Page 5 of Lawless Ride

“Did you know Josie too?” I asked.

“Not so much. She was a couple of years younger than me.” After Maryanne stopped talking, we ordered and recapped the gossip among ourselves.

“You were talking to Molly, Ted. Did she have any information about Josie and Tory fighting or not getting along?”

“Yeah. Molly knows the lady who lives next door to Tory and Josie, and that lady said they had some loud arguments.”

“What’s her name?”

“I wrote it in my notebook.” He looked it up. “Margaret Wise.”

“Great. We’ve got lots of interviews lined up for this afternoon and tomorrow. As soon as we eat, Harlan and I will start with the wife. You go to Shelby and interview Floyd Boyd, the construction boss. Get the scoop on Tory from a guy he worked with. And I want to know the last time Tory showed up for work.”

“Sure,” said Ted. “Last day Tory worked. That could be the day he bought the farm.”

Pellegrino Ranch. Shelby.

When it was time for lunch, the girls put their horses in the corral and Marilyn’s cowboys took over. “I’m not sure about leaving Bonnie Grace and not cooling her out myself,” said Tammy to the cute guy who took the reins from her.

“I know what I’m doing, Miss. You can trust me with your horse.”

Tammy sighed. “Okay. I’m a bit nervous today, being the first day n’all.”

He laughed. “By the end of the summer we’ll all know each other’s names and be best friends. I know who you are, you’re one of the sheriff’s daughters.”

“Yeah, I am.” Tammy smiled. She ran to catch up with Lucy, and as soon as she got a seat at the table, she texted Harlan.

“Made it to lunch. Wasn’t too bad.”

“How did Lucy do?”

“Good. We’re not the worst.”

“But you’ll be the best when you’re done.”

“We will.”

Sunburst Acres Trailer Park. Sunburst.

I turned into the trailer park and Harlan was still texting. “What are the girls saying?”

“Tammy said she made it to lunch, and it wasn’t too bad.”

I laughed. “They have weeks to go. Being a barrel racer isn’t going to be a walk in the park for either one of them.”

“I need to work on my riding,” said Harlan. “If I don’t get a helluva lot better, I’m going to be way behind the girls, and I don’t want to look like a fuckin idiot when we all ride together.”

“The weather is getting nicer, so we’ll ride after work every day for an hour before dinner. That will get you up to speed and it will be good for the horses.”

“Yeah, I want to do that.”

I parked across the driveway of a trailer with a dark red Subaru sitting there. “This is her car. Let’s go get them.”

“I’ll take the back.”

“I don’t like you alone without a weapon. Take the taser out of the glove box.”

While I waited for Harlan to get into position at the back, I stood at the front. When I figured he’d had enough time to get around the trailer, I pounded on the door.

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