Banks began to understand her. She’d loved her grandfather. It must have been hell on her, not knowing if he was alive or dead, even though he’d vanished five years earlier.

“We’ll find out the truth,” he assured her. “One way or another.”

“Thanks,” she said.

“Do you like cartoons, Mr. Banks?” Tad asked hopefully.

His eyebrows arched. “Why?” he asked.

Tad flushed.

“Saturday morning cartoons are his whole life,” Clancey teased. “Well, except for his video games.” She stopped and grimaced. They’d had to leave the equipment and the games at the house that now belonged to Morris.

Banks raised both dark eyebrows. “What sort of games do you like?”

“Destiny 2,” the boy said at once.

Banks chuckled.

“Why are you laughing?” Clancey wanted to know.

“Put your stuff down and follow me.”

He led them downstairs to the living room and pointed to a console on the entertainment center below the big screen television.

Tad caught his breath. “It’s an Xbox One!” he burst out.

“And you’ll find Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 installed on it,” he told Tad. “I don’t have a lot of time to play, but it’s one of my favorites.”

Tad’s eyes grew wide with anticipation.

“You can play as much as you like,” Banks told him. “As long as your homework’s done first,” he added firmly.

“I’ll do my homework first thing every day, I swear!” the boy promised solemnly.

Clancey could have hugged the tall man for that. She knew how badly Tad had missed his games. But she was afraid to take anything out of the house in case Morris knew the equipment had been there and accused his siblings of stealing it. He still had friends in the neighborhood, and Clancey couldn’t be sure that Morris hadn’t had somebody pick the lock and take a look around to see what was in the house.

“I wish they hadn’t let Morris out,” Tad said sadly.

“The law is the law,” Clancey reminded him gently. “You can’t keep people locked up forever. Not even Morris.”

“I guess not.”

“You’ll both be safe here,” Banks assured them. “I have two full-time cowboys who live on the ranch. One of them,” he added with a smile, “is a former Texas Ranger.”

Brenda’s face tautened. She didn’t say a word, but Clancey recognized irritation when she saw it.

“He won’t come near the house unless I ask him to,” Banks assured her. “And I won’t ask him when you’re home.”

Brenda didn’t reply. She just stared at her brother.

“He did apologize,” he added.

She made a huffy sound and started toward the kitchen. “I hope you’ve got something to cook in here,” she said, turning on the light. “I didn’t have time for supper.”