“I will after you.”
She stared at him, handed him the water, pulled a chair out, and took a seat. He did the same, and it impressed her he had manners. It shouldn’t surprise her because most men around here did. Especially if they were cowboys.
“So, what did you find?”
“Not much. They took the cameras. They knew to look for them.” He twisted the cap off the bottle, and took a long drink of the water.
“Well, if the cameras flashed when taking photos, they saw them.”
“They don’tflashin the way you’re thinking.Unlike traditional white flash, infrared allows for secrecy.”
“I don’t know anything about those cameras.”
“They’re trail cameras that will snap pictures or capture video. It depends on how you set them up. I had them on motion detection, so anything that moved, the trail cams snapped photos. I could see them taking the cameras, but they wore ski masks and sunglasses, so I couldn’t see their faces.” He shook his head. “If they knew to look for them, they’ve done this before or talked to someone who has.”
“Wait. You said they took the cameras, so how did you see them?”
“I can look at what the camera sees on my phone. Those men knew that too. I hate to say it, but someone here could let them know where the cows are.”
“No, they’ve been here for years. Besides Buster, my foreman, there are only five other men, and I trust them all.”
“Look, Mrs. Heston—”
“Rory, please.”
“Yes, ma’am. Rory, I know you trust them, but you need to suspect everyone. Any of them could have something to do with it.”
“No. I refuse to believe that. They’re good men.”
“Good men can do desperate things.”
Rory watched him remove his hat, rake his fingers through his thick, dark hair, and then hold the hat in his hands.
“I have been doing this for a long time. I’ve seen all kinds of things. I’d like to forget some, but sometimes things happen, and people will do whatever it takes to make things right. Something could have made them make a poor decision.” He leaned forward. “You can’t trust anyone.”
“Not even Buster?”
“I can’t rule anyone out. I need to get to know the men.”
“And just how do you propose to do that, Agent Richards?” Rory folded her arms and stared at him.
“I’m going to work here.”
She dropped her arms and widened her eyes.
“What?”
“You’re going to hire a new man. Me. I can’t get to know them if I’m not around them. Only you and I will know I’m an agent.”
“But what if one of them saw you?”
“I looked around, so I doubt if they did, and if they did, it was with this beard. I’ll shave it off. I don’t look the same without it. They probably didn’t see me arrive if they’re working or having lunch.”
“But weren’t you on the camera?”
“The cameras have a thirty second delay once they’re turned on, so they didn’t see me before I drove off.”
“If you think it will work…”