Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
As darkness began to pull me under, I whispered, “I’m sorry,” to the men in my life who would grieve me. At least I could leave this world knowing Logan would watch out for my brothers. They’d be fine eventually. All three of them. It broke my heart thinking about what they would have to endure, but at least they could lay me to rest with the knowledge that I’d fought to stay with them.
A light began to shine in the distance, and I turned my eyes toward it. It was peaceful and warm. And there was so much love pouring from it that I wanted to run toward it. But it was gone just as quickly as it appeared, and I drifted into nothingness to the sounds of vicious growls and cries of pain. Max The Wonder Dog had arrived.
Twenty-Three
Dickweed
LOGAN LOOKED OVER the coroner’s report for Butch Johnson. He had a blood alcohol level of point zero eight, so he’d had more than a few drinks. Add the livestock sedative, ketamine, to the mix and it’s no wonder the man walked off the ridge. He and Ty had spent close to an hour picking the coroner’s brain about Butch Johnson and Rip Jackson. He couldn’t prove either died suspiciously, so the cause of death would be listed as accidents. More dead ends.
“The coroner said ketamine is widely used on ranches. Do you have a lot of ranch hands who use it recreationally?”
“I’ve heard of a few overdoses,” Ty returned, leaning against Logan’s truck.
Frustration churned in his gut. If Butch Johnson’s death was indeed an accident, then why was Logan attacked when he tried to give notification? The puzzle pieces all pointed to Chance, no other explanation fit, yet he couldn’t prove a fucking thing.
Ty pointed to a log-framed building on the same lot as the coroner. “Sheriff’s department. You wanna ask about this so-called woman Bear sees?”
They were off Highway 287 just outside of Virginia City. The landscape rolled into the base of rocky mountaintops around the multiple buildings. Snow covered everything, but there were no other buildings or homes close by. Just like Ennis, Virginia City was a small town. One with no police force, so they depended on the sheriff for protection.
Logan glanced around the parking lot and found a single vehicle with the sheriff’s logo on the side. Ty had said they have a small force policing all of Madison County, and it looked like they were all gone but one.
“Duke said Justice Bear owned most of the law enforcement and judges in this county. What are the chances we’ll get a straight answer out of anyone in there?”
Ty didn’t blink an eye at the allegation, which told Logan everyone knew Justice Bear had the county in his hip pocket. “Less than one percent.”
“Then I’ll change tactics. I’m looking for Bear to give notification. Maybe they’ve seen him around or know where he is. Friendly like, rather than accusatory. Just one of the boys like they are.”
Ty studied Logan a moment before answering. “Turns you stomach, doesn’t it? After putting your life on the line for ten years to have those in authority bought and paid for by filth.”
Yeah it turned Logan’s stomach to have to play games. He used to be on a team that helped overthrow corrupt governments. He was proud of his time in the military. Proud of the work he’d done. Proud to have put his life on the line for the people of this country, so having no power to take down corrupt officers and politicians burned hot through his veins.
“Yeah,” Logan bit out through clenched teeth.
Both men turned and headed to the front entrance of the sheriff’s department as the county coroner pulled out with a wave to them both. The log building looked more like a vacation rental than the heart of law enforcement for Madison County. Once inside, they found a mostly bald man in his middle fifties on the phone. He barely looked at them as he raked a hand through his hair looking agitated and on alert, so Logan scanned the area until his attention caught on a bulletin board. There were several alerts posted to the corkboard. Stolen vehicles, missing animals, but the one that caught his attention was a double homicide in Twin Bridges. A mother and daughter who lived together in the small town had died by blunt force trauma on the same day Justice Bear had died. According to the bulletin there was no motive found for the murders. Time of death was between 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. An itch began to worm its way down his spine, just like it had when Logan had stared at the burned out mortuary. There were fewer than nine thousand people in Madison County and in less than a week’s time there had been seven murders.