Page 3 of Tripp

“Yeah, just thinking. Meet me in Burke, at the Sheriff’s Office.”

“You know how I feel about cops, man.”

“I do, but listen, if she is missing, we will need their help. I’m not licensed to work in Texas. There is only so much I can do. I’ll call Phoenix; he’s licensed to work in the state. But still, I need to tell them I am here and why. It’s a courtesy.”

“All right. Fine. I need to make sure she’s okay. She has to be okay.” He let out a frustrated grunt. “They won’t tell me where she was going or what she was working on.”

“Leave that to me. I know people, and those people know people. Trust me, brother. We will get to the bottom of this even if I have to call in every favor owed to me.”

“Okay, thanks. I’ll meet you there.”

“See you in a few hours.” When the call ended, I cursed. “Where are you, sweetheart?”

I hit the speed dial for my kid and waited for him to answer. When it went to voicemail, I hung up, waited a minute, and called again. The third time I left a message.

“Kid, we have a problem. If you get this in the next couple of hours, call me. If not, meet me at the Burke Sheriff’s Office in about three hours. Give or take. It’s important.”

I ended the call, tossed my cell onto the seat, and put the old Jeep in drive. I needed gas and coffee. Once the tank was full, I hurried into the truck stop, took a much-needed, piss and grabbed three large coffees. They had a small deli, so I grabbed three bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches and headed back out to the pumps.

With everything settled into its right place, I started the Jeep back up and pulled out onto the access road. Three hours or so and I would be in Burke.

I tried to call Casey, but the number I had was no longer in service. My gut was doing that thing again. Something wasn’t right; I definitely needed to hurry.

Chapter 2

Tripp

Small towns really chapped my ass.

Last thing I wanted today was to be stopped for speeding. To be fair, I knew it was a chance I was taking when I got off the main highway and headed toward Burke itself. I’d been doing good, ignoring the signs, my mind focused on getting here. My good luck apparently ran out at the outskirts of town.

“You’re in a mighty big hurry today.”

“Yeah, I know I was speeding, so can we make this quick?”

“License, registration, and proof of insurance, please.”

I handed over the paperwork and my license. Thankfully, the deputy didn’t take six weeks to do his job. I had a ticket for $180. Fuck small towns and their greed. It’s not like I was out here committing major criminal offenses.

All right, it was my fault; I knew better, but this was just highway robbery to my wallet. Not to mention the two points against my license.

Cursing, I made my way through town, looking at my speedometer this time. I made sure to keep it between twenty-five and thirty.

When I saw the sign for the Sheriff’s Office, relief washed over me. I pulled into the lot and parked. Scanning the area, I got out. I was pretty sure every part of my body cracked in sync. It felt good to be standing. That drive from Vegas to here was brutal on my old bones. Especially sleeping in the back of the Jeep, in the small space available.

Hotels just cost too much. What’s the old saying, ‘no pain, no gain?’ For me, it was a case of no money spent now meant more money in my pocket. Fine. Fine. Judge all you want, I’d freely admit it right now; I’m a cheap bastard. Sue me.

Looking back into the Jeep before I shut the door, I saw the white piece of paper looking back at me from the seat. I grabbed the ticket; might as well see about paying it while I was here. I couldn’t believe my luck today. With a grumble, I shut the Jeep up, locked the doors, and headed inside.

According to the signs outside of the main entrance, the Sheriff’s Office shared this building with the Burke PD. Talk about all of your eggs in one basket. I guess that was sensible in a way. Small town life.

I followed the signs to a set of double doors. Pushing my way in, I looked around. The room itself was large. Desks filled the middle. There was a large desk just inside the door, I would assume that was where the secretary or office admin sat. There were doors leading to other rooms on two sides and a wall of windows that had tint to them. I could see out, but I’d not been able to see in as I’d made my way to the front door. That made sense.

I caught sight of a familiar face and called out, “Dani Lynn?”

“Uncle Tripp? Holy crap. I’ve not seen you in forever. How are you, old man?” She walked over and hugged me tight.

“Uncle? How many uncles do we have?”

---