Free Cold Heart by Sheila Dryden Page B

had one of me and him from each of the visits when we used to come.”
    “I was really sad when we stopped coming for visits and I didn’t see him again,” Lexi said. “We just always had so much fun.”
    “So what happened do you think?” Carter asked, putting his knife and fork on his now empty plate and wiping his mouth with his napkin.
    “I just don’t know. I could never figure it out and my parents wouldn’t talk about it and if I brought it up then I would hear them fighting later, so I stopped bringing it up.”
    “Well you were really important to him, in fact ...” Carter was interrupted by the sound of a vehicle out front.
    Lexi jumped up to go and see who it was and said “It’s the Sherriff,” she said.
    “Now remember,” Carter cautioned. “Don’t name names just yet.”
    Lexi opened the big front door and went out on the porch and down the steps.
    “Good morning Sherriff,” she said. He looked familiar and she wondered if she had seen him somewhere before.
    “Good morning,” he said. “You are Lexi Thomas I presume.”
    “Yes sir,” she said.
    Carter appeared beside her.
    “Good morning Sherriff Montgomery,” he said.
    “Morning Carter, nice to see you,”
    The jaw dropping revelation rendered Lexi speechless.
    “So I see you had quite a fire here last night,” the Sherriff said.
    “Ah ... Yes ... yes we did and ... I believe it may have been deliberately set,” she said looking at Carter.
    “Why do you think that?” the Sherriff said.
    “Because someone deliberately locked my dog in the barn and put the latch across. He was nearly killed, still don’t know if he will make it and the barn, as you can see, has been completely destroyed.”
    “Well that’s not very much to go on,” the Sherriff said. “But I will take a look around and see what I can find.”
    With that he began to walk slowly over towards the barn. Lexi turned to Carter and punched him in the arm as hard as she could.
    “Hey, ouch,” he said grabbing his arm and rubbing it. “What’d you do that for?”
    “Sherriff ... Montgomery,” Lexi said. “You couldn’t have warned me?”
    “Well I sort of did,” Carter chuckled a little. “I told you that you best not mention anything yet.”
    “I don’t think this is the least bit funny, Carter Monroe,” Lexi said. “So is he his brother?”
    “No, he’s just a cousin. But they are all thick as thieves. I’m sorry,” Carter said, looking very sheepish. “It’s just if you could have seen the look on your face just now.”
    “Ohh,” Lexi said. Furious, she turned and marched toward the house, went inside and slammed the door.
    After a few minutes, the Sherriff sauntered back over to where Carter was standing. Carter had waited to talk with him.
    “Well I can’t see any evidence of arson but of course I will talk to the Fire Chief,” the Sherriff said.
    He turned then and walked to the cruiser, got in and drove off. Carter banged the knocker on the front door.
    “Lexi, can I come in?” he called.
    “What?” she asked as she pulled open the front door.
    “Please don’t be mad, I know it wasn’t funny,” he said. “I was just thinking that maybe you would like to go and see Tucker and that it might do him good to have you there.”
    “Damn it Carter, don’t ever do that again,” she said. “I’ll get my purse.”
    Lexi came back outside in a couple of minutes with her purse and the two headed off to the veterinary hospital in Carter’s car. It was only about a ten minute drive and Lexi was quiet during the ride. She wasn’t thinking about the relationship between Geoff Montgomery and Sherriff Montgomery. She was just thinking about Tucker and hoping that there was an improvement from earlier. When they reached the Clinic they both hopped out and went to the front door. It was locked. They peered in. The waiting room was empty as it was Sunday but there was someone behind the desk. Carter knocked on the door.
    “Hi Carter,”