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)
“I don’t think you should ignore this, Kenzie. You should tell Duke when he gets back. He could have a talk with Chance, tell him to cool it.”
“Chance wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Are you positive? Positive enough to put Chace at risk?”
She considered it for a moment then nodded. “Okay, just to be smart I’ll talk to Duke.” She looked toward the bar where he usually sat. “Do you know when he’s supposed to be back?”
I looked over my shoulder at the clock. Logan said Duke hadn’t returned from fishing and they were heading out to find him. Most believed his truck had broken down, and being out of cell range he was probably still fishing until someone showed up to rescue him. That seemed reasonable to me. It would have sounded more likely if I hadn’t known his truck was only a year old, but there were lots of ways to get stuck out on the river or the lake, especially after a good rain or snow. New truck or not, tires still sank in mud, and it had rained two days ago along with the snow.
“Could be anytime,” I answered, praying I was right.
_______________
Pine scented the air mixed with the aromatic smell of rich dirt, dead fish, and snow. The sound of rushing water drowned out the call of an eagle soaring overhead, while Logan searched for Duke on the banks of the Madison River. The vastness of Montana never ceased to amaze him. You could see for miles in valleys—untouched by man—except for the few towns scattered around the state. There wasn’t a Walmart on every corner, just peacefulness where time had stood still. And enough space where a man could breathe. Could forget.
Scanning the river once again for any sign of Duke, Logan waited while Max did his business before loading him up and heading downstream. He’d been searching for hours, and as far as he knew there was still no sign of the police chief. Pulling his cell from his hip pocket, he checked for cell service again. Ty said it was spotty at best on certain parts of the river. The closer to town you were, the better the reception. Logan had lost cell service about an hour before, when he’d left Highway 287 to check a popular fishing spot Ty had circled on a map.
It didn’t make sense to Logan that Duke would travel this far out when he had to be at work by eight, so he put his tongue to his teeth and whistled for Max.
His gut told him he was wasting time searching this far out. It was time to head back and see if they’d found Duke on Ennis Lake. That made the most sense. Traveling more than an hour from work was for the weekends when you had the time. Ennis Lake was a fifteen-minute drive from Duke’s house, Ty had said, so he’d head there and join the search.
It took twenty minutes before cell service was reestablished. Logan wanted to check in with Skylar first, but knew she’d want information about Duke, so he called the number Ty had given him instead, hoping for good news.
“You find him?” Ty asked when he answered.
“Nope. I’m heading back your way before the snow hits. I take it there’s been no sign on your end?”
“We’ve checked all the usual spots where he would have launched his boat. We’re knocking on doors now. He’s got a few friends who live right on the water.”
“Could he have headed past Ennis Lake?”
“Ed Burk’s headed that way. We checked his favorite fishing holes and there’s no sign of him. If he got a wild hair to go somewhere new, we won’t know until . . .”
“He’s found one way or another,” Logan finished.
Silence drew out between them, then Ty clipped, “Fuck, I hope that isn’t the case. With Frank last night and Miss Ellie the day before, the town’s had enough death.”
“Will you have trouble in town without a law enforcement presence or has the sheriff provided you with a deputy?”
“… Hell, I don’t know. Ennis doesn’t have much trouble except on weekends when the ranch hands blow off steam.”
“It’s Friday, Ty, the weekend’s begun. Have the mayor call the sheriff and request a deputy until you find Duke. I’ve seen firsthand what happens when there isn’t law and order controlling a town.”
Silence.
“Ty?”
His phone rang in his hand. Logan cursed and swiped to answer. They needed more cell towers in this neck of the woods. “When you find Duke, you need to encourage him to pick up a couple of satellite phones for his office. Being out of cell range in this day and age should be against the law.”
“Rog…I’ll…”
Silence.
“Ty?”
The call had dropped again, so Logan tossed the phone on his seat and tried to think like Duke. Where would he have gone? To Logan’s way of thinking, considering everything happening with Chance Bear, why leave at all? Duke’s warning about Chance the night before hadn’t stopped rattling around in his brain. And with Duke missing, it thundered harder as he puzzled over his disappearance.