Free Gifted with Hydrangea by Tigertalez Page A

here. However, we
have just now learned much of Mr. Sarr’s work
equipment is missing.”
    Ryker watched the sheriff flip through the papers as
Ryker gave his little speech. He remained silent after he was done, until the
sheriff gave another nod of his head and handed the papers back to him.
    The sheriff turned and called to his deputy. “Rodger,
get your cuffs out.”
    Ryker froze and held his breath. Does the alpha have the sheriff in his pocket?
    The sheriff pointed to the man Ryker thought to be the
alpha. “Take Mr. Branch into custody for submitting a false report.”
    Ryker silently breathed out his relief as he heard the
deputy giving the Miranda rights to the now sputtering man. He could hear the
clicking noise of the cuffs locking around Mr. Branch’s wrists.
    “ Add slander, embezzlement, and maybe conspiracy to
that, if you would, please. Can we also get a warrant, or something, to search
his house for Mr. Sarr’s things?” Ryker asked the
sheriff.
    Ryker saw the other man just standing quietly beside
the car he arrived in, when the sheriff answered.
    The sheriff nodded. “I’ll call it in. Meanwhile, have
Mr. Sarr make a list of everything that is missing.”
    “ Did Mr. Branch have the keys on him?” Ryker asked.
    “ I don’t know. Let me go see.”
    The sheriff walked over to the very non-silent man in
cuffs, and after a moment, came back dangling a pair of keys.
    “ Are these the keys?”
    Rudo stepped up and held out
his hand. The sheriff placed them in his hands, and Rudo inspected them.
    “ These four keys here are. I do not know what the other
keys are for.”
    Ryker harrumphed and shrugged. “They are more than
likely his own keys. He probably just added yours to his.”
    The sheriff agreed with a nod. “That would be my guess
as well. Go try them out to show proof they are yours.”
    The sheriff looked back at his deputy, who was putting
the cuffed man into the back of his rig, and then looked over at the other man,
who had silently walked around the car he arrived in, and got in before
following him and Rudo up the front porch. Ryker
heard the car start up, back out, and drive away, spinning his wheels as he did
so.
    Rudo tried the doorknob before
inserting the key. The knob wiggled, but it was clear that it was locked. He
inserted one of the keys and turned it. Then he twisted the knob, easily
opening the door.
    “ All right, Mr. Sarr , I’m
going to need a full statement from you, as well as that list of everything
that is missing.”
    Ryker felt Rudo’s mixed
emotions, and none of them felt happy. To give his beloved a moment, he turned
to the sheriff and answered him. “I’ll make sure you get that, sheriff. Thank
you for your help. Will you be needing a statement from me and my guys, too?”
    “ That would be helpful. Here’s my card.” The sheriff
pulled out a card from the front pocket of his shirt, and handed it to Ryker.
“Call me if you need further assistance. I’ll inform you when that warrant is
ready.”
    “ Hope it doesn’t take too long, sheriff,” Ryker said as
he looked in the direction the alpha’s car had disappeared. “I have a feeling
they’ll get rid of the evidence if you wait too long.”
    The sheriff turned and headed back down the steps,
then entered his rig. He and the deputy turned their vehicles around, and
headed back down the driveway, leaving a small dust cloud in their wake.
    ****
    Rudo’s heart hurt. He knew there was no love lost between him and his alpha, but to
have had his trust broken in such a way hurt.
    He heard his mate’s soothing voice in his head. “You okay?”
    All he could do at the moment was just blankly shake
his head. He really didn’t feel okay. He felt violated. He had trusted his
alpha, as all the herd did, as executor of his estates. As he stood in the
doorway, looking into his house, he could see that almost everything had been
taken. His alpha’s actions said to him that he had known he was gone,