It was a standard issue police duty weapon, Smith and Wesson.

She released the magazine, the clip sliding easily into her hand.

The clip was full. It had also been topped off with one in the chamber.

"What the h.e.l.l, Googan?"

"I'm a G.o.dd.a.m.n police officer," he said loudly. "I should be able to-"

"Shut up," she said as she laid the gun and magazine clip on her desk. "You're a sheriff's deputy with very little training.

That's the bottom line. You want to be a G.o.dd.a.m.n police officer, but you're not." She held up her hand when he would have spoken. "However, the fact that my predecessor let you carry a weapon without ammunition is just crazy." She stood and went to the window, looking out. "What do you think we should do, Googan?"

"I don't know."

She glanced at him. "Can't have my deputy unarmed now, can I?" She shrugged. "You plan on getting this job when I'm gone?"

"Yes."

"Then you're going to need some training."

"But I've been to-"

"Apparently not enough," she said. "You can't just want to be a police officer, Googan. There's more to the job than just sitting in this chair and saying you're the Sheriff of Hinsdale County." She smiled. "The fact that we carry weapons at all is laughable considering we haven't had a police incident in the current century."

"But-"

"I know, I know. This isn't Mayberry." She sighed. "Take your weapon, Googan. Keep the clip. But for G.o.d's sake, don't top it off by keeping one in the chamber. You could shoot yourself in the G.o.dd.a.m.n leg if you hit a b.u.mp in the road."

"You mean I can keep the bullets?"

"Like you said, you're a police officer. However, in this case, I think it would have been wise for you to tell me about your previous restrictions. Don't you?"

"I didn't want you to think I was incapable of doing the job.""I don't base qualifications on what others say, good or bad.

But I'll find some training sessions for you. Winter's a good time, seeing as how slow it is." She sat down again. "Now, let's talk about why you were in bed at eight thirty in the morning. And spare me the bulls.h.i.+t about being on patrol last night. We don't have a patrol, Googan. It's winter. There's nothing to patrol."

"I was playing poker with some of the guys. It got late."

She laughed. "Now that's more like it. I know there's nothing going on now, Googan. No tourists around to ha.s.sle. No speeders coming over the pa.s.s. But it's our job just to have a presence in town. What I'm saying is, don't let three days go by without showing your face around here again."

"But I've been around. I just didn't see the point of coming in here and sitting."

"Well, humor me by coming in, will you?" She motioned to the door. "Now, how about some daytime patrol, huh?"

"Sure, Chief." Googan paused at the door as he snapped his weapon back into the holster. "I...I appreciate it, Chief Daniels."

He patted his gun. "I won't do anything stupid."

"No. I don't believe you will." She motioned out the window.

"It's starting to snow. Be careful out there."

He nodded then headed out, his head held a little higher than when he'd come in. Sure, she had reservations. Based on what everyone said, Googan was just a big kid wanting to play cop. But she could see in his eyes he had the drive. He'd just never been nurtured. Most likely the only training Ned Carter insisted on was the basics. He learned how to fire his weapon and was taught what all the controls in his police vehicle were. That's it. If he planned to man the town after she left, he'd need some training. It was the least she could do for Lake City.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT.

Morgan slammed the door to the office and shook the snow off her shoulders. "Man, it's really coming down," she said.

"Temperatures are funky," Charlie said. "Going to be more ice than snow."

"It's windy as h.e.l.l."

"Where you been?"

Morgan shrugged off her coat and hung it on the coatrack in the corner. "I drove up the pa.s.s. It's sticking pretty good up there.

I think Chief Daniels should close the road."

"Not that there's anyone going to be traveling," Charlie said. "Berta, why don't you head on home? No sense in hanging around here."

"Don't have to tell me twice," she said as she gathered up her knitting.

"And call in the morning. If it's bad, let's call a snow day," he said.

Morgan raised her eyebrows. "Does that go for all of us?"

"Oh, h.e.l.l, Morgan, it's almost Christmas. There's nothing going on. As long as one of us is here, I think we're covered."

She pulled out her chair and sat down, jiggling her mouse to clear her screen saver. "I thought this was just a dusting," she said as she pulled up a weather site. "I don't know why we even bother with forecasts."

"I usually avoid them myself," Charlie said. "You know I just rely on you guys to keep me informed. But less than a week until Christmas, a good snowstorm is always welcome."

"You know Tina is leaving in a couple of days, don't you?"

"Leaving where?"

"Her mother-in-law decided on a Florida Christmas this year. They're leaving on the twenty-second."

"Flying out of where?"

"They're taking a jumper from Gunnison down to Albuquerque." She clicked on the bookmark for Gunnison's weather. "d.a.m.n, we might get a couple of feet."

"Oh, well. Good for the trails," he said as he went back into his office. "With Tina gone, what are you going to do at Christmas?"

Morgan shrugged. It was common knowledge that she spent every holiday with Tina and her family. In fact, Charlie usually joined them as well. But this year? There was Reese. Morgan doubted she'd even given Christmas a thought. "What are you going to do, Charlie?"

"I'm thinking I'm going to go south for a week or so. Maybe get in some fis.h.i.+ng."

"South where?"

'You know my buddy Allen, he retired and moved out near Tucson."

"He's the one who lost his wife last year, right?"

"Yeah. I thought I might go down for a visit. I hate to leave you here alone though, what with Tina gone."

"Oh, Charlie, I'll be fine. You know me and holidays."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. Make your plans. I've got it covered."

And she did. Even if Reese had other plans-which she doubted-she'd still be fine. She'd spent the holidays alone before. So if not with Reese, she'd at least take the opportunity to rent a snowmobile from the Pattersons and hit the trails.

She glanced into Charlie's office, hearing him on the phone with Allen. It was nice to see the relaxed smile on his face. In the seven years she'd been here, he'd never taken a vacation, only stealing a few days here and there to do some fis.h.i.+ng. It would do him good to get away for a week.

She sighed, looking around her very neat desk, trying to think of something to do to occupy her afternoon. This time of year, the hours just crept by, and you could only surf the Internet so long without going stir-crazy. She jiggled the mouse again, wondering if she'd end up like Berta and eventually take up knitting.

No.

So she browsed Web sites, checked the weather, read the Denver paper online and answered an e-mail from her mother.

No, she wouldn't be able to make Christmas this year. And as a last resort, she played solitaire.

She was just about to shut down and head out when Charlie hurried out of his office.

"Do you have your scanner on?"

"No. Why?"

"Some kind of accident. Dead Man's Ridge."

"Oh, no. Surely someone didn't go over?" She grabbed her backpack. "Was it a local? What did you hear?" She frowned as he reached out a hand to her. "Charlie?"

"It was a sheriff's vehicle."

"Oh, my G.o.d." She panicked. "Reese?" She took a deep breath. "Or Googan?"

"I don't know, Morgan. I tried calling, but Eloise didn't answer."

"I'm going out there," she said quickly as she brushed by him. "Googan's driven that road a thousand times. He knows the curves. Reese wouldn't."

0.

"You don't need to go out there, Morgan. Obviously, the roads are bad. You'll just get in the way."

"No. I won't get in the way."

She let the door slam behind her and nearly slipped on the sidewalk as she hit a patch of ice. Her hands were shaking as she started her truck and flipped on the headlights. Darkness came early in the winter, especially on a snowy day like today.

She drove as fast as she dared, slowing down at each curve. Yes, she'd driven Dead Man's Ridge a thousand times too. There was no guardrail on top. h.e.l.l, there wasn't room to put a guardrail. It was simply a sheer drop into the canyon.

She felt guilty for hoping it was Googan and not Reese, but she couldn't help it. The thought of Reese tumbling off the side, her truck free falling into the canyon made her sick to her stomach. When she hit the last switchback going up the mountain, she could see the flas.h.i.+ng emergency lights at the top of the ridge and her heart skipped a beat.

"Oh, please, Reese," she whispered. She didn't pause to consider the extent of her anxiety as she drove slowly up the hill, her hands gripped tight on the wheel.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE.

Reese laid flat on her stomach, inching to the edge of the road and peering over the side. The darkness was moving in quickly, but she was able to make out the hulk of Googan's truck.

It appeared to be upright, not flipped on its side. Or worse, upside down.

"Anything?"

She backed up and got to her knees, taking Ed Wade's hand and letting herself be pulled to her feet. "I can barely see the truck, much less movement. What's the word from Thompson's ranch?"

"They've got a truck with a winch. A hundred feet. That ought to get you down far enough to hit the ledge. Then another thirty feet or more to climb down." He raised his eyebrows. "With the snow and ice, it could be very dangerous for you too, Chief."

"No other choice. It'll be another half hour or more before fire and rescue gets here from Gunnison." She looked up as headlights approached from down the mountain, from town.

"Let me stop this truck," she said as she hurried off. "Can you turn your car around and face the edge? Any extra light'll help,"

she called.

She walked in the middle of the road, waving her hands at the approaching truck. Her brows drew together when she saw that it was Morgan. She hurried over and opened the door, seeing Morgan's frightened eyes.

"Morgan, the road is terrible. You shouldn't be out in this."

"I'm...I'm sorry. I just-"

Reese took her arm and pulled her out of her truck. "What's wrong?"

"Charlie heard on the scanner, but we didn't know-"

Reese finally understood and she pulled Morgan into a tight hug, not caring that Ed Wade was most likely watching them.