn stepped on the gas and accelerated away from Thunder Karate in pursuit of what seemed was unfolding into her first case alone without Trent. Inwardly she whispered a prayer that she would be able to handle it. But at the same time, she tossed her worry-filled thoughts aside. After all, it was just petty theft from the sound of it. How difficult could a case of theft be? She had handled the case of Ralph Martin fairly well alongside Trent. Therefore Katheryn concluded and convinced herself that this case couldn't be much different than that one. Or at least that was what she kept reminding herself as she merged onto the various roads of the Dallas Metro area in search of the Lazy T Ranch.