Page 70 of JoyRide

Travis set his coffee mug down and said, “I think I’ll go to the station today and see if I can sit in my swivel chair for a while. That will free y’all up to cover the fairgrounds. We have to catch those murdering little pricks.”

“I’m not sure that’s a great idea, Dad. You’re not ready to go back to work yet. Next Monday will be soon enough to try half a day.”

“Let me try that half day today, son. All I have to do is sign a few reports and be there for Molly. I can drink coffee and play poker on my phone and pretend I’m working.” He chuckled.

I shook my head. “Not liking it, Dad. Too soon. What do you think, Billy?”

Billy frowned and sided with me and Tammy. “You can barely walk, Travis. Best to give it until Monday.”

“By Monday the carnival will be packing up,” said Travis. “This weekend will be huge for Shelby and the carney will drawpeople from miles around. If those kids have any brains left at all, they’ll show up to take advantage of the crowd. The parking lot will be a big draw for them. All those cars and trucks sitting there with nobody watching them.”

“Yeah, I get that. This is a great chance for us to grab the little bastards, but we can manage it without you filling in for Billy.”

Travis shook his head. He wasn’t buying any of it. “Nope. I’m going to the station. I want Billy to go with Ted and the four of y’all will have a decent shot at grabbing the kids.”

“What if you can’t sit any longer and you have to come home from the station and lie down?” asked Tammy. “Then what? You can’t drive.”

“Then I’ll call you to come and take me home.”

“Promise me you’ll do that?”

“I promise.”

Tammy gave him one of her I-don’t-believe-you looks.

“Okay, I swear I will, Tam.”

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek.

Thinking it was a terrible idea for Travis to be back at work, I helped him into his office and eased him down into his swivel chair. The one he claimed he didn’t need anymore and handed off to Billy—along with the rest of his office.

“I’ll get you a coffee.”

Travis glanced around the office and grinned. “Wasn’t sure I’d ever see this shitty office again.”

I laughed. “Sit tight, Dad. I’ll get you a mug of caffeine and tell Molly you’re here.”

“Jeeze, she won’t be wearing a happy face when she sees me.”

Ted checked on the prisoners in the run and Molly had already fed them and given them coffee. Neither one of them would be arraigned until Monday morning. The other two mutts in there were permanent residents until their trials came up.

While Ted was in there, I walked into the run and asked the drug slingers one more time if they knew my brother. “Either one of you know Virgil Linley?”

“Never heard of him,” said Simon Platte.

“What about you, Jeff?”

“Nope. Don’t know him. Not sure I’d tell you even if I did.”

“That’s what I figured.” I sighed. No help from them. I had to find Virgil on my own. I couldn’t rest until I got Travis’s Harley back for him.

After everyone left for Shelby, Molly strolled down the hall to the office and looked in on Travis.

“Hey, Molly.”

“Can I get you another coffee, boss? You shouldn’t be here, but I’m sure you know that.”

“Yeah, I know it, Molly. But it beats lying on the sofa at home. I’m about done with that.”

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