The Rancher's Daughter by Pamela Ladner Read Free Book Online

me what to expect.  He may not be the sheriff anymore but he knows the law.”  The phone rang three times.  “Hello!” the voice on the other end of the line answered.  James listened as J.W greeted him and then told him what was going on.  He told him what he could and then asked him to meet him at the Sheriff’s department.
                  James arrived about a half second before the acting sheriff and the deputy who arrested Heath.  J.W, Sam and Josey arrived shortly after.  “What are you doing here, James?” Sheriff Lott asked.  He thought it a little odd to see the man who had been the former sheriff. The old man hadn’t set foot in here since retiring. “I’m here for a friend.” He nodded toward Heath and then looked at the sheriff once more. “Now I was there when this so called beating took place, that boy wasn’t doing nothing but protecting Josey. I seen it with my own two eyes as did about 200 other folks.  I’m telling you right now, I was here a long time and I have a lot of friends in high-ranking places.  All it’s going to take is one phone call.  Are you willing to lose your job over this sheriff?” The sheriff looked at the former sheriff, his jaw tightened and he grimaced. He knew the old sheriff could follow through with his threat.  It made him mad that the old man threatened his job. 
                  Stepping behind Heath, he unlocked the handcuffs on his wrists, “Watch yourself and I better not have to come back out to that ranch anytime soon.” He almost growled the words out.
                  J.W walked forward and shook the old sheriffs’ hand.  “Thanks, James, it just ain’t the same since you retired.”  The two men shook hands and smiled at each other.  Josey came forward and invited the old sheriff back to the ranch for supper. He accepted and followed them out the door.
                  The sheriff watched as they left, he now had a false report on his hands. “Wait a minute,” he said.  I need y’all to fill out these first.” He laid out a piece of paper for each of them. “I need y’all to write down in your own words exactly what happened. It looks like I have a false report on my hands, and I will need the proof.” Sheriff Lott may not have liked the way the old sheriff came into his department and threatened his job, but he could plainly see that the old man was telling the truth.  That meant he had a false report on his hands and would need the proof to arrest the old weasel who filed that false report.  “I’ll also need the names of anybody else who was a witness.  I’m going to need their reports too.” The old sheriff smiled with pride, “yes sir, I can give you a pretty good list of names right now and have them here in no time.”  The old sheriff named off names and phone numbers, he called a few people himself.  One name on the list stuck out and would have a lot of credibility.  It was Judge John Wilkins. 
                  “I told you all it would take was one call.” The old sheriff called his long time friend Judge John Wilkins, “Hey old buddy, its James. Listen I need you to come down here to the Sheriffs’ department and give your account of that fight we witnessed, yesterday.  Seems there’s been a false report made.” The old Judge rattled something off in James ear and James shook his head saying, “right, right, yeah, ok good buddy see you when you get here.”  He hung up the phone and asked, “Do you mind if we take a seat? My old legs can’t take much more of this standing. You know I took a bullet in this one here.” Sheriff Lott nodded. “Go ahead, you know where to go.”
                  They had no sooner sit down when Judge Wilkins came barreling through the front door followed by several other people who had been witnesses of the fight. A while later Sheriff Lott came forward and said, “You folks are free to go, oh and