Grayson folded his arms across his chest, looking like he was perturbed with them. He towered over the uncle by half a foot and was definitely more muscled.
"You don't want to be on the wrong side of the law," Grayson said. “If Christy doesn’t come out and go with us, we’ll call the police, and they can arrest her. The rest of you, too, if you have any outstanding warrants. But all we care about is taking her in.”
Kendra didn't know if the uncle, or the aunt for that matter, had ever had any trouble with the law. She never knew what might happen on a job if one of the other occupants was armed and dangerous, especially if protecting their own.
“If she's here and she steps out of the house, she can be arrested. There's a warrant out for her arrest. Now if she goes with us, we'll turn her in, and she'll be better off than if she runs the risk of being captured by the police and taken to jail," Kendra said.
"What difference will it make?" the uncle asked.
"She cooperated, and we'll tell them that. If she doesn't, you two can be taken in and detained for aiding and abetting," Grayson said. "I'm sure you don't want that. Even if you're squeaky clean and don't have any charges yourself. If you do have a criminal record, it could go badly for you."
The uncle appeared to consider Grayson's sincerity.
Kendra saw a curtain move, and Christy peered out the window. Kendra smiled. "Fine. We'll let the officer in charge know she's here, that you're not handing her over, and he can arrest the lot of you." She pulled her phone out. "No problem."
The aunt shoved her husband, as if to tell him to give up his niece before they were arrested. Kendra suspected they had been in trouble with the law.
"Christy, come here," her uncle said.
When his niece wouldn't come, her uncle said to Grayson and Kendra, "I'll be right back."
His wife stayed at the door, as if she were the bouncer, not allowing them entry in case they thought to rush inside the house.
Then they heard Christy say, "No, Uncle, you can't do this to me."
"Both your aunt and I have been in trouble with the law. You know that. We can't be part of this." He pulled her to the front door.
Christy was trying to get loose, but though her uncle didn't look that strong, he had hold of her, and she wasn't going anywhere.
"Okay, here she is. Take good care of her."
"Come on, Christy. You'll go with us to the police department, they’ll detain you, and take it from there.” Kendra handcuffed her and put her in the back of Grayson’s SUV.
“We’re not bonding her out,” her uncle told Grayson.
“The judge probably won’t allow it anyway. They generally don’t in a case like this where the bond is forfeited.”
“Her mother put up a bond so Christy could get out of jail, and now her mother has to pay the money for Christy’s stupidity.”
“Yeah, if you’re going to put up the money or assets for a bond, you have to be sure the person being bonded out is going to do the right thing.” Grayson inclined his head to the uncle, who sighed and shut the door.
Kendra was waiting at the car, having overheard what the uncle had said to Grayson. “So he’s not going to put up a bond for her, if she could even get one.”
“Nope. He’s smart enough to know she’s a flight risk. I overheard the uncle talking to the niece about both her aunt and uncle having had run-ins with the law,” Grayson said.
“Yeah, I got that impression when you mentioned that to them. Their whole stance changed.” She climbed into the passenger seat while Grayson got into the driver’s seat.
Then he drove them to the police station, dropped off Christy, and picked up the bond money. “We need to run by the office, and then we’ll get breakfast, and head to your place to pick up your skates and Ivy’s new skates?”
“Yeah, if Rowland and his men catch Younger and or Billy, the more power to them. That business will have to wait until we return. The rest of the day is Ivy’s time, and after that…”
“Our time.”
He smiled. “For sure.” Then he headed for Whitefish and his home, but on the way, he ordered breakfast at a drive-thru. “You’re staying the night at my house, right?”
“Yeah, unless…”
“No unless. Tomorrow, if Rowland has news, we’ll return to Kalispell.”
