and turned to stare out the window.
Dugan hated to see her suffering. Still, he gripped the steering wheel and focused on the road, anything to keep himself from pulling over and dragging her up against him to comfort her.
* * *
S AGE LATCHED ON toDugan’s strong, confident voice and his promise. He seemed to be the kind of man who kept his word.
But she’d been wrong about men before. Her track record proved that. First Benji’s father and then Ron.
No, she was obviously a terrible judge of character.
But this was different. Dugan was known for being honest and fair and good at what he did. Taking on her case was nothing personal, just a job to him.
She studied the signs and business fronts as they neared Laredo. Dugan veered onto a side street before they entered town and wound through a small modest neighborhood. He checked the GPS and turned right at a corner, then followed the road until it came to a dead end.
A small, wood house with green shutters faced the street. Weeds choked the yard, and a rusted sedan sat in the drive.
“This woman’s name is Maude Handleman,” Dugan said as they walked up to the front door. He knocked, and she studied the neighboring houses while they waited. If Ron had made money conning people, what had he done with it? He certainly hadn’t spent it on this property.
Dugan knocked again, and footsteps pounded, then the sound of a latch turning. The door opened, revealing a short woman with muddy brown hair pulled back by a scarf.
“Mrs. Handleman?” Dugan said.
Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized them through the screen. “If you’re selling something, I don’t want it.”
“We aren’t selling anything,” Dugan said. “Please let us come in and we’ll explain.”
“Explain what?”
Sage offered her a smile. “Please, Maude. It’s important. It’s about your husband.”
The woman’s face paled, but she opened the door and let them in. “What has he done now?”
Sage followed Maude inside, with Dugan close behind her. The woman led them into a small den. Sage glanced around in search of family pictures, her pulse hammering when she spotted a photograph of Maude and the man she called Ron Lewis, sitting on the side table.
“All right,” Maude said impatiently. “What’s this about?”
Dugan glanced at her, and Sage began, “Your husband, what was his name?”
“Seth,” Maude said. “Except I haven’t seen him since I bailed his butt out of jail nearly four years ago.”
“Mrs. Handleman, did you know that Seth has other names that he goes by?”
Surprise flickered in the woman’s eyes. “Other names?”
“Yes.” Dugan explained about finding the various drivers’ licenses. “He has been arrested under at least three assumed names. That’s how we found you.”
She studied them for a minute. “Who are you—the police come to take him back to jail?”
Sage inhaled a deep breath. “Actually, no. Seth came to Cobra Creek where I live, but he told me and everyone in the town that his name was Ron Lewis.”
Maude twisted a piece of hair around one finger.
“He posed as a real estate developer who had big plans for Cobra Creek,” Sage continued.
“He did do some real estate work,” Maude said.
“He was arrested for fraud and embezzlement,” Dugan cut in. “And I believe he was trying to swindle landowners around Cobra Creek.”
Maude crossed her arms, her look belligerent. “Look, you can accuse him all you want, but if you want me to pay back whatever he took from folks, I don’t have any money.” She gestured around the room. “Just look at this. He left me high and dry.”
“We don’t want your money,” Dugan said.
“Then, what do you want?”
Sage sighed softly. “Maude, the day Ron Lewis left Cobra Creek, he took my three-year-old little boy with him.”
“He kidnapped your son?” Shock flashed red on Maude’s face. “He might have been a cheat, but I find that hard to believe.”
Sage nodded. “It’s
Dugan hated to see her suffering. Still, he gripped the steering wheel and focused on the road, anything to keep himself from pulling over and dragging her up against him to comfort her.
* * *
S AGE LATCHED ON toDugan’s strong, confident voice and his promise. He seemed to be the kind of man who kept his word.
But she’d been wrong about men before. Her track record proved that. First Benji’s father and then Ron.
No, she was obviously a terrible judge of character.
But this was different. Dugan was known for being honest and fair and good at what he did. Taking on her case was nothing personal, just a job to him.
She studied the signs and business fronts as they neared Laredo. Dugan veered onto a side street before they entered town and wound through a small modest neighborhood. He checked the GPS and turned right at a corner, then followed the road until it came to a dead end.
A small, wood house with green shutters faced the street. Weeds choked the yard, and a rusted sedan sat in the drive.
“This woman’s name is Maude Handleman,” Dugan said as they walked up to the front door. He knocked, and she studied the neighboring houses while they waited. If Ron had made money conning people, what had he done with it? He certainly hadn’t spent it on this property.
Dugan knocked again, and footsteps pounded, then the sound of a latch turning. The door opened, revealing a short woman with muddy brown hair pulled back by a scarf.
“Mrs. Handleman?” Dugan said.
Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized them through the screen. “If you’re selling something, I don’t want it.”
“We aren’t selling anything,” Dugan said. “Please let us come in and we’ll explain.”
“Explain what?”
Sage offered her a smile. “Please, Maude. It’s important. It’s about your husband.”
The woman’s face paled, but she opened the door and let them in. “What has he done now?”
Sage followed Maude inside, with Dugan close behind her. The woman led them into a small den. Sage glanced around in search of family pictures, her pulse hammering when she spotted a photograph of Maude and the man she called Ron Lewis, sitting on the side table.
“All right,” Maude said impatiently. “What’s this about?”
Dugan glanced at her, and Sage began, “Your husband, what was his name?”
“Seth,” Maude said. “Except I haven’t seen him since I bailed his butt out of jail nearly four years ago.”
“Mrs. Handleman, did you know that Seth has other names that he goes by?”
Surprise flickered in the woman’s eyes. “Other names?”
“Yes.” Dugan explained about finding the various drivers’ licenses. “He has been arrested under at least three assumed names. That’s how we found you.”
She studied them for a minute. “Who are you—the police come to take him back to jail?”
Sage inhaled a deep breath. “Actually, no. Seth came to Cobra Creek where I live, but he told me and everyone in the town that his name was Ron Lewis.”
Maude twisted a piece of hair around one finger.
“He posed as a real estate developer who had big plans for Cobra Creek,” Sage continued.
“He did do some real estate work,” Maude said.
“He was arrested for fraud and embezzlement,” Dugan cut in. “And I believe he was trying to swindle landowners around Cobra Creek.”
Maude crossed her arms, her look belligerent. “Look, you can accuse him all you want, but if you want me to pay back whatever he took from folks, I don’t have any money.” She gestured around the room. “Just look at this. He left me high and dry.”
“We don’t want your money,” Dugan said.
“Then, what do you want?”
Sage sighed softly. “Maude, the day Ron Lewis left Cobra Creek, he took my three-year-old little boy with him.”
“He kidnapped your son?” Shock flashed red on Maude’s face. “He might have been a cheat, but I find that hard to believe.”
Sage nodded. “It’s
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