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Barely an hour later, he stepped outside the front doors of the building to face the hordes waiting for him. This was, after all, a major event and the media would be drooling after details. He delivered a short statement, shorter than they would have liked, but he couldn’t tell them what he didn’t know.
“I’ll issue bulletins as more information becomes available,” he said. “If you really want to help, you can put out a plea for anyone who saw Leanne Pritchard last night and noticed her with anyone else outside the park. That’s it. Thank you.”
Tate, hanging out at the back of the crowd, nodded at him before climbing into his truck.
Cole had barely sat down behind his desk again when the mayor and the chair of the city council barged in.
Margene Hollis, who ran a large ranch with her husband, had been re-elected mayor four times. She managed the council and the town the same way she managed the Hollis cattle operation. At barely five-five, with fiery red curls that seemed to glow with energy, she had a sharp mind and an iron will that usually got things done the way she wanted them.
Max Willis had been chairman of the council almost as long as Margene had been in office. Together, they were a one-two punch. When most people saw them coming, they simply threw up their hands and gave them what they wanted. And so far, what they’d wanted was the good life for High Ridge.
But violence couldn’t simply be bullied away.
Margene waved away an offer of coffee. “Listen, Cole. You’re fairly new to High Ridge, so you may not know yet how things are around here.”
Cole carefully arranged a look of patience on his face. “Actually, Margene, if you recall I’ve been sheriff for three years.” He kept his tone mild. “As I’m sure you know, since y’all were the ones who appointed me. Before that, I visited my aunt and uncle here since I was ten.”
“But you weren’tbornhere,” she insisted.
“Neither were a lot of other people, but they seem to fit in just fine.” He deliberately kept his tone mild. Losing his temper with these people would get him nowhere.
Max popped a piece of his ever-present chewing gum in his mouth, his jaws working in a steady rhythm as he spoke.
“No need to take offense, Cole.” His voice took on a placating note. “We just need you to understand how important it is to clean this up before a full-blown panic takes over.”
Cole leaned forward on his elbows. “I can assure you both that this is the only thing on my agenda. And you can pass that along to the members of the council. In fact, you might want to make an announcement in Harry’s. That’s better than an article in the newspaper.”
“Don’t get testy,” Margene snapped. “Remember, you’re an appointed official. You can be unappointed, too, you know.”
“That’s enough, Margene.” Max threw his gum wrapper in the wastebasket. “Don’t let your mouth run off with your brain. All we’re doing, Cole, is letting you know people are nervous and jittery. They want to make sure nothing happens to their kids.”
“Me, too, Max. Me, too.”
“Have you thought about calling in some help?” Margene asked. “Maybe from the Department of Public Safety?”
Cole ground his teeth so hard he thought the enamel would crack. He knew DPS was the parent organization not only for the state police and the highly respected forensics lab in Austin but also for the legendary Texas Rangers. They could be a big help if he needed them, but he wasn’t about to yell ‘uncle’ when less than twenty-four hours had passed.
“That’s the first thing I’ll do if I see there’s a need for it,” he assured the woman. “For right now, we’ve got things under control.”
“They’ll be under control when you catch whoever did this.” She stuck her purse under her arm. “And just so you know, we expect that to happen soon.”
“We can tap into the resources of Guardian Security,” Cole said. “My partners would be happy to sink their teeth into something like this.”
By the time he got rid of them, Cole thought the acid in his system would burn a hole in his stomach. Or maybe it was Grace Hathaway’s coffee. He had just gotten up to refill his mug when Grace herself came barreling through his door, carrying a Styrofoam cup filled with the bilious liquid.
“Grace, I told you. You don’t have to wait on me. And I’ve got my mug, remember?”
“You’ll need this.” Her gravelly voice had dropped to a stage whisper. She set the cup on his desk. “If I had something stronger, I would have added it.”
Cole opened his mouth to ask her what the hell was going on when he looked over her shoulder and saw the answer.
“Don’t blame Grace.” Dana was right behind the dispatcher with a hopeful look on her face. “I snuck by when she wasn’t looking.”
Cole nodded at his dispatcher. “It’s okay. Miss Moretti doesn’t look too dangerous. I think I can defend my honor.”
“You just let me know if you want me to toss her,” Grace grumbled, heading back to her desk.
Dana forced her mouth into a smile. “I promise not to attack you.”
