“But if anything comes up that I have any knowledge about,” he added, putting a big hand on John’s shoulder, “I’ll tell you. Is that good enough?”
John searched his eyes. It was all he was going to get. He sighed. “Okay.”
“How about those champion bulls that Dad sold to the Mexican rancher?” Tanner asked abruptly.
John grimaced. “Vet removed the drugs from their stomachs. Poor little things. One died, in spite of his efforts—the container broke and some of the product spilled into its stomach. Dad called the man in Mexico and told him he was refunding the price of the dead calf. The Hispanic man was furious, not at the money, but at whoever had put the life of the little animal in jeopardy.” He smiled faintly. “The guy has a heart. I thought maybe he was into the drug smuggling, but his outrage wasn’t practiced. It was real. He was ready to call somebody out for what they did to the animals.” He smiled. “I liked him. So did Dad.”
Tanner knew something about the Hispanic rancher that John and Cole didn’t, but for the moment, he had to keep his own counsel. “He did sound like a man who cared about helpless things,” he concurred.
John sighed, sticking his hands deep into his pockets. “I’m just uneasy about Josie,” he said.
“Stop worrying. She’ll close her land deal, and she’ll call you,” Tanner said with a smile.
John relaxed a little. “I guess.”
Tanner studied him. “You seem a little more interested in her than you used to be.”
John had to admit that his brother was right. “She kind of grew on me,” he confessed. “I know she’s had some legal issues. It doesn’t seem to matter. She was great with JJ, and Mom likedher. Funny, though, she doesn’t really strike me as a criminal. I guess I’m just rationalizing it.”
He might be, but Tanner knew John was in for a surprise when the truth about Josie came out. He just hoped she was savvy enough to know that her buddy Raines was about to sell her out. He’d been in touch with the authorities back east; in particular, Rodrigo Ramirez, who was one of the top agents. Ramirez had relatives high up in the Mexican government, and he himself was a veteran undercover agent. He was still wanted in two foreign countries, after all these years. His life would have made a great movie.
Not that he could tell his brother this. But Ramirez had knowledge that most agencies didn’t, and he and Tanner went way back. He said that Vega was going to pull a major takeover of Velasquez’s operation, and that he had people in place to take a shipment right out from under Velasquez’s nose.
That would be the job Josie was doing right now, and she was in terrible danger, not only of being killed in a crossfire, but also of being unmasked. One man in Vega’s group knew her from a former undercover op, and he would recognize her on sight.
Tanner only hoped that she was as good as Ramirez said she was. Nobody had forgotten several DEA agents who’d been killed on undercover assignments. It was dangerous, but necessary work in the war to keep illegal narcotics off the streets.
But he smiled at John. “She’ll be fine. Now, let’s go calm Mom down,” he added on a chuckle.
“That will take more than us,” John sighed.
“We’re a good start. If we get in over our heads, we’ll have a talk with JJ,” he added.
John laughed. “JJ has been the best thing that’s happened to this family in years, aside from Tony marrying into it,” he added. “JJ kind of makes up for all of us being grown and having other matters to deal with. He’s a good kid.”
“Really good,” Tanner agreed as they walked back toward the house. “And if it wasn’t for Josie, he’d be in foster care somewhere.”
John’s heart leaped at the mention of her name. “He would,” he agreed. “It was lucky for all of us that she went to that rodeo.”
“It was. But Christmas is helping keep some of his sadness at losing his dad at bay,” he added. He shook his head. “It’s a dismal life for some people.”
“We’re lucky,” John agreed.
“Very lucky.” And he was praying silently that the luck would hold, and that Josie wouldn’t get into a situation she couldn’t escape from.
Later that day, Tanner stopped by the detention center where Sheriff Dunn Marlowe was working out the schedule for his deputies and cursing.
He looked up as Tanner entered. “Bad timing,” he muttered.
“What’s biting you?” Tanner asked amusedly.
“Two deputies want to be off duty at the same time, one for a birthday and the other for a wedding. The one who’s left shows up when he has time. Meanwhile, I seem to be the only employee of the damned department who works!”
“Fire them all and raise your own salary,” Tanner suggested, dropping into the visitor chair in front of Marlowe’s desk.
“Oh, I’m tempted,” the sheriff replied darkly. He sighed and ignored the computer screen. “Why are you here?”
“I wanted to know if you’ve heard anything about Velasquez moving that shipment,” he said simply. “The family—well, the two who have apparent psychic abilities—thinks she’s in danger and they’re worried.”
