Page 75 of Rocky Ride

“The only other thought I had was the bounty hunter who found Tammy. It would be cheaper and wouldn’t drain my manpower if we hired him to find Bobby Prescott.”

“Sure. He’s excellent and I can call him for you, sugar pop. I have his card.”

“Would you, Mom? The longer this goes on, the more I want to find Bobby Prescott and finally close the case. I’m sure he’s kicking back someplace in Tennessee, laughing at me and figuring I’ll never find him.”

“I’ll call Mason and see if he has time to take on a new client.”

“Thanks. Let me know.”

“I will, sweetheart. I’d like to bring Bobby Prescott in for many reasons, but mostly to talk to him about Tammy. She’s obsessed with him and I’d like to find out why for myself.”

“Uh huh. That would be an interesting conversation.”

Houma. Louisiana.

Mason had recently completed a retrieval job for the Houma courthouse, received his bounty money and intended to take a week off. He’d spend his down time fishing and doing a few jobs around his house that had been on his repair list for quite some time.

His small frame house backed onto the bayou and his neighbors weren’t close enough to bother him. Just the way he liked it.

With a mug of coffee in his hand, Mason sat on his deck overlooking the river and listening to the grunting of the gators. He had one old leathery guy who swam over to the dock every time he worked on his boat and Mason made sure to toss him a piece of raw chicken to keep on his good side.

Clyde let out a little woof when Mason’s cell rang and at first he was annoyed, but he soon smiled when he saw who was calling.

“Look who’s calling us, Clyde.”

He put the call on speaker. “Mrs. Powell, I’m pleased to hear from you so soon.”

“A business call, Mason. Something has come up and I’m wondering if you are in a position to help me.”

“Why don’t you explain your problem to me, and we’ll find out?”

“For the past couple of weeks, I’ve had two of my boys in Nashville searching for Bobby Prescott and his friend, and they’ve had no luck and have since been recalled. I’m wondering if you might be interested in picking up where they left off.”

“This is the wounded fugitive your step-daughter was involved with?”

“Yes. He’s wanted for several murders and has been eluding Texas Violent Crime for months.”

“Umm…I’m not sure I’m ready to take on a new job at the moment, but I’m sure I could be encouraged to do so if you joined me and Clyde in a joint effort.”

Annie laughed. “I hadn’t thought of it as an option, but we have been after this particular killer for too long. I’m not sure how long I can spend on it, but perhaps a few days.”

“Wonderful.” Mason got to his feet and paced the deck with the phone in his hand. “Why don’t you fly into Louis Armstrong in N’Orleans, and Clyde and I will pick you up all ready to go? We’ll leave from the airport and begin our journey to Music City.”

“Let me check the available flights and see how quickly I can be ready, Mason. I’ll call you back within the hour.”

“I’ll be waiting for your call, Mrs. Powell.”

“We’re going to be working together, Mason. Why don’t you call meAnnie?”

He laughed. “I have tried to do so, but I’m not quite there yet.”

The call ended and Mason sat down and leaned back in his chair. He couldn’t stop smiling.

“The Fates are smiling on us, Clyde. And now we have work to do, boy.”

Chapter Sixteen

Monday, October 28th.

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