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“I know you’d do anything to protect her; she said she’d do the same for you, which makes her even more vulnerable You sa Axelrod tried to spook you into a confession so he could call his press conference and play the hero What he did back there ay out of line”

“You’re right,” Beau conceded “He had me cornered and all I could think about was Natalie Buther out of this mess Hoould the county prosecutor handle a plea?”

“Clay’s a by-the-book kind ofto policy But et you”

“So I could make the same deal with him?”

“No question But Clay would have the power to h to take the fall, which would kill your brother, at least don’t be in a hurry If you can wait Clay out, he e for her testiainst you”

“You est it to hi she’s out of harht this”

Tori paused at the town’s only stoplight “We have to fight this, Beau,” she said, swinging left onto the highway “Listen to me You mustn’t sacrifice yourself on a plea deal, not even to save Natalie We can win this”

“We can also lose”

“Do you have a better idea?” Tori asked

“Yes Find out all we can about the real killer” Beau forced a ain “It’s Friday ets back Right now Lute is the only solid lead we have We need to find him”

Sky faced Stella across the bar He’d already stopped by the trucking con of Lute or the truck he’d driven Stella had just confirmed that he o days overdue

“And the last you heard froo?”

“That’s right, Blue Eyes” She leaned against the bar, giving hie “I phoned the ranch in Mexico yesterday They said he’d left two days ago, a little late, but he should have gotten in before nightfall It’s an easy day’s drive froerous place I hope nothing’s happened to him”

Her face looked older in the slanting afternoon light Was she hiding so? Maybe not this tiood actress, but she seeenuinely worried—if only about the truck He decided to tell her what he knew

“Beau has connections in the border patrol,” he said “According to their records, Lute crossed the bridge froo But he checked through the border as a pedestrian He wasn’t driving anything”