makes you think it might be a suicide?”
“There was a last will and testament in her bag, all signed and notarized. It was addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Tinch Turner, General Delivery, Harmony, Texas. According to the will she didn’t have much, but what she had Sadie Noble left to you and Lori Anne.”
Tinch shook his head. “I didn’t know her. Lori Anne hadn’t heard from her in years. I don’t want anything she may have left. Give it to some charity in town, would you, Sheriff?”
“I can’t do that, Tinch.” For the first time Sheriff Matheson didn’t look too sure of herself. “At least until we get all this straightened out, I’d like you to keep him.”
“Him?” Tinch groaned. The last thing he wanted was a pet left to him by his dead wife’s half sister. He already had a barn full of horses no one wanted, and every stray that was dropped out on the road seemed to end up at his place.
“We don’t have any paperwork on him. Don’t even know how old he is for sure, but I think he’d be better off here with you for the time being.” She waved toward the deputy. “Just for a few days.”
Tinch was compiling reasons he didn’t want to take in a pet when the back door of the cruiser opened and a little boy stepped out. He took one look around and darted out of the light’s glow and into the total blackness of night.
Tinch raised his eyebrow. “A kid,” he whispered, then turned to the sheriff. “I’m guessing you didn’t bother asking him if he wanted to come stay with a total stranger before you tossed him in your car and drove him all the way out here. Hell, this place must look like the end of the world to a kid.”
“I would have talked it over with him,” Alex yelled as she tugged her flashlight off her belt. “Only he fell asleep as soon as I fed him. He knows about you. Told me his uncle Tinch had horses. I just didn’t plan on the sight of you scaring him away.”
The deputy swung his car around and pointed his brightlights in the direction the boy had gone. Nothing. In a plowed field they’d be lucky to find a footprint before dawn.
Tinch shifted and flipped on the yard lights.
Nothing. The kid was faster than a jackrabbit.
He sat back in the swing and crossed his legs over the railing.
“Aren’t you going to help us find him?” Alex snapped.
“No. There’s a hundred places he could already be curled into by now. If he doesn’t want to be found, you’re not finding him tonight.” Tinch stared at her, making it plain that he considered his logic sound. “Wherever he is, he can see my lights. If he wants to come in, or gets cold or hungry, I’ll be waiting. If not, you’ll have better luck finding him after dawn.”
“You’re really not going to help, are you?”
Tinch shook his head. “If he wants to stay with me, he can, but I’m not forcing him, and I’m guessing neither can you, no matter how hard you try, Sheriff.”
“Officer Gentry,” she yelled in her most professional tone. “Grab your light. We’ll start circling, widening ten feet with every lap. No use calling in backup. They’ve got their hands full with the suicide.”
She turned to Tinch. “When I find him, I’ll call Child Protective Services and get him into the system.”
Tinch didn’t say a word, but he knew he’d never let the sheriff take the boy if he wanted to stay. The kid was Lori Anne’s blood and he’d always have shelter here.
Chapter 15
T RUCK S TOP
A LITTLE AFTER NINE , B EAU Y ATES DROVE OUT TO THE truck stop and picked up Willow. He smiled when he saw her waiting outside for him. Maybe she was as excited about their date as he was. They’d talked several times in the truck stop during her breaks, and once he’d waited two hours and driven her home, but until tonight they’d been just friends.
Tonight, they had a real date … well, almost a real date. With her working most nights and him playing weekends and trying to keep up with his
“There was a last will and testament in her bag, all signed and notarized. It was addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Tinch Turner, General Delivery, Harmony, Texas. According to the will she didn’t have much, but what she had Sadie Noble left to you and Lori Anne.”
Tinch shook his head. “I didn’t know her. Lori Anne hadn’t heard from her in years. I don’t want anything she may have left. Give it to some charity in town, would you, Sheriff?”
“I can’t do that, Tinch.” For the first time Sheriff Matheson didn’t look too sure of herself. “At least until we get all this straightened out, I’d like you to keep him.”
“Him?” Tinch groaned. The last thing he wanted was a pet left to him by his dead wife’s half sister. He already had a barn full of horses no one wanted, and every stray that was dropped out on the road seemed to end up at his place.
“We don’t have any paperwork on him. Don’t even know how old he is for sure, but I think he’d be better off here with you for the time being.” She waved toward the deputy. “Just for a few days.”
Tinch was compiling reasons he didn’t want to take in a pet when the back door of the cruiser opened and a little boy stepped out. He took one look around and darted out of the light’s glow and into the total blackness of night.
Tinch raised his eyebrow. “A kid,” he whispered, then turned to the sheriff. “I’m guessing you didn’t bother asking him if he wanted to come stay with a total stranger before you tossed him in your car and drove him all the way out here. Hell, this place must look like the end of the world to a kid.”
“I would have talked it over with him,” Alex yelled as she tugged her flashlight off her belt. “Only he fell asleep as soon as I fed him. He knows about you. Told me his uncle Tinch had horses. I just didn’t plan on the sight of you scaring him away.”
The deputy swung his car around and pointed his brightlights in the direction the boy had gone. Nothing. In a plowed field they’d be lucky to find a footprint before dawn.
Tinch shifted and flipped on the yard lights.
Nothing. The kid was faster than a jackrabbit.
He sat back in the swing and crossed his legs over the railing.
“Aren’t you going to help us find him?” Alex snapped.
“No. There’s a hundred places he could already be curled into by now. If he doesn’t want to be found, you’re not finding him tonight.” Tinch stared at her, making it plain that he considered his logic sound. “Wherever he is, he can see my lights. If he wants to come in, or gets cold or hungry, I’ll be waiting. If not, you’ll have better luck finding him after dawn.”
“You’re really not going to help, are you?”
Tinch shook his head. “If he wants to stay with me, he can, but I’m not forcing him, and I’m guessing neither can you, no matter how hard you try, Sheriff.”
“Officer Gentry,” she yelled in her most professional tone. “Grab your light. We’ll start circling, widening ten feet with every lap. No use calling in backup. They’ve got their hands full with the suicide.”
She turned to Tinch. “When I find him, I’ll call Child Protective Services and get him into the system.”
Tinch didn’t say a word, but he knew he’d never let the sheriff take the boy if he wanted to stay. The kid was Lori Anne’s blood and he’d always have shelter here.
Chapter 15
T RUCK S TOP
A LITTLE AFTER NINE , B EAU Y ATES DROVE OUT TO THE truck stop and picked up Willow. He smiled when he saw her waiting outside for him. Maybe she was as excited about their date as he was. They’d talked several times in the truck stop during her breaks, and once he’d waited two hours and driven her home, but until tonight they’d been just friends.
Tonight, they had a real date … well, almost a real date. With her working most nights and him playing weekends and trying to keep up with his
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