Outlaw Mountain

“That’s what Jeff’s worried about. In their family, Maria

“1 tried to talk her into seeing a doctor,” Joa

“Is she going to?” Butch asked. “See a doctor, I mean?”

“I don’t think so. I’ve known Maria

Just then, the phone rang. Joa

“Sheriff Brady?”

Joa

“You remember that missing person’s case Chief Deputy Montoya filed earlier this evening?”

“On Alice Rogers?”

“Yes,” Lisa answered.

“What about it? Have they found her?”

“They haven’t found her yet, but they did locate her car.”

“Where?”

“At the border crossing in Nogales. Four young Hispanic juveniles tried to drive it across the line. When Border Patrol ordered the vehicle to stop, they all bailed out and made a run for it. Three of them were picked up by Federales. They’re in jail in Nogales, Sonora. The fourth one wasn’t armed but he looked like he was. He was shot in the leg when officers opened fire. According to the Santa Cruz County dispatcher, he’s being airlifted to Tucson. University Medical Center or T.M.C., I’m not sure which. We’re hoping that he’ll be able to tell its where they left Alice Rogers.”

“How bad is the kid hurt?” Joa

“No way to tell at this point. I talked to one of the EMT’s who treated him at the scene. His best guess is that once they get him to Tucson he’ll go straight into surgery.”

Unaware that she had been holding her breath, Joa

“Has anyone let Frank Montoya know what’s going on?”

“I called Chief Deputy Montoya first thing,” Lisa Howard said. “Just before I called you. He said to tell you that he’s heading down to Nogales to see what detectives on the case have to say. After that, he’ll go to Tucson. He wants to be available when the suspect comes out of surgery and can speak with investigators.”

“Thanks for keeping me posted, Lisa,” Joa

“Regardless of how late it is?”

“Regardless.”

Joa

She nodded. “A missing person,” she told him. Briefly Joa

“Are you going to have to go in?” he asked.

“I don’t know yet, and I won’t for a while.”

Butch stood up and began to clear his place. “This wasn’t exactly how I hoped the evening would end,” he said quietly. “With Je

Joa

She watched him carry his plate to the sink. He rinsed it, then loaded the plate and his silverware into the dishwasher. She liked his purposeful, economical movements. Liked the way he made himself a contributing part of the household rather than a guest. He seemed to be quietly weaving his way into the fabric of her life, but without making unreasonable demands. Joa

“I don’t deserve you,” she said quietly.

He gri

He came across the kitchen then and gathered her into a tight embrace. He held her for a long time, and she made no attempt to pull away. Finally, he was the one who broke it off.

“Come on,” he said. “Bring the phone and let’s go sit on the couch where it’s comfortable. And that’s where I’ll spend the night-on the couch. That way, if you do have to go in, someone will be here to look after Je

CHAPTER THREE

When Joa

“What’s Butch doing on the couch?” she asked.

“Sleeping,” Joa

“I know that. But why?”

“Because if I had been called into the office during the night, somebody would have been here to look after you.”

Pouring herself a bowl of cereal, Je

“No, you’re not. But eleven is still too young to be left here alone at night.”

By the time Joa

As soon as Joa

“Oh, no,” Butch replied with a conspiratorial grin. “We’re all done, aren’t we, Je

From the kitchen doorway, Je

“Cross my heart.”

Satisfied by his words of reassurance, Je

“Yup,” he said. “That’s what it means.”

Joa

“You’re awfully quiet,” Butch said a minute or so later. “You’re not upset about this, are you?”

“Upset?” Joa

Her misgivings to the contrary, Joa

Monday morning roll call was the one time a week when as many of her far-flung deputies as possible assembled in the conference room. That gathering was one Joa