Exhaustion seeped through his bones, and he collapsed into his couch, his head falling back and his eyes closing of their own accord. The last three nights of little sleep had caught up with him, and he didn't know if he could muster the energy to drive himself home. It would mean another night staying at the office.
Walt felt his body sinking further into the cushions, and knew if he didn't head back to the cabin now, he was done for.
He heard a knock on his door, but couldn't lift his head. He wasn't on duty. He shouldn't still be here.
"Yep?"
He heard his office door open to his left and the shuffle of feet along the floorboards, but still couldn't convince his eyelids to work.
A moment passed, and he wondered if the person who had entered had changed their mind after seeing his lack of responsiveness. And then he felt the cushion dip to his left, and then pressure across one thigh and then the other.
His eyelids finally fluttered open and he tried to focus on the face before his. A face in shadows, backlit by the only source of light in the room. The lamp on his desk.
"Vic?"
Without responding she slid forward in his lap, her face hovering before his.
He was awake. Fully awake.
He could feel the quickening thud of his heartbeat.
He could feel her hand resting on his chest.
He could feel the warmth of her breath against his face.
"You can touch me Walt."
But he couldn't move. Not even to shake his head in response.
He felt her remove her palm from his chest and then lift both of his hands and place them on her hips. His gaze dropped, but she brought her left hand to his face to lift his chin and return his focus to her. She ran her fingers along his jawline.
"Vic."
"Why are you scared Walt?"
He heard the low ring of a telephone from the other room as Vic threaded her fingers in his hair.
"We should...we should probably answer that." He was having a hard time putting cohesive thoughts together.
She leaned her forehead against his.
His hands tightened at her waist.
"Vic."
She pulled back, but only slightly.
"Why are you scared to be with me?"
He heard the phone ring again, but Vic still made no move to get up so one of them could answer it.
She leaned in and brought her lips to his temple, her voice a whisper in his ear.
"Why are you so concerned about what others might think?"
He stared back at her.
"Or do you just not want to be with me?"
She shifted again and he let his head roll back until it made contact with the cushion. His eyes closed as her lips crushed down on his. Hungry. Searching. Completely in control. When she pulled back, he leaned toward her, as if she had a gravitational pull on him, his lips already missing the contact.
And then suddenly, the weight across his thighs lifted, and when he opened his eyes, she was no longer there.
After a moment he realized it was the phone on his desk that was ringing. Still somewhat dazed, he pushed himself off the couch to pick up the handset.
"Uh...Sheriff's Department."
"We have a situation at the Pony, and I need you to come over."
He rubbed his hand over his eyes. "I'm not on duty, Henry. Why didn't you ask Ferg to come out?"
"He told me your truck was still parked out front, so I had him patch me through. This situation has your name written all over it."
Before he could ask Henry to elaborate, the line went dead.
Walt stared at the phone in his hand before hanging up. He stepped up to his coat rack and paused. Closing his eyes, he remembered the feel of her mouth crashing down on his. After a moment he shook his head and reached out for his hat. He placed it on his head, grabbed his jacket, and walked across the room. With a glance back at the couch, he opened his door and stepped out in to the main office. Ferg looked up at the sound.
Walt slid his right arm into the sleeve of his jacket. "Ferg, I'm going over to the Pony to help Henry out with a situation, and then heading home."
"Ok. Need any help?"
"I don't think so, but I'll call if that changes."
Walt paused as he looked down at Vic's desk. "Did...did Vic stop by a little while ago?"
"Vic? No. No one has stopped in since you got back from Sheridan. It's been a slow night."
"That's...uh...that's what I thought, but just wanted to check." And with that, Walt headed for the door. "See you tomorrow Ferg."
XX
With his hands coming to rest on his hips, Walt paused just inside the entrance and scanned the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for the Pony on a Tuesday night. He looked for Henry, finally locating him at the far end of the bar talking to a customer. As he neared, Henry looked up and nodded toward his office.
Henry said a few final words to the man he was talking to and then joined Walt just outside the door.
"You should talk to her."
Walt stared straight ahead, his hand resting on the doorknob, but his shoulders slumped in acknowledgement. "What did she say to you?"
Walt knew, before Henry even spoke, that he would not reveal what had been said between the two of them.
"I am bound by bartender confidentiality."
Walt turned to look at his friend.
"How long has she been here?" He wanted to ask if she'd come with anyone, but he didn't know if he wanted to hear the answer.
"She has been here a couple of hours."
Walt's eyes dropped to his boots.
"Talk to her." And then Henry turned his back on him and walked to a table across the room.
Walt stepped into the office, his eyes immediately falling on Vic's blond head as he closed the door shut behind him. He stepped in front of the couch and looked down, finding her sitting with her eyes closed.
"Vic?"
Her eyes remained shut, and after a moment he looked around the room, pausing on the closed door before returning his attention to where she was seated. He ran his hand along the left side of his jaw and then turned around and sat down a couple feet to her left. The couch sagged a little under his weight. Running both hands along his thighs, he brought his palms to rest on his knees and then looked up at the antlers mounted on the wall near the desk.
"I take it that Henry called you?"
Walt turned, surprised by her voice. Her eyes were still closed.
He slid his right hand along his thigh again. "Yep."
Slowly she opened her eyes. Although a bit bleary, she managed to hold his gaze. Her head was turned his way, and a few strands of hair that had fallen across her brow were distracting him. He longed to reach out and brush them aside.
"Why don't you like me Walt?"
He held her eyes for a moment before answering.
"I...I do like you, Vic."
"No you don't. Not really. If you did, you would have made the next move." She waved her arm in his general direction. "You've been pretty moveless." She closed her eyes. "And I'm pretty sure that's a word. Moveless." She breathed in deeply. "Moveless Walt."
He waited for her next accusation as he fingered the outer seem of his jeans near his knee, but she stayed silent. After a few moments he saw her breathing start to even out. He tentatively reached out, his fingers brushing her elbow.
"Vic?"
She didn't stir, and he gave in to temptation and lifted his hand to brush aside the hair that had fallen in front of her face.
"Vic, I should drive you home."
No response.
Still turned toward her, he leaned his head back against the couch, his eyes on her face.
His thoughts drifted to Friday night. Vic had fallen asleep first and he'd had a few moments to watch her in the near darkness of his bedroom before he'd drifted to sleep.
He felt the weariness of the last three sleepless nights take over once again, and decided it would be ok to close his eyes.
He would rest, just for a moment, before taking her home.
XX
Walt blinked, as his eyes tried to focus. He recognized Henry's desk, and he sat up and turned toward where Vic sat to his right, but found her side of the couch empty. He leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling, before lifting his left hand to look at his watch.
He had slept through the night.
He wondered what time she had left and hoped she had been sober enough to drive.
He closed his eyes again. He remembered her shadowed face, haloed by the light from his desk lamp.
Why are you scared to be with me?
He remembered the feel of her hand on his jaw, and her lips as they brushed near his ear.
Why are you so concerned about what others might think?
He remembered her eyes on his as she rested her head against the back of the couch.
Why don't you like me Walt?
As his brain tried to sort through which events had actually happened, and which had been a figment of his imagination, he knew one thing for sure.
Not liking her was definitely not the problem.
XX
When he entered the office, he found Ruby on the phone. She looked up, smiling at him in greeting before returning her attention to her call. He closed the door and headed for the coat rack, scanning the rest of the room as he walked. He saw Ferg on his computer, but Branch and Vic's chairs were both empty. He wasn't surprised as he hadn't seen either of their vehicles parked outside.
"Morning Ferg."
Ferg looked up, startled, as if he hadn't heard Walt enter. "Morning."
"Have either Branch or Vic been in yet."
"Not yet."
He hung up his hat, and was in the process of shrugging out of his coat when he heard the door behind him start to open. His breath catching, he paused, his arm still in one sleeve, and then turned.
"Hey, Walt."
Branch. Walt released the breath he'd been holding, and turned back toward the rack to finish taking off his coat. "Morning."
"How was Sheridan? Find out anything new?" Branch hadn't been in the office yesterday afternoon, so he'd missed the update he'd given Ferg.
"Follow me."
Branch followed him into his office, joining his side in front of the wall. Walt pointed to the post-its he'd added when he'd returned from Sheridan.
"We found out more about how some of them are connected. But some of these kids are keeping things from us. We haven't figured out why Nick Waters and Evan Brandt aren't telling us the truth about knowing Tuck Jensen."
He tapped a couple times on the post-it with Tuck's name. "Or how they know him." He paused, placing his hand near Tyler's name. "And we have no idea how Tyler ties in with the four kids here in Durant."
"Oh...that reminds me." Branch darted out of the room, returning a moment later. He handed over a small plastic bag. "Evidence. From the scene of the crime."
Walt looked down at the bag. "Really?" So far they'd found no evidence at any of the stores other than the empty registers, the duct-taped cashiers, and the video recording at the hardware store.
"When I went back to Ace Hardware, I found this stuck to the shelf that contained the duct-tape. It looks like the individual put this there when he took the three rolls of tape."
Through the clear plastic of the bag, Walt could see a post-it note. He read the message scrawled in black ink on the small yellow square of paper. "I owe u $12."
"Twelve dollars?"
"The cost of the three rolls of tape." Branch crossed his arms. "I'm not sure why he would rob six other stores for over five thousand dollars, and leave an 'I owe you' for twelve dollars' worth of duct tape he stole."
"Hmm."
"I'm assuming he didn't leave a note at any of the stores in Sheridan."
"Nope."
Branch gestured toward the bag. "I confirmed. There aren't any fingerprints on the post-it."
Walt stared at the note for another moment before handing it back to Branch. "Can you make a copy of it for the wall?"
"Sure."
As Branch left the room, Walt headed over to his desk. He sat down in his seat and closed his eyes. At a light rap on his door, he looked up.
Branch stepped up to the desk and handed him the copy he'd just made.
"Thanks."
Branch nodded and then headed for the door.
"Do you know what Ferg is working on?"
Branch looked back at him from the doorway. "Ferg probably told you yesterday, but we've been looking into everyone who used their credit cards at the pumps and in the store at both gas stations Monday morning before the robberies, to see if there is anyone who might have seen someone hanging out or casing the place. He's following up with the individuals we weren't able to reach yesterday."
Walt nodded. "I'm guessing he hasn't learned anything new?"
"Nope."
Branch suddenly turned to look over his left shoulder, at some sound Walt hadn't heard. "Hey, Vic."
Walt couldn't see her from his seated position, but heard her respond. "Hey."
From the direction Branch was facing, Walt guessed she was pouring herself a cup of coffee. A moment later she appeared in the doorway next to him, mug in hand.
Walt noted that she looked exhausted.
Branch looked down at her. "Rough night?"
Her eyes quickly flashed over to Walt, and then dropped to the ground. "Yep. Stayed up too late."
"Marathon binge? What show?"
Walt remembered that Vic had said she had watched a lot of television when Sean had first left. Now he was wondering if that's just what she'd told him when she'd come in looking tired and worn-out.
"Uh...Justified." She looked up at Branch, her finger raised. "And no spoilers if you've seen the whole series. I'm only on the fifth season."
"Hmm. I didn't figure you for a Justified fan. Can't resist a man in a cowboy hat?"
She shrugged.
Branch grinned. "Looks like Wyoming's been rubbing off on you."
Walt looked down at the paper in his hands. When he realized it had gone quiet, he looked up to find two pairs of eyes on him.
"Whatya got there, Walt?"
"Uh...Branch found some new evidence at Ace Hardware. This is a copy for the wall."
Vic looked up at Branch who held out the plastic bag containing the post-it. Vic read the note. "Holy shit! The guy who robbed the store left an 'I owe you!'"
Branch nodded. "Seems we have an occasionally conscientious criminal on our hands."
Vic scoffed. "When he's not beating the crap out of someone."
Walt stood and walked over to the wall. He tore off a piece of tape from the dispenser, and added the photocopied note to the collection.
He turned and looked at the two in the doorway. "Branch can you call Rich's Auto Repair shop, the site of the third robbery in Sheridan, and ask if any of the other kids ever brought their car in to their shop to be fixed. We know that Evan did, and we already know how Tyler is connected to Rich, but can you check on the other four boys?"
"Sure." Branch turned on his heals to head back to his desk.
Walt returned his attention to the wall.
"Thanks. For coming to the Pony to get me last night."
Walt stilled, but didn't turn around. She must have walked partway into the room, because her voice behind him sounded closer. "I figure I owed you. For doing the same for me in the past."
A pause. "Hope I didn't embarrass myself. Everything's a bit...fuzzy."
Walt turned. "No. You didn't." He held her gaze. "Sorry I fell asleep. I thought I was just...resting my eyes for a moment. What time did you take off?"
"Dawn. It was just starting to get light."
"You should have woken me."
She shrugged. "I thought you might need the sleep."
"Were you ok to drive?"
"Yeah. Hung over, but no longer drunk."
"You feeling ok, now?" He wasn't just talking about the hangover.
She paused again. "Not really, but I'll get through it." He guessed she wasn't talking just about the hangover either.
He turned back toward the wall, and after a moment she joined his side.
"What's our next move?"
He stared at the post-it notes they'd written in Sheridan. "We should check to see if any of these kids have photo albums. Maybe we'll find pictures of some of the other kids, and proof of their connection."
He saw her look up at him out of the corner of his eye. "Photo albums? Really?"
Walt looked over at her. "Do kids not put together photo albums these days?
She arched an eyebrow at him. "Did you put together a photo album back in your day?"
"Well...uh...no. But Henry did."
"Well Henry is an amateur photographer. I'm betting very few of your high school pals had photo albums. That being said, kids, including the boys, take a whole lot more pictures these days. With their phones. But they're not printing the pics and putting together photo albums."
Vic turned toward the open door. "Hey Ferg."
They heard the sound of a chair pushing back, and then the deputy appeared in the doorway.
"What's up?"
Vic walked over to the table and opened the folder laying on it. She pulled out a stack of pictures and then made her way over to Ferg.
"Can you get online and start looking into all these guys' social media accounts? Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. You name it. See if you can find any of the kids' pictures on any of the other kids' sites. We're especially interested if any of the Sheridan individuals appear on the Durant kids' sites, and vice versa. Also, can you see if there is a site or account for the Trailhead Outdoor Club? If there is, check out if there are any pictures posted with any of these folks. And see if you can find someone to contact about the names of the group's members."
Ferg took the pictures from her. "Sure thing."
"Thanks Ferg."
As Ferg headed out of the room, Vic pulled out her phone, opened her list of contacts and then dialed. Someone on the other end picked up.
She gave a light laugh to something the other person said in greeting. "Yeah, that's not why I called. I've got a favor to ask. Could you get copies of the yearbooks from Sheridan high school? The years Evan, Nick and Tyler went there. I'll come pick them up."
She listened to the response. Walt could hear the voice of the other person on the call, but couldn't make out the words.
"Just looking to see if we can find Tyler in any pictures with either Evan or Nick. Or any of the Sheridan kids at a cross-school event with the Durant kids. Also, could you stop by Tyler's house to see if you could get Tyler's computer, assuming he has one, so we can check to see if he has any pictures on it. And if his mother will let you in the house, if you can get a look at his bedroom. See if he has any pictures up that have one or more of the other kids in it."
She nodded at something the other person said and then smiled.
"Thanks."
She paused.
"Seriously, you've got to stop it. I mean it." She laughed. "Give me a call if you find something."
She hung up and slipped her phone back into her pocket before looking up at Walt. "Leo is going to get us Sheridan High yearbooks, and any of Tyler's photos he can get his hands on."
"Ok." Walt looked at the open door. "Leo still trying to get you to play for their team?"
"Uh...I guess."
"Are you...thinking about it?"
"I...I don't know. I've been too busy to take the offer seriously."
"Maybe...maybe you should."
She stiffened.
"Are you trying to get rid of me? Do you want me to leave?"
Walt turned back to the wall, but he couldn't focus on anything in front of him. "I just...I just want you to do what is best for you."
He turned back toward her.
Her lips pursed, she lifted her chin. "Would me leaving be best for you?"
"This isn't about me."
Her eyes flashed, her voice hushed, with an edge of anger. "Believe me, you've made that painfully clear."
She pivoted, storming toward the doorway.
"I don't want you to leave. That's not what I'm saying."
She stopped abruptly but didn't turn.
He ran his hand along the back of his neck. "We haven't talked about why you were drinking last night. If you're unhappy here...if going to Sheridan would make you happier..."
Vic turned toward him, her eyes large, her mouth slightly open. "Happier?"
Ferg suddenly appeared beside her in the doorway. Vic clamped her mouth shut and looked toward the window.
Seemingly oblivious to the tension between them, Ferg took a step into the room. "So, I've been thinking. In addition to checking these kids' social media sites, we should check their cell phone logs. Maybe some of them called each other.
Vic's eyes snapped back to Walt's.
"I just remembered that Dorothy said that Tyler was texting someone while he was eating at the Bee on Monday morning. When we saw Tyler later that day at the Pony, and I entered my number in his phone, I quickly looked at his texts, but he didn't have any listed for Monday. Or Sunday. Either he deleted the texts, or he used a different phone when he was texting."
She turned toward Ferg. "Can you call the phone carriers and get the logs? Their phone numbers should all be in the file Haskill sent."
Ferg nodded, and then headed back to his desk.
Vic stood in the doorway, but avoided Walt's gaze. "Uh...I'm going to go see if Dorothy remembers anything else about Tyler's phone usage. And I'm going to stop by the Pony and see if Henry remembers Tyler using his phone Sunday night or Monday afternoon when he hung out at the bar."
Before Walt could say anything she was gone.
XX
"Dad?"
Walt blinked and Cady came into focus.
"What?"
"Did you hear anything I just said?"
He looked down at their plates. Picking up his knife and fork, he cut into his steak.
"Sorry. It's been a long week."
"You work too much."
Walt shrugged. "I work a lot. I'm not sure it's too much."
As he lifted his fork to his mouth he looked up and found Cady's eyes still on his.
"How's the case going? I heard you were up in Sheridan yesterday."
Walt arched an eyebrow.
She smiled. "Ruby told me when I called the office with my daily reminder of tonight's dinner."
The corners of Walt's mouth turned upwards as he returned his focus to his plate.
"Yep. We went to interview the victims from some potentially related cases."
"And?"
"We think some of these kids know each other. But we haven't been able to prove anything."
"So what's the next step?"
"We..." He paused and looked up at her. "Punk, tonight I'm here with you, and taking a break from the case...so I'll stop there. Let's talk about something else."
Cady openly looked at him from across the table.
"What?" Walt swore he hadn't been distracted, and had actually been paying attention to the latest part of their conversation.
"Are you going to tell me?"
Walt's forehead creased in confusion.
"Tell you what?"
"Tell me who you're seeing?"
"Who I'm seeing? What are you talking about?"
"After you were acting so antsy and being so evasive on Saturday morning, I thought I'd ask Henry if he knew what was going on. He thought there might be someone you're involved with."
"Henry?" He looked at the man in question across the crowded room as he silently wished they could go back to talking about the case.
"Yes, Henry. Your best friend, and one of the people who can read you best."
Traitor, Walt thought as he glared at his friend, who was busy taking someone's order. So much for his so called 'bartender confidentiality.'
Walt briefly sucked in his lower lip. "When did you talk to him about this?"
"Tonight. Before you arrived."
He brought his eyes back to his daughter. "Henry doesn't tend to pry or encourage people to meddle." Henry was very hesitant to meddle on his behalf concerning Cady back when she was dating Branch and he was trying to determine who she was seeing.
"Ok, technically he didn't say anything. But his not saying anything spoke volumes. He is always quick to squash rumors or correct untruths. So his silence suggested there is something going on with you."
"There's nothing to share. I told you on Saturday, I'm not dating anyone."
"No, you told me on Saturday you're not dating Vic. I know how you can select your words carefully to avoid the truth without technically lying."
"Punk, I'm not dating...or seeing...anyone."
"I don't think I believe you. I'm going to work on Vic next. See what she knows."
Walt straightened and leaned into the table. "Don't." He saw Cady's eyes widen in surprise at his tone. "Don't bring Vic into this, I mean. She has some things going on...in her life...so I don't want you to bug her with personal questions about me."
Cady paused as she watched him closely for a moment. "Ok."
He wanted to steer the discussion away from Vic. "Why the sudden interest in my personal life these past few days?"
"Somebody has to look out for you, since you don't tend to do it for yourself. And since you tend to hold things in, I have to pry to get you to open up."
Walt held her eyes for a moment before slicing another piece of steak on his plate.
She grinned. "And payback...for your interest in my love life not so long ago. Despite my insistence there was nothing going on with anyone."
"And yet there was something going on."
"Exactly. Which is why I don't quite believe you when you say nothing is going on. You've been acting kind of strange, so something is up. And if you're not going to share, I'm going to have to pry."
Walt ate the last bite of his steak, grabbed his beer and leaned back in his seat.
"It's ok if you're seeing someone. You can tell me."
He silently took a swig of beer.
Cady leaned into the table. "And what did you mean when you said there was something going on in Vic's life? I saw her two nights ago and she didn't mention it."
He kept his expression neutral as he looked at her over his beer. "I didn't realize you two were friends."
"We're not...exactly. But you said I could give her number to my co-worker, so I—"
"I didn't say you could give her number to your co-worker. I said you could give it to him if she wanted you to. I hope you didn't just go ahead and do it."
"Of course I didn't. Which is why I stopped by the office on Monday night. To ask her."
Walt's gut clenched remembering the sight of Cady and Vic talking on the street outside his office window. Would it show too much interest if he asked how their conversation had gone?
Before he could make up his mind about asking, they were interrupted by the sound of glass shattering. Like many nearby in the room, they turned toward the bar, where some commotion had broken out. They heard a muffled grunt.
Walt stood to get a better view. "I'll be right back."
Without waiting for Cady's response he headed to the bar, where he found AJ Jensen on a stool, the broken remnants of a beer bottle at his feet. He was leaning forward trying to get the attention of one of the bartenders.
Walt placed his hand on AJ's shoulder. "AJ."
AJ spun around as Walt took a step back.
AJ's confused expression turned to one of recognition as he landed on Walt.
"Walt. I'm trying to order another drink. You're still good friends with Henry. Can you help a guy out?"
"Actually, AJ, I think it's time to call it a night."
"I'm not that drunk. The bottle just slipped."
Walt had to agree that AJ's speech wasn't slurred and he seemed to be able to hold his balance on the stool, but there was a slight glossiness to his eyes. Or maybe it was just tiredness.
"I think you should stop while you're ahead. You have a son who needs you to hold it together."
AJ's eyes briefly held his and then he hung his head. "I know."
Walt looked over at Cady for a moment before turning back toward AJ. "I'll drive you home. Give me a moment."
Walt walked back to their table.
"Punk, I need to give AJ a ride home."
Cady looked over at AJ and then back at Walt. "That's fine."
He ran his hand over the hair at the back of his neck. "We can do breakfast this Saturday. Make up for the one we weren't able to do this past weekend."
"Sounds good."
He gave her a smile, and she smiled in return.
"Sorry."
"It's ok. You're always the sheriff, even when you're not on duty."
XX
Walt looked down at AJ as he sat at his kitchen table with his head in his hands, and then tapped him on the shoulder with the glass of water he had poured him. "Here. Drink this."
AJ sat back and stared at the glass of water before reaching out to take it.
Walt leaned back against the counter as he looked around the room. It dawned on him that he had never actually been in AJ's house. Even when he stopped by after Olivia's death he had stayed on the front porch.
"Why were you at the Pony tonight, AJ? Isn't Tuck still at the hospital?"
"My sister-in-law Amelia...Olivia's sister...is with him. She wanted to give me a break." He looked up with a shrug. "I think she wanted to give Tuck a break as well."
AJ's gaze drifted to the window over the sink. "I came back to the house but just couldn't be here alone. I've been in this empty house these past months while Tuck's been back at school but couldn't do it tonight. So I ended up at the Red Pony."
He looked up at Walt. "How did you never drink yourself into a stupor in the months following Martha's passing? I don't remember you ever making a scene."
"I did, just not at the Pony. I did most of my drinking at my cabin."
"How did you come out...whole...on the other end of all that?"
"Whole...maybe...but not unchanged."
Walt pulled out the chair on the opposite side of the table from AJ and sat down. "I...I have people who look out for me. Who didn't let me fall apart to the point where the pieces couldn't be put back together."
AJ looked across the table at him. "Your daughter?"
"Yep."
"You raised a good kid, Walt."
"How she turned out had little to do with me. That was mostly Martha."
"You did something right, because she wouldn't have moved back here if she didn't think you deserved it."
Walt shrugged, as his thoughts turned to Cady.
"And I'm guessing you still have Henry in your corner."
Walt blinked and then nodded. "Yep. Haven't been able to shake him."
"And your deputy."
Walt stilled. "My deputy?" His brow creased in confusion. "You mean Vic?"
"Yeah. I can see that she looks out for you as well."
Walt continued to look at him with a confused expression. He didn't think AJ knew Vic, other than from her involvement with the case that week. "What do you mean?"
"She stopped by the hospital on Monday night."
"She did?"
"Yeah."
"Did she have more questions for Tuck?" Is this what Vic was doing when she said she had plans?
"No, she just wanted to check in on him. And me. She came over after work. Even brought me dinner because she suspected I hadn't eaten. I assumed it was something she was doing for you, since she knows we know each other."
Taking in the information, Walt pushed AJ's glass of water closer to him as a reminder to keep drinking.
AJ absent-mindedly picked up the glass. "We got to talking about you. I told her some stories about you in high school." AJ gave a laugh. "She had a lot of questions. I hope I didn't share anything you'd been meaning to keep secret."
His eyes on Walt, AJ brought the glass of water to his lips and took a sip. "She talked about Cady getting hit by the car last year, and how worried you were, but how you held it together and were there for her. And she told me about some of the other things you've done for the community."
Walt stared down at his hands, which grasped his own glass of water in front of him. "All of that was just me doing my duty as Sheriff."
He looked up. "Do...do you have people looking out for you, AJ?"
"I've got Tuck."
"He's still a kid, and away at school most of the time. Do you have anyone else you've been able to turn to?"
"My sister-in-law Amelia, and her husband Mitch, live nearby. They've been...amazing."
"Good." Walt held his eyes. "Is Tuck getting any help dealing with the loss of his mother?"
AJ ran his hand through his hair. "He was seeing a counselor for a little bit."
Walt looked down at his glass. "But he stopped going?"
"Said it wasn't...helping. He...he is doing some group therapy now. Up in Sheridan."
Walt's eyes darted back up to AJ. "Sheridan?
AJ nodded. "Started going up there this summer."
"Why go to a group in Sheridan and not here in Durant or down in Laramie?"
"Durant's too small a community. He didn't want there to be anybody that knew our family in the group. And he worried about recognizing someone from school if he did it in Laramie. So he found a group in Sheridan, and was able to still make it work once school started since he comes home most weekends."
"Has he mentioned any of the people he's met up in Sheridan since he started attending these group sessions?"
"No. No one specific."
"What day does he go up to Sheridan for the group counseling?"
"Sundays. He does a morning shift at the store, and then heads up there after lunch. He drives back to Laramie afterwards."
"Where does the group meet?"
"Uh...I'd have to check with Tuck."
Seeing AJ try to hide a yawn, Walt pushed back in his chair and stood. "I should take off. We both could use a good night sleep."
AJ stood and followed Walt to the front room.
At the door, Walt turned. "AJ...I...I'm sorry I haven't been there more for you these past months."
"You were still healing, Walt, and probably weren't ready to be there for someone else. It wouldn't have been good to open almost closed wounds."
"Still. You were there when Martha died. I pushed you away...but you were there."
"You're here for me now, Walt. And I thank you for that."
"I'm going to figure out who's responsible for what happened to Tuck."
"I know you are, Walt. And I know it's not just because of your duty as Sheriff."
XX
Walt pulled to the side of the road, just before the end of the driveway, put his truck in park and looked up at the house. All the windows were dark, and he wondered if she was home.
He looked down at his watch. 9:34. He didn't think Vic would go to bed that early, but maybe her previous night of drinking had taken its toll.
So all the lights were off because she was already asleep.
Or still out.
Or in a room on the other side of the house.
Walt rubbed his hand across his face.
He should go home.
He wanted to go knock on her front door.
In all the times he'd sat in this same spot before, he'd never really thought he'd get out of his truck. But for the first time he was actually considering it.
He moved his hand to the door handle and with a deep breath, began to pull it toward him. At that moment the front lights of a passing vehicle cut through the darkness and he paused. He watched the car pull into a driveway down the street. For minutes he stared at the parked car in his rear view mirror.
After a final deep breath, Walt dropped his hand, moved the column shift into drive, slowly removed his foot from the brake and pulled out.
XX
Despite the poor sleep he'd had that week, Walt was oddly awake, and decided that he'd stop by the office to pick up the case file so he could go through it again at home. The street outside was quiet as he exited the Bronco, and the sound of his door slamming shut seemed loud to his ears.
He pulled the front door to the building open and ran squarely into Vic. The box she was carrying fell to the floor.
"Sorry." They both apologized in unison as they squatted to retrieve the items that had spilled. Still kneeling, Walt paused and looked up at her.
"What are you still doing here?"
"Ferg and I have been going through the pictures and yearbooks I picked up in Sheridan today." She looked down at the box. "I'm bringing them home with me so I can continue looking through them."
Vic adjusted the box in her hands to her other hip. "Where are you coming from? Were you out on a call?"
This was the first time he and Vic had crossed paths since that morning. It had been Ruby that had informed him that Vic had headed up to Sheridan that afternoon.
"Uh...no. I had dinner with Cady tonight."
"Oh. Right. Your rescheduled breakfast from Saturday morning."
"Yep."
"How'd it go?"
"It went well. Had to cut it a little short so I could take AJ Jensen home. He was hanging out at the Pony and had a little too much to drink."
"He ok?"
"He will be. Eventually."
They both stood staring out into the empty street.
Walt thought about his dream from the previous night. About Vic calling him 'moveless.' About AJ telling him that she had shown up at the hospital to check in on him. And about realizing that he almost got out of his truck to knock on her door.
He ran his fingers along his lower lip. "I'd miss you."
He saw Vic's head turn toward him out of the corner of his eye. "What?"
"If you took the position in Sheridan County, I'd miss you."
He looked over at her. She looked back at him, her mouth slightly agape.
"I probably don't have any right to say that, given..." He looked down at the sidewalk, his voice trailing off.
They both heard a sound behind them, and looked through the glass in the front door to see Ferg reach the bottom of the stairs.
He looked back at her, wanting to finish his point before Ferg emerged. "I just...wanted you to know."
Your feedback and PMs motivated me to get this next chapter written and posted before my hectic week begins. Thanks for reading!