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Gaylen nodded, then turned to the deputies waiting in the room. “All right, guys. Let’s get to it. Cole, I thought you should be the one to go up with George.”
Cole shook his head. “I’d rather it was you. You know the lay of the land better than I do and can spot things I’d miss.”
Gaylen gave him a look. “You’re sure?”
“Absolutely. Besides, I want to talk to Nita when she brings in her final report, and I’d like to check on Grace and Stacy.” He punched Gaylen lightly on the arm. “Go ahead. If I mess up the office, you can fire me when you get back.”
Just like that Cole felt the atmosphere between the two of them shift again. Now, he not only had a coworker he could trust, he felt he’d made a friend.
He walked out to the parking lot where the chopper had landed and waited while Gaylen and the pilot climbed in and lifted off. Ten minutes later, everyone else was sorted out and Scott opened the passenger door of the lead car.
“We’ll get him before he strikes again. My SAC may be calling while I’m out. I told him to ask for you. Also there could be stuff coming through on the fax machine.”
“Got it. Good luck.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
He was so furious he wanted to break something. This was not going his way at all. Not one bit. Who knew that Cole would end up being so besotted over Dana Moretti? Or that the boy would decide to call in the FBI. They hadn’t done it twenty-five years ago. Didn’t Cole understand that wasn’t the way things were done around here?
He didn’t have much time. The first thing he had to do was call Tony and tell him all deliveries were off until this blew over. He didn’t care how he got rid of the merchandise as long as that snot-nosed kid didn’t bring it around here. Then he had to figure out exactly how he was going to get his hands on his little flower.
His little escapade at her house had backfired, too. He’d just wanted to throw her off her game. Make her more susceptible. But Cole had to play hero and move her to his house. He was sure Cole had told her to lock herself in the house and not let anyone in. That meant he had to find a way around it, and that couldn’t happen until dark. At least Cole didn’t run cattle so there were no ranch hands to get in the way.
Raging at the bad luck plaguing him, he prayed that this would be over before anyone located the cabin. Of course, it was very well hidden, so even the stupid chopper probably wouldn’t spot it. And the road into it hardly looked like a road at all. Still, he needed to be finished before he pushed his luck too hard.
Chapter Thirty-Five
The day dragged. The chopper radioed in, as did the cars, but they had no success to report. It was slow going all around because thick stands of trees hid so much. By dinnertime, they had barely finished searching two areas and started on a third.
Cole swore under his breath. At this rate, it would take them a week, and he had a sick feeling they didn’t have that much time.
The only new piece of information he got was on one of his calls to Dana.
“The ladies came through,” she told him. “The clowns were hired through two different agencies in San Antonio. The bill from the agencies was one lump sum. Four clowns. But no one was actually counting them at the events. Things were just too hectic and who figured they had to keep track of clowns?”
“Damn.” Cole felt his anger rising again. “Someone saw a good thing and made use of it.”
“Well, Letha Milton is trying to find the names of the individual clowns so you can run them down and eliminate them. Trouble is, who knows where they are now.”
“Always a cheerful thought.”
He called her so many times during the day she told him she might have to move into the sheriff’s office to prove to him she was safe.
“Now that’s not a bad idea,” he told her. “I can pick you up in ten minutes.”
She laughed. “I’m fine, Cole. I’m starting to outline the book so I’m busy working. And yes, everything’s locked up.”
He took time to go by Grace’s house. She looked so old and drained he hardly recognized her. Her friends had gathered around her, and Barry had stopped by to check her over. She kept insisting on blaming herself for Gaby.
“I should have listened to her,” she said over and over. “I shouldn’t have told her she was imagining things.”
Cole sat down opposite her and took her cold hands in his warm ones. “Grace, listen to me. It wouldn’t have mattered. If he wanted her, he was going to find a way to get her. If she started to leave town, he would have followed her. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me for not catching him sooner.”
Stacy Corona wasn’t much better. When he stopped by the hospital, Jered was still sitting in the chair, still holding her hand and murmuring softly to her. She looked like a ghost lying in bed, and Jered blotted the tears on her cheeks with a tissue.
“She won’t talk,” he told the sheriff. “Won’t say a word. Just lays there and cries.”
Cole bent down to her. “Stacy, I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Grace. If you want to blame anyone, blame me for not catching him before this. His course was already set. Don’t let her death be a waste by dying yourself, please?”
