Brazen Read Online Free Page B

turned to see the tall, dignified, gray-haired
pastor of their church, Reverend Harris, hurrying their
way.
    "Hello, Reverend," he greeted him.
    They shook hands. Michael quickly introduced the pastor to Nick, and they exchanged greetings.
    "It's good you're home." The minister looked back at
Michael. His mood turned serious now that the pleasantries were over. "I know your mother will be relieved. She needs you here with her now than ever. I was just
out at the Circle D, looking in on your parents yesterday
afternoon."

    "How is my father?"
    Reverend Harris shook his head sadly. "It's painful to
see him this way. He was such a vibrant man."
    "How did it happen?" Michael asked. He had assumed
his father's injuries had been sustained in an accident.
    The reverend looked shocked that Michael was unaware of the shooting. "You don't know?"
    "Know what?" Michael knew instantly that something
was wrong, very wrong.
    Reverend Harris realized there was no way to avoid
telling Michael what had happened, so he told him everything he knew.
    "My father was ambushed and robbed?" Michael repeated, stunned.
    "Yes."
    "Who did it?"
    "No one knows. Sheriff Montgomery has been investigating, but he hasn't made an arrest yet."
    "Who's this Montgomery? What happened to Sheriff
Johnson?" When Michael had left Hard Luck, Sheriff Johnson had been the law in town for as long as he could
remember.
    "He moved on. Sheriff Montgomery has been on the
job for about two years now."
    "I think I'd better pay the sheriff a visit before I go
home."
    "If you need anything, anything at all, just send word."

    "I will. Thanks, Reverend."
    Michael looked at Nick after the minister left them.
    "The stabled down at the end of the street," he directed,
his mood even darker now. "Why don't you see about
renting a buckboard for us while I talk to the sheriff? I'll
meet you there."
    "All right," Nick agreed.
    Michael started to hurry off.
    "Michael"
    He glanced back at his cousin.
    "Why would anyone shoot Uncle Frank?" Nick realized
his first impression of Hard Luck had probably been accurate. This place wasn't civilized.
    "That's what I intend to find out." He looked grim and
determined as he walked away.
    Nick went on to the stable. The faster they got their
trunks loaded up, the faster they could ride out to the
ranch.
    Michael strode straight into the sheriffs office. He walked
in to find a dark-haired, mustachioed man sitting at the
desk, the sheriffs badge pinned to his vest.
    "Sheriff Montgomery?"
    The lawman glanced up questioningly at the welldressed stranger. "I'm Montgomery. What can I do for
you?"
    "I'm Michael Donovan. I just got into town on the
stage."
    The sheriff stood up to shake hands with him. "It's good
to meet you. Your mother told me she'd sent for you."

    The power of Michael's handshake and the hard look
he saw in the young man's eyes told Sheriff Montgomery
all he needed to know. Michael might be dressed like a
gent, but he was Frank Donovan's son.
    "I came as quickly as I could. What happened to my
father? What do you know about the shooting?"
    "Very little," Sheriff Montgomery told him regretfully.
    "You don't have any idea who did it?"
    "No. I checked out Jack Turner. I know he and your
father have no love for one another, but old man Turner
has a solid alibi for the time when your father was shot."
    "How did it happen?"
    "He was ambushed on Circle D land, shot in the back.
He didn't see a thing. I checked the scene of the shooting,
but I couldn't find any clues. There's nothing left for me
to go on. Other than your pa's ongoing troubles with
Turner, he didn't have any enemies we know of. He
hadn't had any run-ins with anyone lately, and I haven't
had any other reports of robberies happening this way."
    It infuriated Michael to think someone could come this
close to murdering his father and get away with it. "We've
got to find the man who did this."
    "Yes. We do," the lawman agreed. He was frustrated by