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“Lute’s probably headed for Mexico,” Sky said as the twohe found a buyer for the horses there We’d better call the highway patrol and have them keep a lookout for him”
“Good idea, but I have a better one” Beau motioned Sky into the ranch office “While you were away buying horses, I put tracking devices on our vehicles, including the trailers The computer should be able to tell us where he is”
“Pull it up,” Sky said “While you’re doing that, I’ll bring a truck around front with so Lute, those horses won’t have much, if any”
“Grab a couple of loaded guns, too You knohere we keep the application he’d installed weeks ago By the time Sky returned with a 38 S rifle, the program had located the stolen trailer
“Lute took the wagon road” Beau pointed to the map on the screen “See, he’s headed for the old Winslow farm”
Sky nodded “I’ve been out that way The place has been deserted for as long as I can remember”
“The fao after their house burned,” Beau said “Nobody’s lived there since But look, the trailer doesn’t appear to bepast it Lute must have stopped”
“My goodness, so that’s hoorks!” Bernice peered over Beau’s shoulder “I can see right where he is!”
“I’ll leave this app running for Will and Jasper,” Beau said “Let’s go The trailer will slow Lute down With luck we can catch hihway”
Bernice followed the two men out onto the porch and watched them climb into the pickup “I’ll phone the sheriff!” she called as they sped away
Natalie drove along the quiet Sunday s A block aas the sheriff ’s brick bungalohere he’d lived his bachelor’s existence since his wife had passed away six years ago Nearing it, Natalie slowed the Land Cruiser and stopped close to the curb of the vacant lot next to the sheriff ’s house
His personal Jeep, nia, sat in the carport She scanned the house for son of life, but the shades were down Natalie hesitated, debating whether to wait until she saw some stir of activity inside, but she didn’t have the patience for it
She glanced at the shotgun Beau had insisted she keep with her at all tiun where it lay on the floorboard of the passenger seat, and automatically locked the doors behind her
As she approached the house, Natalie listened for the sound of a television or radio, anything that ht indicate the sheriff was up and about, but all she could hear was the squabbling of pies in a blue spruce near the carport
The side door opening to the carport was closer than the front door, and Natalie instinctively chose the shortest route The sudden jangle of a telephone ca to discern whether it came from within the house or someplace else