Trophy Hunt by C. J. Box Read Free Book Online

make sure, I don’t know, that they haven’t hit any bad water since they tested the first time, I guess. But you don’t need to worry about it. The water’s going to be just fine.”
    Marybeth thought Cam was a little more prickly than necessary. But she had never seen him this excited before.
    “Our . . . difficulties may be over soon,” Marie said as much to herself as to Cam or Marybeth. Cam beamed at her, then turned his full-force grin on Marybeth. As suddenly as a lightbulb going out, Cam’s face fell into a mask of seriousness.
    “But we need to keep this absolutely quiet,” he said gravely. “It’s got to be kept in the strictest professional confidence.”
    Marybeth nodded. The sale of property of this magnitude wouldelectrify the valley, she knew. Other realtors would try to poach the secret buyer and try to get him to look at other ranches that might have more appeal or fewer wells. Property owners on the fence about selling may suddenly decide to try the market.
    “It’ll be hard to keep this a secret,” Marie grinned. “But we can do it.”
    “Marybeth?” Cam asked.
    “I’ll tell my husband,” she said, meeting their eyes. “We don’t keep secrets from each other. But it will go no further than that.”
    When neither of the Logues spoke, Marybeth felt compelled to explain. “He tells me things that go on in his job that need to be kept confidential, and I do that. I’ve never breached Joe’s confidence, and he wouldn’t breach mine. Besides,” she said, “he doesn’t talk much as it is.”
    Marie snorted a laugh and turned in her chair to Cam. “You remember meeting Joe, don’t you? At that back-to-school night? I think the only thing he said all evening when Marybeth introduced us was ‘Pleasure.’ That’s it. One word in three hours.”
    “Okay then,” Cam said, clapping his hands once as if to dispel the hint of suspicion that had entered the room.
    Marybeth glanced at her watch.
    “Oh my goodness, I’ve got to go. The girls are out of school.”
    Marie said, “Feel free to have Lucy come over to our house with Jessica. Hailey Bond is already coming. Those three have a great time together.”
    “But . . .”
    “Don’t worry. I’ll bring Lucy home later. Around five or five-thirty, right?”
    Marybeth nodded, and left them both in their giddy state.
    As she left the office, pulling on her jacket, she noticed a man sitting in the reception area reading a magazine from the stack on the side table. He was lanky and in his sixties, with round, steel-framed glasses.
    “I’m sorry,” she said. “Do you need to see somebody?” Marie worked as the receptionist as well as the office manager, and she had obviously not been available.
    The man looked up. He wore heavy boots, faded jeans, and a khaki work shirt. On his lap was a thick manila file. He had an experienced and kindly manner.
    “I’m here to see Mr. Logue, but don’t worry, I didn’t have an appointment.”
    Marie overheard the conversation and entered the room.
    “I’ll let him know you’re here,” Marie said. She was bursting with cheerfulness, Marybeth thought, and for good reason.
    L ucy Pickett and Jessica Logue were waiting at the pickup spot with Sheridan when Marybeth arrived. The playground was empty except for a few students on the swings. Marybeth felt guilty for being late.
    Marybeth swung her minivan to the curb and the three girls piled in. Lucy and Jessica tossed their backpacks on the floor and immediately started telling Marybeth about their day in overlapping bursts, while Sheridan settled into the backseat alone and rolled her eyes. Lucy and Jessica were inseparable in a way that Sheridan never had been with another girl. Lucy and Jessica loved to dress up, do each other’s hair, talk on the telephone, and play together. They even looked alike, as much like sisters as Lucy and Sheridan did.
    “Jessica, your mom suggested you and Lucy play at your house this afternoon instead of