replaced with a feeling of uneasiness. What is his angle now?
"Yeah," she finally answered. "I'm fine. I'm angry is all."
"Don't you need a warrant to take those things from his house?" Richard asked, curiosity apparently overcoming good common sense.
She shot him a derisive look. "You don't know much about other branches of the law, do you, Dick? As game warden, I can search and seize darn near anything I want in my jurisdiction. All I need is suspicion."
He nodded and studied her face, making her even more uncomfortable. "You sure you're only mad? Because it seems like a lot more than anger to me. It seems almost personal."
She blew out a breath, not wanting to get into her private views on life, but realizing that he probably wouldn't let up until he'd received a somewhat satisfying answer. "Look. I believe all infants have a right to parents, regardless of species. That gator you saw on the grill was the mother, and she tore through that screen door because her babies were in the shack. Females stay with their young for almost a year. Without a mother, they're goners."
"What do you mean?"
"The alligators in that ice chest are newly hatched. They're a prime target for most anything right now. At nine inches long, even birds will eat them. An alligator less than four feet long has a survival chance of less than seventeen percent."
"So what will you do with them?" he asked and glanced back at the ice chest.
“ I don't know yet. I need to make a few phone calls. I'm hoping my friend at the zoo in New Orleans will be interested. If not, my options are limited. I don't want to send them to a farm. It goes against everything I believe as a game warden and the mother came from the preserve."
"A farm? People farm alligators?"
Dorie nodded, disgusted. "It's big business. The skin and meat are worth a ton of money, but no one wants the animal to become extinct, so hunting is only allowed at certain times and in certain areas. The farms fill in all the gaps."
"Can't they be taken care of until they're bigger, then released in the game preserve?"
"Sometimes, but it's hard to do. When I first took over down here, I tried that. The problem is, once they're used to a handout, they don't want to look for their own food. They ended up being a nuisance down at the shrimp house. We have to make a trip there at least once a month because Buster won't keep his traps in good repair, and the gators come up the chutes and into the shrimp house for a meal."
Richard was quiet, and she glanced over at him. He appeared to be in deep thought. "I've got to deal with this," she said. "It can't really wait. I'm sorry, but we'll have to start looking for Roland later on. Maybe by this afternoon, I'll have everything squared away."
He nodded. "That's fine. I've got a few phone calls to make and some paperwork to go over. I'll be at the motel. Give me a call when you're ready."
Dorie blinked, surprised it had been that easy to get rid of him."You should stop by the cafe for lunch," she suggested. "Jenny knows how to run a grill. In fact, if you wouldn't mind, I could use a favor."
"Sure. What do you need?"
"It's almost lunch time and Joe's sure to be there. Tell him I said to pick up the guys at Clint's place but not anytime soon. And be sure and tell him to bring a handcuff key."
"No problem."
Dorie pulled the jeep in front of the sheriff's office and jumped out. She grabbed the ice chest from the backseat and started toward the front door. "I'll see you later," she said over her shoulder. Richard lifted one hand in acknowledgment and walked next door to the cafe.
***
Richard pushed the door of the cafe open and the smell of grilled burgers and fries wafted over him, causing his stomach to rumble. Maybe eating wasn't such a bad idea.
He scanned the small room and spotted Joe sitting in the same spot Richard had found him on Sunday. He was still
"Yeah," she finally answered. "I'm fine. I'm angry is all."
"Don't you need a warrant to take those things from his house?" Richard asked, curiosity apparently overcoming good common sense.
She shot him a derisive look. "You don't know much about other branches of the law, do you, Dick? As game warden, I can search and seize darn near anything I want in my jurisdiction. All I need is suspicion."
He nodded and studied her face, making her even more uncomfortable. "You sure you're only mad? Because it seems like a lot more than anger to me. It seems almost personal."
She blew out a breath, not wanting to get into her private views on life, but realizing that he probably wouldn't let up until he'd received a somewhat satisfying answer. "Look. I believe all infants have a right to parents, regardless of species. That gator you saw on the grill was the mother, and she tore through that screen door because her babies were in the shack. Females stay with their young for almost a year. Without a mother, they're goners."
"What do you mean?"
"The alligators in that ice chest are newly hatched. They're a prime target for most anything right now. At nine inches long, even birds will eat them. An alligator less than four feet long has a survival chance of less than seventeen percent."
"So what will you do with them?" he asked and glanced back at the ice chest.
“ I don't know yet. I need to make a few phone calls. I'm hoping my friend at the zoo in New Orleans will be interested. If not, my options are limited. I don't want to send them to a farm. It goes against everything I believe as a game warden and the mother came from the preserve."
"A farm? People farm alligators?"
Dorie nodded, disgusted. "It's big business. The skin and meat are worth a ton of money, but no one wants the animal to become extinct, so hunting is only allowed at certain times and in certain areas. The farms fill in all the gaps."
"Can't they be taken care of until they're bigger, then released in the game preserve?"
"Sometimes, but it's hard to do. When I first took over down here, I tried that. The problem is, once they're used to a handout, they don't want to look for their own food. They ended up being a nuisance down at the shrimp house. We have to make a trip there at least once a month because Buster won't keep his traps in good repair, and the gators come up the chutes and into the shrimp house for a meal."
Richard was quiet, and she glanced over at him. He appeared to be in deep thought. "I've got to deal with this," she said. "It can't really wait. I'm sorry, but we'll have to start looking for Roland later on. Maybe by this afternoon, I'll have everything squared away."
He nodded. "That's fine. I've got a few phone calls to make and some paperwork to go over. I'll be at the motel. Give me a call when you're ready."
Dorie blinked, surprised it had been that easy to get rid of him."You should stop by the cafe for lunch," she suggested. "Jenny knows how to run a grill. In fact, if you wouldn't mind, I could use a favor."
"Sure. What do you need?"
"It's almost lunch time and Joe's sure to be there. Tell him I said to pick up the guys at Clint's place but not anytime soon. And be sure and tell him to bring a handcuff key."
"No problem."
Dorie pulled the jeep in front of the sheriff's office and jumped out. She grabbed the ice chest from the backseat and started toward the front door. "I'll see you later," she said over her shoulder. Richard lifted one hand in acknowledgment and walked next door to the cafe.
***
Richard pushed the door of the cafe open and the smell of grilled burgers and fries wafted over him, causing his stomach to rumble. Maybe eating wasn't such a bad idea.
He scanned the small room and spotted Joe sitting in the same spot Richard had found him on Sunday. He was still
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