“No.”
Creed looked at him a moment, then let it go. “Let’s go over what Rawley had on White while we wait.”
He pulled his chair around and reached for his copy of the notes.
They worked through everything Rawley had compiled on White while they waited for the food. It wasn’t much. A few known associates, an address outside Sunburst that was likely outdated, and a note in Rawley’s handwriting that said simply: slippery.
A knock at the door brought the delivery. They ate at the table, going back through the notes between bites.
“That about covers it,” Creed said, wadding up his napkin.
“Rawley wasn’t wrong.” Hud reached for his fries. “He’s managed to stay just far enough back from all of it to keep his hands clean on paper.”
“Just means we can’t prove it yet.”
“Yet.” Hud nodded.
The drive back to Clifton was a little over two hours on a good day. Today, the roads were wet from overnight rain, and they settled into an easy highway pace, no reason to push it.
“What are you going to tell Dave?” Creed asked after a while.
“The truth. We talked to White’s ex, confirmed he’s running, and we’ve got reason to believe he’s heading for the border.” Hud watched a hawk lift off a fence post as they passed. “What we don’t have is anything solid enough to act on yet. Just Roby’s word and Idon’t trust that son of a bitch.”
“Dave’s not going to love that.”
“No. But he’ll appreciate that we’re not spinning our wheels when the trail’s pointing north.” Hud took a pull of his coffee. “I want to get up to Sunburst. Sooner rather than later.”
“You think White’s already across?”
Hud considered it. “If he was going to cross clean and quiet he’d have done it already. Something’s holding him up.” He drummed his fingers on the wheel. “Could be he’s waiting on his brother. I don’t think he’s moving cattle anymore. I think he already sold them. We just have to find him, arrest him and work backwards from there.”
They rode in silence for a stretch, the highway unspooling through wide open rangeland, grass still winter pale and flat under the gray sky. Scattered herds dotted the hillsides, black cattle standing motionless against the brown earth.
“Rawley’s going to hate sitting this out,” Creed said.
Hud smiled despite himself. “Already does. You should’ve seen his face when I told him we were taking over.”
“Grateful and miserable at the same time.”
“That’s about right.” Hud shook his head. “He’ll be back in the field before the doctor clears him if we’re not careful.”
“Wouldn’t put it past him.”
The clouds were beginning to break up by the time the Clifton water tower appeared on the horizon, pale sky showing through in patches. Hud finished the last of his cold coffee and thought about what he was going to tell Dave.
Not enough. That was the honest answer. Theyhad direction but no destination, suspicion but no proof, and a man who’d already shown he was willing to do whatever it took to stay ahead of them.
But they were closer than they’d been yesterday. That counted for something.
The courthouse sat on the square, solid brick, older than anyone working inside it. Hud found a spot in the lot, and they walked up the steps and through the front doors.
They pulled open the glass door to the livestock department and entered. A couple of agents were at their desks, heads down, phones going, the usual morning hum. A few looked up and nodded as Hud and Creed came through. Someone had made a fresh pot of coffee and the smell of it filled the room.
Dave’s office was visible from the door, glass on three sides, the man himself behind his desk with a phone pressed to his ear and the expression of someone receiving news he hadn’t asked for. He saw them come in, held up a finger and kept talking.
Hud poured himself a coffee, topped off Creed’s, and they waited near Dave’s door until he set the phone down and waved them in.
Dave had the unhurried manner of a man who had learned long ago that impatience was a luxury he couldn’t afford. He’d been running this office for years, and not much rattled him, which was either reassuring or unnerving depending on what you were walking in to tell him.
