Page 107 of The Mountain Echoes

“It’s in the vault, Mav.” She makes a sign of zipping up her lips.

I tip my hat at her and walk into the sheriff’s office.

Sheriff Hugh Dillon looks up from behind his desk when I knock once and step inside. He’s in his uniform, which for Hugh means jeans, boots, a tan shirt with pearl snaps, and his ever-present Stetson sitting on a rackbehind him. His badge shines from his belt, not a scuff on it.

“You done usin’ my dispatcher for whatever it is you’re cookin’ up?”

“Yeah. Thanks.” I sit across from him.

“Coffee?”

“Nah, I had mine…withAria this morning.”

Hugh laughs, big and loud. He runs a hand over his shaved head. “You makin’ an announcement?”

“Yeah, for more reasons thanher.”

He squints, already reading the trouble in my eyes. “This about Longhorn?”

“Fenceline went down. The feed was contaminated. Yesterday, Gemma Bishop shows up because of an anonymous call. They find a banned Class 2 pesticide in a locked storage shed.”

He whistles low. “You think someone’s sabotaging the place?”

“Don’t you?”

He nods.

“Something stinks, Hugh, and it’s not just rotting alfalfa.” I lean back in my chair, clenching my jaw because I’m angry as fuck. “She’s got a chance to turn the ranch around, and someone wants to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Hugh gives me a measured look. “You think this is Celine?”

I raise an eyebrow.

“Opal works here,” he drawls, amused. “I get her news first. Didn’t know you andCeline were an item.”

“We’re not.”

“I agree with your assessment. But I can’t see Celine doing somethin’ like this. I can’t see it. But Hudson’s dirty as hell and in deep with gambling debts.”

I don’t bother to argue about how Celine is not innocent. He’ll learn like I did.

“They’rebothconveniently out of town while this happens. I’d bet my left boot more is comin’.”

Hugh looks at me for a long beat, then nods. He’s not arguing the point about Celine, but he’s also not going to ignore it. “Anyone new at Longhorn?”

“Wes Boone. Guy from Aspen. Comes recommended by Tate Pryor.”

That makes Hugh sit up. “I’ll talk to Pryor. The others?”

“Earl, Nadine, Tomas, and Vera.”

“They’d all cut their hands off before they’d hurt Longhorn.”

“Yeah.”

“Leaves Wes.”

I nod.