“They’ll miss you, I’m sure,” she said, eyeing him covertly.

He drew in a sad breath. “I’ll miss them, too,” he said.

He loaded them up and took them back to the house that would be Clancey’s now, since Morris, the legal owner, was dead. He hated leaving them there. The danger was past. They had Morris’s two cohorts in jail as accessories to attempted murder, and they wouldn’t be getting out soon. In fact, they were singing like birds to Darrell Tarley, whose own life had been under threat by Morris. Tarley would prosecute the case, also giving him a load of free publicity as he ran for DA.

“I don’t like leaving you here,” Colter told Clancey as they walked through the house. “Good God, what a mess!”

It was. There were stains on the floor, even on the walls. The beds had been slept in and the sheets not changed for God knew how long. There were cigarette butts and whiskey bottles and the remains of what looked like bongs all over the place.

“It’s just a little cleaning. Honest,” she told Colter. Her heart was breaking at having to be away from him. She’d gotten used to being around him. This really hurt. He’d been going to take them horseback riding today. Instead, Morris had died and Colter and Reverend Blair had almost died. It was a sad, solemn day.

“We’ll have to bury Morris. And my grandfather,” she added, almost choking on the thought of the old man’s last minutes.

“I’ll help with that. We don’t need to do it today, right?”

She nodded. “No. Not today. And I’ll have the weekend to get everything put to rights here.”

“Check the fridge and the cupboards and see what you need. I’ll run to the store for you before I leave,” he said.

She drew in a steadying breath. “That’s very kind of you.”

Tad had gone exploring. He came back, subdued but with shining eyes. “Morris got a new Xbox One and new games for it. I guess those are ours now, huh?” he asked.

“Indeed they are,” Colter said, smiling at the boy.

“My room’s a mess. It stinks of something sweet and nasty.”

Colter went with him and took a whiff. He made a face. “Marijuana,” he concluded. “Open the windows and air it out. I’ll get some air freshener while I’m at the store.”

“We should call the Martins also,” Clancey said. “I want to know how they are, and let them know we’re home again.”

“Good idea. Make me a list for the store,” he added.