12
“Place the bags over there,” Jane instructed the young man carrying two of her suitcases. “Does Mr. Prescott have the Dallas paper?”
“I’ll have it brought to you, Ma’am.”
“Thank you,” she said as he walked out the door. She should have known Luke would have everything she needed ready for her. Why wouldn’t he? The size of his house staff could rival that of all the boutique hotels in the area.
It wasn’t the first time she’d stayed in Luke’s sprawling Dallas ranch home. Although this time, she would’ve preferred to stay at a hotel, especially since she was back in Texas specifically to make her announcement to run for president. She was surprised when Luke insisted that she stay with him. He didn’t seem at all concerned that the media would accuse him of seeking congressional favors.
She still hadn’t decided what to do about Congressman Keith’s bill. She had a funny feeling it was why Luke insisted that she make her presidential campaign announcement in Gardenville rather than Austin, the state’s capital. He wanted her to see the families who would be impacted by the bill if it passed.
She sighed. Luke had never pressured her like this before. Voting down the bill must be really important to make him act like one of the hundreds of lobbyists who hounded her on a daily basis. It was so unlike him, and she wondered if there was more to it than just business.
Just as she was about to take off her shoes and relax, there was a knock at the door.
She opened the door. “Yes?”
“Mr. Prescott is waiting for you in the library,” said a young woman who stood at the entrance. “He would like to go over details of the presidential announcement in Gardenville as soon as possible.”
“Of course.”
“Oh, and here is the paper you requested.” The woman handed her a copy of the Dallas newspaper.
Jane skimmed the headlines. She felt a knot in her stomach when one caught her attention.
Gas Explosion Kills Gardenville Woman.
“Ma’am?”
She blinked and looked up at the woman. “Tell Mr. Prescott I’ll be there in a moment.”
She nodded and closed the door.
Jane pulled out her reading glasses and sank to the plush sofa. Scanning the paper, she inhaled sharply when familiar names appeared.
A gas explosion in Gardenville, Texas, a small town west of Abilene and the hub of Prescott Oil’s hydrofracture drilling, ripped through a home, shaking the nearest neighbors, miles away.
The blast instantly killed the homeowner, Verna Dalene, 45. Emma Dalene, 4, was seriously injured and taken to a nearby hospital for burn injuries and smoke inhalation. Megan Dalene, 21, and Chuy Duran, 23, were treated for smoke inhalation and released.
Authorities reported that the explosion may have been caused by a gas leak after a gas line in the home was damaged. One authority noted that a recent string of earthquakes has caused cracks in underground pipes and gas lines.
Residents in the community suspect that the quakes are linked to the recent fracking in the area and are calling for local officials to investigate Prescott Oil.
Billionaire Luke Prescott is well known for his ties to Senator Jane Sutherland, who will be formally announcing her presidential campaign in Gardenville on Friday.
She folded the paper, tucked it under her arm, and headed out of her room toward the library. As she walked down the stairs, she wondered if Luke knew anything about this and if maybe they should move to a different location for their announcement. Or maybe postpone.
And the name...Chuy Duran. It couldn’t be the same Durans. Could it? It was too much of a coincidence. Maybe Luke could have Sal look into it.
When she was a few feet from the library, she heard muffled voices arguing. She stopped outside the door, shocked when she recognized Sal’s harsh, baritone voice. She’d never heard him raise his voice at Luke before. Something was wrong.
“How can you be so sure she’ll make an appearance?” Sal’s voice drifted down the hall.
“Do not forget, Saleos. The girl’s greatest weakness is her love for her family,” Luke said. “She is so much like Raphael.”
Raphael? Who’s Raphael?
Luke shared a lot of his business contacts with her, often giving her little bit of gossip to amuse her during boring social functions she had to attend in Washington. She didn’t recall anyone named Raphael. And why was Luke calling Sal ‘Saleos’? Was that his real name? Strange.
“You’re taking much risk going after that one. We should focus on the plan to increase the company’s investments so that we can take Prescott Oil global. Without it, you’ll not be able to rise in power. As we speak, Michael is gathering forces.”
“It’s a risk worth taking,” Luke snapped. “Your job is to make sure that the Durans stay put, and see to it that they’re not put in harm’s way until the girl is here.”
Jane gasped. The Durans! It wasn’t a coincidence. It was Anita Duran’s grandson who was in the paper.
Why was Luke bothering that poor family, especially after the girl, Naomi, disappeared in the desert a year ago? She wondered what he was hiding and why. Why would he do something like that? She remembered asking him about the boy, Javier Duran. Could it be that he lied to her?
She shook her head. None of this was making sense. What did Sal mean about Luke’s rise in power? Luke was already a powerful man with his vast amount of financial resources. She knew he wanted to expand fracking into third-world countries. He was also expanding into water exploration. Was this Michael who Sal mentioned a business competitor?
“I’ve checked the hospital. The boy called Chuy suffered no injuries, other than smoke inhalation.”
“Good, make sure he and his grandmother stay out of trouble.”
Sal laughed.
“Do you find anything humorous about the situation?”
Sal cleared his throat. “Don’t you? It was the quake that created the leak in the gas pipes that eventually led to the explosion. Do you think Michael placed Megan Dalene in Chuy’s path?”
“That would be very unlikely. It would be an act of desperation for Michael to place a human at risk. He has too much faith”—Luke sneered the word—“to do something like that. No, I think it was mere coincidence.”
“Should I do something about the Dalene girl? There’s a lot of media attention on her right now. Your political adversaries may use her against the senator.”
“The blonde whore? Who in their right mind would listen to her?” Luke laughed. “I have a copy of her criminal file right here.”
After a ruffling of papers, Luke continued. “Arrested for prostitution, in possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, petty theft, and the list goes on. No, this Megan Dalene is not a threat. Let the media have their fun with her. It’ll blow over quickly.”
Jane heard footsteps down the hall heading in her direction. She quickly walked toward the library, clicking her heels loudly on the wood floor, making sure she was heard and then knocked. “Luke?”
“Ah, Jane, come in, come in.”