Page 137 of Wild Card
Dalton
I thoughtI’d seen all the shades of red that Sheriff Hale’s face could turn, butpurplewas a new one. He went apoplectic when we rolled up to his house with the search warrant.
“This is harassment!” he called out as we trailed through the house to gain access to the garage. “It’ll never hold up in court! I’ve still got some friends in this town.”
“This is a legal warrant, sir,” Chloe explained. “It’s signed by Judge Roberts.”
Hale batted her hand away with a scowl. “This is an outrage!” he blustered on, pulling out his cell phone. “I’m going to call my lawyer!”
I ignored his blustering, intent on my goal. To finally nail down the evidence I needed to lock up Dallas. I went into the garage, and sure enough, there was a car hidden under a tarp. When I pulled it off, there was obvious damage to the front fender. Streaks of blue paint I was sure would match the car Dallas had hit.
I pulled out my phone and took photos. Then called Forrester Auto.
“Forrester Bros Auto, this is Holden Cross. How can I help you?”
“Hey, it’s Dalton,” I said. “I’ve got a tow for you all. Need a car taken to our impound for evidence.”
“Sure,” he said, voice concerned. “I thought you were meeting Axel for dinner?”
“Running a little late,” I said. “This car I’m impounding? Belongs to Dallas.”
“No shit? What about Sheriff Hale?”
There was shouting in the background, and Chloe ducked her head through the doorway. “I had to cuff the sheriff. Er, former sheriff, sir.”
I laughed. “No shit?”
She winced. “Is that bad?”
I grinned as a sense of vindication swept through me. “No, it’s fucking perfect,” I said with a chuckle. “Good for you, Deputy.”
I lifted the phone to my ear, hearing Holden exclaiming and the sound of his brothers in the background.
“I gotta go,” I said. “Send a tow truck to the sheriff’s residence, will you?”
“Gray’s already on his way.”
“Great, thanks. I tried to call Axel, but he didn’t answer. If you hear from him…”
“I’ll let him know what’s happening,” Holden assured me. “Go. Sounds like your hands are full.”
The next hour was hectic. We arrested Hale for obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting a misdemeanor, then headed for Dallas’s apartment with him ranting and raving in the back seat.
He’d get a fine, maybe a few months of jail time, but the real punishment would be the stain to his reputation. Thatand watching his son get arrested when he had no power to intervene.
Dallas wasn’t home, but a neighbor told us he usually got back from work just after six. While we waited, I called Axel again. Nothing but voicemail. Damn it.
Where the hell was he, and why wasn’t he answering? My chest tightened with worry.
Axel had been a little distant ever since all this sheriff shit started, but he’d been so supportive when I was trying to decide what to do. Surely, he wasn’t upset with me?
“I guess I missed you again,” I said into the voicemail. “If you’re waiting for me at Ball Breakers, I got caught up with a work thing. I’m sorry. Call me back as soon as you get this.” Dallas pulled into the apartment parking lot. “I have to go, but I’ll talk to you soon.”
I tossed my cell phone into the front passenger seat of the cruiser.
“How do you want to play this, Sheriff?” Chloe said.
It took me a minute to remember that was me. I grinned. “You got the father. Let me handle the son.”
