Page 56 of Chasing Justice
“I told you, that problem was taken care of.” Carson glanced over at Cody and then regretted it after seeing Lana follow his gaze. He didn’t need Lana taking things into her own hands right now.
Jenna stepped forward and said, “Dad, this batch is done. We can deliver it now.”
Carson nodded and said, “Well, you heard her. You want it now? We can load it into your car.”
“I do want it now.” Lana’s eyes narrowed. “But not in my rental car. You think I’m that stupid? I don’t need your local sheriff bothering me. Speaking of your sheriff, I was never able to talk with him like you promised. You don’t keep good promises, so maybe I should quit working with you.”
“The sheriff is out of town.” Carson lied because so far, his men hadn’t been able to find him, but that wasn’t something he wanted to let her know. He needed to keep her away from the sheriff. According to his insider, Sheriff Thompson had disappeared while out riding his horse. No one seemed to know where he went, but Carson was determined to find him first. He was irritated that his men hadn’t done such a simple job. “We’ll make sure you can have your meeting with him. And if you don’t work with us, you’ll lose your access to the national forest.”
Carson knew that probably the only reason Lana had agreed to be in business with him was because his ranch provided national forest access and ways of transporting products that avoided major interstates and state patrol checks.
Lana also needed Jenna, who concocted the best Krok around. The drugs gave an immediate and desired high. Carson knew sales had increased when Jenna’s superior product hit the street. Now he needed Lana out of the way so he could take over and run the business. He was tired of always having someone in charge, whether it was the government with grazing and logging restrictions or a person who thought they could tell you what to do.
“Well then,” Lana said, taking a step closer to Carson. “Let’s load the drugs into your truck and have your beautiful girlfriend meet our truck on the other side of the forest.”
Carson didn’t like that plan. He wanted to be in control, but for now he had to bide his time and wait this out. “Okay. Jenna, Cody, take the truck and start loading it up. Bobbi, you heard her. You’re driving. Help Jenna and Cody out.”
He could still see the red mark on Bobbi’s cheek. If only she hadn’t been so disrespectful.
Lana took another step closer, making Carson uncomfortable, but he refused to move out of the way. “You are being watched. Do you know that?” she said.
“What are you talking about?”
“Up there on the hillside. Don’t make it obvious that you see them, but the sun is glinting off a scope. Perhaps your sheriff is hiding up there and watching from the trees. I can’t do business with someone who doesn’t pay attention.”
Anger pulsed through Carson, and he wanted to grab Lana by the neck and show her that he could be tough too. Instead, he glanced over his shoulder and saw the glint Lana was talking about. “I’ll take care of it.”
“You better. And by the way, you have a mole too.”
“What are you talking about?”
Lana stepped up and whispered in Carson’s ear, “I have my sources. You know who I’m talking about. Take care of it. Or I will.”
Then she turned and walked away. He discreetly glanced again to the hillside where the sun had glinted off the scope. He would take care of that, but Lana’s words echoed in his mind. A mole?
Carson pulled out his phone and texted his informant in the sheriff’s office. He would have to investigate this claim more. It was news to him.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Carson and his family went back inside, and the activity around the ranch died down.
Maya sat back and stretched her legs, moving her toes to try to gain feeling in them. There had been no sign of her grandfather and nothing that would give them enough evidence to get a search warrant.
“I was hoping we’d learn something new,” she said, frustrated.
“Let’s get back to town and see what the other deputies have found out,” Josh said. His phone buzzed.
“You have reception up here?” Maya asked.
“Appears that I do, at least for texting.” Josh punched in his pass code and checked his phone. As he read, his lips tightened and eyes narrowed.
“Is everything okay?”
“It is. Just something I need to deal with later.”
“What is it? Maybe I can help.”
“Nothing you can help with.”
