Page 51 of Scent of Peril

Logan strode to the front desk. “Debra, any chance we can get some coffee? For the police officers too?”

“Oh, ah, sure.” Debra looked flustered. “There’s a coffeemaker in the back. I’ll brew a pot.”

“Thank you. We’d really appreciate it.” Logan turned away to join her at the sofa. They both watched the fire for several long moments until he asked, “How long will it take Doug to get here?”

“It’s a forty-five-minute drive, and that doesn’t take into account the time he’ll need to pack our gear, including the bullet-resistant vests I’ve asked him to bring along.” She shrugged and eyed her watch. “It’s going on five in the morning now. I’m sure he’ll get here as soon as possible.”

Logan nodded. “I guess there’s no rush. We need to wait for daylight before we head up the mountain anyway.”

She glanced outside to the barest hint of dawn creeping over the horizon. Her stomach rumbled with hunger, and she knew she’d have to feed Teddy soon too. She hadn’t remembered seeing a room service menu, but the Hitching Post wasn’t far. It would be good for all of them to have a big breakfast before hitting the road.

“Here you go.” Debra brought them two steaming cups of coffee.

“Thank you.” Jess gratefully sipped hers.

The clerk stood awkwardly for a moment. “I hate to ask, but my boss wants to know who will be paying for the room damage.” She twisted her hands, avoiding their direct gaze. “The extra cash you gave me won’t be enough to cover it. I’m hoping you’ll give me more, as I’m in enough trouble already.”

“I’ll gladly pay for the damage,” Jess hastily assured her. She reached over to dig in her pack for her wallet. Finding her credit card, she handed it over. “Here, keep this on file to cover the bill. Make sure your boss knows I will need to match the repair invoices with the charges, so I’ll expect to see those receipts.”

“Oh, thank you.” Debra looked relieved. “I’ll let him know. I’m really sorry I didn’t hear anything.”

Jess glanced at Logan, who was frowning about the cost of the repairs. She put a reassuring hand on his arm. Their family had managed to keep the full extent of their wealth a secret, and that wasn’t something she was going to explain to him now. Besides, it’s not like the shootout was his fault. She smiled at Debra. “We’re fine. As Logan said, avoiding earbuds is a habit that’s for your own protection.”

“Trust me, I won’t do that again.” Debra turned and hurried back to her post. It was still too early for the other hotel guests to be up and about, but that would change soon.

“We may need a different place for everyone to gather before heading out.” She eyed Logan. “I’m hungry.”

“Me too.” He nodded to where Wayne was standing a few feet away, talking on his phone. “I figure we wait until Doug gets here to regroup.”

“Okay.” She took another sip of her coffee, set it aside, and stroked Teddy. The dog was good about stretching out and sleeping when the opportunity presented itself. Considering their plans for the day, he deserved all the rest he could get.

Fifteen minutes later, Wayne strode toward them. He sipped from a cup of coffee provided by Debra. “The crime scene techs have arrived, so they’ll take control of the room from Burt. I’ll need to head home soon to change. I also connected with Doug; he’s about ten minutes out.”

“Great.” She couldn’t suppress the flash of relief in knowing Doug would be there soon. “Go ahead and head home. We’ll be fine.”

“We’re planning to eat at the Post,” Logan said. “I’m sure Doug will want breakfast, and you’re welcome to join us.”

“Sounds good.” Wayne drained his cup, then tossed it into the garbage. “See you soon.”

As Wayne left, the two crime scene techs entered with a tackle box of gear. Logan stood. “I’ll show you the room.”

Doug walked into the lobby with her brother Shane a few minutes later. Her brother’s K9, Bryce, trotted alongside him. She wasn’t surprised her brother had brought his dog. Bryce was a great tracker too. Teddy instantly shot to his feet, excited to see his playmate. The two dogs ran around the lobby as Shane approached, his expression was full of concern. “Hey, Jess. Are you okay?”

“Thanks to Teddy, we’re not hurt.” She hugged Shane, then Doug. Her brother-in-law had become a key member of their family especially since he’d married Maya. “I’m glad you’re here.” The dogs’ antics made her smile. “And that you brought Bryce along.”

“Two noses are better than one,” Shane said with a grin.

“We stopped to pick up Shane’s SUV.” Doug nodded at Logan who’d joined them. “We’ll take both SUVs to the campground. Griff Flannery and his colleague Jack Rubio flew in last night.” There was a hint of apology in Doug’s tone. “He used Allen’s Air service.”

Allen’s Air was run by Big Al Regner. He was based out of Laramie and happened to be Logan’s biggest competitor. Logan shrugged, unconcerned. “Can’t blame them for using what’s available.”

She wanted to reassure Logan that his business would recover from this brief interruption, but she couldn’t make any promises. God would watch over them, but that didn’t mean this trip back to the mountains would be easy. They’d need all His strength and support to get through this.

Yet she also believed their lives would get back to normal once they arrested the gunman and found the drugs he might have hidden nearby.

“Bryce, here.” Shane’s sharp command broke up the dog’s playing. The large German shepherd returned to her brother’s side, his tongue lolling to one side of his mouth.

“Teddy, heel.” Her K9 obeyed too. It wasn’t always easy to get the dogs to stop goofing around, but both of them would need all their strength and stamina to navigate the upcoming search.

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