“I’m not sure.” Mrs. Coleman was still walking, but at least she’d slowed her pace. “Do you have a staff for that sort of thing or would the valets be a group of teenage boys? I wouldn’t want to turn over my friends’ cars to a bunch of high schoolers.”
Kate had planned on hiring some ranch hands to do it. “Not teenagers,” she said. “You’ll find everyone at Coyote Glen is respectful and professional. I only want top-notch employees working for me.” The ranch hands could rope running bulls. They could handle parking a Volvo.
Mrs. Coleman opened the front door and the women stepped out onto the patio. “Why are police cars here?” Cassie asked.
“What?” Kate hurriedly joined them. Police cars were indeed parked on either side of the barn. Worse, an officer stood pressed against the wall near the barn door, gun out, waiting. Two more officers had positioned themselves on either side of the barn. All were decked out in full gear. They looked like a SWAT operation.
No, no, no.Not this. Not now.
Mrs. Coleman took a step backward as though about to retreat inside for cover. “What’s going on over there?”
“I don’t know,” Kate lied. She was pretty certain the police had connected Gary to the theft and they’d come for him.
Before she could say anything else, Gary sprinted out the barn door, arms pumping. He didn’t get far. Two steps past the officer, Gary arched, screamed, and dropped to the ground, writhing.Tazed.
Both women gasped. Mrs. Coleman put her hand to her throat.
The police converged on Gary, a sea of dark blue uniforms. They cuffed him, hauled him to his feet, and barked out his Miranda rights.
Mrs. Coleman’s chest heaved in alarm. “You have fugitives hiding in your barn?”
“Uh, no,” Kate said. “That’s my foreman.” Karma had picked the worst moment possible to catch up with him. “Ex-foreman now,” she clarified.
Gary dug his heels into the ground. “You can’t do this!” he screamed. “I have a lawyer!”
Yes, and if Gary’s divorce lawyer doubled as criminal council, it was no wonder he was expensive. A police officer dragged Gary, who was still threatening the use of his lawyer, to the back of a squad car.
Kate cleared her throat. “I’m as shocked as you are.” Even as she said the words, she knew she didn’t sound shocked. She sounded like someone overacting in a bad play. “But don’t worry. I’ll hire someone new by the time you have your wedding. Someone really respectable.”
The women turned and stared at her, mouths slightly gaping. Which meant the Colemans wouldn’t be booking. Kate smiled awkwardly anyway. “So, um, just let me know.”
“We will.” To Mrs. Colemans’ credit, she almost didn’t sound horrified. “Come, Cassie.” She grabbed her daughter’s arm and pulled her off the patio. The two nearly raced to their Beemer. By that time, most of the officers were heading to their squad cars, so the women sat in their BMW and waited for them to leave first. Mrs. Coleman talked excitedly on her phone, her eyes wide and scandalized. Cassie had her phone out too, recording the police cars.
This was definitely not what Kate had in mind when she asked for publicity.
Finally, most of the squad cars and the women left. Officer Kahale strode over to the patio to speak with Kate. He told her the police needed to search Gary’s house and then gave her an update on the case. Jake had turned state’s evidence on Gary and named him as the ringleader behind the thefts. The police had also found Gary’s prints on the trailer. They were able to match them because Gary not only had a DUI but also a felony charge five years ago for stealing and selling a tractor.
None of it was really a surprise. Just horribly bad news. Gary had no reason to restock her cattle now. And maybe his promises had been nothing but smoke anyway. She’d wanted to believe him in the hope that she wouldn’t lose the ranch.
A prospect that seemed slimmer every moment.
After Officer Kahale left, Kate took out her phone and, with shaking hands, called her parents. To her own ears, she sounded surprising calm relaying the news. She wasn’t calm, though. She was numb.
Her father said, “I’ll talk to Gary’s lawyer. Maybe he can beat a conviction.”
That’s what her family had come to. Her parents were rooting for the man they knew had stolen their cattle so the insurance company would cover their losses.
Her mother said, “I’ll call the insurance agent first thing in the morning. It can’t be legal for them to refuse to pay the claim.”
“We haven’t lost yet,” her father said.
We. Kate didn’t bother to correct him. She was having a hard time believing that it mattered. She thanked them for their help and hung up.
The arrest made the evening news. She knew this because Mrs. Pieroni, the pastor’s wife, called Kate to ask if she was all right. Mrs. Pieroni had always been one of the friendlier people at church, someone who at least smiled and said a brief hello before she turned her attention to the other members of the congregation.
Still, Kate didn’t admit the dire straits she was in. She didn’t want to be the subject of hushed gossip or worse—rejoicing. As it was, Kate didn’t think she’d be able to attend church on Sunday and face everyone. People would ask her questions, like why she’d hired a known felon.
She thanked Mrs. Pieroni for calling, insisted she was fine, and mumbled something about soldiering on.