My cell rang as we pulled away from the curb.
The display said, “Lee calling.”
“Hey, I was just gonna call you,” I said.
“The office phoned, you’re all over the police-band.”
Oopsie.
“I kind of led Hank to a house full of pot plants and he went all cop on me.”
Silence.
“Lee?”
“Why aren’t you at the condo?”
“Duke called, he opened the store. There was a Mini-We-Want-Rosie Riot. We settled that and then The Kevster called and told us someone was at his house, scaring him. I thought it was my kidnapper, Pepper Rick and it was. That’s why I was gonna call you because he was at Kevin’s early this morning banging on the door. I thought you’d want to know.”
Silence again.
“Lee?”
“Where’s Hank?”
“He’s driving, we’re on our way to get Tex and take him home. The hospital released him.”
“Let me talk to him.”
I looked at Hank. Hank looked unhappy.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why?”
“I think he’s kinda mad at you.”
“Let me get this straight, he’s supposed to be lookin’ after you and he takes you to a house where your kidnapper was, just hours ago, and he’s mad at me?”
Yikes.
“I guess the feeling’s mutual.”
More silence.
“I kinda talked him into it.”
“Yeah, I suspect you’re good at that.”
“If it makes you feel better, he’s already threatened to kill me.”
I heard the sigh before, “Be safe, for Christ’s sake.”
Then he hung up.
When Hank swung in the SUV, Tex was at the Emergency Room entrance, sitting in a wheelchair, his arm in a tight sling, a stocky guy in scrubs and clogs standing behind him.
Tex pushed himself out of the chair as we walked up to him and he shot a filthy look at the guy in scrubs.