Chapter Thirty-One
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
As the sheriff hurried forward to cuff Craig wailing on the ground in anguish, Butch stayed guard over him, snarling as if daring him to move. Only after the sheriff had cuffed the conman and began walking him to his car did Butch run across to Doug and Katy.
“You’re the best dog in the world!” Katy exclaimed as she crouched down to hug him.
“Here’s the key fob for the truck,” Billy declared, walking up to join them. “Sorry, Katy, I took it out so that bastard couldn’t go anywhere. I didn’t think for a minute you’d be able to get away.”
“Speaking of which, how did you?” Doug asked, but they were distracted by the arrival of the ambulance.
“Now it’s time for me to speak with Jim Green,” the sheriff said solemnly as the medics loaded the conman and rolled from the field.
“Do you mind if we join you?” Katy asked. “He might need some support.”
“Hold on, that’s him now,” Doug declared, glancing at his phone as it chimed. “I texted him to let him know Katy was safe. He probably wants more details. Hi, Jim.”
“Hello, Doug. Is everything okay?”
“It is. Craig, or whatever his name is, has a bad leg injury and has just been loaded into an ambulance. He’s on his way to the hospital. It’s over.”
“Is Sheriff Cooper nearby?”
“He’s right here.”
“May I speak with him?”
“Sure. Sheriff, Jim would like a word”
“Hello, Doctor Green. What can I do for you,” the sheriff asked, taking the phone.
“My lawyer has joined me, and if you can come here now that would be very helpful. I also know Beth is still in the campground, so she should be available too, though I don’t know what sort of state she’ll be in. I was told she’s very upset because the man she thinks is Craig Bradley hasn’t been seen for ages. Apparently he was only supposed to be gone for a couple of hours.”
“Ah, I see. I’ll be there shortly,” the sheriff replied, then handed the phone back to Doug. “Katy, Dr. Green has his lawyer with him and I’ll be conducting an official interview. I’m sorry, you can’t be there.”
“Oh, I understand.”
“But I’ll be back to get a statement from both of you as well, and I’ll be sending a deputy to rope off the cabin. But it won’t be for long.”
“Sheriff, I know you have to run, but I did see something in the trees behind the ranches up on Smoky Hill.”
“You can tell me about it later and I’ll have it checked out. In the meantime you should go home and get some rest. You’ve been through quite an ordeal.”
* * *
As the sheriff and Billy rolled away from the field, Katy and Doug returned to the cabin with Butch staying glued to her side. While Katy fetched Jim’s address book, Doug stared down at the broken slats of wood lying on the floor.
“What happened?” he asked, shaking his head as he stared at the huge hole in the door.
“Oh, I didn’t have a chance to tell you. I locked him in the bathroom. That’s how I got away.”
“You did what? How?”
“He went in and was looking out the window, so I crept into the kitchen, got the knife, managed to close the door—thank God the hinges didn’t squeak—then I slid the blade into the door jamb. The thick handle was wedged against the door making it impossible to open.”
“My God, Katy, that was incredibly risky.”
“And terrifying! I don’t think I took a breath until I ran outside.”
“But how the hell did he break out all this wood?”
“He told me he was a Jujitsu Master. He even demonstrated the stance. It was unbelievable, so I guess he must have used his skills somehow.”
“His feet. He would have kicked them out with his feet,” Doug muttered. “You took a terrible chance.”
“I had to do something. When I reached the truck and the key fob was gone I almost had a heart attack.”
“I absolutely cannot believe any of this. Come on, let’s get back to the ranch,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulders and walking her outside. “Come, Butch, into the back.” But instead of jumping into the cargo bed, the dog stood by the passenger door. “Looks like he wants to stay by you.”
“That’s fine by me. He’s my hero.”
* * *
After taking a hot shower, Katy pulled on a pair of comfortable jogging pants and a sweatshirt. As she stared at herself in the mirror she thought she looked none the worse for wear, but she felt shaky, as if she was trembling inside. Walking into the kitchen, Doug gestured for her to sit at the table and set a mug of hot chocolate in front of her.
“Aren’t you having one?”
“I needed something stronger,” he declared, picking up a glass of whiskey. “I took a beer out to Billy. He’s back at work and I have to join him shortly.”
“What’s Butch eating?” she asked, seeing the dog on his blanket devouring something she didn’t recognize.
“A marrow bone. It’s a special treat. Blake keeps them in the freezer for special occasions,” he replied, sitting down opposite her. Then taking a breath, he asked, “How exactly did you run into Craig?”
“When I walked into the cabin there was this big, black weird thing on the couch. I didn’t know what it was. I was walking towards it when it moved, and it turned out to be him. I ran out the door but he caught up.”
“And that’s when you thought to send out that text.”
“Exactly.”
“That was very clever, Katy,” he said with a smile. “But jamming that door. Not so much. We need to talk about that.”