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The sergeant nodded, not looking up from his paperwork. I stepped outside, the crisp Montana air hitting my face. The drive to the ranch would give me time to gather my thoughts and prepare for whatever lay ahead.
The gravel crunched under the tires of my truck as I pulled up to the gates of Horseshoe Lake Ranch. The name wasn't just for show; the centerpiece was a massive, horseshoe-shaped lake glimmering under the Montana sun like a jewel nestled among the sprawling fields. The ranch itself was a sprawling expanse of land dotted with sturdy, well-maintained barns and fences that carved out the vast pastures. It wasn't as grand as the Dalton place up north, but it held its own charm.
I killed the engine and stepped out, my boots kicking up a small cloud of dust. The air was fresh, carrying the distant sounds of horses and the faint, earthy scent of hay and livestock. The main house stood proudly in the distance, a two-story structure with a wrap-around porch.
I hesitated for a moment, taking it all in. This place, for all its outward peace, was the heart of my gnawing suspicions. I shook my head, trying to dispel the tension creeping up my spine. "Get a grip, Lopes," I muttered to myself. This wasn't the time for second-guessing.
I approached the house, my steps deliberate, eyes scanning the surroundings. The ranch was quiet, almost eerily so. The usual hustle and bustle I'd expect from a working ranch were conspicuously absent. My gut twisted with unease. Every nerve in my body was on high alert, ready for anything.
I reached the porch, the wood creaking under my weight as I ascended the steps. My hand hovered over the doorbell, but I opted for a more personal approach. I rapped sharply on the door, the sound echoing through the silent air.
"Come on, Dina," I thought. "Time to have a little chat."
I stood there, waiting, the seconds stretching into eternity. I could feel the sweat forming on my brow, not from the heat, but from the anticipation, the uncertainty of what lay on the other side of that door.
The door creaked open, and there she stood—Dina Kent, her face a mixture of weariness and wary defiance. I could tell my unannounced visit was the last thing she wanted.
"Danny," she sighed, her voice carrying a hint of forced politeness. "This is becoming a habit. To what do I owe the pleasure this time?"
I tipped my hat back slightly, meeting her gaze. "Just following up on some things, Dina. Mind if I come in?"
Her eyes narrowed, the lines around them tensing. "Actually, I do mind. You can't just keep barging in here on your hunches. We've been over this."
I crossed my arms, feeling the familiar surge of frustration. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important. There are things going on around here, Dina. Things you might not be aware of."
She let out a short, humorless laugh. "Oh, I'm aware. I'm aware that every time you show up, you're hell-bent on finding something that isn't there. Danny, we've known each other for what, ten years? You should know I'd never let anything shady happen on my ranch."
Her words, sincere as they might be, clashed with the unease that had settled in my gut. I shifted my weight, feeling the gravel beneath my boots. "That might be, Dina. But there's a pattern here that can't be ignored. Shipments coming in at odd hours, visitors who are more shadow than person."
Her face flushed. "And you think I'm behind it? After all these years, this is what you think of me?"
I could hear the strain in her voice and see the tension in how she held herself. Part of me wanted to back off, to give her the benefit of the doubt. But the other part, the part that had seen too much, pushed me forward.
"I don't want to believe it, Dina. But until I can prove otherwise, I've got to follow this through. If you've got nothing to hide, then let me take a look around."
Her stance hardened, and her voice grew sharp. "You want to snoop around my property? You get a warrant, Danny. Until then, you can stay the hell away."
I felt a tightness in my chest, the tension winding up like a spring. "I'm just trying to do my job, Dina. If there's nothing going on, then there's nothing to worry about."
She shook her head, the motion sharp and final. "You've got no right, Danny. No right at all. We used to respect each other, remember? Now, unless you've got that warrant, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
I looked at her, really looked, and saw the mix of fear and defiance in her eyes. It was clear she wasn't going to budge, not today. I tipped my hat again, more out of habit than respect.
"Alright, Dina. I'll leave. But this isn't over. Not by a long shot. I'll get to the bottom of this, one way or another."
Turning on my heel, I walked back to my truck. I knew pushing her wouldn't get me anywhere—not yet. But something was off at the Horseshoe Lake Ranch, and I was damn well going to find out what. As I drove away, the image of Dina, standing defiantly on her porch, stayed with me.
Driving back from Horseshoe Lake Ranch, the hum of the engine was the only sound piercing the silence. The meeting with Dina had left a sour taste of frustration and something else—disappointment, maybe. The road stretched out ahead, the familiar scenery of Silver Creek passing by. But the familiarity did nothing to ease the turmoil inside me.
This case, it was the big one, the kind that could set a man's career on fire—or burn it to the ground. I gripped the steering wheel tighter, feeling the rough texture beneath my palms.
Dina's face kept flashing in my mind. The way her eyes had flared with anger and something akin to fear. Hell, I didn't want to believe she was involved. Not Dina, not the woman who'd been a fixture in Silver Creek for as long as anyone could remember. But the signs, the damned signs, pointed right to her doorstep.
A part of me wanted to go back, to storm through every door and turn over every rock until the truth came spilling out. But that voice, the one that had gotten me into hot water before, whispered a warning.
Play by the book, Lopes. You can't afford another fuck-up, not with this one.
I'd walked the edge before, driven by the same relentless need to uncover the truth. But it had cost me the trust of my colleagues and nearly my badge. This time had to be different. This time, I had to tread carefully and build the case piece by painstaking piece.
