“Pratt says Miss Byrd hasn’t been seen in days and he can’t get any answers from her daughter.”

“Maybe she got smart and ditched him,” Quinn said. “Chester Pratt’s old enough to be her daddy.”

“Pratt says he went out to the Byrd place this afternoon and saw a mess of blood on some dirty towels out in a burn pile,” Reggie said. “He tried to get some answers from Gina Byrd’s daughter, and the girl pulled a gun on him.”

“Did he say why?”

“The girl said Pratt was trespassing on her land,” Reggie said. “The kid’s only seventeen.”

“Doesn’t make her less dangerous,” Quinn said. “You know we’ve had trouble with her before. What kind of car does her momma drive?”

“Oh-seven Nissan Sentra,” Reggie said. “Blue. Already got the boys out looking.”

“And you want to know if we should wake up the Byrds?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Go ahead and make a wellness check,” Quinn said. “Let me know what you find out.”

“You know me, Sheriff,” Reggie said. “I’m not scared of nothing. But those Byrds are a different breed. Don’t know how they’ll react seeing a black man in uniform rolling up to their trailer in the middle of the night. They still fly the stars and bars out on the county road. Not just the regular one, but the one with Hank Jr.’s face in the center.”

“Hank Jr. just kind of solidifies their position on things.”

“Sure does.”

“Well, shit,” Quinn said. “You think I might have better luck?”

Reggie didn’t answer. Quinn took a long breath, already knowing the answer, and said he’d call when he got on the road. He crawled out of bed, careful not to disturb Maggie and Halley, Maggie looking up and asking what was going on in a whisper. She had bright green eyes and an upturned nose and a face full of freckles that made her look like a kid when she didn’t wear makeup. She was a free spirit who worked as a nurse, devoutly practiced yoga, and had grown things in their family garden Quinn didn’t think possible. She and her son Brandon had brought life and color back to their old farm.

Maggie had one of Quinn’s old flannel shirts open over her breast. Quinn looked over her half-naked body and smiled.

“Maybe when I get back . . .” Quinn said.

“You’ve got to be kidding, Ranger.”

“Worth a shot.”

“The Byrds again?”

“How’d you guess?”

“I heard you say Chester Pratt,” Maggie said. “I know he’s been dating Gina Byrd for a while.”

“Pratt called the sheriff’s office and said she was missing,” Quinn said. “He’s worried something happened to her.”

“Like what?”