“They gave you false information.”
Looking closer at the paperwork, my stomach drops further. “Dad, the vaccines they claim to have given these cattle—theydon’t even treat respiratory diseases. They’re not what they told you they gave, and they’re not effective for what we’re dealing with. I mean, I don’t even recognize the pharmaceutical company’s name, and that’s not normal.”
He swears under his breath, his hands balling into fists. “What do we do now?”
“I’ll handle it,” I say firmly. “We’ll start treatments immediately and get Doc Lucy involved if we need to. But I’m going to need to contact that auction company and figure out what the hell is going on.”
“I think every ranch in Hicks Creek has purchased from them. Might be why we have the outbreak, and it’s not related to one ranch in particular.”
“That’s possible, but I’ll still need to test to make certain,” I sigh.
“Just let me know what I need to do, too,” he replies as he stalks off.
As I drive back to Wade’s ranch, my mind is spinning with everything I need to do. This new information changes everything. I pull into the driveway, grab my phone, and start making calls as I walk into the guest house. I pull out my laptop and start making notes and orders.
There’s a knock on my door about thirty minutes later.
I don’t have time for this. Maybe they’ll go away.
There’s another knock, harder this time.
“Sutton,” I hear Wade call out. “It’s important.”
Is it important, or is he going to yell at me again?
I let out a long sigh and groan as I get up from the table.
“Did you buy cattle from an auction house in Tamlin?” I snap at him without so much as a greeting.
“Dad and Benny did.”
“Do you have the paperwork from it?”
“Yeah,” he says slowly.
“Can you go get it for me? I need to take a look at it. I’m sorry if I’m short, but I’ve got a lot I’m trying to do right now.”
He walks in and holds up a bag of food from Miss Betty’s Diner as if that makes up for the way he behaved earlier.
“Yes, I will do that, but first things first: I brought you food as a peace offering. It was a good thing I went into town, though. I ran into Sheriff Clark while I was at Miss Betty’s. You’ll never guess what he told me.”
He stops and looks at me as he sets the food down on the table and starts pulling it out.
Looks like he is expecting to eat with me.
He gestures toward the food and sits without me inviting him.
“If you’re expecting me to guess what the sheriff told you, I’m not really into guessing games right now.”
“Sheriff said that he got a lot of calls about Dr. Reed and his colleagues coming out to the other ranches and asking questions they had no business asking. They’re supposed to be checking in with him, and they’re not.”
“I told you that.”
“I’m aware. I’m sorry that I blew that off. Sheriff said that he doesn’t believe Dr. Reed or his colleagues have anything to do with the ag office.”
I cock my head to the side. Also, what I’ve already told him, but what information does Sheriff Clark have for him to also believe it?
“All it took for you to believe me was Sheriff Clark saying it. Seriously?”
