Page 77 of Longest Ride

“Paula Fleming.”

“What the hell?” I said. “Who would want Paula dead?”

“We’re working on it.”

“We’ll come home and help you, Dad,” said Virge. “We can’t find Tammy, and we tried. Honest, we did.”

“I believe y’all tried your hardest,” said Travis. “I think she doesn’t want to be found, and she’s making it nearly impossible.”

“I agree with that,” said Annie. “She’s gone into hiding and the question is—will she be able to hold her own with seasoned criminals living off the grid?”

“Jeeze, I don’t want to picture that, Annie-girl.”

“I’ll call with flight info as soon as I have it.”

“Thanks, Annie-girl. I owe you a huge one.”

Travis ended the call and joined Billy and Ted in the squad room. “I made a plan at breakfast, and this is what we’re going to do today, Ted. Billy’s a little skeptical, but he’s willing to go along.”

“Okay. We got fuck all, boss. We gotta do something to stir the pot.”

“Yep. Exactly what we’re going to do. We have to ruffle some feathers.” Travis outlined what he had in mind, and Ted listened closely.

“Yep. I’m in favor.”

“Let’s give it a try. We got nothing else.”

“Good plan, boss. Stir ‘em up. Make ‘em mad.”

“Billy will stay at the station with Molly and process the suspects when we bring them in. Ted and I will go drag their asses in here.”

Ted grinned. He liked to be in the middle of the action.

“Have you heard from the boys, Travis?” asked Molly.

“I think they’ll be home tomorrow, Molly. Annie is working on the tickets now. Could you check and see what time the flight from Austin gets to Great Falls?”

“I’ll do that. This office is like the morgue without them. The dogs are so depressed.”

“Yeah, hard to miss how quiet the Max and Sarge are,” said Travis. “They’ve got a bad case of the mopes.”

Cut Bank Tribune. Cut Bank. Montana.

Ted and Travis walked past the front counter and kept going right on through the newspaper office to the back of the building where the boss’s office was located.

Wyatt was clearly surprised to see them standing in front of his desk, and a look crossed his face that Travis couldn’t read.

“I’m bringing you in for questioning, Wyatt. You can come voluntarily, or I can cuff you and do it that way. Your choice.”

“Are you out of your mind, Travis? What inspired this crazy move?”

“Cuffs or no cuffs was the question I asked. My motives aren’t open for discussion.”

“No cuffs will be needed, Sheriff. I’m not a tough guy like you.”

“Huh,” said Travis. “You’re not the guy I thought you were, Wyatt, but I fully intend to look further into that.”

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek. Montana.

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