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The hand barely looked up as he shrugged. “He’s the law. What did you expect me to do?”
He was also Alice’s brother-in-law. Was the man there to tell him to leave Alice alone? That she deserved better? He’d never known Blake to use his badge to get what he wanted, but with Alice, maybe he would. “Blake.” He nodded, trying to keep his focus where it needed to be, as there wasn’t much time to get it done outside before the task would be unbearable.
“Kent.” He loosened his stance and crossed his arms. “Got a minute?”
“Not particularly. You’re welcome to ask what you like as long as you’re unbothered by what I’m doing.” He continued, knowing the deputy was a good man, but of town stock and unused to seeing the butchering of any animal.
“Frankly, it doesn’t look much different from some men I’ve seen dragged out of situations they never thought they’d be in. Difference is, most of the time, the doc was able to stitch them back up and send them back out into the fray.”
Kent swallowed hard. He may have underestimated Blake Longfellow. “What can I do for you?”
Blake headed off in the corner and grabbed a milking stool, brought it back and lowered himself onto it. At least he wouldn’t have to crane his neck every time he wanted to look the man in the eyes from there, though he looked ridiculous with his knees up higher than his elbows.
“You can tell me what you were doing over by the Dakota Fertilizer Plant earlier today.”
Word must travel fast. That rider wouldn’t have had to come in at breakneck speed, but he couldn’t have dawdled long if the deputy knew they’d been there already. “Not sure what you mean. I was escorting Alice about town all afternoon. Dr. Spight will tell you.” At least he could confirm where they had been up until about three hours before.
Blake snorted. “You must take me for a fool. The man who reported you didn’t know your names, yes, names, as there were two of you. The plant hires men from fifty miles away to watch the place, so there’s no way the guards will let anyone by because of familiarity.”
“Yet, you’re sure it was me?”
Blake scratched the side of his face, then glanced away. “They gave us a pretty excellent description.”
Kent clenched his jaw so hard his teeth ached, but he managed a grunt in reply. How could he deny it? If the man who’d reported seeing them described his scar, there was only one like it in Belle Fourche. He’d already admitted Alice was with him, so he couldn’t now claim she wasn’t the other person.
“Walking around by the river is not a crime.”
“It is when the property owner says you have to stay out.” Blake took a deep breath. “What were you doing down there? Alice has no reason to be over there and neither do you. You both live on the same river.” He motioned to the area behind him as if the river would just appear there.
“We have two dead animals, Blake. Alice and I have ideas about how that happened, but ideas don’t lead to answers. Investigations do. You know about that.”
Blake threw out his hands to his sides. “I know about investigations, but this is the first I’ve heard of anything. No investigation can happen until a crime is reported. Has there been a crimeotherthan the trespassing reported by the fertilizer company?”
None that he could prove, yet. “I need water samples. Then I’ll know. If the water is killing my cattle and Bodey’s sheep, then we could report they have committed a crime.”
“I don’t own the cattle or the sheep. They have only hired me to see what is wrong with them.” And hired was a vague word since he hadn’t billed anyone yet and wasn’t sure he would.
“If you go over by that plant again, they’ll have you arrested and there isn’t a thing I can do about it. They are within their rights to keep their business private. Maybe if you write to them and ask for a sample of the water, they would comply.”
“Sure, they would get water from anywhere else in the river and deliver it happily to Dr. Spight for testing. As soon as the water looked to an expert like all the other water in the river, then they could go right on doing what they’re doing. Forgive me for wanting to make certain the sample is from the river where fish are dead.”
Blake scrubbed his hand down his face and sighed. “If you’re going to insist on continuing this investigation, then you need to convince your father and Bodey Johlman to report the loss to Sheriff Slater. He’s a good man and he’ll listen, but not if you’re the ones breaking the law. After that nonsense with Sheriff Coulter, he makes sure he follows every jot and tittle of the law.”
Blake leaned forward, capturing Kent’s focus completely. “Would you trust if the sample came from me? They might let me get one as a deputy. But you didn’t ask me before you walked in there. All you have to do is ask.”
A sample from Blake would be better than one from the plant. He would get one where they needed one. “I would appreciate it.”
“Good, then do your part. File a report that they have possibly committed a crime. Then I can help you with this. You can’t go around pointing fingers at people and going where you please in the name of investigating.”
“To be clear, it was in the name of science.”
“Well, beg your pardon for my misunderstanding.” He lifted slowly from the stool and took it back to where it belonged. “I’m not arresting you. The report was a warning. But if you’re caught again, I’ve been told to arrest you. I don’t want you or Alice over there again. I’m headed over there right now to tell her the same.”
Guilt squeezed Kent’s middle. Whereas his pa didn’t care a whit about where he’d been earlier, Alice’s pa would. She’d have to deal with his anger on her own, since Kent couldn’t go along with Blake and face him. He had to do what needed to be done right there in the barn.
“Be gentle on her. She’s still new to this.” And though taking a look closer at the plant had been her idea, he hadn’t exactly tried hard to change her mind.
“I have no desire to hurt Alice, but in the past few years, her father has let her run about without consequences. He feels that allowing her to do so will make up for past hurts. I think he does her a disservice, don’t you?”
