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The office phone rang on my desk, and I grabbed it. “Sheriff’s office.”
“Neil, it’s Chris. I’m at the Lennox Ranch. There’s been a landslide. It’s bad.”
I gestured at Solomon, and he frowned. “Lennox,” I mouthed, and his frown turned grim. “Is everyone okay?” I asked.
“Close call, but so far.”
“You need help up there? Paramedics?”
“They’re not back yet.”
“Who?” Who the fuck was out in this storm during a landslide?
“The guys, all of them. I’m at the house with Rachel and the kids.”
Fuck. I could imagine Micah and Levi being out, and if Chris was up there, did that mean Noah was out as well? A freaking teacher? Jesus.
“Do you need medical help?”
“We’re good here, but the others outside…”
“Help’s on its way, Chris. Hang tight.” I switched over to the radio as I hurried out of the door. “Solomon, patch me through to Deputy Redfearn and call this into Engine seventeen.”
“Copy that, Sheriff.” Solomon pressed buttons. “You’re connected.”
“Redfearn, you there?”
“Yeah, I’m here, Sheriff,” Wyatt said. He was steady but new, still finding his feet in this town, two months into a six-month secondment with me.
“What’s the ETA for removing the Carson vehicle?”
“Done. He’s out with no injuries. Seventeen is leaving the site, and I’m heading back.”
“Okay, cover town. The Lennox Ranch has a landslip, and I’m heading there. Solomon is calling Seventeen back. Lewis is on the other side of the flooding and can’t get through, so it’s just you and me.”
“Copy,” Wyatt responded.
The drive out of town and up the mountain to the ranch was treacherous, even with the four-wheel drive and years of training. The car skidded and slid on the muddy road, and new rivers formed down the sides, carving and creating new paths. The water was a torrent, relentless as if it aimed to wash away Whisper Ridge.
The town might be out of the path of the raging torrent, but the ranch was close enough to be in real danger. I worried about the people up there. Micah, Rachel, the kids, and the rest of the ranch folks were friends, and I’d grown up with Micah Lennox and Daniel Sheridan. The thought of something happening to any of them hurt. I tightened my grip on the wheel.
If the storm significantly affected the town, I’d call the state police for backup and maybe the National Guard if it got really bad. But for now, my priority was to check out the damage at the ranch, hoping firefighters wouldn’t be far behind me.
The main house and outbuildings looked untouched as I approached. I parked the car, taking a moment to steadymyself before getting out. The rain was a wall of water, slamming down with a force that made me squint against it. I tugged my slicker closer around my neck and clipped the hood as I checked the vehicles parked by the barns.
There were a lot.
There were too many for this to be the family alone.
I recognized the flashy SUV immediately—Connor’s vehicle. Why was he up here in the dark, in a storm? He had to be here somewhere. Had he heard about the landslip and wanted to be all heroic? The thought of him being near potential danger sent a jolt of concern through me, overshadowing my worries about the ranch.
The hell?
“Focus.”
I trudged through the mud toward the house, my boots sinking into the softened earth. As I got closer, I pushed the door open and stepped into the ranch house, shaking off the rain and taking in the scene. The place was decorated for a birthday, with a cake on one side and empty plates scattered around. A hand-colored banner withQuinnscrawled across it hung crookedly above the fireplace.
“How many more people are up here?” I muttered to myself, the situation's urgency pressing down on me. I needed a head count, and I needed it stat.
