Page 104 of Cowboy Heat

Though I want to.

Kissy, however, nods.

Then she openly looks at the gun on the counter.

There’s a mighty big topic we’re not touching on, and I’m not too thrilled to do it in front of Kissy just yet.

Maybe Detective Wayland is on the same wave-length. Her demeanor changes. The assertiveness she’s been exuding becomes more guarded.

“Mr. Montgomery, could I talk to you a second? Maybe out on the porch?”

I nod.

“Sure.”

She says bye to Kissy, and Kissy returns the sentiment with that faraway look again.

Detective Wayland is slow, I’m guessing for my sake, to make it outside. Like the weather knows the conversation is about to turn dark, thunder booms overhead just as I turn to her from shutting the door behind me.

She wastes no time.

“Until I have evidence to suggest otherwise, I’m operating under the assumption that Kissy is being targeted by people that Guidry has genuinely pissed off. People who are trying to find him or maybe take out a grudge on him. Either way, that means whoever Kissy is tied to could become a target to get to her. Now, I know enough about Kissy to know that she seems to be especially close to five people in this town. Her grandma, Mr. Lively, Micah Clayborn, and June Cole. I suggest you two give each of them a call and a quiet warning. Might be a good time for all of them to go on vacation until we get this settled.”

I’ve already been thinking the same.

“We can do that,” I say.

Detective Wayland sighs out long. She lowers her voice.

“Grant is in the hospital going through surgery at the moment, but Louis Becker was dead when I got to the Fulton House.”

My blood goes cold at that, even though I suspected as much.

Detective Wayland’s displeasure deepens.

“Which means if we can’t find a rhyme or reason to all of this, Kissy might go from being a target to being looked at for the cause of a man’s death.”

“It was self-defense,” I contend.

Detective Wayland waves me off.

“This situation is nothing but murky. Let me focus on getting some concrete evidence, and you two focus on getting some good sleep, and well, not looking like shit, pardonmylanguage.”

She gives me her number, gives me Deputy Myers’ number too, and then is off the porch and going toward her Bronco. I only stop her when I realize something.

“Hey, you said Kissy seems to be close to only five people,” I call out. “But you only gave me four names. Who’s the fifth?”

Detective Wayland doesn’t break her stride.

She opens her driver’s side door and looks back at me.

“You, Mr. Montgomery.” She’s serious as she continues. “Whether you like that or not, you’ve officially become someone who can be used against Kissy Lawson.”

She doesn’t say anything more.

I watch her drive off.

I know what she’s said should worry me, but I can’t help but feel something more than worry.