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Authors: Janet Chapman
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the world, where they just put one bad guy out of business only to have another one pop up someplace else. Cole and Shep have decided they’d rather touch people’s lives in a more personal way.”
“One of the men’s names is Shep?”
Sam nodded. “Short for Jayme Sheppard. So you’re probably going to want to change your dog’s name.”
“Or I can call the man Jayme.”
“You could if you’re real fast at ducking,” Sam said, walking into the back room. “He’s been known to answer to Jake, but as a heads-up, I heard the bastard once shoved a man off a bridge for calling him an asshole.” Sam swept an arm around the small room when Niall stepped into the doorway and saw it held only a narrow cot. “So, what do you think?” Sam asked. “This would hold Logan Kent, wouldn’t it?”
Niall also noticed that instead of pine paneling, the walls had been refinished with solid oak boards and that iron bars had been put on the two windows. “Jack Stone has a private office,
two
holding cells, a full-time secretary, and a town-issued snowmobile, ATV, and boat.”
“I’ve seen Pine Creek’s police station,” Sam said, “although I haven’t seen the cells up close and personal like I heard you have. This is the best we could come up with until the townspeople can vote on where to put the new safety building. Duncan’s working on getting you a snowmobile and ATV, and Dad suggested you use one of our rental boats for now.”
Niall moved aside when Sam headed back out to the front room.
“Titus offered to buy any equipment you needed,” the storekeeper continued, “but Duncan and Mac agree that if the two towns want law enforcement, they need to have a vested interest.” He picked up the envelope and handed it to Niall again. “Back in the twelfth century, did lairds have to wrestle town elders for a decent operating budget?”
Hell, he hated the idea of having to ask for money every time he wanted to purchase something for the department. “Nay. As long as my decisions benefited the clan, no one questioned them.” Niall looked down at the envelope he was holding. “Does either Cole or Jake have any experience dealing with budgets and councilmen?”
Sam snorted and headed outside. “They’re more inclined to hold a knife to someone’s throat to get what they want.” He stopped on the porch, his eyes turning as direct as his tone. “You need information on anything or anyone from
anywhere
in the world, I’m your man, but you’re on your own when it comes to the town council. It took a year for them to let us put in gas pumps to service boaters, and then it only happened when one of the councilmen got tired of lugging cans of fuel to his new cabin cruiser.”
Sam suddenly looked toward the Trading Post when someone called his name, and Niall stepped onto the porch to see Peg running down the lane. “What’s wrong?” Niall asked when he saw her expression.
“Maybe nothing,” Peg said in a winded rush, grabbing the handrail when she reached the steps. “But Hazel’s worried because her daughter isn’t answering her cell phone. Birch apparently went out to check on a young girl who might be in trouble, and now I’m worried, too, because Hazel said the girl’s name was Misty.” She looked at Sam. “The only Misty I know who’s in her teens is Ike Vaughn’s daughter.”
Sam nodded, the look in his eyes further alarming Niall. “Last time I saw Misty was about a month ago when she came in the store with her mother.”
Niall stiffened. “What am I hearing in your tone, Waters?”
“What you’re hearing is that Ike Vaughn is a self-righteous, fire-and-brimstone-spewing bastard.”
“He’s more fanatic than those people protesting the colony,” Peg added. “In fact, I heard they asked Ike to leave when he suggested that instead of standing around holding signs, maybe it was time they took action against the devil-worshippers.”
Niall felt the hairs stir on his neck.
“One of the men’s names is Shep?”
Sam nodded. “Short for Jayme Sheppard. So you’re probably going to want to change your dog’s name.”
“Or I can call the man Jayme.”
“You could if you’re real fast at ducking,” Sam said, walking into the back room. “He’s been known to answer to Jake, but as a heads-up, I heard the bastard once shoved a man off a bridge for calling him an asshole.” Sam swept an arm around the small room when Niall stepped into the doorway and saw it held only a narrow cot. “So, what do you think?” Sam asked. “This would hold Logan Kent, wouldn’t it?”
Niall also noticed that instead of pine paneling, the walls had been refinished with solid oak boards and that iron bars had been put on the two windows. “Jack Stone has a private office,
two
holding cells, a full-time secretary, and a town-issued snowmobile, ATV, and boat.”
“I’ve seen Pine Creek’s police station,” Sam said, “although I haven’t seen the cells up close and personal like I heard you have. This is the best we could come up with until the townspeople can vote on where to put the new safety building. Duncan’s working on getting you a snowmobile and ATV, and Dad suggested you use one of our rental boats for now.”
Niall moved aside when Sam headed back out to the front room.
“Titus offered to buy any equipment you needed,” the storekeeper continued, “but Duncan and Mac agree that if the two towns want law enforcement, they need to have a vested interest.” He picked up the envelope and handed it to Niall again. “Back in the twelfth century, did lairds have to wrestle town elders for a decent operating budget?”
Hell, he hated the idea of having to ask for money every time he wanted to purchase something for the department. “Nay. As long as my decisions benefited the clan, no one questioned them.” Niall looked down at the envelope he was holding. “Does either Cole or Jake have any experience dealing with budgets and councilmen?”
Sam snorted and headed outside. “They’re more inclined to hold a knife to someone’s throat to get what they want.” He stopped on the porch, his eyes turning as direct as his tone. “You need information on anything or anyone from
anywhere
in the world, I’m your man, but you’re on your own when it comes to the town council. It took a year for them to let us put in gas pumps to service boaters, and then it only happened when one of the councilmen got tired of lugging cans of fuel to his new cabin cruiser.”
Sam suddenly looked toward the Trading Post when someone called his name, and Niall stepped onto the porch to see Peg running down the lane. “What’s wrong?” Niall asked when he saw her expression.
“Maybe nothing,” Peg said in a winded rush, grabbing the handrail when she reached the steps. “But Hazel’s worried because her daughter isn’t answering her cell phone. Birch apparently went out to check on a young girl who might be in trouble, and now I’m worried, too, because Hazel said the girl’s name was Misty.” She looked at Sam. “The only Misty I know who’s in her teens is Ike Vaughn’s daughter.”
Sam nodded, the look in his eyes further alarming Niall. “Last time I saw Misty was about a month ago when she came in the store with her mother.”
Niall stiffened. “What am I hearing in your tone, Waters?”
“What you’re hearing is that Ike Vaughn is a self-righteous, fire-and-brimstone-spewing bastard.”
“He’s more fanatic than those people protesting the colony,” Peg added. “In fact, I heard they asked Ike to leave when he suggested that instead of standing around holding signs, maybe it was time they took action against the devil-worshippers.”
Niall felt the hairs stir on his neck.
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