Chapter 4

The Walls Close In

"Me for murder?" Gage asked astounded that anyone would even consider it. "The last time I saw Derek Shaw he was ruffed up but alive and cussing me out."

"Ranger Gage? I'm Lieutenant Mark Sears, my partner Lieutenant Daniel Samms," a balding portly man was introducing them as they walked over to where Gage stood with his bosses. "We are investigating the murder of Derek Shaw. That name mean anything to you Ranger?"

"You know what the connection is," Gage replied.

"All right Ranger then lets get to it," Sears began. "Derek Shaw is one of your wife's old boyfriends and he tried to come back into her life and you didn't like it. You warned him and he wouldn't listen so you came up with a permanent solution."

"Come on Sears you surely have read the reports, my wife was terrorized by Shaw years ago. He was out of her life until yesterday when he decided to call and threaten her again then he made a call on our girls at the HOPE Center.

Sumner found him and the two of us went to have a talk with him, he threatened Sydney and the girls I lost it and let him have it but he was very much alive when Sumner and I left," Gage concluded.

"Let him have it Ranger, witness say they thought you were going to beat the man to death," Samms chimed in.

"I lost my temper," Gage told him, "A man who almost killed my wife years ago was standing in front of me telling me he was going to have her and our two daughters too. If you were in my place just how would you react?"

"I don't know I wasn't in your place," Samms replied.

Gage took a deep breath he knew how this worked but it wasn't making it any easier.

An officer approached Sears with an envelope and he took it from him and walked towards Gage offering the envelope to him saying at the same time, "We have a warrant to search the premises."

"You've got to be kidding," Gage snapped grabbing the warrant from his hand. "Have you not talked with Ranger Sumner and my wife? They are going to tell you the same story I just did."

"We've talked to both Ranger Sumner and Ranger Cooke…"

"So what's the problem then?" Gage asked.

"A few loose ends Ranger you know what that is like," Samms smiled at him.

Gage sat at the kitchen table watching the cupboards being riffled through. He could see Syd who was sitting in the family room watching the same process of their things being pulled out and scrutinized for evidence. He wanted nothing more then to go to her and rest his arm around her. Hell he wanted her arms around him he wanted to wake up and the whole day be different.

Walker sat down beside him quietly asking, "Is there anything that you are leaving out anything we should know at all Gage?"

"After Sumner dragged me off Shaw he was alive. He told me he wasn't afraid of me but I didn't answer him I just kept on walking out the door. Matt came out behind me a few seconds later and we came back here. I just came right in the house Anna B was here I didn't even say goodnight to her or Sumner I just walked down the hall I needed to see my kids. I was staring in at Piper and Cat until Syd came down the hallway to get me. We talked had a shower and went to bed."

"So you were with Syd all night?" Trivette asked.

"Until about five this morning, I was restless and I didn't want to wake her so I went for a bike ride," Gage admitted.

"Do that often?" Walker questioned.

"Not that often but I've been known to do it just to clear my head. I got back just before you called. Syd was up and had made coffee."

The rangers didn't have any more time to discuss things Lieutenant Sears who had been talking on the phone was approached by another officer he was holding something in his hand. Taking it from the officer he walked towards Gage.

"Ranger Gage is this your shirt?" he asked.

"Yes it's mine," Gage answered, "and I can save us all a little time the blood on it is Derek Shaw's blood."

"Care to explain?"

"Sure I was hitting him hard enough earlier that night that his blood sprayed on my face and shirt," Gage replied the emotion buried deep. "You can ask my wife about it she thought I may have been hurt and I admitted to her that it was Derek Shaw's blood."

Sears stood there silently waiting for his partner to hang up the phone and join him. Samms came and stood slightly in front of his partner they conversed for a moment and once again Sears addressed Gage, "Do you or Ranger Cooke own any other hand guns other then your service weapons?"

"Yeah Syd owns a small forty-five caliber handgun that belonged to her father and it is the only other gun in the house," Gage replied.

"And you would have access to that weapon?" Sears persisted.

"Syd keeps it locked up but I do know where and where the keys are to get at it if I had reason to do so. It isn't anything we have out very often she just keeps it because it belonged to her Dad," Gage volunteered.

"It is registered to Ranger Cooke?"

"I assume so I never really asked her but she is a stickler for details so I assume she would have changed over the registration."

"Could we have a look at it?"

"I don't see why not do you want me or Sydney to get it?"

"We'll have Ranger Cooke do that," Sears retorted nodding to Samms to go and speak to Sydney.

Sears was talking again to Gage but he was only half listening he was watching Samms go over to his wife and both of them get up. Sydney gave a quick glance at him and then turned accompanied by Samms to retrieve the gun.

"Would your prints be on your wife's gun?" Sears was asking.

"I'm sorry I wasn't… Could you repeat that," Gage got out turning his attention back to the lieutenant.

"Your prints would be on your wife's gun?" Sears repeated.

"More then likely," he answered as Sydney reappeared with Samms.

Coming directly into the kitchen Sydney stood in front of Gage saying almost in apology, "It isn't there."

"What'd you mean it isn't there?"

"Just what I said Gage the gun is missing, the hollister is empty, it isn't there," she cried.

"All right folks this is the way things are sitting at the moment," Sears began, "We got Derek Shaw murdered around three A.M. this morning. We know that he is Ranger Cooke's old boyfriend and has been harassing her. Her husband Ranger Gage here went to see him beating him hard enough to come home with Shaw's blood on his shirt.

You both went to bed around eleven P.M. and some time between then and six twenty this morning Ranger Gage got up to go on a motorcycle ride but Ranger Cooke can't be sure what time he left.

A forty-five caliber handgun was found in a dumpster not thirty feet away from where Shaw was found which we are checking for prints and who it is registered to. A forty-five slug was dug out of Shaw, which we are checking against the gun we found.

Now we find out the family heirloom is a forty-five that has gone missing from a locked strong box."

Sears phone rang and he stopped long enough to answer it. "Thanks for being so quick on this," he said into the phone. Turning back to the table where Gage sat he said, "that pretty well clinches it Ranger. The gun is your wife's, your prints are on it and a bullet from that gun killed Shaw. Could you please stand and place your hands behind your back? I'm placing you under arrest for the murder of Derek Shaw."

The words hung in the air like stale smoke nobody least of all Gage could believe what was happening.

"You can't be serious?" Sydney started making a move to intervene only to have Walker take hold of her warning her to stay silent. She stood watching flinching as the cuffs clicked shut around Gage's wrists.

Trivette had gone over where Sears and Samms stood with Gage while Walker stood with Syd. "This is nuts Gage didn't kill anyone not even Derek," Syd spoke out as much to herself as Walker.

A moment later Gage was ushered out and Trivette rejoined Walker, Sydney and Sumner.

"They are taking him downtown to be booked. I told them that we would be launching a full inquiry into this," Trivette informed them.

"I'll get Alex on the phone to see what she can find out. She can also suggest a good lawyer. I want everyone at headquarters, I want to get to the bottom of this," Walker stated in his all business like manner. Softening a little he took Sydney's hand and speaking for all of them said, "None of us believe that Gage did this Sydney."

"Thanks Walker I appreciate that," Syd meekly replied. "Even in death Derek Shaw is trying to run my life."

"Sydney you ride with me," Walker told her, "Sumner you can ride with Trivette we'll see you at headquarters. Hey Trivette make sure we get a copy of all the reports and evidence they have too."

"You got it Walker," Trivette agreed both he and Sumner heading out.

Walker put in a quick call to Alex who said she would make it her business to find what her office would actually be pushing for. "Walker does Gage have legal representation? I could give Jeff McDonald a call he is very good and I think that he'd do a good job for Gage."

Walker quickly explained Alex's offer to Sydney who readily accepted. Taking the phone from Walker for a minute she spoke to her friend, "Please Alex I just have to get him out of there."

"I know Sydney I'll do what ever I can do from this end."

"I know you will Alex thanks." She handed the phone back to Walker for him to say good-bye, then they both headed to the truck and headquarters.

Jonas Blake's Home

Blake was a little gargoyle looking man he sat back in his rich leather sofa talking on the phone. "Excellent you have looked after your end very well. My informants tell me that Ranger Gage's case looks open and shut. My plans will be set in motion before the end of the day. They are all going to pay for crossing us. They are going to pay for hurting our boys."

TBC....