AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Horace blinked. “I know that. But how do you know that?”
Cody chuckled. “Do you know that Julia is in love with you?”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
HORACEWHATLEY’SEYESgrew as large as saucers and his breath seemed to sigh out all at once. “Julia...loves me?” he exclaimed. He flushed and smiled.
“Yes, she does,” Cody said, chuckling, “and she makes the best coffee I’ve ever tasted.”
“She loves me.” Horace wasn’t hearing the sheriff. He sat on his bunk and just stared into space, still smiling.
Cody turned to the other cell and opened it to let Lassiter out.
“Things coming to a head?” Lassiter asked.
“Like a whirlwind. The jailer’s become a material witness. He can place my little blonde friend right here just before Horace was poisoned, both times. She was playing him. He’s got a record.”
“No wonder he always looked so harassed. Going to fire him?”
“Hell, no. He can cook.” He chuckled. “He’s not a bad jailer, either. The inmates like him.”
“I noticed. The food here is pretty good.”
“Thanks. We do our best.”
“Where do we go from here?” Lassiter asked when they were back in Cody’s office with the door closed.
“We have enough evidence to get a warrant,” he said. “I just want to make sure you’ve got somebody watching Abby and Lucy and Hannah before I go talk to a circuit judge.”
“He got in last night. He’s working as a wrangler for Abby’s foreman. He applied for the job a few days ago. I understand the foreman was pretty desperate. Fortunately, my friend comes from a ranching background and he can ride anything with four legs.”
“Abby doesn’t know who he is?” Cody asked.
Lassiter shook his head. “We thought it would work better if she didn’t.”
“Does he have a concealed carry permit and can he shoot if he has to?” he asked.
“He’s a fed,” Lassiter confided.
“Good grief!”
“He’s on vacation. Sort of. Anyway, his superiors gave him a few weeks off while he’s recuperating from a shoot-out, and he’s doing me this favor.”
“What sort of fed is he?” Cody wanted to know.
Lassiter just grinned. “Not your normal sort, for sure. Need to know. You don’t. No offense.”
Cody sighed. “As long as he keeps my girls safe, I don’t care.”
“Finally noticed that Abby was in love with you, I guess?”
Cody’s eyebrows arched.
“And I guess you don’t know that everybody in town and a dog knew it before you did.”
Cody just laughed. “I knew she was fond of me.” He drew in a long breath and felt as if he’d just won the lottery. “Well!”
“Don’t tell her I told you,” Lassiter warned. “She’s my friend. I don’t have many.”
