Play It Safe(112)

“Right,” Gray muttered, his voice tight and Lenny held his eyes but shifted his feet in a way that was very un-Lenny.

I would know why when he said softly, “You know, Pete’s been outta work now for goin’ on two years.”

Oh God

Gray’s body went solid, my arms slid around him and another wave of emotion hit us from the back.

“Do not defend that piece ‘a shit,” Olly growled and Lenny looked to him.

“I’m not. I’m tryin’ to do the impossible and explain the unexplainable. Sometimes, folks get wronged, they like knowin’ what motivated the ones who wronged ‘em.” Lenny’s eyes came to me. “He’s taken odd jobs but they weren’t makin’ ends meet. He was gettin’ desperate, thinkin’ he’d lose his place, his truck. He said Bud paid him. Unfortunately, this was with cash but we’re hopin’ we can string that line together.” Lenny looked back at Gray. “He knew about the shotgun, Gray, set the fire and then tripped the shotgun to give you warnin’. Boy’s never set a fire before, didn’t know the barn would go up that fast. Thought you’d have plenty of time to get those horses safe.”

“I think you can guess my response to that is I don’t give a f**k,” Gray replied softly, his voice still tight with restrained impatience and controlled anger.

“Yep, I could guess that was your response,” Lenny muttered.

“He cop to poisoning my trees?” Gray asked, Lenny held his eyes a moment then nodded. “And, knowin’ about the shotgun, he did my horses,” Gray went on, Lenny’s jaw went hard and he nodded again. “All paid for by Buddy?” Gray finished and Lenny nodded again.

Gray held Lenny’s eyes and Lenny let him then Gray, his jaw now hard, looked to his boots, I knew, seeking control and patience.

“So what now?” Macy asked from behind us and Lenny looked at her then to Gray and me.

“We hope Bud confesses but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Had a number of boys take a shot at him and he’s not givin’ us anything. Which means we gotta hope we can find somethin’ at his house that ties him to this shit or find a trail that leads to him.” Lenny told Macy then his eyes went back to Gray. “You got my promise, Gray, swear on my Momma, rest her soul, that me and all my boys at Mustang PD are doin’ everything we can. They don’t like a man and his woman woke in the middle of the night to take their lives in their hands savin’ horses. They don’t like dead horses. And they don’t like Buddy Sharp. You got a lotta motivation working for you, Gray. Trust in that.”

“The only thing I trust is that Bud’s lackey and fall guy is in the tank and stayin’ there awhile so my horses that have no barn to give them a minimal amount of safety won’t go poisoned until Bud gathers the money to find someone else to f**k with me. And maybe I can trust that knowin’ this shit, Bud doesn’t have the balls to do his own dirty work so me and Ivey got a window of time to feel safe. That could be a day, a week or a month but we won’t know how long that is so I think you can guess I won’t be hangin’ around waiting for whatever he plans next. I appreciate you’re doin’ what you gotta do how you gotta do it and the way that is, it takes time. But what I said last night stands, Len. You don’t take care of this shit, I will.”

“Not smart to make an open threat to a police captain.” This warning from Lenny was gentle but it was still a warning.

“Probably not,” Olly put in from behind us, “but I’ll tell you too, you don’t take care of this shit, Gray doesn’t, I will.”

“And I’ll say,” Frank added, “you, Gray or Olly don’t do it or I get a wild hair up my ass waitin’ for this shit to get done, I’ll do it.”

“I don’t even need a wild hair. Bud Sharp’s an asshat. I’m already thinkin’ of doin’ it,” Charlie threw down.

“So there you go,” Frank summed it up, “four Codys, four threats, four men in Mustang with fierce reason to carry them out. Somethin’ happens to Bud Sharp, you got four directions to turn.”

At that, Gray went solid again and I knew why.

By making open threats, they had Gray’s back by casting suspicion four ways.

It was clever, it was kind (in its way) and it was family.

Feeling something I didn’t think I’d ever feel, my heart warming to Gray’s uncles, I pressed closer to my man’s side.

“Though, sayin’ all that, somethin’ happened to Bud Sharp, you’d probably have to bring in most of Mustang for questioning,” Olly muttered.

Lenny stared at them then he sighed.

Then his phone rang. He grabbed it, looked at it, moved his glance through all of us and lifted a one minute finger. Then he flipped it open and put it to his ear. He talked and listened and we all waited.

Then he said, “Right, with Gray now, be back in around ten.”

Then he flipped his phone shut and looked at Gray.

“The station,” he explained. “Jeb Sharp just came in and asked to speak to his son.”

“About time Jeb had words with that boy,” Macy mumbled.

Lenny ignored Macy and noted softly to Gray, “This could be good, Gray.”

“We’ll see,” Gray replied and it was clear he felt Jeb Sharp had little sway over his son.