be in my custody soon.” He hung up the phone and leaned harder on the accelerator.
There was a small gas station at the base of the mountain, just as Madeleine had said. The lights were off, but there was a mobile home on the property behind the station and adjoining general store, and Colton could see a light burning in one of the windows. He needed gas, and he doubted he’d come across another station before his reserve tank went empty.
He parked the truck and pounded on the door of the trailer until it was opened by a white-haired man with a grizzled beard and sharply assessing eyes.
“Where the hell’s the fire, son? Whaddya mean by hammering on my door in the middle of the goddamned night?”
Colton withdrew his wallet and held up his badge for the man to see. “My apologies, sir. I hate to disturb you at this time of night, but I need some gas.” He opened his wallet and withdrew twice the amount of money he knew would be required to fill his tanks. “I hope this will compensate you for your trouble.”
The old man squinted at the money and then chuckled. “Well, son, I guess that might just make me feel a little less put out.”
Colton followed him over to the gas station and waited as the old man turned on the pumps and the overhead lights. He peered at Colton as he inserted the nozzle into the gas tank. “A U.S. marshal, you say? What’re you doing out here at this time of night? Tracking down an escaped felon?”
Colton grimaced. “Something like that.” He fished in the back pocket of his jeans and withdrew the photos he had pilfered from the cabin. Selecting the most recent one of Madeleine, he held it out to the old man. “Have you ever seen this girl?”
The man took the photo and peered at it, tipped it toward the light and looked closer, before a bark of surprised laughter escaped him. “Well, I’ll be goddamned!”
Colton tensed. “You recognize her?”
He chuckled and continued to stare at the photo. “I guess the hell I do. That’s Maddie Howe and her son of a bitch, no-good, wastrel grandfather.”
“Maddie Howe?”
“That’s right. Short for Madeleine, or some such nonsense. ’Course, when she was growing up, we always said her name shoulda been ‘Maddie-Howe-are-you-going-to-get-yourself-outta-this-mess?’” He handed the photo back to Colton with a derisive snort. “If that’s who you’re after, it don’t surprise me none. That girl was never nothin’ but trouble.”
Colton frowned. “How so?”
“Hell, she was a liar and a scam artist from day one. Used those pretty looks of hers to rob folks blind. ’Course, we all knew what she’d been through, so we wasn’t gonna turn her over to the law. Figured she’d end up there soon enough on her own, with or without our help.” He shook his head. “Guess we was right, after all.”
Colton’s curiosity was more than just piqued. “What had she been through?”
The old man shrugged. “You name it and that girl’s been through it. Lost both her folks early on. She was raised in them hills by her grandpa, but to my mind that weren’t no excuse for takin’ advantage of people who jes wanted to help her.”
Colton’s lips tightened. He knew how that felt. “When did you last see her?”
The man sighed and scrunched his face up, considering. “Aw, shoot, I dunno. Maybe ten or twelve years ago. She and her brother were sittin’ right here, scamming some tourists out of their money, and they got caught.” He gave a gap-toothed grin of recollection. “Last I saw, she was hauling that pretty little backside of hers into the hills, dragging the boy with her and cryin’ her heart out.” He snorted. “Her tears might’ve worked on some, but they never fooled me. Not for a damned second.”
Privately, Colton had his doubts. Despite the scornful remarks, he wondered if the old man didn’t secretly harbor some affection for Madeleine. Colton wouldn’t blame him if he did.
The man pulled the gas nozzle
There was a small gas station at the base of the mountain, just as Madeleine had said. The lights were off, but there was a mobile home on the property behind the station and adjoining general store, and Colton could see a light burning in one of the windows. He needed gas, and he doubted he’d come across another station before his reserve tank went empty.
He parked the truck and pounded on the door of the trailer until it was opened by a white-haired man with a grizzled beard and sharply assessing eyes.
“Where the hell’s the fire, son? Whaddya mean by hammering on my door in the middle of the goddamned night?”
Colton withdrew his wallet and held up his badge for the man to see. “My apologies, sir. I hate to disturb you at this time of night, but I need some gas.” He opened his wallet and withdrew twice the amount of money he knew would be required to fill his tanks. “I hope this will compensate you for your trouble.”
The old man squinted at the money and then chuckled. “Well, son, I guess that might just make me feel a little less put out.”
Colton followed him over to the gas station and waited as the old man turned on the pumps and the overhead lights. He peered at Colton as he inserted the nozzle into the gas tank. “A U.S. marshal, you say? What’re you doing out here at this time of night? Tracking down an escaped felon?”
Colton grimaced. “Something like that.” He fished in the back pocket of his jeans and withdrew the photos he had pilfered from the cabin. Selecting the most recent one of Madeleine, he held it out to the old man. “Have you ever seen this girl?”
The man took the photo and peered at it, tipped it toward the light and looked closer, before a bark of surprised laughter escaped him. “Well, I’ll be goddamned!”
Colton tensed. “You recognize her?”
He chuckled and continued to stare at the photo. “I guess the hell I do. That’s Maddie Howe and her son of a bitch, no-good, wastrel grandfather.”
“Maddie Howe?”
“That’s right. Short for Madeleine, or some such nonsense. ’Course, when she was growing up, we always said her name shoulda been ‘Maddie-Howe-are-you-going-to-get-yourself-outta-this-mess?’” He handed the photo back to Colton with a derisive snort. “If that’s who you’re after, it don’t surprise me none. That girl was never nothin’ but trouble.”
Colton frowned. “How so?”
“Hell, she was a liar and a scam artist from day one. Used those pretty looks of hers to rob folks blind. ’Course, we all knew what she’d been through, so we wasn’t gonna turn her over to the law. Figured she’d end up there soon enough on her own, with or without our help.” He shook his head. “Guess we was right, after all.”
Colton’s curiosity was more than just piqued. “What had she been through?”
The old man shrugged. “You name it and that girl’s been through it. Lost both her folks early on. She was raised in them hills by her grandpa, but to my mind that weren’t no excuse for takin’ advantage of people who jes wanted to help her.”
Colton’s lips tightened. He knew how that felt. “When did you last see her?”
The man sighed and scrunched his face up, considering. “Aw, shoot, I dunno. Maybe ten or twelve years ago. She and her brother were sittin’ right here, scamming some tourists out of their money, and they got caught.” He gave a gap-toothed grin of recollection. “Last I saw, she was hauling that pretty little backside of hers into the hills, dragging the boy with her and cryin’ her heart out.” He snorted. “Her tears might’ve worked on some, but they never fooled me. Not for a damned second.”
Privately, Colton had his doubts. Despite the scornful remarks, he wondered if the old man didn’t secretly harbor some affection for Madeleine. Colton wouldn’t blame him if he did.
The man pulled the gas nozzle
Similar Books
