Read Online Last Light by C. J. Lyons - Free Book Online

Finally, they arrived at the only hotel in Canterville, an old-fashioned, one-story stucco building, U-shaped with a pool at the back and a cracked blacktop parking lot out front.
    “You were smart, checking in before the auction,” the clerk said as she registered them. “Come Thursday, every room will be taken.”
    “What kind of auction?” Lucy asked as she fished for the Beacon Group credit card Valencia had given her. “Livestock?”
    “No, the forfeiture auction.” She raised her left hand, a surprisingly large diamond on the third finger. “My guy got our ring there. Of course, he’s local, so we get a preview on the items and he put the word out for no one to bid against him.” She slid a sheet of paper across the counter to Lucy.
    It was a list of items below the Blackwell County Sheriff’s Department letterhead. “A RV? Two speedboats?” Lucy read. “Do you guys have that big of a drug problem around here?”
    “Not drugs. That’s the beauty of it.” The clerk leaned forward. “Old sheriff began doing it years back, but just here and there. It took our new sheriff to realize how good this could be for the county, make a system that was fair to everyone. That’s why this place even exists.” She spread her arms wide to indicate the motel.
    TK wandered over to join them, glancing at the list. “There are a lot of cars on here.”
    “Exactly. You break the law in Blackwell County while in your motorized vehicle, you lose said vehicle, and...” She snapped her fingers. “You’ll need a place to stay. Here we are, conveniently located across the street from the sheriff’s department. Is that genius or what? I’m telling you, it saved this town. The whole county for that matter.”
    Lucy exchanged a glance at TK, who shrugged. “Guess we better not break any laws while we’re here.”
    “That’s right, ladies.” The clerk laughed.
    “Any place to eat nearby?”
    “We offer a continental breakfast and coffee in the morning. Got the usual fast-food places on the highway—you would have passed them on the way in. And we have the Sweetbriar—serves a decent breakfast and lunch, great steaks, but just to warn you, evenings it’s not exactly family-friendly. Most of the ranch hands go there to blow off steam, shoot pool, drink their paychecks.”
    TK perked up at that. “Where’s that?”
    “Block west of here. You can’t miss it—only neon sign in Blackwell County.” She said it as if it were a badge of pride.
    They collected their keys—real metal keys on large key chains shaped like cowboy boots—and turned to leave the lobby when the clerk called them back. “Almost forgot. You have a message. David Ruiz with the Justice Project asked if you’d meet him when you got in. He’s in room one-twelve but is working out of the Sweetbriar.”
    Both TK and Lucy had missed lunch thanks to the flight. “Can’t come all the way to Texas without a steak,” TK said as they strolled through the heat to their rooms.
    Lucy nodded, glancing around their surroundings. So different from small towns back in her Pennsylvania mountains, yet also very similar. The countryside transitioned from flat to gentle rolling hills in the distance, alternating brown and green fields extending to the horizon. Across the street was a small government center that included administration offices and a post office. Separated by a parking lot from the government center was the county jail and sheriff’s department.
    The jail itself was typical cement and steel, constructed more for security than aesthetics. Two stories high, it appeared to be the tallest building in view—although, when Lucy glanced down the street in the other direction, she saw it was not quite as tall as the Sweetbriar’s neon sign with its ten-gallon hat, lasso, and cowboy boot.
    TK gestured with the asset forfeiture auction list she still held. “Says here they hold these auctions every two weeks. That’s a heck of a lot of stuff