“Shut up, for chrissake,” Jenkins snapped. “Ted, I’m sorry. I was misled. After Mr. Baxter passed on, all my dealings were with this man. When there wasn’t a show, I asked him what had happened. I took him at his word that the fiddle boy stole from him and created a scene.”
“All right, Frank.” Ted held out one complaint. “You still want to file this, or should I tear it up?”
Jenkins shook his head. “No reason to make it official, Ted.”
The sheriff tore the form in half, then again and set it down. “And?”
Colton couldn’t see his uncle’s face, but the way Jenkins looked at him and Greg, he knew what happened.
“I’m sorry for accusing you of anything, Colton. You’re a good man.”
It sounded sincere, but Colton had heard enough comments to know what Frank and everyone thought of him. “Yes, sir.”
Ted flicked his fingers, and Jenkins stood and walked out.
Ulmstead had lost most of his swagger. His eye twitched, and he rubbed his hands across his jeans. When he opened his mouth, Ted held up a hand.
“No. I’m going to talk, and you’re going to listen. How things work with this ‘hick sheriff” is we follow the law. I’m not sure what shady business you’re into but take it out of my county. I saw what really happened last night. Be glad my deputy didn’t shoot you, because this is Montana. We’re allowed to use force to stand our ground.”
He let his words linger for a bit. Ulmstead proved smarter than he looked and quit while he was winning.
“Deputy McAllen,” Ted said without turning around.
“Yes, Sheriff?”
“Do you want to press charges against this man?”
Now he knew what Ted meant by follow his lead. He knew Colton would think with his dick. After what this asshat did to Zach, Coltondidwant to press charges. Ulmstead and his boys needed to spend a few nights in county lock-up. The charges might not stick, and they’d for sure bond out, but Judge Gray would let them boys sit as long as he could before giving them a hearing.
“No, sir.”
Ulmstead spared Colton a glance, but swiveled right back to the sheriff.
“You’re free to go,” Ted said. “But anymore trouble from you, and I will arrest you and your boys. Are we clear?”
“Yes, sir.” Ulmstead stood and scampered from the office.
Ted motioned for Greg to shut the door. When it closed, he pointed to the chairs in front of his desk. Colton's anxiety returned when he saw his uncle’s serious expression. What just happened hadn’t resolved this issue.
“There’s more here than just getting back a violin,” Ted said. “I had a long conversation with this lawyer, Mr. Lee, this morning. He’s one of them old antebellum gentlemen. Deep South. Polite and proper as he lies through his teeth. He professed to know nothing about what Jeb Baxter was doing. Said he only handled estate planning for the family.”
“Why don’t you believe him?” Greg asked.
“How much do you think that show makes a week?” Ted asked. “I mean for a full week’s work? You think Frank paid them ten grand?”
“If he did, he owes us a helluva lot more than the hundred and fifty a night he wassupposedto pay us,” Colton said.
“He’s going to pay you boys,” Ted said. “Let me assure you, the Whitebark County Fair didnotpay them ten grand for the week. Do the math. That little enterprise of theirs has six musicians, two owners, and a house mom. Even assuming them boys do most of the set-up, there’s equipment, food, travel. All on less than five hundred thousand a year in revenue. So how does a guy like Jeb Baxter afford a fancy, high-priced estate planner like Beauregard Lee? Those lawyers charge at least five hundred an hour.”
Shit, that was a mouthful. But his uncle wasn’t done.
“But let’s say old Jeb came from money and that’s what paid Beauregard, that doesn’t explain what Ulmstead and his sons tried to do. He wanted to get his hands on the business account so badly he risked assaulting a police officer. Does that sound like something you do if the show isn’t even grossing ten grand a week? Something doesn’t add up.”
Colton had been thinking the same, but he didn’t have the benefit of the conversation with the lawyer. “I asked Zach the same thing. He didn’t know why.”
“Are you sure he’s telling the truth?” Uncle Ted gave him a knowing look. “Not to be crass, but are you thinking with the right head?”
Greg snorted, and Colton shot him a shut-the-fuck-up look. His flirting with Zach made things way more complicated than they already were. “I’ve asked myself the same thing. I don’t think I’m letting my dick think for me. He knows there’s something there, but he doesn’t know what.”
