She looked up at the other woman. “The light would go out of the world...” she began, and swallowed, hard. Tears threatened.

“Sometimes all we have is faith,” Brenda reminded her.

Clancey took a deep breath. “Yes,” she said, and felt herself calming.

“He won’t get hurt, will he?” Tad asked, joining them.

Clancey wrapped him up tight. “He won’t get hurt,” she said, with more conviction than she felt.

Meanwhile, Colter and Jake had pried up enough boards to disclose what was very obviously a collection of human bones. Some had been scattered, probably by foraging animals. The victim was clothed in casual clothes—khaki pants and a white shirt and belt and boots. The dry area had left him more mummy than corpse.

Beside him, nearby, was a suitcase. After documenting the crime scene with photos from his cell phone, he opened the suitcase, sad at the thought that any fingerprints would have long since deteriorated. Inside it was a pristine gun belt with a holster and an antique Colt .45.

“Pay dirt,” Colter told Jake. “We need to get the crime lab out here with all their...”

“No need for that,” a sarcastic voice interjected from the back door of the church. Three armed men stood just inside the doorway. One of them was Morris Duffy, obviously high as a kite, with two other men backing him.

Jake and Colter exchanged glances. This was a situation they could handle, but it was going to take some finesse. It could also go either way. Colter thought of Clancey and how tragic it was going to be if he were killed here.

“You thought you’d hide my stepbrother and stepsister, and all your worries would be over, didn’t you, lawman?” Morris drawled, advancing with the small pistol in his hand pointed straight at Colter’s stomach. “Well, two can play at that game. We had the Martins’ house bugged while they were at the hospital. We heard everything you said.”

“How enterprising,” Colter drawled.

Morris glared at him. “You had no business interfering,” he snapped. “But it doesn’t matter anymore. We’ll just cover up what you found, dispose of you and your friend, and then I’ll even up with Clancey and that stupid assistant district attorney.”

“You don’t kill a Texas Ranger and get away with it,” Colter said quietly. “They’ll hunt you down like a dog.”

“I’ll be out of the country long before they can find me. I got it all planned. That gun and gun belt are going to buy me safe passage out of Texas.” He indicated them, lying on the floor.

“I wouldn’t bet on that.”

“Who’s your friend?” Morris asked, glancing at Jake. “Isn’t he that Methodist minister?” he added.

“Yes, I am,” Jake said. He even smiled. “You might benefit from a few hours a week in church.”