Paradise Point by Shirleen Davies

Author:Shirleen Davies [Davies, Shirleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Avalanche Ranch Press LLC
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Splendor

“No one’s seen him in two days, Gabe.” Dom Lucero set his hat on the desk, then scrubbed a hand down his face. “He left the herd to check on strays and never came back. My foreman, Mal Jolly, was with the men. They searched that day and the following. Mal’s a pretty good tracker, but there were no signs of the boy.”

Gabe lifted a brow. “Boy?”

“My guess is he’s no more than sixteen. Real good worker, with experience on a ranch. Doesn’t talk much. Fact is, we don’t know anything about Charley. Showed up a couple months ago, starving, and darn near begging for a job. Mal fed him and assigned him a bunk.”

“What’s Charley’s last name?”

“Jones. Don’t know if it’s his real name or not.” Dom massaged the back of his neck, concerned etched on his face.

“Describe him.” Gabe wrote it all down. Close to six feet, sandy red hair, freckles, wiry.

“He has a birthmark right here.” Dom pointed to a spot below his left eye. “Damedest one I’ve ever seen. Looks somewhat like a bear paw. Circle with four tiny ones. The whole thing is no larger than a dime.”

Leaning back in his chair, Gabe studied the notes, jaw clenching at the idea their kidnapper may have extended his territory. “You know about the three people from town who’ve gone missing?”

“Josie told me. I would’ve come in to help, but it’s spring roundup.”

Gabe held up his hand. “We had plenty of people. Francesca and her women friends even formed a group. We talked to everyone in town, searched all the buildings and houses. Not a single clue as to what happened. Charley is the first person who’s disappeared outside of town.”

Standing, Gabe walked to the front window, staring out at Frontier Street. “I’ve extra deputies posted, and have hired a new one. At this rate, I’ll need to hire more to find those who’ve been taken.”

Joining Gabe at the window, Dom looked toward the Emporium, the shop his wife, Josie, and Olivia McCord owned. A ball of fear built in his chest.

“I’ll be bringing Josie to and from town until the man has been found.”

“Or men,” Gabe said. “We believe the abductor has to be strong enough to overpower and drag a grown man a good distance from where they’re taken.”

“Could he have used chloroform?”

“Maybe. Could’ve just knocked them out. We couldn’t find any signs of a struggle or marks indicating the victims were dragged away. Doc Worthington made a count of chloroform, laudanum, and other medications in the clinic. Nothing’s missing.”

Turning away from the window, Dom grabbed his hat from Gabe’s desk. “I can send in some men to help search.”

“I’d rather you use them to guard your ranch. Any chance you have someone who could ride over to the Pelletier ranch and let them know about your missing man?”

“I’ll ride there myself after I get Josie.”

“Appreciate it, Dom. Sorry about your man. I’ll send a couple deputies tomorrow to talk to your men. Maybe someone will remember a detail that might help.

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