Ernie Cruz's meeting at the ranch
with Dan Bellardi had been brief and surprisingly positive. Without giving his
old friend a chance to explain, Bellardi said, "Ernie, I don't blame you
for this. I know you did everything humanly possible to prevent it. We're
dealing with ruthless, hardened criminals. But they won't get the better of us.
Rest assured, we'll find them and punish them to the full extent of the
law." Then he was off to meet with the police before being ferried back to
Susanville by helicopter.
It was consolation and absolution
Ernie neither expected nor felt he deserved. Wes's baffling disappearance had
occurred during his watch, and that meant he was responsible whether the
senator believed it or not. Ernie knew of only one course of action: Work more
diligently to find Wes than he had worked in protecting him. Even if the search
eventually failed, even if the kid turned up dead somewhere, Ernie could not
live with himself if he did not make every effort to reunite his friend with
his only child.
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