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Harlan and I left the shrink’s office in Ethridge, and I called Molly to see if she’d heard from Ted.

“Nothing yet, Travis. His cell phone keeps going to message.”

“Did you find an address for him? I’d better check on him.”

“I made a couple of inquiries and found out that Ted lives over his father’s garage on Plum Street,” said Molly. “I’m feeling a little worried because he’s not answering his cell.”

“Cruising around there now, Molly. Give me a few minutes.”

Wallace Residence. Coyote Creek.

Driving south into town, I passed the station and kept going for a few more blocks. Took a right onto Grapevine and then a left onto Plum.

I’d forgotten the house number, but it was plain to see a garage with an apartment above and it was the only one of its kind on the street.

“There, Harlan. That must be Ted’s place.”

“His pickup is here,” said Harlan. “Maybe he’s so fuckin sick he can’t answer his phone.”

“You know, I’m actually hoping that’s true. I don’t want to imagine any other scenario.”

I ran up the outside staircase and tried the door at the top. Not locked. I opened it and gave a shout out. “Ted. You sick? You in here?”

I walked in and cracked my knee on a coffee table that was upended. Running my hand over the wall near the door, I came up with a light switch. The small living room was trashed and Ted lay in the middle of it. I dropped to my knees and checked for a pulse, and he was breathing—but barely. Grabbing for my cell, I called Cut Bank for an ambulance and hoped they’d be in time.

“Beaten and stabbed, Harlan.”

“This because of the fuckin tag?”

“Hope not. I don’t want this to be on me. Only Ted will know for sure.” I hooked a thumb over my shoulder. “Run to the house and see if Ted’s father is home. We should tell him before they take Ted to the hospital.”

“Yeah. I’ll go see if he’s there.”

I sat on the floor next to Ted and waited for the ambulance. Harlan was back sooner than that with Mister Wallace.

“What happened to this place? Looks like a bomb hit it.” He gazed down at his son. “Teddy, who the hell beat you up like this?”

“I’ll find out who did it, sir,” I said.

The sound of boots thumping up the outside stairs sent Harlan to the door to let the paramedics in. “He’s there on the floor.”

Ted was strapped to a stretcher and taken down to the ambulance. Mister Wallace said he’d follow in his own car. That left Harlan and I in the small apartment.

We took a quick look through and found nothing that related to the beating.

“Before we go to Boyd’s office in Shelby, I want to stop by the garage to pick up my truck. I want to see how those guys in the garage are acting.”

“You think they did this because of the tag, don’t you?”

“Only if they found the tag. If they didn’t, then there was another reason.”

Harlan nodded. “Yeah, there would be another reason if they don’t know the tag is in the garage.”

Peterson’s Service Center. Coyote Creek.

I parked the squad in front of one of the three bays and sauntered inside with Harlan and the dogs by my side. Looking for one sign of nervousness or twitchy behavior from Pikeman or Peterson and I’d bring them both in on attempted murder charges. If they were responsible for Ted’s present condition, I’d make them pay for it.

Pikeman glanced up when I entered the garage. “Your truck’s ready Sheriff. It’s parked out back.”