Cowboy to the Rescue by Stella Bagwell Page A

was climbing up the huge causeway spanning the ship channel on the north side of the city. To the left of them, the sun sparkled on Corpus Christi Bay and the docked World War II aircraft carrier, the USS Lexington , which now served as a museum. To their right, shipping barges chugged to and from loading docks, while directly in front of them, the skyline of the city carved niches from the green-blue ocean.
    Lex exited onto Ocean Drive, and in a few short minutes, they were parked in front of a small, weathered building. The lapped siding looked like it had once been painted coral, but sand, wind and salt had since buffed it to a puny pink. Above the wooden screen door, a creaky sign read Ray’s Bait.
    As they walked across the small parking lot graveled with crushed oyster shells, Lex glanced doubtfully over at her. “I hate to be a pessimist, Christina, but this seems like a long shot.”
    â€œIn my profession, long shots are things I often have to take. And when I sometimes win, the payoff is usually more than I ever expected.”
    He grunted. “I’ve never been much of a gambler.”
    â€œYou put your fortune in livestock, which could fall over dead without warning or lose their value according to the whims of the market. I’d call that big-time gambling.”
    â€œYou might think so,” he said, with a vague smile. “It’s just a way of life for me.”
    By now they’d reached the entrance to the building. Lex opened the screen door and allowed Christina to step through before he followed. Inside, the small interior was dim and smelled of fish, beer and burned coffee. To the immediate right, a long counter was equipped with a cash register and lined with jars of fishing lures and jigs. To the left, a separate room was outfitted with concrete tanks filled with bubbling water.
    At the moment, a plump blond woman in her early twenties was dipping out tiny shad and placing the bait in a customer’s foam bucket.
    Christina and Lex waited to one side until she’d finished the task and taken the other man’s money. Once he’d ambled out the door, Christina stepped up to the counter, while Lex hung back just behind her shoulder.
    â€œCan I help y’all?” the young woman asked.
    The young woman was chewing gum, and her long bangs were battling with her eyelashes for hanging space.
    Clearing her throat, Christina said, “Uh, yes. We’re looking for Ray Pena. Is he around?”
    The young woman’s brown eyes darted suspiciously from Christina to Lex and back again. “The owner? He’s not here today. He had to go down to Falfurrias. Somethin’ to do with his sister.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “Is he in trouble?”
    â€œDoes trouble commonly follow Mr. Pena around?” Lex asked dryly.
    The blonde shook her head. “No. But you two smell like cops to me. Sorta look like it, too.”
    Christina quickly interjected, “We’re nothing of the sort. We’re simply looking for some information. Will Mr. Pena be back tomorrow?”
    â€œSaid he would. Guess you could try again in the mornin’.”
    â€œWe’ll do that,” Christina told her. “And thank you, Miss—”
    â€œSally. Sally Donner.”
    Christina smiled and reached to shake the woman’s hand. “Thank you, Sally. It was nice meeting you.”
    â€œYeah. Sure.”
    Christina and Lex walked outside, pausing several steps away from the open entrance to the bait house.
    â€œWhat are we going to do now?” Lex asked. “I don’t have time to drive down here tomorrow morning. Matt is expecting me to go with him to auction tomorrow afternoon.”
    She fished her sunglasses out of her purse and jammed them on her face. “If we stay here tonight and talk to Mr. Pena in the morning, you’ll still have time to make the trip with your cousin.”
    Lex stared at her. “Stay here in