Chapter Ten
Blair sat on the sofa trying to get into a movie. It was Saturday, past two in the afternoon, and she hadn’t heard a word from Hud.
She got up and opened the front door. Beautiful day, not a cloud anywhere, and for the first time in a while the chill had finally lifted.
She stood there a moment just breathing it in.
Celine had warned her that Montana weather could turn without notice, so she wasn’t taking it for granted.
Late May and actually warm. She’d take it.
She was still standing in the doorway when her phone buzzed against the coffee table. She went back inside and froze when she saw his name on the screen. She took a breath and answered.
“Hello, Hud.”
“Blair. How’s your day?”
“Beautiful out. Yours?”
“We’re still in Autumn Falls.” A pause. “I won’t make it back until tomorrow. I’m sorry.”
She leaned against the doorframe. “I thought you were coming back today.”
“That was the plan. But we’re too close to something to walk away now.” Another pause, quieter. “I was hoping to get back so we could talk.”
“Yes. We need to.”
“Blair, I never meant to hurt you. And I didn’t mean it the way it came out.” She heard him exhale. “This is a conversation I’d rather have in person.”
“Then we’ll have it in person.”
“I’ll call you the minute I’m back.”
“Alright.” She kept her voice even. “Be careful out there.”
“I will. Talk soon.”
Blair set the phone back on the table and looked out at the sunny afternoon. She was glad he’d called. She just wished the conversation didn’t have to wait another day.
She closed the front door and looked around the townhouse. The day stretched out in front of her with nothing in it. She’d been counting on seeing him, on getting things settled one way or another, and now that wasn’t happening until tomorrow at the earliest.
She picked up her phone and set it back down. Picked up the remote and set that down too. She needed to get out of this house.
She headed upstairs, changed into jeans, a sweatshirt, and sneakers, and was back down in under five minutes. She grabbed her purse off the hook, locked up behind her and climbed into her SUV.
There were shops in town she’d been meaning to explore since she moved here and just never had. Today was as good a day as any. Anything was better than sitting on that sofa waiting for a phone that wasn’t going to ring.
She pulled into a spot across from the diner, stepped out and looked up and down the street. The bakery caught her eye first. She could use something sweet today.
She pushed the door open and was immediately hit with the smell of butter and sugar and something warm from the oven. A ticket dispenser sat just inside, and she grabbed a number and found a small table to wait. The place was busy, which seemed like a good sign.
When her number was called she went to the glass case and immediately understood why.
“Hi, welcome to Sweet Nothings. What can I get you?”
Blair looked up at the woman behind the counter. Pretty blonde, warm brown eyes, a smile that made you feel like you’d walked into exactly the right place.
“Hi.” Blair looked back down at the case. “I thought I knew what I wanted until I got up here.”
The woman laughed. “Take your time. I’m Courtney.”
“Blair. Good to meet you.” She studied the rows of cookies, the frosted this and the chocolate dipped that. “Alright. A half dozen sugar cookies and a half dozen chocolate chip.”
“Good choices.” Courtney reached for a bag. “Are you a tourist?”
“No, I moved here a few months ago. My cousin owns The Everyday Grind.”
Courtney looked up. “Celine is your cousin?”
“She is.”
“I love her. She’s the best.” Courtney’s smile widened and then widened further still when the bell above the door chimed behind Blair.
Blair glanced over her shoulder to see a very good-looking deputy step inside, cowboy hat on, grinning straight at Courtney.
He caught Blair’s eye and touched the brim of his hat, and she thought she could see how Courtney fell for him.
Courtney set the bag on the counter. “I’ll just be a minute.”
“Take your time, baby,” the deputy said.
Courtney’s cheeks went a little pink. “Alright Blair, let me ring you up.”
“Thank you.” Blair moved to the register. “Looks like your day is about to get better.”
“It really is. He’s my husband, and I only work weekends when he’s on shift. Once he’s done we head home and decompress together.” She made change and slid it across the counter. “It’s the best part of the week.”
“That sounds perfect.” Blair picked up her bag, turned to go and nearly walked straight into the deputy. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“My fault entirely.” He smiled easily. “Tourist?”
Blair laughed. “Your wife just asked me the same thing. No, I moved here a while back. My cousin Celine talked me into it.”
“Celine? Killian’s wife?”
“That’s her. Do you know Killian?”
“Yes, ma’am. I used to be with MDOL before I moved over to the department.” He put his hand out. “Nevada Shelton.”
“Blair Nelson.” She shook it. “They seem like good people, the ones I’ve met.”
“The best.” He grinned. “You enjoy your day, Blair.”
“You two as well.” She looked back at Courtney. “Thank you. I’ll be back.”
“Once you taste those cookies, I know you will.” Courtney waved her out.
Blair stepped onto the sidewalk and looked up the street. Festive Finds was a few doors down, a little shop she’d noticed before but never got around to. Christmas things year-round if the window display was anything to go by, and that was enough to pull her in. She loved that time of year.
She waited for a break in traffic, crossed over and pushed the door open. The smell hit her first, pine and something warm and spiced, and she smiled before she’d even looked around. The displays were everywhere, cheerful and well arranged, and she already knew she was going to spend money in here.
“Welcome to Festive Finds,” a young woman called from somewhere between the shelves.
“Thank you. Just browsing.”
“Take all the time you want. I’m around if you need anything.”
Blair moved slowly up and down the aisles, picking things up and setting most of them back down.
Most of them.
****
Hud pulled up to the bay doors of the old tire shop, and the three of them stepped out, hands on their weapons as they approached.
Hud cupped his hands against the glass and peered inside.
Empty. Not just vacant but stripped, every piece of machinery, every rack, every tire gone. The concrete floor swept clean.
“This place was cleared out a long time ago,” he said. “Too clean for a business that just closed up.”
Creed had already moved to the warehouse next door. He tried the handle and the door swung open. He stood in the doorway without crossing the threshold.
“Don’t go in,” Luke said.
“I’m looking.” Creed turned back. “Hud, did Saunders pull a warrant on this place?”
“I don’t know. Call Dave.”
Creed made the call, listened, then looked up. “Warrant’s still valid. Two days left.”
“Then let’s go.” Hud drew his weapon and went in first, giving his eyes a moment to adjust. The windows let in enough light to see by. The space was large and hollow, the kind of empty that echoed. He moved through it slowly.
“Saunders is thorough,” he said after a while, holstering his weapon. “I don’t expect we’ll find anything he missed.”
Creed and Luke holstered theirs.
Hud took one last look around. “Alright. Let’s go find Tanner Whitman. See if we can get something out of him.”
“Or scare it out of him,” Creed said with a grin.
“Works too.” Hud moved toward the door. “Let’s go.”
Creed pulled the warehouse door shut behind them, and they climbed back into the truck. Hud punched Whitman’s address into the GPS and followed it out of town and down a long rural road.
When they pulled up to the property nobody said anything for a moment.
The place looked still. Too still.
“I don’t like this,” Luke said quietly.
“Too quiet,” Creed agreed.
Hud parked and they stepped out, hands on their weapons, each man thumbing his retainer button open. The house sat back from the road, curtains drawn, no vehicles in sight. It had the feeling of a place left in a hurry.
“Damn it.” Hud scanned the yard. “I need him to be here.”
“I’ll try the door,” Luke said, moving toward the porch with his weapon drawn.
Hud and Creed hung back, watching the windows. Luke climbed the steps, knocked and waited. Nothing. He knocked again, harder.
“I don’t think he’s—”
The door exploded outward in a shower of splinters. Luke dropped and ran, clearing the porch and throwing himself behind the truck with Hud and Creed.
“Son of a bitch,” Luke breathed.
“You hit?” Creed asked.
“No. I’m good.”
“I’d say he’s home,” Hud said.
“Not exactly rolling out the welcome mat,” Creed said.
“Nope.” Hud looked at Creed. “Cover me.”
Creed came up over the hood and opened fire on the front of the house. Hud broke from behind the truck and ran hard for the side of the house, pressing his back flat against the siding.
“Tanner Whitman!” His voice carried across the yard. “You’re surrounded. Put the weapon down and come out with your hands up.”
Silence.
“I’ll count to three. After that we’re coming in and it will not go well for you.”
Hud caught Creed’s eye and signaled toward the other side of the house. Creed gave a short nod. Hud and Luke laid down cover fire and Creed moved, low and fast, making it to the house wall without taking a hit.
“You’re not walking away from this, Whitman,” Hud called out. “Come out now and we can talk. Stay in there and this ends badly for you.”
He watched Creed signal that he was going around back, then looked at Luke. “Stay put.”
Luke nodded.
Hud moved onto the porch, back against the wall, inching toward the door. He ducked under the window, straightened on the other side, reached out and turned the knob. He shoved it open and another blast tore through the doorjamb. Hud took a breath, stepped into the frame with his weapon up.
“Last chance.”