Page 15 of Wanted by the Lawman

CHAPTER 5

“WE HAVE ANOTHER overdose. I wish I was one step closer to nailing the douchebags who are killing my townspeople.”

Zander looked across the bench seat of his truck at his buddy, Sheriff Rudy Graham. “Here. I brought you a coffee, but it appears you need a beer.” He handed over the steaming cup.

Rudy swiped a hand down his cheek. “Not just one. Three deaths in two months. We’re down to a wire. Instead of working on something serious, I’m spending precious time this morning picking old man Hurley up off the stoop of the diner.”

“Drunk again?”

“Wasted from what I hear. This is getting to be old news. The man’s gotten too drunk and wound up sleeping where he shouldn’t be enough times that I’m surprised he hasn’t been shot. Once before he ended up climbing through a neighbor’s window. Luckily, most people know Hurley, and know he meant no harm. The owner of the house didn’t press charges. Maybe he should to teach Hurley a lesson.”

“Yeah, the man needs an intervention.”

Crooked Creek was quiet this morning. The snow had melted some but only those who needed to brave the weather did. The jagged landscape of the mountains were the backdrop of the small town and the rolling countryside lingered just beyond Main Street, but instead of taking the bridge that would lead him home, he drove the truck west toward the diner.

“Bastards probably drunker than ever,” Rudy groaned. “We should throw him in a cell and not offer him his one call. As far as I’m concerned, he can sit in the four by six and sober up. Behind bars is the best place for withdrawal.”

“You know every prisoner, no matter what they’ve done, deserves one phone call.” Zander rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Hell, man, you know Cindy will come looking for him by lunch time.” Rudy took off his Stetson and hooked it on his knee. He shifted in the passenger seat as if his two-hundred-twenty, six-foot-three frame was too big for the leather.

“If she does, then they deserve each other,” Zander snorted. “How’s Lanie? No baby yet I presume?”

Rudy, as big as a brick house and as tough as one, was as hard-ass as they come, but at the mention of his wife and unborn child, one could practically see him melting like sugar. A part of Zander envied that emotion. Once upon a time, he thought he had the special thing, but it didn’t last. After dating Sam for two years, she blamed him for not moving fast enough and lacking in communication, so she moved on. Hell, he agreed with her, so he didn’t chase after her.

The immediate attraction he’d felt for Wynn had pulled the rug out from underneath him. He’d been jolted with an electrical shock that still hadn’t released his body. First time he’d felt something so strong since he met Sam.

“No baby yet. She’s due next month.”

“Life will change for you. You ready?”

“Hell no, but what first time father can say that he is?”

“You have a point.”

“Man, before Lanie got pregnant we had sex two, maybe three times a day. Now, she looks at me like she could chew me up and spit me out if I touched her. What is going on, Cade?”

“Don’t ask me.

“I miss holding her soft curves.”

Zander understood. Here lately he missed holding soft curves too and it had nothing to do with the cold season that seemed to be lasting longer each year. He switched the station on the radio with restless energy.

“This morning, a few of my deputies were discussing Agnes Makelti’s granddaughter. You didn’t mention that you had a new neighbor.”

“And how is that relevant? Did you get the information I asked for?”

Rudy shrugged and reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper, but didn’t hand it over right away. “I need to ask. Is this personal or professional?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yeah, I think it does. If our new member of the community is a criminal, I think I should be aware of it.”

“I didn’t say I suspected her of criminal behavior.”

Rudy chuckled. “Isn’t that why you’d need a complete background check? If this is personal than I’d highly recommend you rethink this—the background check that is.”

“Did you find something incriminating in her record?”

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