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Though her words were friendly, her eyes studied him, sizing him up.
He’d learned long ago, it was always best to be friendly with receptionists and secretaries. More often than not, their bosses confided in them and relied on their help. Having them on his side had saved him a lot of legwork in the past. He hoped it would now. Her name plate on the counter read Stephanie Ericson.
“Hello, Stephanie,” he said.
Her expression didn’t change upon hearing her name. She just waited.
He pushed on. “Could you please tell me where I can find Val or his father?”
She stared at him as if trying to figure out how important Brett was and if she should know him or not. “So, you just want to knowwherethey are? You don’t want to see them?”
“You got me.” He dipped his head a little and looked up at her. “I’d like to do both, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”
Her face gentled a little. “What’s your name?”
“Rollins. Deputy Marshal Brett Rollins,” he said and smiled.
“Seriously?” She stared at him, and a faint smile teased her lips. “A marshal. Like Bat Masterson?”
He bobbed his head and pulled out his badge. “Oh, I am serious, all right.”
“Well, okay, then.” She tapped on her iPad screen. “Has something happened?”
“Stephanie, things are always happening.” He straightened. “I just need a minute of their time.”
“Val is in his father’s office. Let me see if they’re available.” She tapped her smartwatch. Holding the earbud in her ear, she kept her gaze on Brett while she spoke into her watch. “Did you hear all that?” She glanced at Brett.
He’d had no idea someone was listening to their conversation, but he should have known.
“Okay. I’ll bring him up.” As she stepped from behind the reception desk, he couldn’t help but take in the denim miniskirt she wore with knee-high cowboy boots. She smiled. “Come with me, deputy.”
Brett followed her up the staircase to a long hall leading to double doors. Hallways ran down both sides of this main office. A fire exit was at the end of one hall.
A man dressed in Docker slacks and a polo shirt sat behind a desk by the double doors. He was probably the person she’d talked to. He had a bird’s-eye view of the parking lot.
“He’s your problem now.” As Stephanie turned to leave, she winked at Brett. “Good to meet you, marshal.”
Brett was used to women flirting with him, especially if he was hot on the trail of a boyfriend they didn’t want arrested, so he shook his head and turned his attention to the guy before him.
“Let me tell them you’re here.” A quick smile came and left the man’s clean-shaven, tanned face as he eyed Brett over, rose to his feet, and went through the double doors to the office.
Brett searched the desk for a name plate but couldn’t see one. He had checked the guy’s hands before he’d left to see if he was missing fingers. He had all of his appendages. Besides, Dania had said the man who had killed Matt was tall and solid. That wasn’t this guy.
The double doors opened, and Docker guy came out. “They will see you now.”
Brett walked in to find Val’s father, Eli Wheeler, a robust man with white and gray creeping into the hair at the sides of his prominent face, seated behind a massive wood desk with panels made of copper and hide. The front panel had a long-horned steer pounded into the copper. The man had a reputation of someone who got what he wanted. He wore a western-cut shirt and a rust-colored, leather-tooled vest.
Beside him stood Val, a younger version of his father, though the son had long ebony hair pulled into a ponytail. Val’s black, long-sleeved shirt had pearl snaps and was tucked into black jeans with a large belt buckle with two fighting elk engraved on it. Eli motioned for Brett to have a seat in one of the leather chairs in front of his desk. “What can we do for you, Deputy Rollins?”
Sitting down, Brett pondered what he should say. In situations like this, he liked to ease into the subject, but he didn’t have a lot of time. Why not start where all the trouble began? “Due to recent events, I’m looking into the death of Matthew Tyler.”
“You mean the recent event of Dania Black escaping from your deputies,” Val piped up.
The chess game of questions and answers had started. Brett might as well acknowledge what they already knew. “As a matter of fact, yes. We think she might reach out to people she knows. And she knew you quite well, didn’t she, Val?”
“My son had a relationship with Dania, but it ended when she went to college years ago. Believe me, Val hasn’t seen her, have you?” Eli glanced at his son, waiting for him to verbally agree.
“No, I haven’t.” Val clenched his teeth.
