This was the first the kids had heard of it, any of them, and the girls had more questions than Billy—perhaps because they were older or maybe he had just gotten used to bad things happening.
* * * *
David and Mel headed down the mountain with coincidental medical checkups for both David and Mark in town this morning.
James didn’t want to meet them for lunch this day but was grateful they would be in town if things went sideways. He and Jason pulled into town early, bypassing the Sheriff’s office just in case they decided to step up the timeline.
James was adamant about talking to as many townsfolk as he could today, not wasting a single minute on anything else. He figured the Weston Grill and Tavern would be the place to do it and wouldn’t even plan on him or Jason going back to the Mayor’s office until after lunch.
They pulled up to the already-busy restaurant, finding a spot right up front. The truck he had ironically received from Sheriff Johnson and Judge Lowry stuck out like a sore thumb, which was precisely what James was looking for. They were greeted like rock stars—or maybe Country stars was a better observation by the restaurant owners and the patrons.
“Mr. VanFleet!” said the feisty owner, proudly pointing him toward the wheelchair ramp he had installed just the other day. “Well, what do you think?” he asked.
“You didn’t go through all that trouble just for me, did you?” asked James.
“There are a few others in town that share the same…well, I mean, uh...”
“Those of us with perfectly good legs that just don’t move?” asked James in a friendly joking tone.
“Yes, I suppose that’s one way to put it. But, really, we did it for you as a thank-you for helping us with our meat problem.”
“Well then, a thank-you to you and your wife is in order,” said James. “I’ll get with you later in the week about your supply.”
The townsfolk gathered around James. They were all interested in the real story about what happened to Sheriff Johnson and the progress on the greenhouses. Others wanted to know how expanding the town borders would affect the Saturday trade days. Some were happy there would be more vendors, while others worried it would dilute their sales. Jason stood back, watching James work the room like a true politician—and maybe the last honest one he knew of, at least in this town.
* * * *
James, surrounded by fellow citizens, didn’t see Jason slowly back away, out of the dining area and down the stairs. She had one arm around his chest from behind as the pistol dug into the small of his back while she whispered, “Stay quiet, or you’re done.”
Judge Lowry drove Sheriff Johnson’s old truck, the one with the small extra cab in the back.
Gagged and blindfolded, Jason’s hands were zip-tied behind his back.
“Watch your head now,” said the Judge, pushing Jason down, helping him into the back.
Sheriff Kate slammed the door, leaving Jason alone and breathing heavily with the gag. He could hear his own heartbeat, loud as thunder, and something else…he wasn’t sure.
“Hello,” he tried to say, scooting on the bench over until his thigh hit something warm. He worked the blindfold and gag at the same time, using his shoulder to work the blindfold first. Every shrug put pressure on his wrists, causing him to cry out but not enough to stop. Minutes later…or what seemed like an hour to him…his blindfold slipped off, falling to the floor. He turned to see a pretty young woman, with a gag and blindfold as well.
“Hold on,” he said, forgetting about the gag and mumbling the words.
She shook, trembling with fear, and tried to scoot away, pressing her body against the far door.
“It’s okay,” he finally was able to speak, his gag slipping down over his chin and onto his neck.
“It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. My name is Jason and I’m the Deputy Mayor. This is going to sound strange, but I need to use my teeth to get your blindfold and gag off. My hands are bound tightly, just like yours. It’s that okay?”
She nodded yes, and he hoped it wouldn’t scare her more than she already was. Loosening hers was easier than his own and was done in less than a minute.
“What is going on around here?” she gasped, finally being able to take a deep breath. “What’s happening?”
“It’s the new Sheriff,” said Jason, looking around as he spoke.
“And the Judge!” she spat.
“As I said, I’m Jason, and I know why I’m here. But what about you?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she voiced. “I’m Ken’s girlfriend, and I guess I’m here because the new Sheriff used to date my boyfriend. I can’t think of another reason this could be happening.”
“You think the Sheriff still has feelings for him?” asked Jason, before thinking to himself: She did kill her last one.
“Well, I wasn’t sure before—not completely anyway—but now, yes, that’s exactly what I think.”
“So, she kidnaps you?” Jason asked, trying to see if he could free his hands.
“No. They read me some kind of Rights but not Miranda. We studied that in college, and this bastardized version wasn’t even close. Not that it matters anyway, since they are the only two in town who make and enforce the rules.”
She began to cry as it sunk in how the only people she ever saw leaving the jailhouse were at
