Page 27 of Layla

The man stepped closer. Layla’s scream echoed off the surrounding rock walls and cliffs.

Just then, like a mountain lion pouncing from behind a boulder, Kirk leapt onto a nearby rock and then sprang from it. He crashed onto the intruder, sending them both to the hard ground with a heavy thud.

“What do you want with my wife?”

Kirk was atop the guy now, his knees pinning the man down. He raised a fist but stopped short of smashing it into the guy’s face.

“Get off me! I haven’t done anything!” the man cried.

“We’ll be the judge of that,” Sheriff Stone said as he stepped around the boulders. “I’m just glad we happened to be looking around up here. We might have caught you before you could do anything.”

Kirk got up, grabbed the man by the collar, and hoisted him up. “Talk,” he said. “And choose your words carefully.”

“You can’t threaten me. I could press charges!”

“You’re the criminal here,” Kirk said, his neck muscles and jawline taut as he inched forward. Layla held her breath, wondering if her husband was going to pummel the guy.

“Actually, I’m not. I’m a licensed private investigator. I’m going reach slowly for my ID.”

“Very slowly,” the sheriff said, his hand on the butt of the gun that rode on his right hip.

The man nodded and then reached into the pocket of his jacket and retrieved his wallet. He carefully handed it to Kirk.

“It’s true,” Kirk said after examining it. “Clyde Rayburn from San Angelo.”

“That’s right,” Clyde said. “So you see, I haven’t done anything wrong. I was just hired to watch y’all. Which is legal.”

“You have done something wrong,” Wyatt said. “You trespassed on multiple construction sites, despite the posted signs and city ordinances. That is illegal.”

Clyde gulped. “I didn’t see the signs.”

“Not sure how you missed them,” Wyatt said. “They’re plain as day. That’s on you.”

Clyde flushed. “Yeah. Okay. I’m sorry. No harm done. Right? I didn’t damage anything.”

The sheriff didn’t say anything about that. Instead, he said, “Who hired you?”

“I can’t divulge my client’s name. We have a code of ethics.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’re real ethical,” Kirk said with a snort.

Clyde glared at him but didn’t dare push any further. Kirk was a head taller and a whole lot stronger. It would be a mighty quick fight, and Clyde knew it.

“You were going to attack my wife,” Kirk said through gritted teeth.

“No. I was going to give her this. It’s not for her. Just needed to pass it off to someone. When she happened up here, I figured now was a good as time as any. Then my job here will be done.”

“Give me what?” Layla said.

Clyde slowly reached into his pocket once more, pulled out an envelope, but tossed it toward the sheriff instead.

Wyatt let it fall at his feet rather than springing to try and catch it. He was worried it was a trap, and that the man might pull a gun once he was distracted.

“A letter of some kind?” Wyatt asked.

“Don’t know. Just doing what my client paid me to do. Are you going to arrest me or am I free to go?”

The sheriff thought for a moment. “I want you out of here but if I ever see you back in Brennan County, you’ll be brought up on trespassing charges.”

---