by Nora Roberts
“Holy shit! Holy shit, somebody shot Cal and Sundown!”
Easy tipped his hat back. “Go on ahead. I’ll tell him.”
“Not about Clintok, okay? Not yet.”
Easy winked, put a finger to his lips. He admired the way she looked walking away, then shifted to the breathless Ben.
“Hold on, Ben. I’ve got the full story.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Easy puzzled on what to do. He’d never had so much on his plate at one time and, along with Ben, was almost, sort of, in charge of things.
He had to load up the horses for the lesson down at the center, cull out more for another trail ride, and figure out how to put on a show.
He liked the show part of things, the fun of it, the being back in front of people like during his rodeo time.
And he had to think about Cal. He sure liked Cal—there was a man who knew horses and men and how to keep things running smooth. Somebody had shot at his boss, and that was bad enough. But that somebody had shot at a damn fine horse, too, and that couldn’t be borne.
The fact he’d likely seen that somebody, knew that somebody made him proud. And made him plenty nervous along with it.
That pretty Chelsea said he needed to talk to the sheriff about it, and Ben said just the same. So he guessed he had to do that. He just didn’t know how to go about it, especially with all the work and the show.
He sure didn’t know how to go about being in charge.
He didn’t know whether to feel relief or worry when Chase Longbow rode up, leading a second horse. Ben took the lead there, rushing right up before Chase had so much as dismounted.
“Have you seen Cal? Cal’s really okay? How’s Sundown?”
“They’re both doing fine. Doc Bickers was giving them both another look when I left. Word is you boys have your hands full here, and my sister’s signed us up for some damn show later today. I can give you a hand for now, and Thad and Zeke’ll be along later.”
“You going to do some fancy rope tricks?”
Chase patted the rope coiled over his saddlebag. “Looks like. When’s the next trail ride?”
“Carol’s out now,” Easy told him. “She’ll be back any minute. I’m signed for the next one. Ten o’clock. Ah, Maddie’s giving a lesson down at the center, so we need to load up two horses for that.”
“Well, let’s get to it.”
“Wait. Wait. Tell him, Easy,” Ben insisted. “You gotta tell Chase about Clintok.”
Chase’s eyes went from friendly to hard—like an ice-ball hard—and had Easy gulping down spit. “What about Clintok?”
“Um…”
“Easy saw him, Chase, saw him riding on his ATV yesterday.”
Chase walked the horses over to loop reins around a post, turned. “When? Where?”
“It was—”
“Let him tell me.”
Clamping his lips, Ben gave Easy an elbow poke.
“Well, you see, I had a group out on the trail, and I saw him—that deputy—over on the Bear Paw Road. I was leading the group down the Elk Trail when he went by below.”
“When?”
“Had to be about four.”
“You’re sure it was him? Sure it was Clintok?”
“Yeah, I’m sure on it. He had goggles on, but wasn’t wearing a helmet. He came around here once going hard at Cal, so I recognized him right off.”
“How about the group you were with? Did any of them see him?”
“Well, yeah, they hadta.” Easy paused, scratched at the back of his neck, adjusted his hat. “The lady right behind me even said something about riding the ATV and not wearing a helmet. Asked weren’t they required ’cause her sons signed up to ride on the ghost town trip tomorrow. Well, today that would be now, as this was yesterday we were talking.”
“Do you remember her name?”
“No, not right off. But they were all with that big group that’s here. That big family group that’s keeping us all hopping.”
“Okay. Hold on a minute.”
“Here comes Carol and her group,” Ben said.
“You go on give her a hand with them, Ben. You hold on here, Easy.”
Chase pulled out his phone. “Bodine, I need you to see who Easy had out on the trail yesterday about four. Just look it up, tell me if that group’s still here. Do I sound like I care how busy you are?”
Easy shifted his feet, cleared his throat, looked longingly at Ben and Carol.
“All right,” Chase said after a minute. “We’re going to have to shift around Easy’s schedule some. Shut up a damn minute,” he snapped. “He saw Clintok on an ATV yesterday afternoon, riding on Bear Paw. That’s what I said. You track down that group of people, just get a handle on where they might be. I’ll take care of this. Well, Jesus, Bo, of course we’re calling Tate. I’ll let you know.”
“We sure got a lot to do around here,” Easy began when Chase lowered his phone.
“That’s right. And now you’re calling Sheriff Tate. If he can’t come here and talk to you, you’re going to go to him. We’ll cover you.”
“Holy cow,” Easy said under his breath. “Do I call the nine-one-one?”
“No need.” Chase scrolled through his phone for Tate’s contact number he’d added in after Billy Jean’s murder. “Use mine.”
“I don’t know what to say or how to say it right. I never did this before.”
“Tell him who you are, and what you told me.”
“Okay.” Easy let out a breath, tapped the contact. “Ah, Sheriff Tate? This is Easy—that is Esau LaFoy. I work with the horses at the Bodine Resort? Chase—ah, Mr. Longbow said I needed to call you up, tell you what I told him just now.”
Before he’d finished, Bodine drove up in one of the little cars. Easy’s palms were damp by the time he handed the phone back to Chase.
“You’re sure?” Bodine asked without preamble.
“Yes, ma’am, I surely am. The sheriff’s coming to talk to me, says I should stay put here until he does, but I’ve got a trail ride, and—”
“We’ll cover you. The group with you saw him, too?”
“Had to. I held them up for a minute—well, not half a minute, I guess, while he rode by below.”
She nodded, looked at her brother. Her eyes weren’t ice-ball hard, Easy noted. They were fireball hot. “They’re all part of the weekend event. Two are headed to Garnet on the ATV ride, one’s on the cattle drive, and two are booked into Zen Town. If Tate needs more than Easy’s word, he can talk to them.”
She checked the time, drew a breath. “All right. Easy, you see to the horses that just came back from the trail. Carol can transport the horses down to the center for the lesson coming up. Ben can take your guided ride.”
“We got another going out just about the time that one gets back.”
“I’ll take it,” Chase said, without much enthusiasm. “If you’re not finished with Tate, I’ll take the ride.”
“You want that show about three o’clock, so—”
Bodine shoved a hand through her hair, realized she’d forgotten her hat. “Here’s what we do about that.”
She laid it out fast, complete, in a way that left Easy breathless and impressed. He couldn’t for the life of him figure how anybody thought so quick.
“And the pony rides,” she continued, ticking down the list. “I can call in the grannies if we need more hands. I can clear my load, if we need, take one of the afternoon rides. You do whatever the sheriff says you need to do.”
Easy scratched the side of his neck. “Yes, ma’am.”
“We’re grateful, Easy.” She gave his arm a pat. “This is important.”
She debated whether to contact Callen, considered it while she helped saddle the next group of horses. Decided if she’d been left hobbling around and tending to a beloved horse and he didn’t tell her right away, she’d skin his ass.
Before she could, Tate pulled up. She made her way back as he headed to Easy.
; “Bodine, Easy.”
“You got here quick,” Bodine commented.
“I was down on Black Angus Road with Curtis. You know Curtis Bowie?”
“Sure.”
“He’s down there now, taking some pictures. So, Easy, let’s just start here. How about you tell me what this ATV you saw looked like?”
“Okay, sure. Wasn’t one of ours anyways. It was smaller, one of them sporty ones like. Done up in camo paint. I didn’t pay much more mind than that.”
Tate nodded. Though he wore dark glasses that shielded his eyes, Bodine read resignation in his body language.
“Bodine, you got a private place nearby where Easy and I can talk?”
“I’ll take you down to the back office in the BAC.”
“That’ll do.” As they walked he glanced over at her. “The group Easy here was leading, they’re all here?”
“Yes. Two are in Zen Town, and should be finished there in about a half hour. The others won’t be back until afternoon, but I can give you their basic locations if you need.”
“I’ll let you know. How about you text me their names to start?”
“I’ll do that right away.”
She led the way in, skirted around the desk, the staff, the guests, and into the little office. “Anything I can get you?”
While Tate shook his head, Bodine studied Easy. He looked like a kid called to the principal’s office. “You want a Coke, Easy?”
“I sure wouldn’t mind one. Throat’s feeling pretty dry right now.”
“I’m going to get you a couple of Cokes, then get out of your way.”
She gave Matt at the desk a look that said: Don’t ask. She got the Cokes from the vending machine, delivered them, shut the door. And got out before anyone could corner her with questions.
She shouldn’t take the time, she told herself. She didn’t have the time. But she got into the resort car, and took the shortest route to the ranch.
She went straight to the stables, grateful everyone was too busy to get in her way.
Sundown stood in his stall looking unhappy. He perked up when he saw her, poked his head out as far as it could reach.
“Where’s your guy, huh? Is he as bored as you are?” She heard noises—scraping, jingling—glanced around. “He’s back there? I’ll go take a look.”
When she reached the tack room, she saw Callen gathering up bridles, cinches, head collars. He looked as bored as his horse.
“Aren’t you supposed to stay off that leg?”
“It’s healing up, and I’m getting off it again in a minute. I can work on some tack, but if I work back here, Sundown’s going to sulk.”
“He’s already sulking.”
“See?”
“All right, I’ll give you a hand. We’ll set you up a workstation. You ought to leave his door open if you’re going to be right there. It’ll make him feel less confined.”
“Good idea. What are you doing back here?”
“We’ll get to that in a minute.”
Together they dragged out a small table, a taller stool, a bucket of water, cloths, sponges, brushes, oils.
“What did Bickers say?”
“Healing clean. She doesn’t want a saddle or anybody up on him for at least another week, and not until she clears it. But I can take him out, walk him around some. Already did. I got her list of dos and don’ts, and she’ll come by again tomorrow.”
“How about the two-legged stud?”
At least that got a fleeting smile out of him. “Pretty much the same as Sundown. I can go back to work Monday, maybe tomorrow for a few hours. She expects me not to be stupid and make her regret clearing that, and agreeing I don’t need a people doctor. Now, did you come back just to see if we were being stupid?”
“No. Go on and sit down. You were limping more on that last haul. Tate’s over at the BAC talking to Easy.”
“Easy? About what?”
“About seeing Clintok riding his ATV yesterday, about an hour before you and Sundown were shot. Riding along Bear Paw.”
“Is that so?” He said it slowly, coolly. But his eyes flashed hot blue under the storm gray. “How did Easy know it was Clintok?”
Staying steady, Bodine thought. For now. “He recognized him—goggles, no helmet. And the sheriff asked him to describe the ATV. I don’t know Clintok’s ATV, but I bet the sheriff does. Smaller than what we use, and a camo design. Easy was leading a trail ride. The guests saw him, too, and Tate, I expect, will talk to them, do the corroboration.”
“Looks like I owe Easy more than a beer,” Callen said, and began to take a bridle apart for cleaning.
“Curtis—that would be Deputy Curtis Bowie, you might remember him—is taking pictures where it happened. I can’t say, but I think I know Tate well enough to speculate he’s already talked to Clintok, and got a denial. But now there are witnesses who put Clintok on resort property, and in an area that leads up to where it makes good sense for sniping down on a horse and rider on Black Angus.”
Nodding, as if they discussed casual dinner plans, Callen hung the bridle from a hook, began cleaning it with a clean, damp cloth. “It might be enough.”
“I’d put money it’s enough for Tate to fire him, and I hope it’s enough to arrest him. I can say, because I know you well enough, if he’s not behind bars you’ll handle him yourself.”
Callen said nothing, just kept cleaning tack.
“I’m going to ask you for one thing. Just one.”
“I can try to give it to you.”
“When you go to handle him, you tell me. I’ll keep a beer cold for when you get back.”
Setting the cloth down, Callen looked up now. “I’ve got a powerful feeling for you, Bodine. Knocks me sideways about half the time.”
“It could be getting shot in the leg that does that.”
“Nope.” After moistening the saddle soap, wetting a sponge, he rubbed some into a light lather. “Want to go out to a fancy dinner?”
She started to push back her hat, then remembered she wasn’t wearing it. “You’re going from kicking the shit out of Clintok to fancy dinners?”
“I’m not much for them myself, but I find I want to see how I like having one with you.” As he had with the cloth, Callen patiently, thoroughly soaped the leather. “Get all dressed up, maybe order some snooty French wine.” His gaze flicked up to hers. “You wanna do that?”
“I’ve never been much for fancy dinners, either, but I wouldn’t mind trying one with you. Once you’re all the way healed up.”
“That’s a deal. If—all right, when—I decide to go after Clintok, I’ll tell you.”
Satisfied on all counts, Bodine squeezed his shoulder, gave Sundown a quick rub. “I’ve got to get back. Do you want me to have somebody bring you a cold drink?”
“I’ve got an invitation to lunch at the big house. We’re fine till then.”
He kept cleaning tack when she left, methodically, while Sundown watched.
“They might put him behind bars. They might put him behind them long enough to square it for us. If not, well, I’ll square it for us.” He reached up, rubbed Sundown’s cheek. “That’s a promise.”