Page 33 of Lone Star Hostage

As expected, Ruby replied right away. “She knows. That’s the reason she lawyered up. You might not get anywhere talking to her, but I thought you’d want to try anyway.”

He did indeed, and after he texted his thanks to Ruby for the info, he located the contact number for Hattie and called her. Presley figured there was a good chance the woman wouldn’t even answer, so he was surprised when she took the call on the first ring. However, she didn’t say anything.

“Hattie,” Presley greeted after a couple of moments, and he put the call on speaker. “I have Billie Cooper here with me, and we’d like to ask you a few questions.”

The woman cursed, and it seemed to him that she’d been expecting a call. Just not from him. But from whom? And did it have anything to do with Victoria’s kidnapping?

“What the hell do you want, Detective Nolan?” she snarled, making his surname and former rank sound like some kind of nasty rash.

Presley jumped straight to the heart of the matter. “Craig Dumfries,” was all he said.

Silence, followed by a single curse word. “What about him?”

“I’m betting you know exactly why I’m calling about him,” Presley countered.

Hattie huffed. “I don’t, and if you’re wanting to play cat and mouse, then you’re wasting your time and mine.”

He thought she might hang up. She didn’t. But Hattie huffed again.

“Did you tell that sheriff I had teamed up with Craig and his brother to kidnap that rich bitch?” Hattie snapped. “Are you the reason he’s hauling my ass into an interview?”

“No, your association with Craig is the reason you’ve been called in,” Presley was quick to remind her. “That’s what happens when you hang around with known criminals.”

“Well, I had no part in what that asshole did,” Hattie insisted. “When your former friends get into trouble, are you responsible?” But she didn’t wait for an answer. “I didn’t help Craig in any way, and I don’t appreciate being dragged into this shit. Haven’t you and Lieutenant Cooper done enough to ruin my life? Do you have to keep going after me like this?”

“Funny, that was a similar to what I was going to ask you,” Presley said. “Did you have Victoria Wessington kidnapped so you could try to get your pound of flesh from Billie and me?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Hattie insisted.

“You’re sure about that because Craig was definitely involved with the kidnapping. If he wasn’t working with you, then who would have helped him put something like this together?”

“His brothers,” she spat out. “They could have helped him. Ellis and the other one…uh, Damon. Yes, that was his name. They were tight. So, call him and quit pestering me.”

And this time, she did hang up.

“Well, that was productive,” Presley muttered. It was sarcasm with a side order of frustration.

Billie made a so-so motion with her hand. “She hesitated when she answered the phone. If she’s connected to the kidnapping, maybe she’s not actually the person in charge. Maybe she was waiting on a call from the boss.”

“True,” he admitted. “And she mentioned Damon.”

Presley searched through the reports and located the latest update on him. Sheriff Bonetti still hadn’t been able to find him. According to his landlord, Damon had moved out a week earlier, right before he was due to be evicted. Like his brothers, he, too, had a criminal record.

And something else.

Known ties to a militia group.Bingo.That could have been where Craig and Ellis got their weapons.

He was about to fill Billie in on what he’d just read, but an incoming call cut him off. For a moment, he thought maybe it was Hattie phoning him back.

But it was Angel.

Presley couldn’t answer it fast enough. “Is Victoria all right?” he immediately asked.

However, it wasn’t Angel who answered.

“It’s me, Victoria,” she said in a whisper. “Angel was kind enough to let me use his phone since I don’t have mine.”

“Are you all right?” Presley repeated after he fumbled around with what to say to her. Hell, this was awkward.

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