Trickster in Texas E-Book

Heather Silvio

• Herausgeber: Panther Books
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: A Doctor Danger Mystery
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 184

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

As night falls, unseen forces come out to play. Forces playing for keeps.

When college students vanish from a rural Texas town, a frantic woman begs supernatural specialist Doctor Sarah Danger and her team to find the missing persons.

Sarah would normally leave such cases to local law enforcement… except not with the extreme levels of supernatural energy she senses. And not with rumors of a shapeshifting trickster spreading like wildfire.

But as Sarah learns that some folks take Don’t mess with Texas to extremes, and witness interviews lead to more questions than answers, she finds herself in the crosshairs of a supernatural suspect. From small-town secrets to shapeshifting surprises, Doctor Danger must use her empath abilities and expertise in comparative mythology to find the missing college students. Can she identify the trickster in time, or will she vanish herself?

Don’t miss out on the supernatural mystery of the Trickster in Texas,
from the author of the Paranormal Talent Agency.

Leseprobe

Trickster in Texas

A Doctor Danger Mystery

Book 3

Heather Silvio

Panther Books

Contents

Blurb

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Author’s Note

About the Author

Books by Heather Silvio

Blurb

As night falls, unseen forces come out to play. Forces playing for keeps.

When college students vanish from a rural Texas town, a frantic woman begs supernatural specialist Doctor Sarah Danger and her team to find the missing persons.

Sarah would normally leave such cases to local law enforcement… except not with the extreme levels of supernatural energy she senses. And not with rumors of a shapeshifting trickster spreading like wildfire.

But as Sarah learns that some folks take Don’t mess with Texas to extremes, and witness interviews lead to more questions than answers, she finds herself in the crosshairs of a supernatural suspect. From small-town secrets to shapeshifting surprises, Doctor Danger must use her empath abilities and expertise in comparative mythology to find the missing college students. Can she identify the trickster in time, or will she vanish herself?

Enjoy the supernatural mystery of the Trickster in Texas, from the author of the Paranormal Talent Agency.

ChapterOne

Fear swept over me, demolishing my internal protective wall. Before that moment, I would’ve said that the worst that could happen at an awards banquet was boring speeches. I gripped the arms of my chair, surveying the room while I tried to remain otherwise still.

I need to stay hidden. I can’t be found out. Not until I finish my plan.

“Doc, are you alright?” Daniel Trawl, sitting next to me at the round table, whispered his question.

When my gaze found my assistant’s, the concern in his hazel eyes grounded me, helping me realize that the thoughts and emotions I experienced weren’t my own.

“Sarah? How can I help?”

I took several deep breaths, concentrating on the lingering peppery scent of the cacio e pepe main course, and willing my racing heart to slow. My internal protective wall was in a shambles and I needed to calm down to build it back. As a clairempath, my wall was the only thing keeping the physical and emotional experiences of others—human and, especially, supernatural—from subsuming me. I closed my eyes to focus inward on each crumbled stone block, first reassembling the bricks and then floating them upward to recreate the wall. When I no longer heard my heartbeat thundering in my ears, I paused. Choosing to leave a tiny hole in the protective wall, I opened my eyes and turned to Dan.

“Doc? What happened?” he asked.

Instead of answering, I stood. My inherent clumsiness chose that moment to surface. I wobbled on my sensible heels and my leg rocked the table, sloshing merlot in glasses just refilled by the circulating waitstaff.

“Is everything okay, Sarah?” My former boss, Jeffrey McCarthy, asked the question from his seat opposite me at the round six-top table. The ex-private investigator was also an ex-athlete, and his tall, full frame—if soft with age—dwarfed his petite wife, Chrissie, sitting beside him.

I gave a quick shake of my head, offering an uncertain smile. “I need to borrow Dan for a second. Make sure they leave me a dessert if someone comes by.”

The other couple at the table chuckled before returning to their conversation. But not Jeff nor his wife. Jeff moved to stand, but Chrissie placed her hand on his tuxedo-clad arm and leaned over to whisper in his ear. Probably telling him to let me handle it. I smothered a smile; it was second nature for him to want to help. After all, he retired from the business I now ran. But if there was an issue, they knew I could manage it.

And there was definitely an issue. I turned from the table, traversing the other six-tops scattered throughout the ballroom. We were in a swanky hotel in Dallas, Texas, for the annual meeting of the National Association of Detectives. Even better, tonight’s black-tie event was an awards banquet. Among the accolades, the association honored Jeff with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Given the heart troubles that resulted in a retirement he hadn’t wanted, this was a crowning accomplishment in his illustrious career.

I scanned the crowd of well-dressed guests while I moved toward the spike of fear that pulsed against the tiny hole I’d left in my protective wall. Someone in this room was experiencing an off-the-charts level of fear, worry, and anxiety.

Unless there was a supernatural boost.

Something I was uniquely qualified to identify as a Supernatural Specialist. When I took over Jeff’s investigative service—and Dan’s A Doctor Danger Mystery blog blew up—it made perfect sense to offer niche services combining my supernatural abilities and expertise in comparative mythology. So far, business had been booming for my Tampa-based consulting firm.

I resumed scanning the room for the elevated emotions, while probing for a supernatural element. The emotional and physical drone of the crowd undulated in my mind like the waves created in a theme-park pool.

There.

On the far end of the room, just inside the main entrance to the banquet hall. I found the source of the emotion I was feeling. The woman wore a flowing red dress that, while lovely, was understated for black tie. I doubted she was an invited guest. Her head darted around, frantically scanning the room much as I had earlier.

Her brown eyes met my green ones. A cautious smile flitted across her face. She moved toward me and Dan as we redirected our movement toward her, each assessing the other upon approach. Taller than me, even in my heels. Long, curly hair like mine, but dark brown, where mine was auburn.

“Doctor Danger? Doctor Sarah Danger?” she asked with a slight Mexican accent.

“Yes,” I answered, fear building again within me. We’re running out of time. But for what?

The woman grabbed the sides of my arms.

“Hey!” Dan exclaimed and reached to remove her hands.

She leaned to whisper in my ear. “I need your help before someone else vanishes.”

ChapterTwo

The woman released me. “I’m sorry,” she said. “When I heard you were in town at the banquet, I had to find you.”

“Heard I was in town?” I questioned.

She nodded at Dan. “I read in his blog that you both would be here tonight.”

That explained it. Since Dan first published one of our supernatural cases in his blog, it had become a fabulous referral source, even if not everyone believed it was legitimate. I glanced around the perimeter of the room. “Come with me… um?”

“Isabel Garcia,” she answered my unarticulated question. “Please, call me Isabel.”

“Isabel. Come with me,” I said over my shoulder, already moving. Isabel and Dan followed me to the edge of the room and then along the wall to the exit.

The ballroom spilled out into a foyer that was many decibels quieter than the banquet hall. I considered the area and sighted a small alcove on the far end with a couch and two chairs. Dan and Isabel followed me again as I led them to the seating area. Dan took the blue wingback chair, while Isabel and I perched on the matching couch. I rested my hands beside my crossed legs, one thumb absently brushing against the soft fabric of the couch.

Once seated, Isabel seemed at a loss for words. I’d sealed my wall of protection up tight to keep her from overwhelming me again, still uncertain if the emotion was so high naturally… or supernaturally. But her body language alone told me of her distress. She sat ramrod straight, hands gripping her thighs through her dress. Wide eyes stared unblinking at us. Lips thinned into an almost invisible line.

“Why were you looking for us?” I prompted her.

That was all it took. Isabel explained that two university students were missing, and a third was almost a victim. The first student vanished from downtown Wichita Falls, a small town also notable for an Air Force base. That had generated some interest since college students in small towns don’t often just vanish. There was an additional undercurrent of thinking that perhaps she fled for personal reasons. Then a second student disappeared three days later. That stirred up more explicit concern, but the local police had nothing more to go on than in the first case. And then a third college student came forward three days after that with a wild story about how a bird tried to kidnap her while walking home from a bar.

“A bird?” Dan interjected his question with a chuckle.

“Yes,” Isabel answered seriously. “A bird.”

“What was the reaction to her story?” I asked, though I suspected the answer.

“Dismissed as being drunk. Nobody believed her.” Sadness tinged her voice.

“You believe her,” I stated this as a fact, not a question.

Isabel nodded.

“Why? It sounds unlikely to be true,” I pressed.

Her brown eyes squeezed shut. She opened them in time with a noisy exhale. Anxiety thumped against my internal barrier. My heart rate spiked in response until I brought it down by focusing on her as the source.

“Isabel, we can’t help you if you don’t tell us everything you know,” I encouraged her in a hushed tone.

“I believe the disappearances are supernatural,” she spit the words out rapid-fire.

“That’s why you wanted to find Doctor Danger,” Dan concluded, and Isabel nodded.

“Why do you believe the disappearances are supernatural? You believe a bird tried to abduct this college student, as well as the missing students?” I asked without inflection in order not to sway her story. If she thought I didn’t believe her, she might not be as forthcoming.

“Have you heard of Lechuza?” Isabel asked in response.

At the word Lechuza, anxiety wrapped around me, pushing in on my chest and roiling my stomach. I coughed to relieve the pressure. The very idea of Lechuza caused Isabel so much distress that she pulsed with it.

Dan and I exchanged a glance. He couldn’t feel the overwhelming emotions flowing around us, so all he had to react to was the word. His eyebrows knitting in confusion suggested unfamiliarity, but the name rang a bell for me.

“She’s a witch who sometimes appears as a bird,” I replied.

Isabel nodded. “There’s more to it than that, of course, but yes. The rumor is that the bird who attempted to abduct the third college student is a Lechuza appearing in her owl form.”

High levels of energy pinged all around me, trying to find a weak spot in my protection wall. The pings reminded me of the sharp shocks my physical body once experienced running through an obstacle course challenge consisting of dangling live wires that brushed against exposed skin. That convinced me Isabel was correct about there being a supernatural element to this case. Whether it was a Lechuza remained to be seen. As well as what role Isabel played, since the energy seemed to be following her or emanating from her. But either way, I’d made my decision.

“I’ll take the case.”

ChapterThree

Thankfully, back at the banquet table, the others previously seated now stood socializing nearby, except for Jeff and Chrissie. Dan and I borrowed the empty seats and I explained what had happened in a whispered exchange with them.

“How certain are you that this isn’t just a drunk girl’s fantasy?” Jeff sipped his sparkling water.

I shrugged. “It is possible, of course,” I allowed. “But I just don’t think so. The woman who hired me⁠—”

“Has she actually paid you anything?” Chrissie asked with a snort. I’d branded her a fire-cracker from the first time I’d met her; she always spoke her mind. Of course, it was also a reasonable question. She knew I was like her husband—a sucker for a sob story who wouldn’t always request a deposit upfront.

Dan chuckled when I flushed. “Believe it or not,” he said, “the client offered to complete our initial intake forms and transfer money for the retainer from her bank using her phone. She was that determined to have Sarah start right away.”

Chrissie quirked an eyebrow. “That was handy.”

“How did you leave it?” Jeff asked.

“I exchanged information with Isabel and assured her we would join her in Wichita Falls tomorrow to investigate.”

“Which brings us back to my question,” Jeff prompted.

I nodded. “Isabel had energy pouring off her at levels that almost certainly had to have a supernatural component. I’m confident there’s something unusual happening in Wichita Falls. Whether the girl’s story is just a drunk girl’s story.” I paused with another shrug. “That I won’t know until I interview her.”

“It sounds like it should be an interesting case, regardless,” Jeff said, his wistful tone catching me by surprise. He might not have chosen to leave the business, but I was under the impression he’d grown to like his life of leisure. There was one surefire way to check if he was enjoying retirement….

With a sly look at Chrissie, who stifled a giggle because she knew what I was about to do, I leaned toward Jeff. “Do you want to come with us to Wichita Falls?”

His brown eyes widened at the question and his ruddy complexion reddened further, but he stayed silent.

Chrissie turned to him. “Do you, honey?”

Jeff glanced at his wife and then at me before sighing. “As tempting as that is, you’re perfectly capable of handling this on your own.” He pointed at Dan. “Well, not entirely on your own, right?”

“I’ll always follow the doc,” Dan agreed with a wink at me. “Anywhere she wants to go.”

I shook my head, this time at his mildly flirtatious tone and that wink. These types of exchanges had been part of our friendship from the beginning. Despite Dan being a very attractive man, I was his senior, both in age and now in employment. He’d started with Jeff as an intern like I had, but as he’d progressed toward his own doctorate in mythology, he’d also become my indispensable employee. Plus, I could never repay him for his blog putting my supernatural investigative services on the map. I would always care for him and be indebted to him, but he would remain a close friend and confidant.

“When I head up to my room,” I said, pointedly ignoring Dan, “I’ll message Mandie to start gathering info for us. She can research the first two victims, the third almost-victim, and the Lechuza that Isabel believes is behind everything.”

ChapterFour

The drive from Dallas to Wichita Falls—home of Sheppard Air Force Base and Midwestern State University—was mostly highway driving past flat scrub brush and the occasional tree. Although, I was surprised to see the amount of construction, both roadwork and buildings. Maybe there’d been a population explosion in north Texas.

“I’m so glad to be out of that evening gown and into my jeans,” I commented from the passenger seat to Dan, as I fiddled with the satellite radio. Normally I drove, but Dan had a discount code if we put the car under his name. So, I accepted my passive role to save the money.

“I looked like everybody else in my penguin suit, but you were stunning,” he replied offhand. “The deep emerald complemented you.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, junior,” I quipped, indeed feeling flattered, and recognizing the sweet intent behind the comment. Plus, he probably wasn’t wrong about the emerald color of my flowing bias-cut gown accenting my green eyes and auburn hair. “Tuxedos are a good look for almost all men,” I said, before redirecting away from a potentially awkward conversation. “Let me check in with Mandie.”

“You know you want to pick that station,” Dan said as a popular 80s song played. He knew that was my favorite decade of music.

I stopped pressing radio buttons and pulled my phone out of my backpack. A quick check of email and texts followed. “She said she’s gathering info, but it’s slow going, and to check in with her later.”

“Okay, cool,” he acknowledged the relayed update.

“I’ll let the client know we’ll be in town soon and unless she has something new, we’ll want to start interviewing before meeting with her again.”

“Sounds good, boss,” Dan replied.

I called Isabel Garcia. Dan’s head swung my way when I said Kimberly Roberts, our possible attempted-kidnapping victim.

“What’s up?” he asked when I ended the call.

“Isabel said she reached out to Kimberly, and she agreed to meet us at a local coffeeshop.”

“Excellent.”

The Welcome to Wichita Falls sign came into view, informing us that the city had “Blue Skies. Golden Opportunities” and was the home of Sheppard AFB. “We’re almost there.” Anticipation bubbled up at the potential of a new supernatural case. I typically managed several cases a month with my adjunct faculty schedule, and I loved stretching my clairempathic muscles to help people.

Dan and I headed straight for the coffeeshop to meet potential victim number three. We scored a parking spot right in front of the building on 8th Street and entered the cute establishment. Tons of natural light flooded in from the floor-to-ceiling windows covering two walls. I scanned the interior, looking for Kimberly Roberts. The heavenly scent of brewing coffee filled the cafe.

An early-twenties female sat on a brown, tufted bench settee against one of the windowed walls. She stared down at the paper coffee cup cradled in her hands. I released a stone from my internal barrier and filtered the energy that rushed through the opening to focus on the young woman in a vintage Led Zeppelin concert t-shirt and jeans. For a moment, worry about what would happen next surfaced, followed by sadness about being here at all. Her hyperawareness of the other patrons in the coffeeshop clinched it for me. A woman who’d nearly been kidnapped wouldn’t want to have to relive it by recounting the event, and her worry about something else happening would result in needing to pay close attention to those around her. Without question, I’d identified our attempted kidnapping victim.

Replacing the stone in my protection wall, I stepped forward, Dan following my lead. We crossed the space, our shoes silent on the stylized brick floor. She glanced up when we reached her.

“Kimberly Roberts?” I asked. At her wordless nod, I continued. “I’m Doctor Sarah Danger, and this is my associate, Daniel Trawl. Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with us.” I sat beside her, leaving a cushion of distance, while Dan took the chair next to the settee. In my peripheral vision, I saw him remove his tablet from the backpack at his feet.

“I wasn’t sure when that woman—Isabel something?—first reached out on social media.” Kimberly’s brown eyes filled with tears. “But when she said you might be able to help me make sense of what happened…” she trailed off. Her sneaker-clad foot tapped on the floor.

“We’ll do our best,” I assured her. “I see your coffee cup is empty. Would you like another?” I offered, in part to help calm her.

Her foot stopped tapping as she considered my question. “No, thank you,” she declined, before explaining, “I’m a bit sensitive to mood-altering substances.” A rueful smile brightened her face. “I’ll be bouncing off the walls if I have another one.”

I matched her smile. “Understood.” After a quick internal debate, I removed several stones from my barrier. One way to test if there was a supernatural element was to let her energy come at me. It was a calculated risk. “Tell me what happened on the night someone tried to kidnap you.”

She ran her hands through her short blond hair while she gathered her thoughts.

Dan had his stylus at the ready to take notes on what she told us. I waited, curious about where she’d start the story. When she spoke, it quickly became a high-wire balancing act between hearing the events in her words and experiencing them in my mind as if it had happened to me.

“A group of us went to The Broken Tap after a really tough final,” Kimberly began. “That’s a local bar,” she added. “It’s fun, low-key. You can grab a drink and shoot some pool. You don’t have to worry about anything happening.” The sides of her mouth drooped. “Normally, anyway.”

“Did anything happen outside the normal while you were at the bar?” I asked, accepting the spike of fear that blossomed out from her to encompass me.

“No!” she snapped, then inhaled and exhaled a shaky breath.

My stomach tightened with her inhalation and relaxed along with her exhale.

“That’s what’s so difficult. Nothing weird happened. And, yes, I had a drink. But, no, I wasn’t drunk.” Her voice took on a defiant tone, and I suspected the police had grilled her on this point.

How dare the police challenge me!

I quickly identified the thought as not driven by my own defiance. “Just one drink?” I asked, attempting to stabilize the emotional energy surging within me.

“Yes, just one. I don’t respond well to alcohol either. I learned that when I turned 21 last year.” She snorted. “Have you ever felt like you wanted to die? After only three drinks? Yeah, that was me. I’ve learned that if I stick with one regular drink, I’m fine.”

“Who was with you that night?” I asked.

She listed four women’s names and phone numbers, which Dan noted in our case file.

“Do you mind if I speak to these women?”

She grimaced.

I clarified, “To see if they noticed anything suspicious that you might have missed.”

My words appeared to mollify her somewhat. “Sure. Whatever. I’d really like for people to quit acting like I hallucinated because of drinking too much.”

I started to huff along with her about everyone being judgmental but caught myself. Again accepting and dismissing Kimberly’s emotion, I refocused. “Did anyone talk to you at the bar?”