Page 91

“Yeah, I can see that he’s gonna need me. I’ll stay here.”

After heaving everything in his stomach, Harlan decided to skip breakfast. Savanna fixed him up on the sofa and gave him a can of ginger ale to settle his gut.

She left for the store, and I hated to leave Harlan, but I had to. “Call me if you feel worse and I’ll run you to the hospital.”

“I’m better since I heaved.”

I picked up my keys and smiled at my son. “Call me, Billy. I want to know how he’s doing.”

“I’ve got this,” said Billy. “We’ll be okay.”

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek.

“Morning, Miss Molly. I’m sure you noticed the crowd in the run.”

She smiled. “Sure did and I don’t know what it means, but I’m dying to find out. More of Hannah’s men?”

“I need you to find the next of kin for Hannah Hargrove, Molly.”

“She’s dead?”

“I killed her, Molly, when she came after me with her shotgun. Self-defense but I don’t regret it one bit. She kidnapped Harlan—drugged him—shot him full of Ketamine, and he’s still throwing up this morning.”

“Kidnapping? Harlan is a minor. I’ll find her next of kin.”

“And arrange for the sanctuary people to pick up all the horses at Hannah’s ranch. I fed them this morning before I came, but I want them picked up as soon as possible.”

“I have a number for the wild horse sanctuary out in Saint Mary. I’ll call and get it done. Anything else?”

“Call Wyatt and tell him I’ll meet him at the diner at noon. Ted and I have to book all of Hannah’s hired hands on kidnapping and attempted murder charges, then we’ll both give you our statements on how it went down at Hannah’s place.”

“I’ll get started,” said Molly. “I feel so bad for Harlan.”

“Tomorrow, he’ll give you his version of it—what he can remember—they shoved a needle full of Ketamine in his neck when he was checking the cameras at the back of my ranch.”

Molly teared up. “I’m so sorry, Travis. He’s such a sweet boy.”

It took all morning to process the hired hands and enter the charges into the system. When we were finally finished and every one of Hannah’s cowboys had new mug shots and fingerprints, Ted and I strode through the squad room headed across the street to the diner.

“I’ll bring the lunch containers back with me, Molly. You’ve got enough work to keep you busy.”

She laughed. “I’m loaded down this morning.”

Mainliner Diner.

Wyatt had his notebook and pen on the table next to his coffee and he was talking on his phone when we caught up with him. The diner was completely full of the regular lunch crowd. We were lucky Wyatt had the back booth reserved for us.

He glanced up from his cell and smiled when Ted and I sat down. “You summoned me?”

I laughed. “Command performance, Wyatt.” I waved Maryanne over and said, “Eight lunches when I leave.”

She laughed. “Anotherno vacancysituation, Sheriff?”

“Yep. Another one of those.”

“You the man,” she winked at me.

“No, I’m not.” I shoved a menu to Ted and took a good look at him. “You’re tired from last night. You can knock off early if you want to. Get some sleep.”