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“No. We need visible proof to take to the cops,” Sammie said firmly. “There can’t be any doubt it’s him or what he wants to do to me. Otherwise, he could wriggle out of it like he’s done so far.”
“Right, but this time he’ll be in Montana,” Soren said. “Which means he’s within our jurisdiction, not protected by his corrupt family.” He turned to Cutter. “You call him and tell him you found Sammie. Give him the location. He’ll show up here shortly afterward, and we’ll nail him.”
“He won’t be ready for the Moon brothers,” I said.
“He might bring his daddy and brothers,” Sammie said. “And they’re a whole lot meaner than you boys.”
“You might be surprised what we’ll do for the people we love,” I said. “We’ll lure him out to the ranch and get him on video threatening you.”
“And confessing to what he’s done so far,” Soren said.
Sammie shook her head. “Having him come to the house here at the ranch won’t work. It has to be someplace he thinks is totally private. He won’t try anything if he thinks one of you will be home at any moment.” She held up a hand before anyone could speak. “I know what I should do. I’ll rent a room at the motel. It would be easier for us to control his movements that way. We can get him on video much easier in a small space.”
“You’re right,” I said. “And it keeps him away from the ranch and our innocent guests.”
“We’ll hang the cameras in the room,” Soren said. “Once we have it on video, we can send it to our sheriff. He’s a good friend of Mama’s from high school. We can trust him to do the right thing. He’s not in anyone’s pocket, here or otherwise.”
“Brilliant,” Finley said. “Cameras can save lives. Take it from me.”
Soren looked at her funny but didn’t ask her what she meant. I made a mental note to ask her about it later.
“I’ll call Maxine right now and book the room. That way Cutter can tell him exactly which unit she’s in. Hang on.” Soren pulled his phone from his back pocket and took a few seconds to locate the number, then called.
“Hey, Maxine. Soren Moon here.” He paused, clearly listening. “Isn’t that something? Good for him.” Another pause. “Yeah, I’m calling to see if we can book a room starting tonight for Sammie Scott. If anyone calls looking for her, make sure and tell him she’s been staying there for months.” He nodded as she said something on the other end. “Yeah, it’s her estranged husband, and he’s not coming for a happy reunion. We’re fairly certain he’ll arrive at your motel tomorrow asking for Sammie. When he gets there, and if he goes to the office first, we want you tell him what room she’s in, but he’ll probably go straight to her.” He nodded, listening. “That’s perfect. You’re the best. Room 6. Got it. I’ll tell Sammie. She’ll check in tomorrow morning early if that’s okay?”
Soren hung up. “Maxine’s son got into the Naval Academy, but that’s neither here nor there at the moment.”
“Maxine’s good people,” I said. “She’ll do what we need her to.”
Sammie withdrew her hand from mine and got up to stand by the window, looking out into the last of the evening light. “Chloe will stay with someone here at the ranch. I want her safe in case anything goes wrong.” She slowly turned away from the glass, wearing a resolute expression on her pretty face. She was ready to fight. At long last, she had the upper hand. “Mr. Cutter, make the call.”
“As long as you’re sure you’re ready to unleash the beast, so to speak?” Cutter asked.
“Do it,” Sammie said, coming back to sit in the chair. She placed her hand on my knee and leaned her weight against me.
“I’ll pretend like I still think he wants an address to deliver papers to and give him the name of the motel.” Cutter picked up his phone, clicked a few buttons and set it on the table in speaker mode.
“Don’t forget the room number,” I said.
“Yeah, got it.”
The phone rang. We waited, no one moving until John Underwood answered.
“It’s about time you called me back,” John growled. “Where have you been?”
“Sorry about that. I was in an area with bad cell coverage. But I have good news. I found her. You ready for an address? Your attorney can send the papers here. I’ll make sure she gets them.”
“Yeah, sure. Where is she?”
“She’s working as a waitress in Bluefern—a small town in western Montana,” Cutter said. “She’s living at the Fireside Motel. Room 6.”
“Montana? She’s in Montana? I’ll be damned. Didn’t think she’d get that far. All this time I figured she was somewhere in Tennessee.”
“No idea what led her here, Mr. Underwood. All I know is that she and your daughter are here in town. Bluefern Motel, room 6. From what I gather, she’s been here for a while—using a different last name. She’s going by Sammie Scott, which made it more challenging to locate her.”
“Scott, huh? I figured she’d use her maiden name.”
“Your assumption made my task more difficult,” Cutter said piously. “But I found her eventually.”
