Page 81 of The Killing Plains

“We want to know why you lied,” Avery snapped. “You weren’t watching basketball Monday night. We’ve got you on security footage creeping around the ranch.”

Hoyer swallowed, his prominent Adam’s apple rising and falling beneath the leathery skin. “Ain’t no cameras out there.”

“They were installed a few weeks ago, jackass.”

Hoyer stiffened defiantly. “Gimme a lawyer.”

“Have it your way.”

Colly sighed and nodded to Avery, who shrugged and said, “Jace Hoyer, I’m arresting you on the charge of criminal mischief, and on—”

“Criminal mischief? What the—”

“You did a lot of damage inside Brenda Newland’s minivan,” Colly said.

“The hell I did. I wasn’t even—”

“Save it for the judge. We can’t take your statement once you’ve lawyered up. You’re also being arrested for aggravated assault, threatening police with a deadly weapon.” Colly nodded to Avery. “Read him his rights and put him in the car.”

“What about my dogs, goddammit?” Hoyer’s voice held a sudden edge of panic.

Colly shook her head. “They attacked me. We’ll send Animal Control to pick them up. They’ll be euthanized.”

“You ain’t hurt. Lemme call Jolene to come get ’em.”

“Jolene’s in the hospital in Abilene.” Avery tugged Hoyer towards the squad car as the thunder rumbled again, louder this time. “You have the right to remain—”

“The hospital? What the hell happened?”

“She tried to off herself,” Avery said coldly.

The color drained from Hoyer’s face, and his knees buckled. Colly jumped forward and grabbed his other arm.

He jerked away. “You done this, snooping around, stirring things up. Jolene ain’t—”

“She did it because you left her. According to Carmen, anyway,” Colly said.

She opened the car’s rear door, and Hoyer sank onto the seat, his face gray. “I gotta get to Abilene. I gotta get to Abilene.”

“Put your feet inside, before I slam the door on them.”

“Please, I’ll tell you whatever.”

“Are you saying you withdraw your request for an attorney?” Colly asked.

Hoyer looked up. “Yeah, sure. I’ll tell you everything. Just let me go.”

Colly glanced at Avery, who was shaking her head furiously. “No way.”

Colly shut Hoyer inside the car. “Let’s clear the tent.”

They found three more long guns, a pistol, and a cache of ammunition. As they were putting them in the cruiser’s trunk, Colly whispered, “He knows something, and right now, he’s motivated. We won’t get another chance.”

“He’ll just make up a bunch of crap,” Avery hissed. “Cut him loose, and we’ll never see him again.”

As she spoke, another crack of thunder, much louder this time, sounded directly overhead. A sudden gust of cold wind blew through the juniper, sending dirt and dried leaves skittering. A few fat raindrops struck the hood of the cruiser, and the women dove inside the car as the sprinkling became a driving downpour.

In the front passenger seat, Colly swept the damp hair out of her eyes. “You’re under arrest, Hoyer. We can’t let you go. But give us your statement on the way back—the truth, this time—and we can discuss getting you to Abilene.”

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