Page 3 of Sheltered by the Lawman

“So, you want me to find the girl, bring her to you for questioning, and I collect the reward?”

“I can’t collect, now can I? You know how these rich families work. They have the understanding that money speaks across all language barriers. A hundred grand for anyone with information that’ll lead to Warren’s capture.”

Cull whistled through his teeth. “Maybe they need a private investigator and not me.”

“If I wasn’t ten years away from retirement, I’d drop this job like a hot rock and find this princess myself. This is free money, dude. I’m relaying this information to you so you can go find the girl and we both win. You take the money and I look like the hero.” His laugh vibrated the line. “You’re the man for the job. Catch her before she disappears, Cull.”

A hundred grand would be his best payment yet and would be enough to start building his dream house. “You said you had a picture of her?” Cull pulled over on the side of the road, grabbed his laptop from the backseat and switched it on.

“I’ll email it to you right now.” Keyboard clicks sounded in the background. “Get the email?”

“Just did.” He clicked on the mail and his screen filled with a blurred security camera photo. She had striking red hair and was wearing a form-fitting red dress that paid tribute to long, toned legs. “Is this all you got?” he groaned. It was a poor shot.

“You can find her. You’re the man for the job. I have faith in you.”

“I’m glad you do.” Cull was known to track down criminals with little to go on, but this wasn’t a lawman’s everyday case.

Muffled voices were heard on Deke’s side. “I’ve got to go, buddy. We have a dead body. What kind of dick dies at cocktail hour on a Friday?”

“The nerve of some people.”

The line went dead.

Cull stared at the screen. So, this could be a bit difficult. With no time to waste, he pulled out onto the road, focusing on the reward that was waiting on him. He guessed he did owe his buddy a thank you. His law friends were good about leading him to cases that offered the big rewards.

****

“Where will you stay tonight?”

Sally Holloway plastered a smile on her face. She had become good at pretending things were okay. “Let’s see what my choices are…hmm…that upscale motel on the corner of Fifth or the luxurious park bench at the le terminus.” She laughed but the concerned look on her friend, Pete’s, face made her shoulders slump.

“It’s not safe sleeping on the bench at a bus station.”

“I’ve done it before. I have my handy dandy mace for protection.” He’d been letting her roll out a sleeping bag on the floor of his shop at night, but the last few days he’d been in the hospital fighting a case of pneumonia. “And you shouldn’t worry. I can take care of myself.”

“Let me speak to Laura—”

“No.” The mention of his snooty daughter made Sally’s hair stand up. The last time Laura found out that Pete had opened his shop doors to Sally all hell broke loose. She couldn’t cause a rift between the kind man and his family.

“You’ve stepped in and helped with deliveries more times than I can count and those arrangements you helped make for the wedding were fabulous. The least I can do is offer you a place to sleep.” Pete started coughing and she reached for his water, holding it so he could drink from the straw.

“You do enough.” She fixed his pillows. “You always pay me for the work that I do.”

He patted her hand, looking up at her with pale grey eyes. “One day you’re going to find a man who’ll give you the world, my dear. You deserve the kind of love my Missy and I had. God rest her soul. I still remember looking across the dance floor and seeing her, knowing that I would marry her.” His eyes always lit when he spoke about his late wife.

“Maybe one day, Pete.” Yet Sally wouldn’t hold out hope. She needed a man like she needed another hole in the head. After her last relationship that ended with her packing a bag and sneaking out in the middle of the night, she knew she’d never put herself in the same horrible situation again. She’d lost everything because of him.

“One day I’m going to hire you at the shop. Watch and see,” he said with a hint of a smile.

“Visiting hours are now over.” The announcement sounded over the hospital intercom.

“That’s my cue, Pete.” She grabbed her jacket and bag and tugged it up over her shoulder.

Reluctantly, she said goodbye to him and left the room, stopping at the small coffee shop to grab a coffee before stepping outside of the hospital onto the sidewalk. A gust of wind blew over her causing goosebumps to scatter her skin. The night was unusually cool, or maybe her mood contributed to her icy feeling. She hated seeing the elderly man in the hospital. He was the only friend she had in the world. He never looked at her as the homeless woman who ran away from her abusive boyfriend, and he always offered her kindness.

Slipping into her jacket, she dragged the collar up to protect her neck. Looking up at the sky, she gave a little prayer that it wouldn’t rain. It would only make her life more miserable.

She looked both ways on the sidewalk and sighed. What she wouldn’t give to be heading home to crawl into a comfortable bed tonight, but she’d given up everything for her safety. Freedom had a price and she’d paid dearly.

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