them. Hate to tell you this, Jeff, but you lost a few more head of cattle.”
“Shit! At least no one got killed, though.”
“I got a few thoughts on this and some stuff for the crime lab to look at, so let’s keep our fingers crossed we finally have a clue. I’m gonna head back into town now. You might want to take care of your friend. He’s pretty shook up.”
“Thanks, Sheriff, I will. See ya.”
“See ya Sunday, Jeff.” He got in his car, turned around, and began heading back to town. I looked over to see Mike, José, and Josh standing together. Mike glanced at me, and said something to the guys. José clapped him on the shoulder as he headed toward me. He looked pretty shocked, and there was quite a bit of blood on his clothes.
“Hey, Jeff, you remember you said you wanted to be my friend?”
“Remember it and I meant it.”
“Good, cause I need a friend now.”
“Come on in, buddy,” I said, turning toward the ranch house. I could hear Mike following me as I headed up the steps and through the door.
Chapter Five
W E GOT into the house. I turned and looked at Mike. He looked like he’d been through a wringer. He had a shocked and confused look on his face. His clothes were filthy, and he was covered in mud, blood, and horseshit. I pointed him toward the bathroom off the mudroom.
“Why don’t you take a nice hot bath? I’ll get you something to wear. Just throw your dirty clothes on the floor, and I’ll take care of ’em. Towels in there are clean.”
“Thanks, Jeff. Much obliged.” He started to strip off, and I headed upstairs to my room. I grabbed a clean pair of gray long handles, some socks, and a set of sweats. I headed downstairs. Mike was already in the bathtub sighing with pleasure. I set the clothes down on the toilet seat and turned to leave. Mike’s laugh stopped me.
“What’s so funny?”
“You tryin’ to turn me into you?” I looked down, the socks were on top and the long handles next. They covered the sweats. I laughed with him.
“Relax cowboy, there’s a pair of sweats there too. What in the hell is with everyone talkin’ about me walkin’ around in my underwear?”
“Let’s just say you walk around without your pants on a lot and the view is pretty nice.”
“Whatever, I’ll be in the living room. You look like you could use a drink. Whiskey all right?”
“I sure as hell ain’t gonna turn down good whiskey tonight.” I could feel his eyes on my back as I walked out. I grinned, knowing he was looking.
I headed into the kitchen, got a bottle of Maker’s Mark, and a couple of glasses. I then went into the living room and started a fire in the big river rock fireplace. After a few minutes Mike appeared.
“Thanks for the clothes, bud. We’re about the same size.”
“No worries. Want that drink now?”
“Hell yes!” I poured out two generous glasses and raised mine.
“To friends.”
“Cheers. And thanks a lot for askin’ me in, Jeff. I didn’t want to be by myself tonight. It was one fuckin’ hell of a day.”
“You wanna tell me what happened? If you don’t, that’s okay too.” Mike emptied his glass in one gulp and drew a ragged breath. I refilled his glass for him.
“We headed up to the back of the property where the forest service roads come fairly close to the property line. We got there and it was pretty obvious there’d been some more rustlin’. The fence was cut, and there were cattle tracks goin’ out and tracks of horses herdin’ ’em. I got off my horse and began to look at the tracks. Wayne suggested we split up and look to see if we could find any sign of the rustlers. The tracks we saw were fresh.”
“Why would he suggest something like that? Rustlin’ is a pretty serious crime and these guys are murderers.” Mike gulped his second whiskey and looked at me.
“I asked the same thing. He said if we was real quiet and kept our heads down, we just might see ’em or maybe their trucks and be able to get
“Shit! At least no one got killed, though.”
“I got a few thoughts on this and some stuff for the crime lab to look at, so let’s keep our fingers crossed we finally have a clue. I’m gonna head back into town now. You might want to take care of your friend. He’s pretty shook up.”
“Thanks, Sheriff, I will. See ya.”
“See ya Sunday, Jeff.” He got in his car, turned around, and began heading back to town. I looked over to see Mike, José, and Josh standing together. Mike glanced at me, and said something to the guys. José clapped him on the shoulder as he headed toward me. He looked pretty shocked, and there was quite a bit of blood on his clothes.
“Hey, Jeff, you remember you said you wanted to be my friend?”
“Remember it and I meant it.”
“Good, cause I need a friend now.”
“Come on in, buddy,” I said, turning toward the ranch house. I could hear Mike following me as I headed up the steps and through the door.
Chapter Five
W E GOT into the house. I turned and looked at Mike. He looked like he’d been through a wringer. He had a shocked and confused look on his face. His clothes were filthy, and he was covered in mud, blood, and horseshit. I pointed him toward the bathroom off the mudroom.
“Why don’t you take a nice hot bath? I’ll get you something to wear. Just throw your dirty clothes on the floor, and I’ll take care of ’em. Towels in there are clean.”
“Thanks, Jeff. Much obliged.” He started to strip off, and I headed upstairs to my room. I grabbed a clean pair of gray long handles, some socks, and a set of sweats. I headed downstairs. Mike was already in the bathtub sighing with pleasure. I set the clothes down on the toilet seat and turned to leave. Mike’s laugh stopped me.
“What’s so funny?”
“You tryin’ to turn me into you?” I looked down, the socks were on top and the long handles next. They covered the sweats. I laughed with him.
“Relax cowboy, there’s a pair of sweats there too. What in the hell is with everyone talkin’ about me walkin’ around in my underwear?”
“Let’s just say you walk around without your pants on a lot and the view is pretty nice.”
“Whatever, I’ll be in the living room. You look like you could use a drink. Whiskey all right?”
“I sure as hell ain’t gonna turn down good whiskey tonight.” I could feel his eyes on my back as I walked out. I grinned, knowing he was looking.
I headed into the kitchen, got a bottle of Maker’s Mark, and a couple of glasses. I then went into the living room and started a fire in the big river rock fireplace. After a few minutes Mike appeared.
“Thanks for the clothes, bud. We’re about the same size.”
“No worries. Want that drink now?”
“Hell yes!” I poured out two generous glasses and raised mine.
“To friends.”
“Cheers. And thanks a lot for askin’ me in, Jeff. I didn’t want to be by myself tonight. It was one fuckin’ hell of a day.”
“You wanna tell me what happened? If you don’t, that’s okay too.” Mike emptied his glass in one gulp and drew a ragged breath. I refilled his glass for him.
“We headed up to the back of the property where the forest service roads come fairly close to the property line. We got there and it was pretty obvious there’d been some more rustlin’. The fence was cut, and there were cattle tracks goin’ out and tracks of horses herdin’ ’em. I got off my horse and began to look at the tracks. Wayne suggested we split up and look to see if we could find any sign of the rustlers. The tracks we saw were fresh.”
“Why would he suggest something like that? Rustlin’ is a pretty serious crime and these guys are murderers.” Mike gulped his second whiskey and looked at me.
“I asked the same thing. He said if we was real quiet and kept our heads down, we just might see ’em or maybe their trucks and be able to get
Similar Books
