Gone: An Emma Caldridge Novella: Part Two of Three Read Free Page A

ultimatum in a mild voice and once again sipped her coffee, waiting to see if the threat of federal action would get him to sign.
    Tarnell snatched the paper, signed it, and shoved it back at her just as Ann stepped up to take her order.
    “I heard you were at Cowboy Leon’s place,” Tarnell said. “Maybe you should ask Brink if he’s seen your friend.”
    Emma shrugged. “I’ll go back right after breakfast and do that.” Ann still hovered, holding an order pad. Her eyes darted between Emma and the sheriff. Emma ordered the farmer’s breakfast and then rose.
    “Let’s go,” she said to Tarnell.
    He smirked, stood, and waved her out of the restaurant, doing his best to make it appear as though he was in charge. The assembled patrons watched them leave. Emma headed to the back of the Jeep, unlocked the box and handed out the weapons. Tarnell held both in one large paw and pointed a finger at her.
    “I don’t want any trouble here, you understand?”
    Emma shook her head. “You’ve already got trouble, you’re just too swollen with your own importance to see it. The moment the Supreme Sons kidnapped an outsider, all bets were off. No one is going to leave Sunrise City alone anymore.”
    Tarnell snorted. “No one kidnapped any outsider and brought them here. Why would they?”
    “To get him to pay up on Shaw’s insurance policy.”
    “What policy?” Tarnell’s confusion seemed real.
    “His kidnap policy with Axor Insurance. Two Supreme Sons showed up in Florida claiming that Shaw was gone and they wanted the company to pay up. You know where Shaw went?”
    Tarnell’s eyebrows flew up so high they almost hit the brim of his police issue hat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Shaw hasn’t gone anywhere. And when the Florida cops told me about those two jokers, I told them not to believe a word of it. They’re cast-offs. Thrown out of here because they didn’t want to live an upstanding life. Drinking and drugging so badly that their families couldn’t take it anymore.”
    Emma gazed at Tarnell, and as much as she disliked the man for his bullying attitude, he seemed to believe what he said.
    “Then maybe someone connected to them kidnapped Ryan. Maybe they want to cash in on a ransom.”
    Tarnell pursed his lips. “Maybe so, but you can bet they didn’t bring him here. They’re not wanted, and if I see them around I’ll just run them back out of town. And you’d better leave too. You’re barking up the wrong tree and wasting your time.”
    “I don’t think so.” She pointed at the guns. “I’ll be back for those.” She spun on her heel and headed back into the diner.
    Ann delivered breakfast, and when Emma was done, the waitress placed a vinyl folder with the check inside on the table.
    “There’s a note in there for Brink,” Ann said. “Could you deliver it for me?” She whispered this while hovering at the table, her eyes darting back and forth.
    Emma nodded, opened the wallet, palmed the check and the small, white envelope under it and with the same hand reached into her satchel. She dropped the envelope and pulled her hand back out, this time holding only the check and her wallet. Ann exhaled in relief. Emma placed a few bills inside the folder and used the pen Ann had supplied to write her cell phone number at the bottom of the check.
    “Call me if you hear anything about a strange man in town. His name is Ryan and I’m looking for him.”
    Ann swallowed once and nodded. “Thank you,” she said.
    T WENTY MINUTES LATER Emma was back at Brink’s. She parked the car under a lean-to and hopped out, walked around the house to a second corral, and found Brink saddling up a horse.
    “That Lily?” she asked. Brink nodded.
    “Yep. Pretty, isn’t she?”
    Lily turned her head and perked her ears at the sound of her name. She was compact, black, and had the delicate look of an Arab but the sturdy legs of a Quarter Horse. Emma patted her neck and Lily rolled an ear to