“What did you find?” both Tex and Lani demanded.
“Evidence that what Mikey smoked was grown here,” Brad said. Noah stayed silent while he explained what they’d heard.
“Bastard,” Lani hissed.
“And then some,” Tex added.
They drove back to town, and Noah cooled his anger. Mikey could have been killed and that asshole didn’t care.
“I’ll put a call in to Cubby.” Brad pulled out his phone and soon was talking to the sheriff. “He’s meeting us at the Lair,” he said cutting the call. “Drive there.”
It was still dark, the hour creeping toward 4:00 a.m. The only idiot around at this time would be Buster in the Hoot.
“Buster,” Noah said into his cellphone. “Bring coffee and food over to the Lair, we got stuff to tell you.”
“Buster is really nosey. He’ll come purely because he won’t be able to help himself,” Brad said. “Biggest gossip in town, for all he’d deny it.”
Cubby and Katie pulled in ten minutes after them.
“This better be good. Today is my day off,” Cubby said, jangling his keys.
“I’ll just head back to the shop now,” Lani said.
“Nope. You’re part of this, you stay.” Noah wrapped his fingers round her upper arm.
“I don’t like police stations.”
“Not many people do, but this one is nice. Wait till you see the color they’ve painted it.”
“Not they,” Cubby said. “The previous sheriff, and as yet I’ve not convinced the book club to change it.”
“Noah, I need to get back and let Buddy out.”
“Which you don’t usually do until the sun rises, so stop with the excuses.”
Cubby opened the front door, then sprinted into the building.
“What is he doing?” Lani asked.
“Some idiot put the alarm keypad at the rear of the building,” Katie said. “That too needs updating.”
They all heard the sheriff of Lake Howling curse.
“Tank, one of his deputies, has left his chair out again,” Katie added.
“All clear!”
They filed in after these roared words. Light flooded the interior.
“Is that pink?”
“Cantaloupe,” Noah said as Lani looked around the walls. “The last sheriff’s wife picked it.”
“Come into my office.”
They did, and Noah felt the tension in Lani climb. Had she spent some time in a police station? Was that what was scaring her?
“Drag in some chairs. And why the fuck is your face painted in those stripes, Tex? Furthermore, why am I feeling really sick in my gut about now?” Cubby said, glaring at his friends. “If you fuckers have been breaking the law, I will arrest you.”
