The police cruiser had hit every pothole and then some, although the suspension had handled the rough ride just fine. Plus, the car had everything Thad Hill needed for today’s job. He had a full rack of shotguns and a couple of extra handguns tucked inside the glove compartment out of sight. The handcuffs hooked to his belt had Sarah Jo’s name on them, and he wasn’t leaving without her. He had a score to settle, and it was time for her to pay up. He’d switched the radio off as soon as he crossed his county line. After all, this wasn’t really official business, much as he wished it was. For one thing, his department didn’t have jurisdiction this far southwest. Sarah Jo had gotten that much right when she’d run. Still, he’d kept the case open. No one back home liked how that sweet Mrs. Joan’s home had gone up in flames, and everyone wanted the guilty party to pay. The way he saw it, that guilty party was Sarah Jo. She should have kept her mouth shut, so she’d brought this little search-and-retrieval on herself.
