Ch. 4: Determinations
Walt tried unsuccessfully to put the case out of his mind. That was much easier said than done of course. Working helped him ease it to the back of his thoughts, but he didn't forget about it entirely. Vic didn't say anything else about it as another day passed them by. They both had enough to do both professionally and personally to keep them from dwelling on it.
The next day was quiet in regards to the case thankfully. There were no calls from Cady or from Whitlock. No summons to come in and be questioned further. He hoped that was a good sign and that the DCI Agent had moved onto to other avenues of his investigation.
Vic told him about her own questions once they were alone, filling him in on her thoughts about Whitlock and what he might have been looking for. The man was competent. There was no doubt about that. He was calm and didn't seem to get overly eager in his questions. He was cool and collected, taking everything in stride. Were they not seasoned in investigative techniques, they probably wouldn't have recognized what he was trying to do while he talked to them.
Walt was determined to not let the case take over. He wasn't the Sheriff anymore and Vic didn't work for Cady just yet. He didn't blame Whitlock for being interested in them as persons of interest. Now, that they had both told their respective stories, which he knew matched up, they both hoped that was the end of it as far as their involvement.
While the weather was cold out, the sun was shining enough to offset the temperature some. He normally picked up Julian from school. But, Vic had been doing it since she got serious about going back to work as a deputy. He didn't blame her. They both knew it could be near impossible to keep a regular schedule with that job. She wanted to do it now while she was able to.
While she was gone, he took out the horse they had gotten for Julian. So far, the horse was proving to be a worthy investment. The horse was sound both physically and temperamentally. He was patient and gentle. Those two traits made him an ideal horse for a child who was still learning the ins and outs of horsemanship. Vic rode him occasionally and she commented on how polite the horse seemed. It was an odd word to use to describe a horse, but an accurate one where Blaze was concerned.
While Horse seemed indifferent to the new addition, Lady had taken to the younger horse. That didn't surprise Walt at all. The old mare was as easy going as any animal he'd ever been around and she took most everything in stride. Blaze was of a similar nature and the two of them seemed compatible. Horse was more of a loner in regards to his stablemates. While there was no conflict, he was content to ignore them and carry on with his daily activities.
Walt turned Blaze loose in the pasture and watched the black horse trot around, his tail streaming out behind him. Blaze paused and lifted his head, his ears twitching. Walt glanced around. Whatever the horse saw, he was unable to see or hear. No surprise there. He knew the senses of an animal were much more honed than his own. Much sharper.
The horse dropped his head and snuffled at the ground. Finding no appetizing grass to eat, he turned his head towards Walt and started his way slowly. Walt pulled his hand from his pocket and offered Blaze a piece of apple. The horse swiped it from his hand, then bumped his palm for more. Walt withdrew another piece and offered it to the horse. When the soft nose came seeking again, Walt ran a hand up his nose.
"That's it."
Blaze blew into his hand and lifted his head. Walt looked the horse over. He was a good looking animal. He looked less than impressive when they brought him home. But, that was because of the wet, muddy weather they were having at the time. Once they got him home, they washed and brushed him out. The results were rewarding. His coat was black and thickening for winter. There was a solitary stripe of white down his nose and that was where his name came from.
The horse stayed along the fence. It hadn't taken them long to realize the horse strongly preferred to be with people. Walt reached out and patted the horse's neck, talking to him in low tones. The horse needed to be brushed out, but he wanted Julian to help with that. While he wanted the boy to enjoy the company of the horse, he also wanted him to take on some of the upkeep for the animal. He couldn't do it all himself, of course. He was too young. But, over time, he would take on more and more of the horse's care as he grew older.
Blaze again lifted his head and neighed low. A minute later, Walt heard the familiar sound of Vic driving down the road. He stayed by the horse as Vic pulled in and parked. Julian eyed them as he slipped from the SUV, then darted inside with his backpack. Vic busied herself with removing Anna from her car seat and barely had the toddler out before Julian was back out and running in his direction.
Walt waited as the boy skidded to a stop. To the horse's credit, he wasn't affected by the noise or the motion. Blaze dipped his head over the fence and bumped at Julian with his nose. Julian reached up and patted Blaze on the nose.
"Did he miss me?"
"I think so. He needs to be brushed."
Walt entered the pasture and clipped a lead on Blaze. Leading the horse out, he tied him to the fence and passed Julian a brush, reminding him to be careful where he stepped. Vic walked over with Anna on her hip and watched them for a few minutes while they worked. Anna looked sleepy with her head tilted onto Vic's shoulder. Walt reckoned she had been sleeping on the way home, not an unusual occurrence. Vic stepped back and angled herself towards the cabin,
"I'm gonna take her in."
Walt nodded, giving her a quick look.
"We'll be in soon."
She left the two of them to brush the house. Walt brushed Blaze's side as he and Julian worked in silence for a few minutes. Satisfied with the job, he walked over to watch Julian brush the horse as well as he could. Walt stepped up beside him and continued to brush, getting the areas that were harder for a five year old to reach.
They finished up and Walt turned Blaze loose in the pasture again.
"Let's give him some time to exercise while we go in and find some dinner."
Julian nodded.
"Okay."
He sounded bright. They started for the cabin. The two of them had reached the porch when Walt heard a vehicle. He paused on the top step and looked out. Scanning the road, he felt his stomach drop somewhat when he recognized the SUV of Grayson Whitlock.
xxx
Vic set Anna down on the floor when she walked in. Anna rubbed her eyes tiredly and looked around the room. Vic walked over and picked up the mail, sifting through it absently. Naturally, nothing caught her interest and she returned it to the desk with a toss. Letting out a breath, she shrugged out of her jacket and hung it up.
She wandered into the kitchen and scanned its contents for potential dinner. Nothing was inspiring. But, that wasn't really her department. That was more Walt's thing. Giving up on the idea of being original and coming up with something to cook on her own, she walked back into the living room.
Anna seemed more alert now and was playing with a book that lit up when she pressed on pictures. Vic lingered, watching the absorbed toddler for a few minutes. Walt and Julian wouldn't be long brushing out the horse. Some fresh air and time to decompress was frequently needed after school. She understood. It wasn't much different getting off work. Just because he was a kid didn't make the need to take a breath any different.
Vic heard what she knew to be someone on the porch steps. Walt and Julian. But, then she heard a different sound. A car? Vic left Anna with her book and walked over to the front door. Pulling it open, she saw Walt and Julian on the front steps, both looking out. When she appeared in the doorway, Walt looked her way.
"Whitlock."
He turned back towards the driveway. Sure enough, it was Whitlock. Vic felt something in her stomach lurch. This couldn't be good. She had hoped they were done with his questions and his prodding. They had told him everything that they knew. There was nothing they were holding back. She was getting the impression that he didn't believe them.
Whitlock wasn't alone. There were three other men in the SUV. Whitlock was obviously in charge as he approached the steps and looked up at Walt.
"Afternoon."
Julian retreated to the cabin and squeezed by Vic, leaving Walt as the sole occupant of the porch. Vic felt his hands twist into her shirt. Julian didn't frequently take to strangers. Especially not like this.
Walt shifted his stance.
"What can I do for you?"
Whitlock reached into an inner pocket of his jacket and withdrew some papers that were folded in half. He extended his hand and offered them to Walt. Vic didn't need to be told what was happening here.
"Search warrant."
It was Whitlock who spoke. Walt wasn't really listening. He was looking over the papers, his eyes scanning the pages. Whitlock waited, giving him time. When Walt looked up, he stepped out of the way and met her eyes.
"Jesus."
Whitlock and his men were coming up the steps now, but Vic was still in the doorway. Whitlock paused and his eyes met hers.
"Excuse me."
She lingered for just a second longer before she backed up into the house, allowing him entry.
Anna looked up from her book as they all came in, her eyes taking in the strangers. It felt wrong and odd for this to be happening, but they didn't have any choice. A legal search warrant meant there was nothing they could do except wait it out. The agents fanned out. Walt came into the living room and removed his hat. Julian was looking around nervously.
Even though she felt restless, Vic sat down on the couch and pulled Julian into her lap. He went willingly and allowed Vic to heft him up onto her legs. He was quiet, withdrawing into himself. Anna was still looking around with wide eyes. At her age, she didn't have any comprehension of what was happening. She stood up and wobbled over to Vic and Julian, her hands landing on Vic's knee.
Walt remained standing, his eyes moving around the space.
She could see he was trying to seem unaffected and calm. Beneath that, though, she could see the uncertainty and the worry he tried to keep to himself. His eyes met hers and held for a few seconds before he returned to whatever it was he was thinking about. As many times as she had served search warrants over the years, there was a level of helplessness to being on this side of things.
She didn't like it at all.
From where she sat on the couch, she could hear the agents moving around and rifling through their things. The sense of violation was nearly numbing. If she gave it some real thought, she would know what they were looking for. Earlier on, Whitlock mentioned a 9mm. She had a 9mm. Anyone who knew her well or worked with her knew that her weapon of choice was a 9mm.
"I need the key to this."
Whitlock's voice broke into her thoughts. Vic looked towards the bedroom door from which he emerged holding a lockbox. The metal box that held their weapons they kept on the top shelf of the closet in the bedroom. Walt didn't move for a second or two. Whitlock was looking at him, directing the comment directly to Walt. Walt took a breath and retrieved his keys from the desk where he habitually tossed them.
Walt crossed the floor and held up the key. Instead of taking it, Whitlock held the box so that Walt could unlock it. Once he did, Whitlock walked back into the bedroom wordlessly. Walt looked down at the set of keys in his hands, his gaze averting away from her and both kids.
The scene played out over what felt like an eternity. Vic felt tightly sound, like she was waiting for some eventuality that wasn't coming. Finally, the agents left with the exception of Whitlock. He walked over to them carrying a large evidence bag that held her Glock. Whitlock held it up and looked between the two of them.
"Who does this belong to?"
His eyes shifted again from Walt to her and back. She suspected he knew the answer to his question and was simply looking for confirmation.
"It's mine."
She spoke up in a clear voice, refusing to allow any hesitance or uncertainty. Whitlock's eyes settled on hers for a long moment and he nodded.
"Thank you."
Without another word, he turned and left the cabin leaving them all feeling as though they were the victims of a hit and run.
xxx
"They're not going to find anything."
She was trying to sound sure. From an outside perspective, he might have believed her. But, Walt knew her far too well to buy what she was trying to sell him. She was just as apprehensive as he was about this entire turn of events. He hadn't thought the DCI Agent would actually get a search warrant. From his vantage point, there was no need to. They hadn't done anything. It appeared that Grayson Whitlock didn't see it that way.
Dinner was quiet. Anna was mostly oblivious to the tension in the air with the benefit of young age on her side. Julian knew that something was going on, although there was no way for him to know the specifics. They took care not to discuss it in front of him, keeping the conversation as normal as possible.
Now, with both kids in bed, and each closed bedroom door acting as a buffer, they were free from worrying about that aspect. Walt wished they were free from it all. In spite of the fact that he knew Vic was right and there should be nothing to find, there was still some palpable trepidation that he couldn't shake.
As odd as it sounded, he'd worked in the system too long to have unflappable faith in it or those who were employed by it. Vic wasn't any different. She sat on the bed with her legs crossed. She hadn't bothered getting under the covers. She was perched there wearing a tank top and cotton pants. Here feet were bare. She looked as normal as any other night. Only, this night was anything but normal.
Walt sat down having not responded to her insistence. Vic was facing him, her expression serious.
"There's nothing to find."
"Yeah."
He finally gave her an answer. Her ensuing sigh told her it was one that she didn't like. Of course, he knew that before it ever left his mouth. She disliked his vagueness and his monosyllabic replies. That was nothing new.
The exhaled breath was purposely audible, a warning of sorts.
"I know we haven't done anything. I still don't like it."
He tried again, coming up with a more acceptable response. Vic reached up and rubbed the bridge of her nose, a sure sign that she was thinking, worried, tired, or all of the above. Her hand fell away.
"Maybe this is just how he works. We don't know him. Maybe he wants to entirely rule us out before he moves on."
"That's a lot of maybes."
Vic sighed again, this time at the situation and not him.
"I know. But, it's all I've got. I didn't shoot anyone with that gun and neither did you. The only time I even took it out recently was a couple of weeks ago when you were on your little camping trip."
She didn't elaborate and didn't need to.
"When we got home…I locked it back up. I haven't used it since."
Walt nodded slowly, going over the events in his mind. She was right. If they were to compare the ballistics of her gun to whatever bullet they found in Garrett Perry, there was no way it would be a match.
That was what the more rational part of his mind told him.
He just wished the rest of his brain would go along with that and let this go.
"Maybe…"
He paused, gathering up his scattered thoughts.
"…we should talk to an attorney."
She looked at him for a long, unblinking moment.
"Don't you think that's a bit extreme?"
Walt dropped his eyes to his hand. It rested on the top blanket, his fingers twitching a little on the thick fabric. It did seem extreme. Still, he couldn't shake the idea. He knew what a lawyer would say. Don't answer any questions. They'd already done that once. It wouldn't surprise him to be asked to do it again.
"Sure."
There might be a need to revisit that idea in the near future if the trajectory of this investigation didn't change. Vic moved up to her spot and slipped under the blanket, her legs disappearing as she stretched them out.
"They won't find anything."
She repeated her earlier comment. Walt nodded as he took up a similar position beside her.
"I know."
There wasn't much else for him to say. There was just an intense discomfort to all of this. Vic looked his way.
"If…they try to make something more out of this…we'll call a lawyer."
He nodded his agreement. It made sense.
"Okay."
Vic tried, and failed, to give him a reassuring smile. That wasn't her strong suit. She was far too much of a realist, never an optimist. The smile faded and she lay back, adjusting her head on the pillow.
With nothing else to do, Walt lay down as well. He rolled onto his side and stretched his arm out across her midsection. Vic laid one hand over his arm, her palm warm on his skin. She slowly stroked her fingers over his forearm. The motion felt good. It was comforting in way that was hard to define with words. That was an accurate description of much that passed between them.
Walt took a breath and willed himself to relax. It was easy enough to tell himself not to worry. Accomplishing that was an entirely different situation. She felt good, though. In so many ways. He released the breath that he was holding and closed his eyes.
xxx
The next morning dawned cold and quiet. In spite of the temperatures, it was a welcome sunrise with no phone calls and no unannounced visits. She knew it wouldn't last. Walt would know that as well. But, she was still thankful when breakfast passed and she dropped Julian off at school and nothing happened. There was a brief moment of dread when her cell phone rang, but a quick look told her that it was Cady.
Vic hit answered the phone via Bluetooth as she pulled out of the school onto the street.
"Hey."
"Busy?"
Cady didn't bother with pleasantries. Maybe her peaceful morning was about to come to an abrupt halt.
"No."
"Are you free for breakfast?"
Vic glanced at the clock. She'd already eaten at home. This was likely not about an actual meal.
"Sure. Busy Bee?"
"Yes. I'll meet you there in a few."
Vic ended the call and took the next turn towards the Busy Bee and the Sheriff's Department. Parking on the street, she slipped from the SUV and pushed her way through the door. She was greeted by warm air that was mingled with the scents of frying bacon and good coffee. Cady was already there sitting at a table with a cup of coffee in front of her. Almost as soon as Vic arrived at the small table, Dorothy was there with another cup and a full pot. Vic removed her jacket and draped it over the back of her chair, then sat down.
She mixed cream and sugar into her coffee, her eyes lifting to find Cady's.
"What's going on?"
"You hungry? I already ordered."
Vic shook her head at the question.
"I ate at home. So…why did you want to meet?"
Cady sipped her coffee and looked around the café. It was as busy as ever with the before work breakfast crowd filing in and out.
"Whitlock told me about the warrant."
Vic studied her.
"You didn't know before?"
Cady shook her head.
"No, he's not sharing with me and…he's not legally obligated to. That would be a courtesy. Right now, he's not interested in that. He's very…hyper focused."
"You're telling me. We answered his questions. It's not like we're keeping things from him."
Cady's head bobbed a little.
"Yeah. He's uh…he's been asking me some questions about you?"
"Me?"
She shouldn't have been surprised. In all honesty, she figured Walt was the one that Whitlock was most interested in.
"Yes. Asking questions about your past, your marriage. What I saw the night Garrett saw us at the Red Pony."
"Shit."
The word came out on a sigh of frustration.
"Try not to worry."
Vic gave her a skeptical look.
"Easy for you to say. He's not looking at you for a murder."
Cady gave her an understanding look.
"I know. But…you didn't do it. The evidence should…will speak for itself."
"Right."
She didn't sound all that convincing.
"You don't think he'll fabricate something?"
Vic shrugged.
"I don't know why he would. There's no ax to grind. I don't know him. But…"
She paused and took a drink from her cup.
…short of having a literal smoking gun…evidence can be…open to interpretation. You went to law school. You know how the systems works. That sometimes it doesn't."
"Yeah, but…it's like you said…it's not like he's after you for some personal reason. Once he clears you…he'll move on."
Cady didn't sound as sure as she seemed to want to. Vic didn't point that out. Dorothy reappeared with Cady's food and gave Vic a look.
"Sure you don't want something?"
Vic shook her head and offered Dorothy a smile.
"No thanks."
Dorothy returned the smile, refilled their coffee, and hurried off. Cady started to eat and seemed to shift gears.
"How are things?"
Vic tilted her head.
"In what way?"
Cady looked up, her blue eyes finding Vic.
"Any way. You guys have been through a lot. I know things have been better."
"Everything at home is fine."
Cady continued to look at her.
"With dad?"
"Yes."
She tried to keep the touch of impatience she felt out of her voice. She knew that Cady meant well. Cady seemed to accept the words and continued to eat, nodding again.
"That's good."
She stopped eating and sipped her coffee, looking at Vic over the rim of her cup.
"Have you…decided yet?"
Vic knew what she was talking about.
"Yes."
Cady set her cup down and rested her arms on the surface of the table.
"Yes…or yes?"
"Yes."
She repeated the word and a slow smile crept across her face. That was enough to answer Cady's question without any real explanation. Cady broke out in a smile of her own.
"Really?"
"Really."
"That's…the best news…"
Cady halted her speaking and her smile faded some. She seemed to deflate somewhat.
"I suppose we'll have to wait until…"
She paused and her eyes drifted to the door, in the general direction of the office.
"…Whitlock is done."
Vic made a face. Cady wasn't wrong. That didn't mean she had to like it.
"Right."
Cady sighed and pushed her nearly empty plate away.
"Well…maybe it won't take much longer. Once he realizes he's wasting his time, he'll move on if he really wants to solve this case."
"Yeah."
Vic didn't offer anymore than that. The reminded of Whitlock and his misguided suspicions were a mood killer. Cady was right, though. Hiring her back on while she was the subject of a state level murder investigation was not feasible. There would be far too much conflict considering everything.
She wanted to believe what Cady was saying. The thing was, Cady didn't seem all that convinced. Vic pushed it aside. They were being unnecessarily pessimistic. The investigation would swap routes once Whitlock cleared them.
That was what she insisted to herself.
Cady looked at the time with a dour look.
"I should get to the office."
They both stood up. Cady waved off Vic's attempt to put any money down and gestured at her empty coffee cup.
"I've got it."
Vic conceded and they walked out onto the street, pulling their jackets on. Cady glanced down the street before she turned to Vic.
"I'll see you later."
Vic nodded and tucked her hands into her pockets for warmth.
"Okay. Later."
She watched as Cady crossed the street carefully, then headed for work.
Vic turned and nearly collided with a figure she hadn't known was behind her. His hands came up and caught her by one arm when her balance deserted her. Vic peered into the morning sun and the face of Grayson Whitlock.
xxx
He hadn't mentioned to her that he was going to town. There wasn't any reason to. With her mind all but made up, Vic was still insistent that she be the one to take Julian to school. He certainly wasn't going to argue with her. Once she started back to work as a deputy, who knew what kind of schedule she would have. The flexibility that she currently enjoyed would disappear like fog. So, it's not like she would have asked him to do it anyway.
Honestly, he hadn't even thought very much about it. Unless they were talking casually about their days, it wasn't like they checked in with each other or gave itineraries listing every place they were going that day. He knew without question that Vic would buck any attempts for him to keep up with her so tightly as would he. That wasn't who they were.
Walt was in the barn when Eli pulled up in his old, beat up truck and greeted him with the same easy smile as every other morning. Eli was predictable. Walt liked that. He arrived at the same time every morning unless he was doing something for his grandmother and he was almost always in a good mood. The young man was a hard worker and dedicated to horses in a way that made Walt feel a kinship with him. He always wore some version of old jeans, a t-shirt or flannel shirt depending on the weather, and the same old ballcap. That type of steadiness in someone Eli's age was hard to find. Especially around here where so many young people simply wanted to get out and move somewhere more populated than Absaroka County.
"Hey, Mr. Walt. How's it going?"
"Can't complain."
This morning, Eli wore a faded denim jacket over his flannel shirt to fight the chill in the air. Their job didn't exactly allow for a late start due to the weather.
Eli's eyes dropped to the baby monitor that was clipped onto Walt's belt.
"You got little miss this morning?"
Walt smiled.
"Yep. She's taking a nap."
"No preschool today?"
"Not today."
"Miss Vic working?"
Walt shook his head.
"She took Eli to school. She'll be back at some point."
Eli studied him with strikingly mature gray eyes.
"You're good parents. Both of you."
The compliment caught him off guard and was out of the norm. He dipped his face slightly.
"Thanks."
Eli scuffled one boot over the ground, rolling small rocks underneath the worn sole.
"Has Ms. Vic decided if she's going back to her old job?"
Walt looked up and across the pasture.
"Yep. Don't know when yet, though."
Eli seemed to mull over the idea.
"She was good at it, wasn't she?"
"Yes, she was."
Eli smiled crookedly.
"Might do me some good to know the law."
Walt merely laughed quietly and started for the barn.
"Doubt you'll ever be on the wrong side of the law. If you are, I can't guarantee that she will cut you any slack."
In the barn, they started the same tasks they did pretty much every morning. There were horses to be fed, brushed, exercised. There were stalls to be cleaned. Fresh hay to be put out. It was hard work, but it was the kind of honest work that Walt liked. He dealt primarily with animals. There were the owners of course. But, his contact with them wasn't as extensive as the people he faced when he was Sheriff. They were mostly good people and he mostly liked them. He liked the feeling of physical labor. He liked feeling as though he were working his body the same way his reading habit worked his mind. Even when he was sore at the end of the day, that meant he had worked hard and earned it.
Walt was reasonably sure that mindset came from his father.
An hour or so into work, the baby monitor lit up and Walt excused himself to what was actually one of his favorite jobs.
Father.
He never imagined when he and Vic were starting out that they would wind up creating a family the way they had. They hadn't really actively tried to have a child. For some time, Vic was on the fence about whether or not she was even wanted to try. She convinced herself that she was content with what they had and that was okay by him. He would be lying to say the thought didn't cross his mind. That was natural when you loved someone. You…thought about various paths your life together could take. He wondered what a child that possessed both of their DNA would be like.
When those thoughts actually materialized, he was shocked to say the very least. Vic was on birth control when she conceived and her own surprise was full of trepidation and worry. It all but confirmed what he suspected all along. She might have been perfectly fine with never having a child, but her decision not to seek motherhood was based more on fear than anything else. He couldn't fault her for that. Not after the way her first pregnancy ended. Not after what it did to her emotionally and mentally. It was different this time. That was what he insisted to her. And, it was entirely different. She had support and she was in a much less transitional place in her life.
The daughter that she gave him was so much more than he imagined. She looked so much like Vic except for having hair that appeared to come more from Walt than from the dark-haired Moretti family. Walt wouldn't have had it any other way to be honest. Like her mother, his daughter was stubborn and could produce amazing volumes of sound when she set her mind to it.
Being a father at his age wasn't easy, but he wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world. This time around, he was determined that his primary priority would be his family. He felt like he'd made good on that. Mostly. No one was perfect. He certainly wasn't. He gave it his best.
He pulled the baby monitor from his belt and held it up slightly in Eli's direction.
"I need to get her. Then, I'm running into town for some feed."
Eli gave him a nod and returned to his work.
In the cabin, Walt lifted Anna from her crib. Her hair was askew from sleeping and her cheeks were red. She rubbed her eyes with a fisted hand. Walt carried her into the kitchen and gave her a cup of milk along with a banana. He waited while she ate her snack messily. Walt reached out and smoothed her hair down his with palm.
She smiled at him, a few teeth now visible. Once she was done, Walt cleaned her off and dressed her for the cold. Once she was safely in her car seat, they made the drive into town. He wondered if he would see Vic on the way back. If she had dropped Julian off at school and didn't have any other stops she wanted to make, she would be headed back this way now.
As Durant came into view, the thought crossed his mind that he could stop in and see Cady. Knowing that Whitlock might be there, he dismissed that idea about as soon as he had it. Better not to cross paths if he didn't need to. He would catch up with Cady later on.
Walt aimed the Bronco for the feed store and parked. He carried Anna inside and set her down on her feet while he took care of business and then browsed. This time of the morning, he was the only customer. There was no need to rush. Too many people rushed through life and missed out on day to day experiences because they were in such a hurry.
He spent about fifteen minutes in the store and had the feed loaded. Back out on the street, he got back into the Bronco and drove into the main strip through town. From where he was, he could see the familiar building that housed the Sheriff's Department, the old Carnegie library. The building was full of character. There were times he missed the familiar routine of it all. But, this wasn't one of those mornings.
Letting his eyes scan the streets, he saw a familiar vehicle and pulled into a parking spot. Vic's SUV was parked along the curb not too far from both the Sheriff's Department and the Busy Bee. He doubted she would stop by and see Cady with Whitlock hanging around unless Cady called her for some reason. Walt sat and looked around. He didn't see Vic. Cady's Jeep was parked in its normal, reserved spot near the office. She was around.
He briefly thought about calling Vic to see if there was something going on. He discarded the thought when Cady appeared in his line of sight. She was walking from the direction of the Busy Bee towards the Sheriff's Department. He got out and pulled Anna from her car seat. Carrying her, he crossed the street, aiming at intercepting Cady.
She saw him and stopped, a smile crossing her face when she saw her baby sister.
"Hey."
"Hey, Punk."
She took Anna from him, who had extended her arms to Cady with smile.
"Cadee."
Cady glanced around.
"Funny seeing you here. I was just talking to Vic at the Bee."
Walt nodded.
"I saw her SUV and…"
His voice trailed off as he automatically looked in the direction of the café. Due to some parked vehicles, he couldn't see the door. But, he did see Vic come into view. He also saw another figure he recognized walking towards Vic and the café with his face tilted down.
Grayson Whitlock.
Vic's back was to the DCI Agent. Walt watched as she turned and smacked directly into Whitlock. Vic pulled back, her shoes scraping over the pavement and Whitlock's arm shot out and closed around her arm.
Without another word to Cady, Walt started their way.