Page 21 of Stormy Ride

I sat down and watched him fill a pitcher with Miller for me and plunk it down with a frosted glass on a coaster.

“Heard about Randy.”

“Yeah, bad day and I’m not staying long.”

“Any leads?”

“Nothing solid. No place to start yet. We’ve got no forensic department to scour Quade’s barn and come up with a stray hair or a piece of skin that will match DNA from a previous offender. The assholes I’m looking for might not even have sheets.”

“How many horses did they take?”

“Six. Randy was down to twenty for the winter and he had them all inside. Fourteen left. Mrs. Quade knew which ones they took by which stalls were empty, and she described each of the six for me. Her youngest son looked over her list and agreed with her.”

“I know Buddy,” said Jack. “He’s the youngest and comes in here sometimes with his friends.”

“He’s the only one I’ve met.”

“Have you eaten?”

“No, but I had a big lunch at the Inn. Nothing since. I’m good for a while yet on hops and barley.”

Wild Stallion Ranch.

Exhausted from a long day back on the job, I made myself a sandwich when I got home, took a long, hot shower, and went straight to bed.

Chapter Five

Saturday, April 23rd.

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek.

Molly didn’t work on Saturdays, but she came in for the morning to help me get going on the wanted posters and to check to see if we’d heard back from any of the medical facilities she’d contacted.

We made a rough draft of what I wanted the poster to say, and when we agreed on the wording and the layout, Molly worked her magic on the computer and produced a draft of our bulletin.

I had plans to tack the posters up at the post office, the bank and Petersons’ market, but the best place to post one would be the feed store where the horse ranchers were in and out all day long.

Molly printed out two dozen copies on letter-size paper. “If you want bigger posters or if you want them on colored paper to get more notice, you’ll have to go to the printer in Cut Bank, Travis.”

“Yep. I can drop in there when I go to see Billy. Bigger and on colored paper is a great idea. I want the ranchers to stop and read the notice.”

Molly took copies for the market and post office because she was going to those two places on her way home.

I took the rest and headed out.

Cut Back Printing and Office Supplies.

The lady who helped me at the printing office was enthused about making wanted posters and she was happy to enlarge them and suggested printing them on bright yellow card stock to get more notice.

They came out great and she wouldn’t accept any money for them. “I’m always happy to help the sheriff’s department. We all have to do our part to keep Harrison County safe.”

“Thank you.”

“We have our own newsy bulletin board near the front door, and I’d be happy to put a poster up for you, Sheriff.”

“Thanks so much. I need as many people to be watching for the horse trailer as possible.”

As I left the printer, I called Wyatt Thompson at the newspaper office and asked him to meet me across the road at the diner.

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