Trouble in Valdez County (Doc Gunther Texas Ranger Thriller Book 1) by Bill King

Author:Bill King [King, Bill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amazon
Published: 2022-11-30T11:00:00+00:00

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

NEUMANN-MARTINEZ RESIDENCE

IT was New Year’s Day, five days since Lydia Cantu’s husband had first reported her missing, and the fear and unease throughout the community had grown ever more intense. Each day that passed without word of her status only served to spread the fear and alarm that was paralyzing the good people of Arroyo Seco.

The overwhelming majority of the local townspeople now considered Hanna Neumann to be the person most responsible for the frightening state of affairs currently engulfing Valdez County. It was a reflection of the power of suggestion.

It probably did not help that Hanna had not shown her face in town since the day after Lydia Cantu’s disappearance. She was either at the VCSO, the Yeager Ranch, or at home.

“There is no way I am going to set foot in Grover’s Diner until we have something concrete on Lydia,” she said to her husband, who was sitting across from her at the breakfast table in the kitchen of their small, single-story house on the outskirts of town.

“Hanna, you can’t just hide out for the rest of your life,” he said, reaching over and resting his hand on top of hers. “You’ve got to fight this thing head on. Don’t let those miserable SOBs saddle you with the blame for all this.”

“Yes, but the public’s safety is my responsibility, and right now, I doubt that they are feeling safe,” she said, staring into her white porcelain cup—emblazoned with a burnt orange seal of the University of Texas—that held her morning coffee. “Whether I like it or not, that’s what I promised to provide when I ran for office.”

“Look, babe, no one could have foreseen anything as insane as this happening,” he said, massaging her hand gently as he spoke. “Think of it like an asteroid crashing into the earth’s surface. You had nothing to do with it and you could not have prevented it. It could have happened to anyone. You just happened to be the person in office when it did.”

She looked up at him and smiled.

“I know you’re just trying to make me feel better, Ethan,” she said glumly. “And believe me when I say that I really do appreciate it.”

“Have you spoken to Doc Gunther lately?”

“Not for several days,” she said. “I wanted to give him some time at home with his family without bothering him with my problems.”

“Hanna, it’s not just your problem. It’s everyone’s problem. Call him.”

She took a sip of her coffee, the first she had taken in the past ten minutes.

“My coffee is cold,” she said, grimacing.

“Don’t try to change the subject,” he said, looking straight into her eyes.

“Okay. Okay. I’ll give him a call.”

“Just don’t wait too long to do it. I have this sinking feeling that your time is running out.”

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