Page 46 of Big Daddy Firemen

Daisy held up her hands. “I don’t think I want to know any more.”

“Probably for the best. Come on. We need to get going.” Walker took her by the hand and led her outside. He helped her into the front passenger seat of Austin’s pickup before he climbed in the backseat with Cane.

“You all buckled up?” Austin asked.

“Yes, Daddy,” Daisy replied.

“Good girl. Let’s do this.”

He eased the truck out of the station’s parking lot and onto the road, but they didn’t go very far before turning into the sheriff's office just a few lots down. Quinn was standing out front, next to his personal pickup, along with Alyssa. Theo and Grace were there, too.

“Y’all ready?” Austin asked after rolling down his window.

“You kidding?” Quinn said with a grin. “These girls are driving us crazy! They’re so excited.”

Just looking out the open window, Daisy could see how excited Alyssa and Grace were. They were wearing “big girl” clothes, dressed for the cold temperatures that had descended over the mountains, but they were still clearly in Little Space, bouncing around with frantic, hyper energy.

“You sure you’re all good to leave things around here?” Walker asked, speaking up from the backseat. “We don’t want to tear you away from your duties.”

The sheriff waved it off. “It’s all good. I called in some of my deputies from around the county. They’re going to stay around here and beef up patrols. What about the fire situation?”

It was Austin who answered. “The boys down in Smithville are fielding all calls. They’re on high alert, too.”

“Guess we’re all set, then,” Quinn said.

“Good! Daddy, I want to get to Durant!” Alyssa pleaded, tugging on his arm.

“Hold your horses, little girl,” Quinn told her. “If you don’t settle down, we’ll be even later because we won’t hit the road until after a good spanking. Is that what you want?”

Daisy saw the Little gulp and then stand up straight, her posture becoming rigid as she said, “No, Sir!”

“The do as I say and simmer down, little missy.”

That seemed to settle it, as Alyssa didn’t beg anymore. Ther sheriff was helping her into his truck when another pickup pulled into the gravel lot and came to a stop before them.

Spencer Chapman hopped out and hurried toward them. “Glad I caught you in time.” He held out his phone to Quinn. “Not sure who I needed to report this to. You or them.” He jerked his head toward Austin’s idling pickup. “Figured since there wasn’t a fire it’s sheriff’s business, though.”

Quinn nodded and took the phone.

“What is it?” Daisy asked.

She knew she really had no right to inquire about it. She wasn’t officially part of the investigation, and it would probably be best to let the professionals—and Daddies—do their thing. But curiosity had gotten the best of her, and she’d blurted out the question without even thinking about it.

Quinn answered anyway. “A video.” He stared at the phone for few more seconds and then looked up, into the pickup and at Austin. “Same thing as the other one.” He handed the phone to him and then looked at Spencer. “That’s your game camera, right?"

“Yep.”

“Picked it up the same as Jason’s did.”

“Jason Bennett? The same feller was traipsing around his property, too?”

“Yep.” Quinn nodded.

By now, Daisy had watched the video as Austin held it in the middle, so everyone in the truck’s cab could see. A coldchill traced her spine, the same as it had when she’d seen Jason Bennett’s video the night before. The footage was pretty similar, too.

A small man was sneaking around before disappearing into the thick forest.

She looked closer and nodded at the timestamp. “That was last night!”

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