The Sheriff Of Sage Bend

“Look what the wind blew in,” Clint said. He was half-blitzed. “Whatcha’ doin’ here, big brother? Did you come to see me?”

Clint’s pal, Shorty, snickered. “Care to join us, Sheriff?”

“I hope neither one of you is planning to drive home.” Lucas fixed them with a hard stare.

“Why, no,” Clint said, his eyes widening. “We’re gonna call a limo to take us home in style.”

Shorty guffawed, and Clint laughed with him.

In one lightning-quick move, Lucas snatched his brother by the elbow and tugged him from the chair.

“Hey!” Clint stumbled as Lucas pulled him toward a corner of the room. “That’s police brutality right there,” he slurred.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Lucas said sotto voce. “Sit down, bro.” He dropped Clint into a chair, then sat next to him. “Let’s get something straight. I don’t like the way you’re treating your wife. And it had better stop.”

“Or else what?” Clint’s eyes practically crossed as he tried to focus.

“You’ll find out what,” Lucas said. He only wished both Clint and Dena had neighbors close by. Living so far out in the country left Dena and the kids vulnerable. “I’ll lock you up until you rot.”

Clint leaned back in his chair and laughed. “No worries, Lukie. I treat Dena like a queen.”

“Yeah. I saw the bruise. What about the kids, Clint? Don’t you ever think of them?”

“There’s nothing wrong with my kids,” Clint mumbled. “I feed ’em and clothe ’em.”

“Barely.” Lucas leaned close to Clint’s ear, trying not to breathe the alcohol fumes. “You’d better walk the line, Clint. I mean it.” He stood. “Now hand over your keys.”

Clint gave him a dirty look, then reluctantly fished the keys to the beat-up Dodge out of his pocket. He slapped them down on the table, and Lucas pocketed them.

“I’ll leave them at your house.”

“How am I supposed to get home?”

“Not my problem.” Lucas spun on his heel, ignoring Clint as he began to sing, in a drunken, off-key tone, Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line.”

“Hey, Sheriff,” Tori said. “What can I get you?”

“A glass of ice water would do fine.” Lucas slid onto the stool next to Miranda’s. She looked worn-out. “I’m surprised to see you here. I’d have thought you’d get some rest after we all left.”

She picked at the thin, plastic straw in her glass. “I don’t think I could sleep if I tried. I just don’t know what to do…where to look.”

He put a hand on her shoulder. “Let me worry about that. My deputies and I won’t rest until Shannon’s home safe and sound.”

“I know. It’s just hard to sit still. Mom’s going out of her mind. She’s in her room with a migraine.”

Lucas nodded his thanks to Tori as she placed a glass of water in front of him. He took a long pull, then set it back on the paper napkin she had whipped out from behind the bar.

“I’m gonna grab a sandwich and go back to my office,” he said. “See if I can figure anything out from Shannon’s phone records.” Garrett was already working on a warrant for them, and for Shannon’s computer, which Paige had gladly turned over to him. Since Shannon was the legal owner, they still needed the warrant to look through it. “Why don’t you go home…. You’ve got some time before the search group meets up again. Maybe you could make a list of anything you might remember…if something comes to mind that you didn’t think of before.”

“Like what?”

“Shannon’s behavior, anything strange beyond what you’ve already told me about her being scared to testify. Things she said or did in the past few days, places she went, people she talked to. You can come down to the station later and file an official missing person’s report.”

“All right.” He read hope in her eyes, and was more determined than ever not to let her down.

Lucas ordered a ham and turkey sandwich, and Tori bustled off to get it from the kitchen. He stood and pulled his wallet from his back pocket to stuff a few bills into the tip jar. “If you want,” he said to Miranda, “you can load your horse into my trailer with Cimarron when we head back out. Save you from pulling your own rig.”

“Thanks, but I’d rather take mine.”

“Suit yourself.”

Tori came back with Lucas’s sandwich, and he paid her with a ten, waving away the change.

“Where are you going to search next?” she asked.

“Everywhere we can.” Lucas jerked his chin toward Clint’s table. “Keep an eye on those two, will you?” He couldn’t care less what happened to Clint right now. But it was his duty to protect innocent victims who might be out on the same roads. “If they try to drive, call me. I’ve got Clint’s keys, but there’s no telling with Shorty.”

“Will do,” Tori said. “He rode here with Clint, so I don’t think you have to worry.”

Lucas snorted. “I wouldn’t put it past him to try to hot-wire that Dodge.”

“I’ll give them a ride if you want,” Miranda offered. “If they’re ready to leave when I go.”

He stiffened. He didn’t want his brother anywhere near her. Just having him in the same room with Miranda was bad enough. “I’d rather you didn’t.”

She scowled. “I’m a big girl, Lucas. I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t doubt that. But I also don’t trust my brother.”

“I get off at five,” Tori said. “If they’re still here, I’ll drop them at Clint’s.” She waved away Lucas’s protest. “I’m not afraid of them. Heck, I outweigh Shorty, and besides, both of them know better than to mess with me. If they did, there’d be hell to pay from Fae and Mae, and that’s a lot of woman all told.” She tucked one hand against her plump waist, striking a pose. “Or I could threaten to cut off their beer.”

Miranda couldn’t help but chuckle.

Lucas shook his head and walked out the door.

CHAPTER FIVE

MIRANDA RODE UNTIL SHE felt as if she’d drop from the saddle. The volunteers had met back at the Rocking W as planned. A few people offered to comb the ranch and surrounding area again for anything they might’ve missed, while the majority—including Miranda, Paige and Lucas—had trailered their horses to a spot where they could ride to the lake from a different direction, ending up in the area where Shannon’s scrunchie had been found. Garrett and another deputy were meticulously going over both sides of the stream bank.

But they didn’t find anything.

It was almost dark by the time Miranda hauled Ranger home to Brush Creek. She rubbed him down, fed and watered him along with the other horses, then took care of the dogs and barn cats. She should go inside and take a hot shower, then grab something to eat, she knew. But she wasn’t hungry, and even though she was bone weary, the idea of lying in bed thinking about Shannon was more than she could bear.

Or thinking about Lucas.

He’d been so kind to her mother that he’d seemed to wear down Paige’s resistance. Miranda reminded herself not to let her own defenses down. Yes, she was grateful to Lucas for all he was doing to find her sister, but that didn’t erase what he’d done to her before.

With Tuck and Smudge following along, Miranda walked the path from the barn’s rear exit and on through the gate. Not far away, a small stream ran past the trees, a natural, year-round source of water for her horses. She found the sound of water gurgling over the rocks soothing, unlike the roar of the big stream they’d ridden around all day.