Page 30 of Rangers Unexpected Return

He went back inside.

I followed him upstairs.

When I reached my room, I removed my truck keys from my pocket.

For several seconds, I held them in my hand.

Then I placed them on the dresser.

Max climbed onto the bed.

I didn’t tell him to get down.

For the second night in a row, I stayed.

4

JUDY

Eagle River looked smaller than I remembered.

The town appeared beyond a curve in the road, tucked between the river and low Texas hills. Brick storefronts lined Main Street. Flower boxes hung beneath windows. An old-fashioned clock stood outside the courthouse, and enough pickup trucks filled the diner parking lot to make me wonder if anyone in town owned a car.

The wooden welcome sign waited beside the road.

A large tree spread its branches above a winding blue river.

The same symbol the Keeper had drawn beneath his message.

I slowed the SUV.

Carson looked up from his phone.

“That it?”

“Yes.”

He studied the sign as we passed it. “Looks friendly.”

“So did the last seven murder scenes.”

“That’s cheerful.”

“You wanted to come.”

“My captain ordered me.”

“You volunteered before he finished the sentence.”

“That doesn’t mean I wanted to.”

Will leaned forward from the back seat.

“Can we stop?”

I glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “Why?”

“I want to look at the sign.”