Page 33 of For Always
“And I hired her to re-design the ranch when I decided to keep it,” Tyler added.
“Is that all we know about her? What’s on her resume?”
Tyler tried not to frown because he knew Alvarez was paying particular attention to his reactions to the questions.
“I know that she’s good at her job. She spends the bulk of the day here at the ranch or down at the employee residences. And at night she returns to the resort,” Tyler told him.
Clyde spoke up again. “Sometimes she walks around the resort taking pictures and measurements. Dessie says she’s determined to do a good job.”
Alvarez nodded. He hadn’t written down anything Tyler or Clyde had said about Gabriella.
“Word around town is you’ve got a personal interest in her,” the sheriff said after a few moments of silence.
Tyler did frown then. He hated gossip. It was a part of the culture in Hobbs Creek and in L.A. Seems no amount of running or growing up had afforded him an escape from that fact.
“Word around town is not my word,” Tyler replied.
“So she’s not upstairs sleeping in one of those rooms?” Alvarez asked. “She’s not going to spend the night here on your ranch?”
“She was shot at here on my ranch,” Tyler told him.
He emptied his glass and set it on the desk in front of him.
“Could that be because of a jealous lover? You’ve got a pretty good following with your videos and pictures and stuff,” the sheriff continued.
Tyler spoke in as calm a voice as he could muster, considering he wanted to punch the sheriff for reinforcing the guilt Tyler already felt about what happened to Gabriella today. “I wasn’t involved with anyone before I came here and I’m not involved with anyone now.”
“That’s not what Hannah Palmer’s saying,” Alvarez persisted like a dog with a bone.
“Now, really, sheriff. Are you going to stand here and start bringing up all the town gossip? Or are you going to get out there and find out who was shooting at these kids this morning?” Clyde asked and then walked over until he was standing face-to-face with the sheriff.
“This session is over. Tyler has given you all the information he has. And so has Stephen. If you need to speak with these men about what’s happened on this ranch today and the day of the vandalism, you can contact my office to schedule an appointment.”
Alvarez tilted his head. “You sure that’s how you want to play this, Clyde? I get the impression you don’t know much of what’s going on out here these days. George is gone so you’re not in and out the way you used to be. There’s a new West in town and he’s doing things his way.”
“He’s doing things the way his daddy taught him,” Clyde continued. “And I’m doing things the way my law school degree taught me. Now, again, this session is over.”
Alvarez took his time flipping the cover over his notepad and sliding the pen into the holder on its side. He tucked that pad in his back pocket and then picked up his hat from the edge of the desk. Placing the hat on his head, Alvarez tipped it back and looked at Stephen, then Clyde, and finally to Tyler.
“I’ll be going now,” he said. “But I’ll be back.”
“Hopefully with news that you’ve caught the person responsible,” Tyler told him.
Alvarez nodded before leaving.
When he was gone, Tyler sat heavily into the leather office chair.
“He’s going to keep digging until he finds something,” Clyde said.
“Good.” Tyler nodded. “Let’s hope he finds something fast. Before I have to take matters into my own hands.”
Gabriella’s cell phone was broken. It was on the dark wood floor in a million little pieces. So she reached over to the night stand to pick up the land line. She pressed thetalkbutton and put the phone to her ear.
He was laughing.
The way he used to laugh whenever they watched a stand-up comedy special. His favorites were Kevin Hart and Katt Williams. She preferred to watch an actual movie, but she’d compromised for him. Because that’s what one was supposed to do in a relationship.
He continued to laugh as her hand shook. He was mocking her, again. And Gabriella couldn’t stand it another minute. She tossed the phone across the room. It crashed through the window. The noise was so loud, she woke up.
