“We don’t bribe judges,” Tanner reminded him.
“Oh, God, how I hate dealing with decent people!” Marlowe said with absolute disgust.
Tanner and Josie burst out laughing.
Marlowe sighed. “All right, then, you called a friend of your family in Wyoming, a lawyer, who got you out with some fancy legal footwork.”
“Why not her dad?” Tanner asked innocently.
Marlowe grimaced. “Don’t go there,” he said in an undertone.
Josie let out a breath. “Don’t mind me.”
“We won’t,” Marlowe agreed. He looked at Tanner. “Her dad’s a dog. Anything in skirts. He’s never home and he’s already selling their ranch so he has more money to attract women.”
Josie gaped at him. “How do you know...?”
“Oh, I know everything,” he said with a cool smile. “And even if I didn’t, I know people who do.”
“I’ll bet you’re a four-alarm riot at parties,” she accused.
“I don’t get invited to parties.”
“Why?” she asked, because he was really good-looking.
“Well, at the last one I casually mentioned to my host that his wife was banging his best friend...”
They groaned.
Marlowe grinned. “See? Word gets around and people leave you alone.”
“Don’t you like people?” Tanner asked facetiously.
“No.”
“Short and sweet,” Tanner chuckled, getting to his feet. “Does she have to wear the ankle bracelet?” he asked.
“She hasn’t been charged yet, or convicted,” Marlowe said. “Okay, possible fugitive from justice,” he teased Josie, “let’s get out the props and set you up as a lawbreaker.”
“Suits me. Want me to wear a wire?”
He shook his head. “He—” he nodded toward Tanner “—has all sorts of covert, illegal toys that can record unsuspecting people.” He added that last bit with a cold glare.
“Just because I once, only once, recorded you cussing out one of your deputies for crashing a patrol car...” Tanner began defensively.
Marlowe glared at him. It was the sort of look that would stop a riot. “The only kind thing you did was erase it before the head of the county commission heard it,” he said. “As it was, I had to justify the expense of repairing the car and saving my dumb ass deputy’s job.” He sighed. “And then the idiot resigned two days later to take a job at a feed depot.”
“It’s a small community and, forgive me, law enforcement is notoriously underpaid,” Josie said.
“Tell me about it,” he said. “If I didn’t have funds invested from my former occupation... well, let’s not go there.”
“Much better not to,” Tanner mused with a grin and a glance at the sheriff. “You’re a legend for some of the things you did in those days.”
“And now I just collect my check and watch reruns of my favorite show,The Mandalorian, until they make the new movie,” he sighed.
“Movie’s coming up next year,” Josie mentioned. “I can’t wait!”
Tanner chuckled. “That makes three of us.”
