Holding Back

by kmac9

Will Walt and Vic continue to hold back, or finally go after what they want?

6. Chapter 6

Walt folded himself into the driver's seat of his Bronco and then looked out the passenger-side window. Vic stood a few feet away, her head turned toward her truck, the printed case files sent by Tom Haskill, the sheriff of Sheridan County, in her arms. A look of uncertainty was evident in her furrowed brow.

Releasing his grip on the steering wheel, he lowered the window between them and saw Vic turn in his direction. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose had started to redden in the cool autumn air. As she held his gaze, she sucked in the right side of her lower lip and readjusted the folder she was holding. He stilled under her scrutiny, wondering which of his past sins were being included in her calculated decision regarding whether she would get in his truck.

Walt ran his hand along his thigh as his eyes drifted to the empty passenger seat beside him.

I think that maybe I shouldn't drive around with you as much.

Every muscle tensed as he waited for her to decide if she was going to drive with him or not, and he jumped slightly when the door suddenly opened. After another glance at her truck, Vic lowered herself into the seat.

Laying the file folder on her lap, and tucking a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, she put on her seat belt and then looked out the windshield without a word.

With a final glance in her direction, Walt shifted the vehicle into drive and pulled out of his spot.

It was the first time she'd been in the Bronco since that disastrous ride to the Red Pony Saturday morning to drop her off at her truck.

Maybe they were making progress.

Or maybe she felt she could handle a three minute ride, and nothing had really changed.

When they pulled into a spot a couple buildings down from the Busy Bee, Vic exited the truck as soon as he put it into park, and didn't wait for him to join her side like she usually did before heading for the entrance. As he stepped into the cafe, he found Vic already searching the room for the proprietor, but Dorothy wasn't in sight. When Vic's gaze landed on the empty stools at the counter, Walt decided he wanted to build on the momentum of her being willing to be around him, and stepped past her, toward an open booth. Sitting opposite each other in a booth would give them more privacy and less opportunity to avoid each other. Although sitting at the counter and not having to look directly at each other might make it easier for them to talk, even if they were more out in the open. There was something to be said about not having to look someone in the eye when you're disappointing them.

He lowered himself onto the bench, facing the door, and watched Vic slide in across from him. She looked around the room before settling her focus on the folder she still gripped in her hand.

Walt took off his hat, flipping it over and placing it on the table to his left. He ran his hand through his hair to smooth it down. Vic made no move to take off her jacket or engage in conversation, and his gut clenched with the fear that she might bolt at any moment. She had still not looked up at him when Dorothy appeared at the table, a Coke and ice tea in hand.

Dorothy placed the beverages before them and took out her order pad and pen. "Long time, Walt."

"What can I say? I missed you."

"I'm sure you did. What are you two having?"

Vic adjusted in her seat. "Actually, we—"

"I'll have the usual."

Vic looked over at Walt.

He shrugged. "I think we should eat. It's past one o'clock. And I know you're hungry."

She held his eyes for a moment and then looked up at Dorothy. "I'll have a cheeseburger, medium, with cheddar. Regular fries." She paused as Dorothy wrote down their order. "And we have a few questions for you when you have a moment."

Dorothy looked up, glancing between the two of them.

"Just let me get your order in, and then I'll come back." She tucked the pen in at the top of her left ear and headed for the counter.

Vic placed the folder on the table, picked up her drink and leaned in. "What are we actually here to talk to Dorothy about? Who did you recognize in the picture?"

Walt's eyes slid to the glass of Coke she grasped with her left hand before looking back up at her. He thought back to another glass she'd held as she'd looked back at him from the other end of his couch.

"Walt?"

He shook his head slightly to dislodge the memory. "Uh, the picture—"

"Ok, what did you want to talk to me about?"

There was a pause and then two pairs of eyes slid toward the owner of the Busy Bee, who was once again standing at the end of the table.

Walt cleared his throat, and then reached across the table and pulled the folder out from under Vic's elbow. He opened the file and removed the pictures Ruby had previously given him.

"Do you recognize this young man?"

Dorothy picked up the pictures, moved the pen above her ear to her pocket and lowered her glasses from their position on top of her head.

"Sure. That's the guy you were asking me about earlier. The one I called you about this morning. From Sheridan. With the dog."

Vic's eyes darted over to Walt's. "How do you know him?"

"I don't. He passed me on the road in his truck when I was driving in this morning. I only saw him through the back window of his cab, but when I was leaving the Busy Bee earlier I encountered him on the way out, only I didn't recognize him without his hat on."

He turned back toward Dorothy. "Did he tell you his name?"

Dorothy shook her head. "No, I don't think so."

Vic peered up at the cafe owner. "Did he say what he was doing in Durant?"

Again, Dorothy looked back and forth between him. "Is this kid tied to the case you were working this weekend?"

Vic's forehead creased in confusion. "This weekend?"

Walt cleared his throat again. "He's part of a case we are looking into today."

"Oh, right...those robberies." Dorothy ran a hand along the side of her neck as she thought back to that morning. "He said he was in town to do some hiking."

Vic looked over at Walt. "That's what he told Haskill he was doing on Saturday. Hiking."

Walt nodded and then returned his attention to Dorothy. "Had he gone hiking already, or was he going hiking today?"

Dorothy looked to the side as she tried to remember the conversation. "He was going to go hiking today. He was waiting for the rain to stop. I think I remember him saying he arrived in town yesterday evening and hung out at the Red Pony last night."

"Did he say anything else or talk to anyone while he was here, other than you?"

"Not really. He ordered breakfast, but kept mostly to himself. He had a book with him and had his phone out. He was texting for a bit."

"What time did he leave?"

"Whenever the rain cleared up."

Vic looked over at Walt. "I think it stopped around 10:00. I was on the phone with you when I noticed it wasn't raining anymore."

Dorothy nodded. "10:00 sounds about right."

Vic again leaned toward Walt. He noticed a little pink still in her cheeks, and intensity in her eyes. "We need to talk to Henry. See if he or anyone else talked to Tyler last night at the Pony."

He nodded before turning back to his right.

"Did he say if he was going hiking with anyone, or where he stayed last night?"

"No. He clammed up when I started asking him about the dog."

Vic looked up at Dorothy quizzically. "What dog?"

"Walt saw him driving around with a dog, unrestrained in the rear of his pickup truck. Asked me to keep an eye out for him because he wanted to give him a talking to." She removed her glasses, repositioning them on the top of her head. "The young fella got a little earful from me on the matter. He didn't open up much after that."

Dorothy glanced back at the clock on the wall. "Let me go check on your order. You probably have places you need to be."

Walt watched Dorothy's retreating back and then turned toward Vic, who was taking a long sip of her Coke. With her eyes lowered, he let his gaze drift to her lips.

Releasing the straw, she straightened and pulled out her notebook and pen as Walt's eyes dropped to the table. "What time did you run into this Tyler kid when you were leaving the Bee this morning?"

He picked up his ice tea and looked over at the counter. "I remember looking up at the clock before I left to head to the station. It was a few minutes before 9:00."

"So that means Tyler was sitting here at the cafe while AJ's was being robbed."

Walt ran his hand along his jaw, his fingers cool against his skin from the glass he'd been holding. "Yep. It seems that way."

"So if he wasn't the one who robbed the liquor store, and he was hiking Saturday morning during those three robberies in Sheridan, are we still interested in finding him?"

"I find it a little strange that he was in the Sheridan area when those three robberies occurred and down here in Durant at the same time as these robberies."

He stirred his ice tea with his straw, watching the ice cubes bump into each other. "Plus there is a confirmed connection between Tyler and one of the Sheridan victims."

Vic's attention was drawn to the end of the table as Dorothy stepped up with two plates. Walt moved the file folder out of the way as Dorothy placed meatloaf and mashed potatoes before him.

He dug in hungrily. "Thanks."

Dorothy looked down at Vic and then over at Walt. "Anything else you wanted to ask me?"

Walt shook his head as he swallowed. "Nope. But if we think of anything I'll give you a call, and if you remember anything, do the same."

"Sure thing." Dorothy looked up as the front door to the cafe opened. "Excuse me." She walked over to the new customers to seat them at a table.

Vic had opened the file and was taking a few notes while she ate her burger.

"What did Dorothy mean earlier, about the case we worked this weekend?"

Walt's hand stilled, his fork clinking against the plate. After a moment he dropped his eyes and ran his other hand along the hair at the back of his neck.

"Oh...when I...uh...when I came in Saturday morning to pick up our coffee she...uh...she recognized your coffee order and assumed that we were working a case over the weekend." He lifted his gaze and found her eyes on him. "I...I didn't correct her."

She held his eyes for a moment. "That hadn't occurred to you? That she would recognize my coffee order, and wonder why you were ordering it on a Saturday morning?" The corners of her mouth tipped upwards, and her eyes softened a fraction.

A smile. Or at least a half-smile. Another first since they parted on Saturday. Some of the tightness in Walt's chest eased and the corners of his mouth lifted, mirroring hers. "Not until I walked in the door. But it was too late. Dorothy had already spotted me."

She leaned slightly into the table, raising a fry in the air and pointing it at him. "You could have ordered two black coffees and added milk and sugar to mine back at the cabin."

He found himself leaning in as well. "I wasn't thinking all that clearly that morning, so it didn't occur to me."

He watched her pop the fry in her mouth. "You should have seen me at the grocery store before that. I was quite the indecisive mess. You're lucky I came back with anything resembling a meal. Next time you—"

Vic's eyes flashed and widened slightly. The half-smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Walt abruptly ended his sentence, dropping his eyes as he gripped the edge of the bench he was sitting on with both hands. When he finally lifted his gaze, he found Vic sitting stiffly and scanning the sheet of paper in front of her.

"Vic, I—"

"Artie's Food Depot was robbed around 8:20 Saturday morning. Only person working at the time was Nick Waters, twenty-two years old. Reported that the store was robbed by an armed man wearing a mask. Just under three hundred dollars in the register at the time."

Walt ran both of his hands along his jeans as Vic turned to the next page. While his palms had moistened, his mouth had gone dry, so he reached for his ice tea as he willed himself to focus on what she was saying.

"Nick's wrists, ankles and eyes were all wrapped with duct tape when he was found by his father, Artie, the owner of the store."

She wrote something in her notebook and then continued to read. "There were no witnesses. No video."

She looked up. "The kid came away from the whole thing with two broken ribs, a broken finger and a concussion."

The softness was gone from her eyes, but the intensity was still there.

Walt reached into the folder and pulled out the next file, briefly scanning its contents.

"Brandt Bicycle and Outdoor Gear Shop was hit shortly after it opened at 9:00 am Saturday morning."

Walt looked up. "Does it say whether the Food Depot was open at the time it was robbed?"

Vic searched the papers in her hands. "Yep. It opened at 8:00."

"So other than Ace Hardware here in Durant, all the stores were hit after they opened. No forced entry."

"Well, Ace Hardware may have been closed, but since the front door wasn't locked, there was no forced entry involved there either."

Walt nodded as he looked down at the papers again.

"The only employee in the bicycle shop that morning was Evan Brandt. Also twenty-two. His older brother James owns the store."

After reading the rest of the page, Walt continued. "Like the rest, he was bound with duct tape. He was able to free himself and call the sheriff's department. He suffered a broken wrist. The thief got away with a little over two hundred and fifty dollars. Nothing else was taken from the store."

Vic finished writing in her notebook and then reached to her left, pulled out the remaining papers in the folder and began perusing them. Walt briefly watched her, unnoticed by Vic as she focused on the information before her. When she lifted her head, he dropped his eyes back to his plate and loaded his fork up.

"Rich's Auto Repair shop was the third store to be hit, just before 10:00 am Saturday morning. The shop had been open a couple hours when it was robbed. There were others working, but they were in the garage at the time. Rich Sollinger, the owner, was the only one in front when the masked man entered. After the guy got Rich to hand over the three hundred dollars in the till, he forced him to open the safe. Walked away with four thousand and change."

Vic's eyes moved further down the page.

"Looks like he tied Rich up with duct tape and then started wailing on him with the bat Haskill mentioned. He suffered a broken leg, cracked ribs and a few broken fingers." Her eyes flicked down the page. "And like the others, Rich didn't see the guy arrive, or what kind of car he drove."

"What does it say about his stepson Tyler?"

"Not much. And Tyler's not his stepson. Rich lives with Tyler's mom but they never married. Tyler's full name is Tyler Daniels. It says Rich thinks that Tyler is responsible because, I quote 'The little shit has had it in for me since the day I moved in with his mom almost nine years ago. And I think he totally has it in him to pull this off. He's a smart son of a bitch and not right in that damn head of his. Plus he knows the shop has a safe and where it is."

She looked up at Walt again, rolling her eyes. "Sounds like a nice guy. Can't understand why someone would want to kick his ass."

Vic added another comment in her book and then reviewed her notes. "So we have three stores that were robbed in Sheridan, all in the same morning, within a two hour period. And the four stores in Durant were robbed two days later, within a three to three-and-half hour span. Seven stores total. Only the two gas stations were similar in type. The gas stations are open 24/7, but the other five stores were robbed within two hours of opening, or just before opening in the case of the hardware store."

She looked up at Walt. "Other than the auto repair shop, the other six stores were ones that could be opened and manned by only one employee. And of the seven stores, four of them had an employee at the counter who was either the owner or related to the owner."

He took a bite, his brain chugging trough the details as he chewed. "And we don't know if or how Tyler connects to any of this other than the fact that Rich is his mother's boyfriend, and he's not too fond of the kid."

"Tyler might not be involved at all. His mother's boyfriend may just have a beef with him, and suggested him as the culprit because of it. He does come off as a dick in the report, calling Tyler a 'little shit.' Tyler could have planned a hiking weekend in Sheridan and Durant that coincidently coincided with the locations of the robberies."

She paused. "Or he may be involved, but we don't know how, since he has alibis for four of the robberies."

"Actually..."

Vic raised an eyebrow.

"He passed me on the road on the way into town around 8:30 this morning. And I parked behind his truck outside the Bee a short while later. So if the robbery at The Filling Station occurred around 8:15, and the break-in at Ace Hardware was logged from 8:33 - 8:37, I don't think Tyler had the time to get to and from either of these stores and pull it off."

Vic raised an eyebrow. "So are you saying he wasn't involved with the robberies? That he is just in town by coincidence?"

"I'm saying he can't be the one who directly robbed the stores. Doesn't mean he wasn't involved. We just need to determine his motive, and who his partner in crime is."

Vic unzipped her coat, which did not go unnoticed by Walt. "Let's say Tyler was involved, did he and his partner do it because they needed money? In the end they walked away with a little under fifty-eight hundred dollars. They could have made more money hitting the stores at a different time, or hitting different stores altogether."

Walt picked up the file for the robbery at the auto repair shop as he stirred his ice tea with his straw. His hand stilled as he saw Vic reach across her plate and dip a few french fries in the gravy on top of his mashed potatoes. He didn't think she realized what she had done and tried to quickly look away before he brought attention to it.

She ate the gravy-laden fries and took a sip of her Coke. "Was it even Tyler's idea? Is it a bet? A fraternity hazing requirement? Is he being forced to do it?"

Again Vic dipped her fries in his gravy. "And if he has a partner, who is it, and why is his partner doing all the heavy lifting, with Tyler on the sidelines solidifying his alibis?"

Walt sliced through the edge of his meatloaf with his fork, keeping his eyes on the file and away from his mashed potatoes. "Maybe we need to look at this from another angle. Maybe instead of the stores being the aim or the money being the goal, maybe it's the employees behind the counter who were the targets."

Vic arched an eyebrow.

He lifted the fork to his mouth but paused. "Does it say in the file where Nick went to school?"

She pulled one of the papers closer. "Yep. Graduated from Sheridan High School four years ago. Received his associate degree two years ago from Sheridan College." She held up a picture of Nick for Walt to see. "Where did Evan go to school?"

Walt sorted through the file until he found what he was looking for. He held up Evan's picture. "Sheridan High School. Graduated four years ago." He looked up. "Must have been in the same class as Nick."

"Did he go to college?"

Walt nodded. "MSU Billings. Graduated in May."

He raised his eyes to Vic. "One of the Durant cashiers is a student at MSU Billings, right?"

"Yep. Dylan. The kid from Ace Hardware. He would have been a freshman Evan's senior year."

"Does it say where Tyler went to high school, or if he's currently going to college?"

Vic rubbed her hand across her forehead and she once again looked at the file. "Nope. There's nothing else in here other than the name of the club he was hiking with on Saturday. The Trailhead Outdoor Club. And it lists a couple names of members who vouched for him." She leaned back in her seat. "Haskill said earlier that Tyler is nineteen or twenty, which makes him younger than both Nick and Evan. He probably graduated from high school a year or two ago. Is Sheridan High the only high school in Sheridan?"

"No. It has a few. Sheridan is about four times the size of Durant."

"Well, even if Tyler went to Sheridan High School, he would have overlapped with Nick and Evan only a year, maybe two."

She looked back at her notebook. "So as far as the employees go, Rich Sollinger aside, we have two employees in Sheridan who both went to Sheridan High. And we have four employees here in Durant who all went to Durant High. Well, one that is a senior, and three others that graduated a year or two ago."

She looked across the table at Walt. "And other than Dylan and Evan, who overlapped at MSU Billings for one year, everyone else goes to, or went to, a different college, in a different location."

She tapped her pen on her notebook. "Right now we don't know if there is a connection between any of them other than some of them attending the same school for a period of time. Some of the Durant kids admitted they knew some of the others during high school, but that's about it. And we have no idea where Tyler went to high school or is going to college, what his relationship is with any of them other than Rich, or if he even knows the kids in Durant."

Walt glanced over at the files that were spread across the table. "I think we need to talk to Tom Haskill again."

He returned his attention to Vic. "I also think we should talk with the three victims up in Sheridan County. And we should look into Tyler's financial situation."

Vic ran her napkin over her fingers as she nodded in agreement. "And we need to find Tyler to question him ourselves." She looked around the room. "But we have no idea where he is hiking right now, or if he's even hiking. And even if he is indeed hiking, we have no idea if he's coming back to Durant when he's done, or heading home to Sheridan, or heading somewhere else altogether."

Walt straightened the papers and placed them back in the folder. "Maybe Henry or someone else at the bar talked to Tyler last night and has some more insight into his whereabouts."

They stood at the same time, each reaching into their wallets to pay for their meal. Vic zipped her coat back up, scooped up the folder and headed for the front of the cafe. Walt followed her, but paused as she opened the door, their discussion at the table and an image of Tyler popping into his head. He turned and searched the room for Dorothy. When he caught the Busy Bee owner's attention, he took a step toward her, with Vic behind him in the doorway.

"Was Tyler wearing a red baseball cap at any point this morning? I saw him wearing one earlier, while he was driving by, but he wasn't wearing it when I ran into him when I was leaving."

Dorothy paused. "Yeah, he put on a red cap before he paid."

"Did it say T-Birds on the front of it?"

Dorothy paused again, and then nodded. "It might have. Does that mean anything?"

"It might. Thanks."

He adjusted his hat so that it sat more securely on his head and then joined Vic outside on the sidewalk. The cool October air cut through the seams of his clothing, and he buried his hands in his coat pockets as they walked toward his truck.

She looked up at him as they reached the Bronco. "T-Birds? What's that all about?"

He made his way to the other side of the vehicle. "I was thinking about the school colors of all the colleges these kids go to or went to. I remember you writing down that Kyle goes to Casper College. The school colors are red and white, and it's the Casper College T-Birds."

"The file doesn't say anything about Tyler going to Casper College."

Walt paused outside his open driver-side door.

"I think we need to make a stop at the hospital before we go over to the Red Pony."

XX

"I don't know him."

Vic handed him another picture. "You sure? Tyler Daniels."

"I'm sure."

"He's around your age."

"Do you know every forty-year old woman in Sheridan, just because you're the same age?"

Vic's eyes widened slightly as her grip on the pictures tightened. Walt tried to hide his smile.

"I'm not for—" She stopped and took a breath. "I'm just saying that you might have come across him in some of the sports you played or other extra-curricular activities, given you guys are the same age."

"Nope. I've never met him."

"He doesn't go to Casper College with you?"

"If he does, I don't know him. There's like four thousand students who go there. I don't know them all."

"You never saw him come into The Filling Station to fill up, or to purchase anything? Or seen anybody come in recently wearing a red T-Birds hat?"

Kyle shook his head.

"What about Nick Waters or Evan Brandt? They're also from Sheridan. About three years older than you." She handed him their pictures from the file folder.

Kyle rubbed his head as he stare at the photos, careful to stay away from the stitches. "Nope, don't know them either." And before Vic could ask, he added "I'm sure."

She held up another photo. "How about this guy? Rich Sollinger. Owns Rich's Auto Repair shop in Sheridan."

Kyle took in the picture and then shook his head.

Vic looked over at Walt from her position at the side of Kyle's hospital bed. Walt stood in the doorway, partly to give Vic space to ask Kyle questions without Kyle feeling like he was being ganged up on, and partly to keep an eye out for Kyle's parents who they had seen filling out paperwork as they were coming in. They had felt that Kyle might be more open with them if his parents weren't around.

Walt stepped forward. "What about Tuck Jensen, Dylan Matthews or Andy Bowman? They're from Durant."

Kyle glanced between Walt and Vic. "She already asked me about them earlier. Well not about the middle one."

"Dylan?"

"Yeah Dylan. We were in the same grade at Durant, but we didn't really hang out."

"And Tuck and Andy?"

Kyle pointed in Vic's direction with his thumb. "Like I already told her, Tuck and I played football together. He was a year ahead of me at Durant. And that Andy kid was a loser a couple years younger than me. I didn't really know him."

Walt rotated his hat in his hands. "You knew him well enough to think he was a loser."

"I just meant he wasn't that popular. I haven't seen him since I graduated."

At that moment Kyle's parents walked into the room.

They stopped in the doorway, surprise clearly on their faces. Kyle's father looked back and forth between the two of them. "Sheriff Longmire. Deputy Moretti, What are you doing here?"

Walt turned around and stepped forward, slightly regretting that he had left his post at the door when he had moved closer to the bed to ask Kyle questions. "We just had a few more questions for Kyle." He paused as he glanced between the Waltons and their son, and then walked over to Vic and took the file folder from her hands.

"Do you know Tyler Daniels? He's a boy Kyle's age that lives up in Sheridan?" He handed them Tyler's picture.

They both studied the photo and then handed it back, each shaking their head. Kyle's father glanced over at Vic. "Does this kid have anything to do with what happened to my son?"

Walt slipped the picture back into the file as Vic took a step closer. "For now he's just a person of interest."

Walt looked over at Vic and then back at the doorway where Kyle's parents still stood. "Deputy Moretti and I need to head out. If any of you remember anything, please call the station. I believe Deputy Moretti gave you the number earlier."

Vic reached his side as the Waltons stepped further into the room to clear the path to the door. With a final look back at Kyle, Walt followed Vic out into the hallway.

When they were a few doors down Vic stopped in her tracks and looked back at the doorway to the room they had just left. "I didn't realize what a pleasant and helpful young man Kyle was when I talked to him earlier."

Walt recognized the sarcasm in her voice. "He could still be reeling from what happened. Not just his injuries, but being the victim of a crime."

Vic's chin dropped towards her chest. "I know."

Walt looked down at her, and then with a glance in both directions stepped forward and placed his hand on her arm, just above her elbow. "You ok?"

Vic's gaze went to Walt's hand but she didn't look up. After a moment Walt dropped his hand, and, realizing how close he was standing, took a step back.

"Yeah, just tired. It's been a long day, and it's barely mid-afternoon."

"Still up for talking to Tuck? I can handle it myself if you're not."

Vic took another step back. "No, I'm up for it. I'm going to run to the restroom and then I'll join you."

Walt's eyes followed her as she turned and began walking down the hall.

He thought he would take a risk. "Don't forget...you're forty years old. You need to start taking it easy at this age."

A pause and then Vic snorted. The laugh reached her eyes as she looked back at Walt. He could not help himself from smiling in return.

"Watch it Longmire. You should never bring up a woman's age." The mirth was still in her eyes as she turned. "Now I'm going to go rinse my face, and hopefully wash away the six years I've apparently aged today...so Tuck doesn't confuse me as being your age next. Being mistaken for forty is bad enough, but sixty-two...I don't know if I could handle it."

He laughed as he watched her receding back. "I'm not sixty-two."

"Oh believe me...I know." And then she turned the corner and was out of sight.

Maybe, just maybe they were making progress.

XX

"How's Tuck doing?"

AJ dropped his head, his shoulders slumping. "He's handling all this better than I am."

"He's going to be ok. He's a strong kid."

AJ looked to his right, at the doorway to his son's room halfway down the hall.

Walt watched the worry lines on AJ's face deepen. "What does the doctor say?"

"They don't think he needs surgery on his nose, but they're calling in a specialist for his hand." AJ ran his hand across both eyes. "God, Walt. What if the damage is so bad he can't play anymore? I don't know what that will do to him. He's lost so much already."

Walt shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"This year...this year has already been so tough...for both of us. With Olivia...I haven't really...and now this. I'm not sure how much more I can take." He looked up, his eyes filled with sorrow Walt could relate to. "How did you get through it?"

Walt looked down at the hat in his hands.

"Day by day."

"Does it get any easier? Some days I feel like I'm drowning. And when I got the phone call from Ruby this morning...I feel so helpless. Like I can't protect anyone I care about."

He shook his head slightly. "I should have been the one in the store this morning. But Tuck insisted he would open and cover the morning shift before heading back to school. I shouldn't...I shouldn't have agreed. And with Olivia, I..." AJ's head again dropped.

"You can't blame yourself. For Olivia or Tuck. There will always be things beyond your control."

"I know. But knowing that doesn't make it any easier. Doesn't make me feel any less responsible."

He saw AJ's eyes start to water. Walt lifted his hand and placed it on AJ's left shoulder. As AJ started to shake, Walt slid his hand across his shoulder to the back of his neck and took a step closer, so that his chest made contact with AJ's side.

Out of the corner of his eye Walt saw movement and he looked up to see Vic rounding the corner. She came to a stop at the other end of the hallway, her eyes on them. She stood for a moment holding Walt's gaze, and then with a glance at AJ, turned and walked in the other direction, out of sight.

He looked down at AJ again. "We have a few more questions for Tuck. Is he up for talking to us?"

AJ wiped his eyes and then took a step back as Walt dropped his hand.

"Yeah, I think so."

"I'll go grab Deputy Moretti, and you can let Tuck know we're here."

AJ stood staring down the hallway in the direction of Tuck's room.

"Ok?"

A pause. "Ok."

Walt placed his hand once again on AJ's shoulder. After a moment he released his hold and then started walking down the hallway in the direction he had seen Vic go. "I'll be right back."

XX

"I gave both Branch and Ferg a call, and told them everything we've learned so far. Branch is going to head back to the hardware store now that we know that it was duct tape that was stolen to see if he can uncover any other information."

"Ok."

Vic studied him closely. "I knew you knew AJ, but I didn't know you knew him."

Walt looked over at her as they turned the corner. "We went to high school together. He was also on the football team."

"Oh yeah? Was he any good?"

"Yep."

"Did he go on to play in college like you?"

"He got a scholarship to play at Colorado. But his dad got sick just before the start of his freshman year and he ended up staying in Durant to help out his family."

"So Tuck has the shot to play college ball that he never got. Is that making this situation even more difficult...given Tuck's injuries?"

"That may be part of it. But AJ's wife, Tuck's mom, was killed in a car accident in May. It's been a tough year all around."

Vic lifted her eyebrows. "I don't remember that accident."

"It wasn't in Absaroka County. AJ and Olivia were driving Tuck and his stuff home when school ended. They were in separate vehicles. Tuck was in the truck with AJ. Olivia's car was hit by another driver."

"Was there an investigation?"

"Yep. They ended up determining it was an accident."

"Were you involved in the investigation?"

"No...when the accident happened I was..." He looked down. "It was five months ago...when everything with Henry, and Ridges and Barlow was going down. I was a little...preoccupied."

"Oh."

They had stopped one room down from Tuck's. Vic was looking up at him, standing close but not touching.

After a few moments passed, she looked at the door to Tuck's room. "Ready to go in?"

"Yep."

Walt led the way into the room, walking around to the right side of the bed, while Vic stayed at the foot of the bed, a few feet from the door.

Tuck looked up at Walt, his face more swollen than when Walt had last seen him a couple hours ago. "Hi Sheriff."

"Hi." Walt's eyes stayed on him for a moment taking in the bruising and swelling. "Uh...Tuck, this is Deputy Moretti. We're both working on your case."

Tuck nodded at Vic as he glanced her way.

Vic smiled over at him.

"Tuck, similar to today's robberies, there were three other robberies in Sheridan on Saturday morning. We wanted to ask you if you knew any of the individuals involved."

"Ok."

Vic stepped forward with the file and handed the stack of pictures to Walt.

He held up Nick's picture. "Do you know this young man? His name is Nick Waters. He's a couple years older than you."

Tuck shook his head. "I don't think so."

Walt pulled out the next picture. "This is Evan Brandt. He's also a couple years older than you."

Tuck paused and then looked up. "These two guys are responsible for the robberies? The ones here too?"

"Oh...no. They were each working at one of the stores that were robbed in Sheridan. They also were injured."

Tuck's eyes stayed on the photo, and Walt sensed something in his stare.

"Do you know Evan?"

Tuck's eyes flicked up to Walt's. "I've never met him before."

Walt watched Tuck as he held his eyes. He then placed Evan's picture back in the stack and held up Rich's photo. "How about him? Rich Sollinger."

Tuck shook his head. "No."

Finally, Walt held up Tyler's picture. "Tyler Daniels. He's a year younger than you."

Tuck's gaze shifted to Vic momentarily, and then landed on the picture in Walt's hand. He shook his head. "I don't know him."

Walt looked over at Vic and then back at Tuck. "Tuck, I didn't get a chance earlier to ask if you knew the other boys who were working at the stores that were robbed here in Durant this morning. They all went to Durant High around the time you did, give or take a year or two. Kyle Walton, Dylan Matthews and Andy Bowman."

"I knew Kyle. He played football with me." He paused. "Dylan Matthew sounds familiar, but I can't picture him." He paused again. "I don't remember an Andy Bowman."

"Thanks." Walt continued to scan Tuck's face. "How are you doing with all that's happened?"

"I..." Walt saw Tuck's eyes start to well up. Tuck lifted his good hand to his face, wincing as his fingers came into contact with his swollen nose.

He looked back up at Walt. "I've been better."

"How's the pain level. Have they been helping you with that?"

Tuck nodded.

Walt placed his hand on Tuck's shoulder, similar to how he had with the boy's father in the hallway. "Tuck, if you ever want to talk about...anything, you know where to find me. My door is always open."

Tuck nodded again. "Ok. Thanks."

"Deputy Moretti and I need to go talk to some people, but if we learn anything new, we'll let you know. If you remember anything new, please call the station. Your father has the number."

Walt gave one final look at Tuck, and then followed Vic out of the room. When they turned the corner, Walt slowed to a stop.

Vic stopped and looked back at him. "What?"

"I got a sense that Tuck recognized Evan, despite the fact that he said he didn't know him."

"He said he had never met him. He never said he didn't know him."

Walt sucked in his lower lip, filing away that information as he placed his hat on his head.

"Let's go talk to Henry and see if we can get another lead."

XX

Walt shut his driver's side door, and looked across the hood at Vic, expecting her to be well on her way to the entrance of the Red Pony. Instead he found her staring into the parking lot. He walked around the truck, but she didn't turn her head as he approached. He followed her line of sight and paused. Was she thinking back to Saturday morning, and the state of things between them when he had dropped her off next to her truck?

"Vic?"

She turned, startled, as if she hadn't heard him walk over. After a moment she lifted her chin, pulled her shoulders back and started heading for the front door.

Walt scurried after her but after a few steps suddenly pulled up short. Vic, sensing his change in movement, turned around.

"What?

"That's Tyler's truck."

"Which one?"

"The grey one."

Vic walked back to his side, and then looked in the direction he was looking.

"You sure?"

Walt didn't answer as he made his way toward the Chevy. He glanced in the bed of the truck but found it empty. He stepped to the passenger door and peered in. A furry head greeted him, and he heard a low whine through the partially cracked window.

"I'm sure."

He glanced around the inside of the cab, seeing a backpack on the floor in front of the passenger seat, but nothing else.

He heard Vic over his left shoulder. "Let's go inside and find him."

When they pushed through the swinging doors at the entrance he saw Vic hesitate a moment as she looked in the direction of the bar. Images from their time at the Red Pony Friday night suddenly flooded his thoughts and he looked down at his boots and tried to catch his breath. He snuck a look over at Vic but her wall was up, and she looked back at him with a neutral expression. All sense of progress that he had felt between them earlier vanished in that look.

"See him anywhere?"

He paused one more moment on her face and then tore his eyes away. He glanced around the room and was about to say he didn't see Tyler anywhere when he landed on the person in question, sitting at the bar holding a longneck in his hands. Walt noted that he wasn't wearing the red baseball cap.

"At the bar. In the blue t-shirt."

They approached the bar, unnoticed by Tyler, who stared straight ahead. Vic slid on to the stool on Tyler's right, grabbing the bottle of beer from his hands.

Tyler whipped his head to the side and looked at Vic with accusing eyes. "Hey!"

"Hey what? You're underage."

Tyler continued to stare at her, his eyes dropping to her uniform shirt.

Walt lowered himself onto the stool to Tyler's left.

"How was your hike, Tyler?"

Tyler swiveled to his left. His quizzical look smoothed into one of recognition as he took Walt in. "Uh...it was great."

"Did you get rained on?"

"No."

"Where did you go hiking?"

A pause. "The trail from Circle Park to Willow Lake and back."

Vic leaned forward. "I've hiked that one. What did you think?"

He turned, and again paused as he looked at her. "Not as strenuous as I'd expected it to be. Good views, but not the best I've seen in the Big Horns."

Walt removed his hat and placed it on the bar to his left. "Aren't you going to ask how we know your name or the fact that you were out hiking today."

Tyler swung his head in Walt's direction. "You're the sheriff. Isn't it your job to know what's going on in your county?"

Walt held his eyes.

"Aren't you going to ask how I know you're the sheriff?"

"I'm guessing you remember my truck from when you decided to pass it this morning. And then got another look at it when I was parked behind you on Main Street. And you might have got a look at my badge just now."

Vic again leaned closer. "What'ya doing in Durant, Tyler?"

With a final glance at Walt, he turned toward Vic. "We just talked about it. Hiking."

"You decided to drive down to Absaroka County for an eight mile hike, even though you're not too far from your own set of trailheads up in Sheridan?"

"I like branching out and trying trails I haven't done before."

"How long have you been into hiking?"

"A few years, I guess."

Vic eyed him. "It took you a few years to try the Circle Park trail?"

"Like you said, I have a lot of trail options. Your trail didn't make it on my list until now."

Walt rotated on his stool so he faced the room but could still look at Tyler. "Does hiking get in the way of your studies?"

"My studies?"

"College?"

Tyler smiled. "I think my studies would get in the way of my hiking...if I was in college."

"You're not in school? I heard you were a smart kid."

"I'm taking some time off. What do they call it...'an off year'?"

"Trying to find yourself?"

"Something like that?"

"Trying to figure out what you want to do with your life?"

"Sure."

"Come up with any answers yet?"

"I'm working on it."

Vic signaled one of the bartenders. "What have you been doing...during this off year?"

Tyler looked back and forth between Vic and Walt. "What I'm doing here. Well not here here. But hiking."

One of the bartenders stepped up. Vic looked up at him. "Hey John, can I get a glass of water?"

As John stepped away she turned back toward Tyler. "Do you usually go hiking alone? I don't hear you talking about going with a group today."

"It depends."

Walt turned to face Tyler. "It depends on what?"

"Where I am, and who's around. And how I'm feeling."

"No one was around today?"

"I went with a group on Saturday. Decided I wanted to do this trail by myself."

"You referring to the Trailhead Outdoor Club you're a member of?"

Tyler blinked.

"You said it's my job as sheriff to know what's going on."

Tyler stayed silent.

Vic took a sip of the water John had handed her. "Is hiking the only thing your outdoor club does?"

Tyler watched her drink her water for a moment. "We also do rock climbing, mountain biking, camping, white water rafting..."

"And where do you do most of this outdoor activity?"

"Depends. Mostly in Wyoming and Montana, but we've planned trips to other states as well."

"So you're taking some time off school to hike, climb and bike?"

"And find myself."

Walt ran his hand along his thigh as he looked at the tables of patrons. "How have you been supporting yourself during this time?"

"I've picked up work here and there."

"Any specific type of work?"

"Depends. In the summer I did some instruction and guiding for outdoor groups."

"Where do you live when you're not traveling around on one of your adventures?"

"With my mom."

"She live in Sheridan?"

"Yep."

"That doesn't seem...constraining? Living with your mom?"

"You can't beat the price."

"And where are you staying while you visit our neck of the woods?"

"At one of your fine motels."

"Which one exactly?"

Tyler paused. The Big Horn motel. You know it?"

Walt nodded. "You can afford staying at a motel? Why not camp? Didn't you list camping as one of the activities your outdoor group loves to do?"

"Don't know if you noticed, but it rained a ton this weekend, and this morning. I decided I wanted a dry night's sleep."

"You don't have any friends here in Durant you could have stayed with?"

"Nope. Don't really know anyone here...unless you're offering up your couch."

"You didn't stay at the motel just so you'd have a confirmed record of where you were staying?"

"A confirmed record?"

"Proof."

"Why would I need proof?"

Walt held his gaze. "Well you see, Tyler, we've had some criminal activity in Durant this morning. This very morning that you so happen to be visiting our lovely neck of the woods. So it got us wondering if you might have been participating in this criminal activity, being the adventurer that you are."

"Criminal activity? What kind of criminal activity?"

Vic moved her empty water glass to the side. "We had a few stores that were robbed. And some employees that were injured in the process."

"Well it couldn't have been me. I was hiking."

"It couldn't have been you, because you were hiking?"

"Yep."

"You were hiking by yourself. How do we know you were actually hiking?"

Tyler straightened a bit, perhaps sensing their seriousness. "I can describe the trail. And there were others I passed on the trail...in both directions. Plus I took pictures." He pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Want to see them?"

Walt straightened. "What if I said your hiking occurred after the stores were robbed, and therefore not a good alibi."

"Well, it still couldn't be me."

"How do you know? I didn't tell you what times the stores were robbed."

"Well I know what I was and wasn't doing this morning, regardless of when the stores were robbed."

"And what were you doing at 6:15 this morning?"

"I was sleeping."

"Ah. Another activity you were doing alone. Or at least I assume you were alone?"

"I was."

"So you have no proof."

"My truck was parked outside my room until I headed into town. I'm sure the motel has video evidence of that. And I ran into someone that worked there as I was leaving, so you could check with him. And of course you saw me driving into town, and where I parked. And that waitress at the restaurant could tell you how long I stayed before leaving for the trail."

"You weren't in your truck when I parked behind it, and you didn't enter the Busy Bee for another twenty minutes. Where were you during that time?"

"At that convenience store a few buildings down. Getting some supplies for my hike, since I'd be hiking over lunch. You can ask the guy that works there."

"Isn't it convenient that you have all these people...all these strangers...who can vouch for your whereabouts."

"Yeah, I guess."

"And you rattled off your proof of your whereabouts very quickly...almost like you might have had it prepared."

"I just knew what I was doing this morning, and didn't want you thinking I had anything to do with these robberies."

Walt looked over at Vic. "We have some pictures to show you."

Vic pulled out her phone, looking over at Walt. "Ruby sent me some pictures of the local guys."

She pulled up a picture of Tuck on her phone. "Do you know him? His name is Tuck Jensen."

Tyler leaned over the phone to look at the picture and then shook his head. "No."

She pulled up Kyle's picture. "How about him? His name is Kyle Walton."

He shook his head.

She swiped to the next picture. "And this one? His name is Dylan Matthews."

He shook his head again.

One more swipe. "And this guy? This is Andy Bowman."

"Nope."

Vic pulled out photos from the folder. "Where did you go to high school, Tyler?"

He looked up at her. "Sheridan High School"

"When did you graduate?"

"A year ago. Well I guess it's been a little over a year."

She placed Nick's picture down on the bar. "This is Nick Waters. Know him?"

He looked down at the photo. "Nope. But I told that to the deputy in Sheridan when he asked me this weekend. Which you probably already know."

"And what about Evan Brandt. Know him?"

Tyler briefly looked at the picture. "Still don't know him."

"And what about him?" She placed Rich's picture before Tyler.

Tyler silently took in the picture. "That's my mom's boyfriend."

"And what's your relationship with your mom's boyfriend like? You two get along?"

"Nope, but again you probably already know that. My not liking him has nothing to do with what happened to him on Saturday."

"You sure you had nothing to do with what happened at Rich's shop?"

"Since you've apparently been talking to the sheriff's department up in Sheridan, you probably already know that I was hiking with my outdoor club at the time Rich's shop was robbed."

Vic looked over at Walt as she put the pictures back in the folder.

Walt shifted his gaze to Tyler. "What are your plans for the rest of the day, Tyler?"

"Well my next step is to eat the food I ordered before you came in. I'm guessing it's going to be ready any moment."

"And after that?"

"I was planning to stay another night. Get some more hiking in tomorrow."

"And which trail will you be hiking tomorrow?"

"Any recommendations?"

"We want you to stick around while we follow up with those you say could vouch for you, so don't go too far."

Vic reached over and picked up Tyler's cell phone. "And we might need to call you, so let me give you my number and get yours."

She began typing into his phone.

Walt continued. "How does that sound, Tyler. Not going too far in case we have some more questions for you? If you're innocent, you should be happy to assist us, right?"

Tyler glanced between them.

Walt cocked an eyebrow. "Do we have a deal Tyler?"

Vic's phone rang. "Now I have your number in my phone, and I've put both my cell phone number and my number at the station in your contact list. Deputy Moretti."

Tyler reached out and took the phone from her hands.

Vic smiled as she stood. "Enjoy the rest of your stay, Tyler. We're so glad you've chosen to make Durant one of your stops for your outdoor adventures. We'll be in touch...we're sure of it."

"Oh, one last thing." Walt stood and put his hat on his head as Tyler turned his way.

"For an outdoorsy person like yourself, who you would think valued nature, I'm surprised at how you treat your dog."

Tyler stared up at him but said nothing.

"What does your girlfriend think about you driving around with the dog unleashed in the back of your truck?"

"My girlfriend?"

"It's your girlfriend's dog, right? That's what Dorothy told us you told her."

Tyler held Walt's eyes. "Yep."

"Well I'm guessing your girlfriend doesn't know how you treat her dog. I'm suggesting you keep him in the cab of your truck from now on, allergies or not, or leave him at home."

Tyler continued to silently look up at him.

"Got it?"

"Got it."

Vic picked up Tyler's beer. "And I'm just going to let the proprietor of this establishment know that you're underage and shouldn't be served. We can also ask him when your food order is going to be ready, if you like."

Walt kept his eyes on Tyler as they made their way toward Henry's office. As they reached the end of the bar, Henry stepped out.

"Hey Henry."

"Vic. Walt." He took note of Vic's uniform. "What brings you two here?"

Walt watched Henry look between the two of them. "We have a few robbery cases we're working on today."

"I have heard."

Walt looked over at the bar. "That kid in the blue t-shirt sitting at your bar is a person of interest right now. Could you do us a favor? Could you try to keep him here for at least an hour? But he's underage, so don't serve him."

He looked over at Vic. "We should call Haskill and see if he can send one of his deputies down here to keep a watch on Tyler. So we can keep tabs on his whereabouts."

He looked down at the file in Vic's hand. "And we can ask Haskill if he can arrange for us to meet with the three Sheridan victims tomorrow so we can ask them a few questions."

All three stood watching Tyler as he sat at the bar ignoring them.

"You two look exhausted. Has it been a rough day with these cases?"

Walt looked over at Vic who did not look back at him. He brought his eyes back to Henry. "Yep."

"Well at least you survived that storm this weekend. I did not know how you fared on that drive home Friday night. I could not see anything out the windows for a while. I was glad to see you were able to pick up your truck the next morning, Vic. It let me know you both made it home safely, since a certain friend of mine could not be bothered to call and tell me such."

Vic dropped her head slightly as she shifted. "I'm going to call Haskill. Can I use your office Henry? It's quieter in there."

"Yes." Vic had not waited for his response and was already behind the closed door before Walt took his next breath.

Henry's eyes flashed to his. "What did I miss? Is there something going on between you two? Are you disagreeing about something?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Henry."

Walt felt the burden of his friend's silent stare, but refused to give in.

"Have you at least tried to talk about it with her?"

He looked Henry in the eye, his silence giving Henry his answer.

XX

At the top of the stairs, Walt led them right into his office through the back door. He turned on the light and stepped immediately in front of the wall, scanning its contents.

Vic handed him the folder.

He took the folder from her but continued to look at what had already been posted. He then reached into the file, pulled out one of the pictures of Tyler, tore off a piece of tape and placed the photo at the top.

He leaned back against the table. "Since I have to wait around until I hear that the deputy Haskill sent made it to Durant, I was going to call the Busy Bee and place a dinner order. Might as well partake of Dorothy's offerings for a third time today. Do you want me to order you something?"

"Oh...uh. I actually need to leave. I...uh...I have plans tonight."

Walt swallowed, and pushed his questions about what those plans might be aside. "Ok." He looked over at her. "Since Haskill's arranged for us to talk to Nick at 8:00 tomorrow morning, we should probably aim to get to the station in Sheridan a little early. It will give us a chance to ask Haskill a few more questions. How about we leave around 6:45?"

Vic looked down at her boots. "I'll...I'll just meet you there. At the station in Sheridan. I'll be there by 7:30." She looked up, and held Walt's eyes.

Walt inwardly cringed, but tried his best to mask his disappointment. "Oh. Ok. I'll...I'll see you there."

Vic gave him one final look before heading for the door to the main office. Walt heard her collecting items at her desk, followed by her booted feet crossing the hardwood floor and then the door opening and closing.

He was surrounded by silence.

He felt surrounded by Vic's disappointment in him, that she'd left in her wake.

He sat down at his desk and held his head in his hands.

He knew he should go home, but he was tired, and the thought of lugging himself down to his truck seemed exhausting just thinking about it. Plus he had to wait for the Sheridan deputy to check in. He stood and looked down at his couch.

He heard someone call Vic's name, and stepped closer to the window. Looking down he saw Vic standing in the middle of the street. Cady appeared and he saw the two start talking, although he couldn't hear what they were saying. After Cady said something, Vic turned her head and looked up at his window.

Walt stepped back, hoping she hadn't seen him.

He gave it a minute and then stepped back up to the window, but the street was now empty and Vic's truck was gone.

So if Cady asks for my number to give to her co-worker, Scott, I should give it to her?

He looked back down at his couch. It was going to be another long night.

---

I never expected this chapter would end up being so long! I thought about splitting it into two chapters, but there were certain scenes that I wanted to tell from Walt's perspective, and with the next chapter switching to Vic's perspective, I couldn't figure out a way to split it. MizReesa and Rebelwant2B, you've expressed how you like longer chapters, so this extra-long chapter is for you :)