Stone Cold Cowboy(80)
“You must know something.”
“I know my brother and Derek owe someone a lot of money. That person is going to collect one way or the other and that scares me more than I can explain because my brother is all I have left of my immediate family. I know it will take a miracle for my brother to change his ways. He won’t turn himself in no matter how many times I beg him to do so. He’s a follower, looking for the big score that will set him up for life. He doesn’t see that he will always be the little fish swimming with sharks who will turn on him to save themselves.
“I know he doesn’t trust me anymore.”
“Is there someplace he goes when he needs to hide? A friend or a girl who will help him out?”
“Caden, you’re grasping at straws. The cops know all those things. Everything. This isn’t my brother’s first time hiding from the police. They’ve checked out every known haunt, friends, enemies, and girlfriends. If he’s cooking up meth, he’s doing it somewhere isolated. Not in town, but out in the country. Doesn’t Beck know where?”
“No. For all their stupidity in other things they’ve kept their operation a secret.”
“If Beck can’t give you the information, then why do you think I can?”
“Because you know your brother. You know his habits.”
“I used to, but he’s been more out of my life than in it the last couple of years. I’m his go-to girl for bailout. I can’t help you.”
“It better be can’t, because if it’s won’t, you’ll go down with him.”
Sadie threw up her hands and let them fall in frustration. “What do you want me to say? He’s probably in some abandoned shack on someone’s property. There’ll have to be at least an old dirt road for them to get their supplies in and out. At the bare minimum, they’ll need water, but even that they can bring with them. Since he’s been stealing Kendrick cattle, my guess is that he’s close to the Kendrick land. He didn’t pick the Kendrick cattle for any other reason than he’s lazy as hell when it comes to actual work.”
“The sheriff’s people have been all over that place and found nothing.”
“Well, if Connor made it easy we’d all be doing better things right now. It’s probably some trailer they’re able to move, or a shack they’ve camouflaged. I don’t know, but it’s there. If I hear from him again, I’ll let you know. I’ll even try to convince him, again, to turn himself in.”
Sadie turned her back and walked away, straight up the steps and into the house.
Rory hung back, eyeing the agent. “She really doesn’t know anything.”
“How is she? Those marks on her . . .” Caden shook his head, his mouth pulled into a tight line of disapproval and sadness.
“She’s had it rough since Derek strung her up. Now her father is dead and her brother is in dire need of money or he’s going to end up dead, too. He’s desperate. She hasn’t said it outright, but she knows he’ll use her to get that money if he has to.”
“Does she have the kind of money he needs?”
“No. Her brother has sucked every last dime she’s got. Hell, he still owes me. She’s tried to pay off his debt.” Rory read the disapproval in Caden’s eyes. “Hey, I didn’t ask her to or want her to. She has a deep sense of justice and right and wrong. She’s not in this with those guys. I don’t know if her father left any money for her. This property is worth quite a bit thanks to the rich folks moving in and driving up land prices, but she can’t pull any money from the property on a dime. She’d have to get a loan from the bank and I don’t think she’d do that for him. Not now. She’s set on letting him go down for what he’s done.”
“I need more than her trying to convince Connor to turn himself in. I need her to actively try to make him do it. If I can get my hands on him, I can turn him against the others and pull Beck out.”
“I won’t let you use her as bait. Derek has a real thing for her. The way he looks at her, it’s like a mountain lion hunting down prey. I won’t let you put her in harm’s way for a bunch of drug dealers.”
“I can protect her.”
“Bullshit. Your priority is your brother. She’s mine. I’ll keep tabs on anything she finds out—if her brother contacts her again—and I’ll let you know. That’s the best I can do.”
Caden handed over his card with his information. “I need a location. If Beck finds it at the very last second, and I don’t have eyes on it ahead of time, it may be too late.”