Page 64 of River Legacy
“No, I wanted to call you first,” the sheriff said.
“Thank you, Stuart,” he said, feeling as if he was in a bad dream. He disconnected as Elaine came into the room.
“What’s happened?” she demanded at seeing his distress.
“Treyton is dead. He and CJ, both dead. Apparently they killed each other.” Shoving himself to his feet, he said, “Stuart is going to tell Lottie. She’s going to need me.”
“What about you? Are you going to be all right?” Elaine sounded upset and worried.
He gave her a weak smile. “We knew this is how it would end with both of them, didn’t we?”
“That doesn’t make it any easier.”
“No, but it’s hard to be shocked. I’m just... sad.” He shook his head. “They both had everything going for them as our oldest sons, but it was never enough.”
Elaine nodded and wiped her eyes. “It’s not your fault.”
He smiled at that. “Of course it is. That’s why I have to see Lottie. We both blame ourselves for the way CJ and Treyton turned out. The sheriff said he thought the two of them had some business together. That they took each other’s lives...” He shook his head again. “I have to go. Are you all right?”
She nodded and wiped her eyes again. “It doesn’t help that we’ve been expecting this, does it?”
“No,” he said as he picked up his Stetson and headed for the door.
When Ryder came to, his head aching, he immediately called the sheriff, but had to leave a message. “Claude Duvall just kidnapped Victoria Forester. I think he’s taking her to Billings to the airport. They’ll probably take her father’s private jet.” The dispatcher said she would give him the message.
Ryder was already disconnecting. He felt a little woozy, but not bad enough that it was going to stop him. He had felt worse after being bucked off a wild bronco at the rodeo. Grabbing his gun, he headed for his pickup. He had no idea how long he’d been out. Not that long, he didn’t think. Maybe he could catch them.
Even as he thought it, he feared what he would do to Claude if he caught up with him before he reached Billings. His bigger worry was what the man might do to Vicky, he thought as he slid behind the wheel of his pickup, started the engine and hit the gas.
His phone rang and he quickly picked up, hoping it would be Victoria.
“This is Wendell Forester.” The voice on the other end of the line sounded distraught. Claude must have already called him. “Tell me my daughter is with you.”
“Claude knocked me out and took her,” he said, roaring down the road, planning to take the shortcut. “He’s on his way to the Billings airport. I’ve already alerted the authorities. I think he’s planning to take your jet. I’m going after him. Give me her cell phone number. I think she has her phone with her.”
Wen rattled off the number, but then added, “You’re wasting your time. I called. It went to voice mail.”
“The difference is she’ll want to talk to me.”
Wendell swore. “I’m already headed for the airport. I can handle Claude.”
“Doesn’t seem so,” Ryder said as he drove. “Unless you put him up to this.”
“You have such a low opinion of me.”
Ryder swore. “Do you blame me?”
“It was just business.”
“Really? Destroying people’s lives is just business for you? When we get to the airport, Claude’s mine. Don’t get in my way or you’re going down with him.” He disconnected and called Vicky. The phone was answered on the second ring—but not by her.
“Ryder? I thought you were dead,” Claude said into the phone. “You must have a very hard head.”In the background, he could hear Vicky saying she wanted to talk to him.
“If you hurt her—”
“You’re in no position to make threats, cowboy,” Claude snapped. “She’s going with me back to Dallas. After that, I really don’t care.” He ended the call.
Ryder swore again and concentrated on his driving. He’d driven these backroads since he was a boy. He knew them by heart. Still, he feared he wouldn’t get there in time.
