Page 62 of No Bed Of Roses

A loud whistle from the farmhouse broke the moment, and he was glad. He wanted the moment to be perfect for her, and this wasn’t it. He didn’t even have a ring.

And they still had a second asshole to catch. Levi took Isla’s hand, and they headed back to the farmhouse to plan how to make that happen.

CHAPTER 21

No Bed Of Roses

Isla entered the police station with Levi. Well, station was probably too big of a word. The space Marcus used was a large room off the back of Phail General. There were several desks, a cluster of chairs, and a couch in one area.

Ed sat on a bunk in a cell in the opposite corner. He didn’t look up as they entered, but even the sight of him had a chill running through Isla. This man had tried to harm her more than once. She wasn’t afraid of him. She knew the cell would keep him away from her, but she was weary of the entire mess. They were closer to ending things, but nothing would be over until Glen was in a cell of his own.

Marcus stood from his office chair to greet them. “Thanks for coming in.”

That caused Ed to sit up. “Isla. You have to help me.”

Levi moved between her and Ed. Marcus sighed and turned to Isla. “It’s definitely time to upgrade to an actual police station. Levi, would you mind staying with the prisoner while I talk with Isla in the other room?”

Levi stared at Ed with what Isla thought of as his Army stare. She knew Levi would never hurt a man who wasn’t a threat, but Ed didn’t know that, and she wasn’t about to share. Time for him to be scared for a change.

Ed called out for her, and the fear in his voice was real. She ignored him as Marcus closed the door between them. Troy waved from where he was helping a man look through some tools, and then Marcus led her back to an office that was obviously Troy’s.

He closed that door as well and gestured for her to take a seat. “Sorry about that. Once I have an actual police station, I’ll have a separate section for the prisoners, and people won’t be exposed to them like that.”

He pulled out a recorder and a notebook. “I’m going to have you go through everything with me. In your own words, starting with when you and the others crossed the bank of the creek.”

Isla went through everything they’d done and what they’d seen. When she told about poking Ed in the chest and telling him off, Marcus grinned and kept taking notes.

When she was done, she felt like she’d been run over by her tractor. “Do you have any word on Glen? Has anyone found him?”

Marcus grimaced. “I’m sorry, no. The last place he was seen was in Montgomery, Alabama, several days ago. He was asking about you at several labs in the area. With the information we’ve received from Pringle, I’ve been able to issue a warrant for his arrest. Because his crimes cross state lines, I’ve contacted Shanice Williams over in Bedford. She’s the lead FBI agent in the area and is informing other FBI agencies in other states. We have police departments across this state and others informed as well. He won’t be able to stay under the radar forever.”

She nodded and wished she were as optimistic as the deputy. “I assume he’s not answering his phone for anyone? Has anyone tried using Ed’s phone to call him?”

Marcus grinned at her. “You’d make a good cop with that logical thinking. Unfortunately, it appears Hicks has his phone turned off. We’re not able to ping his location or get him to answer at the moment. But if he turns it on, we’ll get him.”

She nodded, and Marcus turned off the recorder and closed his notebook. “We’ve got video recordings from both Piper and your father of Pringle’s capture. He won’t be sliding out of these charges, but we have to remember Hicks is still out there. Keep being smart and careful. Hopefully, this will all be over soon.”

When Levi had finished his statement as well, she wanted fresh air. They found her father waiting on the sidewalk with most of the people who had helped with the search earlier in the day.

Her father patted her shoulder. “How are you holding up, Isla?”

She smiled, happy for the reminder that a lot of her life was going extremely well. Between being in love with Levi and reconnecting with her dad, she was happier than she’d ever been. “I’m okay. Just wishing this was all over.”

He grimaced. “Me too. I’ve left several messages for Glen, but he hasn’t returned any of my calls. It’s so difficult to believe he’s behind all of this, but with what that other man said this morning, we’ve got proof. I’m so sorry that I’m the root cause of this.”

She reached forward and hugged him. “You’re not. It’s all Glen and his greed.”

Her father sighed. “I thought he was simply lazy and spoiled.”

That made her laugh. Her cousin was definitely both of those things.

Sean spoke up. “Branna and I are opening the Saloon for everyone. We’re going to have a toast to finishing up round one of this mission. Give us five minutes, and come on down. Everyone is welcome.”

There was a general whoop, and everyone turned in that direction. Her father lifted his voice. “First round is on me.”

That brought on another whoop and more laughter. Looked like her father was going to fit right in with her friends.

Carl and Jim, local B&B owners, joined the throng and were introduced to Reg. Her father had driven straight to the farmhouse when he’d reached Phail, so he hadn’t met the men yet. She didn’t know the pair well, but they’d been very nice on Demo Day. While she watched the three men chat, she leaned into Levi’s side. His arm automatically came around her and she smiled up at him. “I really love this town.”

---