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room assigned to his prisoner, Allen Bates stepped from the waiting room next door. A question hovered in the deputy’s eyes, though an easy smile lighted the rich, double-fudge brown of his face.
    â€œThought I’d see how it’s going,” Roan said in answer to that look of inquiry. “Any excitement?’
    â€œNot so you’d notice. Nurse down at the surgical station said to tell you to come see her when you dropped by.”
    â€œI’ll do that.” That duty nurse would be Johnnie Hopewell, an invaluable source of information for what was going on under the covers, so to speak, in Turn-Coupe—since most of the results eventually showed up at the hospital. She’d been a Benedict before she married, so was also his cousin. Dark-haired, vivacious, and pleasingly plump, she was a favorite with patients and with him. Roan tipped his head toward the operating room doors as he went on. “I suppose the suspect is still in surgery?”
    â€œUnless somebody wheeled her out the back way. A med tech stuck his head out a little while ago and said they’d be another half hour, give or take.”
    â€œThat bad, huh?”
    â€œIt’s not good, from what they say, but you know how it goes. Takes longer to get ready for the job than it does to get it done.”
    Roan nodded. “If you’ll hold the fort here until after I see Johnnie, I’ll relieve you.”
    â€œI thought you’d be heading home. Cal’s got the graveyard shift, doesn’t he?”
    â€œHe’s still out chasing the bad guys. Besides, I wanted to keep an eye on progress here.”
    â€œYeah,” Allen said. “I can see how you would.”
    Roan appreciated the understanding in the deputy’s voice, but it didn’t exactly add to his comfort. He touched the brim of his Stetson in acknowledgment, then headed on down the hall.
    Johnnie looked up when she heard his approach, then threw down her pen and came to meet him. “It’s abouttime you showed up,” she complained. “What the hell do you mean, adding to my workload?”
    â€œSorry.” He returned her quick embrace, and was in no hurry to break it.
    â€œI’ll just bet you are.” Her smile faded as she drew back to study his face.
    More sympathy was about to be offered, he thought. In an effort to avoid it, he said, “Anyway, you like the excitement and you know it.”
    â€œSome kinds, I can do without!” Her voice turned wistful. “Though I wouldn’t say no to a good party about now.”
    â€œThat’s Luke’s department.”
    The look she gave him was jaundiced. “Not anymore, not since he got married.”
    â€œI had noticed our cuz wasn’t throwing as many shindigs.”
    â€œThink he’s afraid somebody, especially some other Bad Benedict, will steal his April away from him?”
    Roan smiled. “I think he’s just, well…”
    â€œBusy, huh?” Johnnie laughed, a deep, rich sound. “Guess they don’t—didn’t—call him Luke of the Night for nothing.” She slid a quick gaze over Roan from head to heels while a reminiscent smile rose in her eyes. “Of course, we were all pretty wild in high school, weren’t we? Even you, before you started hanging out at the sheriff’s department.”
    Roan sighed and stepped back. “That was then, this is now. What’s the word on my prisoner?”
    Johnnie sent him an intent look before she answered in the same businesslike tone. “She’s going to make it, no thanks to you. She lost a lot of blood but is stable, for now, as long as they don’t run into anything too drastic. They’re removing the bullet, repairing the damage. Recovery maytake a while, so I hope you don’t plan to haul her off to jail any time soon.”
    He shook his head, aware at the same time of the easing of the tension inside him. He’d been