“You just help yourself, Knox. It’s too late for me. And all I’ll be getting is exactly what I deserve.”

Chapter 73

CHAPTER 73

THEY’D ALL CAUGHT a few hours’ sleep at Tyree’s home about two miles from downtown Divine. It was a modest-size plank house on a nice piece of land set on a hill with a long meadow behind.

Tyree made a big pot of coffee and put together some breakfast. The big sheriff’s eyes were red and puffy.

“I apologize for the sorry state of the vittles. I’m not used to having this much company.”

“This is all the vittles I need,” said Reuben, gulping from a large mug of straight java.

They’d gotten to Abby Riker’s place and the scene there had easily told them what had occurred. Front door busted in. Furniture overturned and the deputy sitting in the middle of the floor with blood running down his face. Besides that there was no clue who had taken Abby or where they’d gone. Tyree had put out an APB but they’d heard nothing yet. And every hour that slipped by did not bode well for the woman’s safe return.

“I can’t believe I didn’t think of that,” said Tyree guiltily.

“You had a man posted to guard her, Sheriff,” Annabelle pointed out.

“Earl isn’t much good in situations like that. But he’s all I had. I should’ve been the one to protect her. If anything happens to her—” He broke off and stared down, and a tear fell from his eye onto the kitchen table.

“Why do you think they took her?” Alex asked quietly after an awkward silence.

Tyree wiped his face and looked up, clearing his throat loudly. “Been thinking about that. Danny’s out there somewhere. Maybe they were afraid of what he’d do. So they took his mother as insurance. That boy loves his mother.”

“Do you think Danny was involved in the drug-running?” asked Annabelle.

“Don’t know. Fact that they were using that old barn makes me think the answer to that might be yes.”

“But you said he left town.”

“After Debby died. Maybe he drew the line at folks murdering his friends.”

“Any word on the judge?” asked Alex.

“Surprise, surprise, he’s gone too.”

“So he must’ve been in on it and got tipped off,” said Harry.

Tyree nodded. “He’d been a judge down in Texas. And he spent time in South America, least that’s what he told me.”

“They know drug dealing real well there.”

Tyree added, “See, I been reading about how easy it is to ship stuff up from Texas that comes over the Mexican border. Seems there’s two ways to deal prescription drugs. Steal it or make it.”

“Make prescription drugs?” said Caleb, looking astonished.