The office was warm and inviting. There was a fresh pot of coffee on the boil and a large box of doughnuts on the filing cabinet. Duke took the swivel chair behind the desk. Cooley grabbed folding chairs from the storage room, set them up in a semicircle.
“Sort of like an old-time longhouse,” he said. “Except not so smoky.”
Howdy was asleep on the floor next to the sheriff, the confrontation having worn him out.
“He was a bit of a disappointment,” said Duke. “Fraternizing with the enemy.”
Deanna tossed the dog a paper ball. “Does he have a ‘kill’ command?”
“He has an ‘eat’ command,” said Duke. “I put food in his dish and tell him to eat and he does.”
“Dogs aren’t killers,” said Cooley. “Humans on the other hand . . .”
Cruz stood by the cabinet, trying to blend in with the shadows. Thumps was having none of it.
“You used me as bait.”
“No I didn’t.”
“You knew that Gage hadn’t gotten on that plane.”
Cruz shrugged. “Maybe.”
“So, you knew she was still in town.”
“Suspected.”
“He called us right away,” said Cooley. “Plus the two FBI guys.”
“Pretty cool,” said Deanna. “My first armed confrontation.”
“You should be thanking me,” said Cruz. “I brought the calvary, saved the Indian.”
“Seems to me,” said Deanna, “that the Indians saved the Indians.”
“Enough glory to share,” said Duke.
“You could have gotten me killed,” said Thumps. “Again.”
“You didn’t feel good about her just walking away,” said Cruz. “Now we have her on assault and kidnapping charges. She won’t be walking away from that.”
“And the Vault? The money?”
“Worry about that when the time comes,” said Cruz. “Who wants a doughnut?”
“There’s fresh coffee as well,” said Duke.
“Pass,” said Cruz.
“Pass,” said Thumps.
“Don’t be like that,” said the sheriff.
“Pass,” said Deanna.
“Pass,” said Cooley.
THE CELEBRATION, IF that’s what it was, was short-lived. Deanna had to get back on patrol. Cooley and Scoop were going to take in a movie at the drive-in. Duke and Howdy were going to watch One Hundred and One Dalmatians on the flat-screen in the holding cell.
“His turn,” said Duke. “I chose last time.”
Thumps tossed a paper ball at Cruz. “Stas fix your car yet?”
“Paint has to dry.” Cruz threw the ball back. “Probably stay in town for a few more days. Might try my hand at golf.”
“Thought you didn’t like golf.”
“Don’t like to watch it,” said Cruz. “Wutty has offered to give me a couple of lessons.”
“You got a place to stay?”
“Depends.”
“On?”
Cruz fished a doughnut out of the box. “I hear you might be moving out to the reservation?”
“Maybe.”
“Then I can stay at your place,” said Cruz. “Friends helping friends.”
“And you’ll wash the dishes, feed the cats?”
Cruz sighed. “Yes, I’ll feed the cats.”
“Not like last time.”
“Pendejo,” said Cruz, “I was busy saving your life.”
IT WAS DARK by the time Thumps got on the road, the night black in a moonless sky. Living in a city, even a small city, made you forget how dark a night could be, forget the difference a full moon could make.
Under a full moon, he would have been able to see the Ironstone as it snaked its way across the prairies. Tonight, it was lost in the deep shadows, the only illumination coming from the throw of the car’s headlights.
He hadn’t called ahead to see if he would be welcome. Claire had certainly hinted that he was. Still, she could have changed her mind, decided that living alone was not such a bad arrangement after all. Or maybe she was waiting for him to make a decisive move.
The alpha male. King of the jungle. The capo di tutti i capi.
He certainly wasn’t going to say any of that out loud. It sounded bad enough in his head.
At the top of the rise, he stopped the car, rolled down the window, let in the night. In the distance on the flat below, he could see Claire’s place, the lights from the house turning the Russian olive into a blaze of silver.
He’d park the car next to the tree, walk onto the porch. Maybe he would knock, wait for Claire to come to the door.
Or maybe he would simply walk in, as though he were coming home.