hog wild
BY CYNTHIA HICKEY
Chapter One
The sound of a rooster’s crow jolted me awake, my body stiff from a long day of hard work on the farm. The scents of hay, warm earth, and manure filled my nostrils as I pushed out of bed. My bare feet hit the cool wooden floor as my gaze landed on the clock—5:02 a.m. The morning routine called, and it always started with feeding the hogs.
I pulled on my royal-blue rubber boots with the bright pink flowers, shrugged into my denim jacket, and stepped outside. The dawn light stretched across rolling pastures, painting the sky in hues of deep purple and soft gold, the air crisp with the beginning of autumn. I took a deep breath and indulged in my favorite view: the farm early in the morning.
Something felt off as I headed for the hogpen after filling a bucket with feed. The usual grunts and snuffles were absent. An unnatural stillness hung over the farm, and my pulse quickened. I increased my pace, my boots kicking up loose gravel.
The pen gate hung ajar.
My stomach dropped.
“Oh, no.” I fumbled with the latch. It seemed to work fine, not broken. I entered the pen. The bedding inside showed evidence
of having been slept in. But hoofprints dug into the dirt, and the wooden railing bore fresh scratches, as if something large had been dragged out without permission.
“Red? Big Red?” I called for my prize hog.
None of my hogs answered. I groaned and poured the feed into the trough before setting out across the farm in search of Red and his harem.
If the silly thing got hurt, he’d never win another blue ribbon. I hadn’t spent years raising the thick-headed, stubborn hog for him to vanish into thin air.
My steps faltered. What if someone had taken him? After all, the latch worked just fine. As smart as Red was, he couldn’t open the gate himself.
Who would steal him? Dickins Hog Farm has been in the town of Oakwood, Arkansas, for decades, passed down through the generations until finally coming to me. My farm is an icon. I had to be mistaken. Still, the niggling feeling persisted that more than the hogs simply wandering off had occurred last night.
I walked to the creek where hoofprints let me know my hogs had been there. My heart rate relaxed a bit as I followed the tracks. “There you are.” I smiled to see my hogs wallowing in the mud. All except Big Red. I clicked my tongue, then called out again. “SOOO-o-oeeyyy, Red.”
No answering snort. He wouldn’t have voluntarily left his girls. Heart in my throat, I grabbed a thick stick and prodded the five sows toward home. I’d need help in finding out what happened to Big Red. Hopefully, someone at Hank’s Feed and Supply in town could help.
Once the sows were back in the pen and happily eating, I grabbed the keys to my old Ford pickup. The engine rumbled to life. I spun gravel, racing away from the farm.
Oakwood isn’t the kind of town where things go missing. Sure, people have their squabbles and small-time gossip runs rampant,
but outright theft? Very rare. If someone had taken Big Red, I’d get him back—one way or another.
Main Street had started waking up when I drove in. Through the door of Millie’s Diner came the scents of fresh coffee and warm pastries. The neon light in the window of Hank’s Feed and Supply flickered on as I parked out front.
I opened my truck door, my booted feet hitting the pavement with force. Oakwood isn’t a large town. Someone would know something. I shoved the door to the feedstore open.
“Whoa.” A man jumped back to escape being hit, then grinned in recognition. “Shelby Dickins.”
“Caleb Thornton. When did you get here?” He’d left me high and dry after high school to attend veterinarian school, at least that’s how his leaving felt to me. He didn’t call or text. He didn’t say goodbye. Instead, he disappeared like a fugitive.
He was taller than I remembered, his broad shoulders filling out the dark flannel that stretched across his chest. A morning shadow of stubble dusted his jaw, and his usual easygoing smirk was absent as he steadied me with firm hands, those remarkable dark-blue eyes boring into mine.
“Last week. I’m the town’s new veterinarian.” His nose wrinkled, and his gaze dropped to my feet. “You still have the hog farm, I see.”
“What?” I glanced down to see manure caking my boots. “Oh.” I rushed back outside and scraped them clean on the curb before reentering the store.
Of all the people to run into, Caleb was not one I expected. I never thought I’d see him again and wasn’t sure how I felt about seeing him now. He’d broken a seventeen-year-old girl’s heart ten years ago.
“You all right?”
I jerked straight and whirled to face him. “You scared me.”
“Sorry. You looked upset when you came in the store.” His brow furrowed. “Were you in a hurry to run someone over, or is there an actual emergency?”
“Big Red is gone.”
“Who is Big Red?”
“My prize-winning hog. He wasn’t in his pen this morning.”
“Gone as in. . .”
“As in missing.” I crossed my arms. “I think he was stolen. The gate was wide open.” My voice cracked. Red was the closest thing I had to a legacy. I couldn’t lose him.
Caleb’s expression shifted, all traces of teasing gone. “I remember him now. You’ve had him from a piglet. I remember how much he means to you. I’m sorry.”
A flicker of something unreadable passed across his eyes. A shadow of the history between us. The weight of unsaid words hung in the air. I shook them off. I didn’t have time to wade through emotions I’d worked to ignore.
I squared my shoulders. “I don’t need sympathy. I need help finding my hog.”
He studied me for a moment. “All right. Let’s find Big Red.”
And just like that, we were in it together whether I liked it or not.
“Good morning, Shelby.” Hank smiled from behind the counter. “Need feed so soon?”
I marched to the counter. “Someone stole Big Red.”
He took a step back. “Stole him? Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. The gate was open this morning. I found the sows down by the creek. No sign of Big Red.” Tears stung my eyes.
“Why would someone steal him?”
“He’s worth a lot of money, Hank. He’s a prized stud with a long line of prized hogs in his lineage, not to mention all the awards he’s won. Will you keep an ear open for me?”
“Of course I will. You should head over to the sheriff’s office and file a report. The sooner you get the word out, the sooner you’ll find him. Can’t miss entering him into the fair this year.”
No, I couldn’t. “Thank you.” I hurried outside, Caleb on my heels. “You don’t have to go with me to the sheriff.”
“I said I’d help you.”
“Why not meet me at my farm in an hour? I’m sure you have things to do.” I climbed into my truck. “You can help me search for clues.”
“All right. See you then.” He climbed into a newer-model truck and backed away from the feedstore.
I hadn’t meant to be rude, but my priority was finding Red in time to enter him into next month’s fair. I didn’t have time to figure out how I felt about Caleb returning.
The sheriff’s office was housed in a metal building near the diner. I drove across the street and parked. Renee Barker, a girl I went to school with, smiled at me from the receptionist’s desk.
“I need to see the sheriff.”
“I’ll see if he’s available.” She spoke quietly into her phone then said, “You can go on back. Have a good day, Shelby.”
“You too, Renee.” I headed down a short hallway and entered a room on my right.
Sheriff Owen Lincoln, a round man only a few inches taller than my five-foot-five, turned his attention from his computer to me. “What can I do for you, Shelby?”
“Someone stole my hog.” I hitched my chin. “I need you to find out who.”
“Slow down. Tell me what happened.”
I started with carrying the feed to the pen and ended with finding the sows. “Hogs can’t open gates.”
“Sure they can. Pigs are smart.”
“The latch is too high, Sheriff.” It had been installed that way specifically so the animals couldn’t open the gate themselves. “Are you going to help me or not?”
“I’m going to need some proof, Shelby. If the animal hasn’t returned by suppertime, call me and I’ll send a deputy out.”
“That’s hours away!” Anything could happen to Big Red. My eyes filled with tears again.
“Now, don’t go and start crying on me.” He looked stricken. “I’ve got more to deal with than a missing animal. I said I’d send someone out if the pig doesn’t return, and I will.”
“Thanks.” I sniffed and left his office, ignoring Renee’s question of whether I was all right.
Of course I wasn’t. I’d lost something very important to me. I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything until Big Red was safely back in his pen.
Chapter Two
My truck rumbled as I pulled into the long gravel driveway of my family’s farm. My conversation with the sheriff still rankled, despite the familiar scent of hay and damp earth.
Near the hogpen, two people waited for me. Caleb stood with his back against a post, arms crossed over his broad chest and a cowboy hat tipped just enough to shade his eyes. Boy, I loved the way he looked in a cowboy hat. Stop it, Shelby. You can’t think of him like that.
Beside him, my best friend Rosie twisted the hem of her flannel shirt, her lips pressed into a tight line. “Why did I have to hear about Big Red from Renee?”
“I’m sorry.” I gave her a quick hug. “It happened this morning.” Renee didn’t waste any time spreading the news. “Let me show you what I found.”
I showed them how the gate had been left open. “See? No way Red could’ve let himself out. The latch is too high.” I showed them the grooves where someone dragged him from the pen. “Big Red wouldn’t have gone willingly. He doesn’t like most people.”
“You missed these.” Caleb pointed to the ground. Muddy boot prints too large to be mine.
Whoever had been here hadn’t just passed through. They had stopped. Walked around. Studied the area. My heart pounded. “I need a dog.”
Caleb and Rosie glanced at me in unison. “That’s random,” Rosie said.
“No, I mean it. A dog would be a good security system. No one would get on my property without a dog alerting me.”
“Okay.” Caleb nodded. “I can take you to the shelter later. I agree with you that someone took your hog. I also questioned a couple of your neighbors on my way here. Both reported seeing a dark-colored, older-model truck with a trailer pass this way late last night.”
“They were both out that late?” A lot of folks around here drive an old truck with a trailer.
“Feeding livestock, they said. They also said the truck moved slow, as if hauling something heavy, and drove with its lights off.”
Rosie glanced between us. “This doesn’t sound random.”
My jaw tightened. “No, it doesn’t.”
Caleb narrowed his eyes. “You have any enemies we should know about?”
I snorted. “Enemies? Only if you count those with a jealous streak because my hog is always winning ribbons.” I glanced down the road. Where are you, Big Red?
“Who would you have on a list of jealous competitors?”
“Travis Reed, I guess. He’s my biggest competitor. But why would he steal Red?”
“Look, y’all.” Rosie waved a scrap of green-and-black flannel fabric. “I found this on a nail on the side of the wellhouse.”
I took the scrap from her. “I don’t have a shirt this color.” I’d definitely be looking for someone wearing a green-and-black flannel shirt missing a piece.
“Anyone else who might not want your hog in next month’s competition?” Caleb pulled my attention back to him.
“Where’s Luke?” Rosie asked.
Luke Brenner, my part-time farmhand, was taking a few days well-earned time off. “Vacation.”
“Would he have a reason to want Red gone?” Caleb scowled. “Usually, crimes are committed by someone close to home.”
“Why would he? Without the money Big Red brings me from competitions and stud fees, I wouldn’t be able to pay for his help.”
The crunch of tires on gravel turned me toward the road as a deputy’s car drove up. “The sheriff said he wasn’t sending anyone unless Big Red didn’t show for supper.”
“He must’ve changed his mind.” Caleb leaned back against the pen railing. “Looks like Dave Helton.”
Caleb’s rival from high school. Both had wanted the position of star quarterback. Dave hadn’t liked that Caleb took first string.
“Be nice.” I stepped forward to greet the other man. “Thank you for coming, Dave, but I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I came when I heard about your hog.” He smiled, a look of admiration in his eyes.
Caleb huffed. Yes, the two had also competed for me.
I ran Dave through the clues we’d found and handed him the torn fabric. “I found the sows down by the creek. No sign of Big Red’s prints, and they would’ve been very visible.”
“The neighbors mentioned a truck and trailer?” He glanced at Caleb.
“Yep. Except for the truck not having lights on, they didn’t think twice about seeing it.”
Dave wrote on a notepad he pulled from inside his jacket. “I’ll head down to the creek and look around anyway. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
“Caleb is taking me to the shelter to find a dog. You have my cell phone number. Thanks again, Dave.” I smiled, eliciting a grunt from Caleb. I had to admit to enjoying his slight show of jealousy. “You want to come, Rosie?”
“No, I’ve got to get to my shift at the diner. I can ask around if anyone has seen your hog.” She tossed Dave a wave, her cheeks turning pink when he smiled and waved before marching toward the creek. How had I not noticed her infatuation with him before?
“Do you think the whole forty-eight hours thing pertains to animals?” I asked, buckling myself into Caleb’s truck.
“As in finding them alive during that time?” He raised his eyebrows. “I don’t think whoever took Red plans on killing him. What purpose would that serve? If I had to make an assumption, I’d say they intend on keeping him until after the competition so you can’t enter him.”
“We need to find out who’s signed up. We might find Red on one of their properties.”
“When is the deadline?”
“The end of the month.” Which meant not everyone had signed up yet. Still, it gave us a place to start. “Thanks for coming with me. Being a vet, you’ll be a good judge on what kind of dog I should get.”
“I said I would help you.” He smiled and pulled up in front of a cement building that housed the local animal shelter. “We’re friends, remember?”
Right. Friends. Once I thought we were more than friends. A cacophony of barks greeted us as we entered the building. On the off chance someone had found Red and brought him here, I headed for the section where they housed animals that weren’t cats or dogs. Of course, everyone in Oakwood knew Big Red, but I still had to check. He wasn’t there.
I joined Caleb in a fenced area where he was sitting on the grass and had three dogs in his lap. I laughed as they knocked him over and licked his face. “You want me to pick one of these ferocious beasts?”
“They’re the best ones here.” He untangled himself and got to his feet. “Lovable, but they’ll provide the security you need.”
How would I pick just one? I sat on a cement bench and waited to see whether one of them would come to me.
The mixed-breed brindle kept glancing my way. Finally, he came and sat in front of me, his dark eyes focused on my face.
“You’re quite the mutt, aren’t you?” I patted his head. “Beautiful, but what are you?”
“Shepherd, lab, and maybe a little pit bull.” Caleb sat beside me. “He’s a good boy. Healthy. About two years old. We can stop by my office, and I’ll check him over. You have three days to bring him back if you find out he isn’t a good fit.”
“Wanna come home with me, Mutt?” Why hadn’t I considered a dog a lot sooner? “I think he’ll be a great addition to the farm.” If I’d had him, Big Red would still be locked in his pen.
Tears threatened to choke me again. What if I never got my friend back?
Caleb patted my shoulder. “We’ll find Red, I promise.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” He’d broken them before. I stood. “Come on, Mutt. Let’s go home.”
We made a quick stop at the vet’s office where Caleb gave Mutt a clean bill of health and I tacked a notice to the bulletin board about Big Red. My note stood out among advertisements for dog sitting and puppies for sale.
“Let’s grab a couple of burgers before heading back to the farm,” Caleb suggested.
“Don’t you have something to do?”
“Not really. I don’t officially start work here until tomorrow, and I’m hungry.”
“If I remember correctly, you’re always hungry.” I stifled a grin, not wanting him to think I’d forgiven him for dumping me ten years ago. “I could use something to eat. It is suppertime.” My throat clogged again at the realization Big Red wouldn’t be waiting for his feed and shoving the sows out of the way with his bulk until the trough was full.
Caleb went through the drive-through of a local burger shop, purchased food, then handed me a bag before tossing a patty into the back seat for Mutt. “Before I leave the farm, I want to make sure the dog will stick around if left outside.”
“He’ll be sleeping inside with me.” I bit into the juicy mushroom cheeseburger.
Caleb frowned. “I thought he was going to be a guard dog.”
“He is. He can do that from inside, can’t he?”
“Fine. We’ll stop at the mercantile and get a doggie door if you want.”
“You don’t have to. You’ve done enough today. I really do appreciate your help, though, and a doggie door would be great.”
He reached over and wiped something from the corner of my mouth, his gaze softening. “You had some ketchup.”
“Oh. Uh. . .” Not knowing how to respond to the emotions whirling in me, I took another bite of my burger.
By the time Caleb left, the sun had started to set, the hogs had been fed, the chores were done, and I sat on the front-porch steps with a glass of tea in one hand and Mutt sitting next to me. “I wonder how you’d get along with Big Red. He can be jealous, you know.”
Mutt’s ears perked up, his dark gaze on the road.
“Do you see something?” I strained to see through the deepening dusk.
An engine rumbled in the distance. I really should’ve already started questioning folks. Instead, I sat on the porch and missed my hog. Tomorrow would be different. Tomorrow, I’d pound the proverbial pavement and badger everyone in town until someone told me where Big Red was.
The sows in the pen didn’t snort and snuffle as much as usual. They missed him too.
Don’t worry, girls. Your man will be home soon. I wouldn’t stop searching until he was.
Chapter Three
The next morning, I coerced Rosie into going with me to pay a visit to Travis Reed. “You’ve got time before you have to go to work. What if he’s dangerous? Do you really want me to go alone?”
“Fine.” Rosie flounced against the back of the truck seat. “But if we get murdered, I’m going to kill you.”
The drive didn’t take long. Soon we pulled into the winding drive of a sprawling estate, a testament to Travis’ family’s wealth and long-standing dominance in the livestock industry. My farm seemed like a speck of sand in comparison.
Travis came around the corner of the house as I got out of my truck. A grin spread across his face. “To what do I owe this honor?”
“Oh, hush. I know you heard about my hog going missing. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” I planted my fists on my hips as Rosie stood just behind me.
Travis grinned. “Now, Shelby, that’s a serious accusation. Are you saying I stole your pig? His voice dripped with mock innocence. “I have plenty of my own.”
“None as good as Big Red.”
Rosie leaned around me. “It’s mighty convenient that Shelby’s main competitor suddenly has one less problem to worry about a month before the biggest competition in these parts.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “You ladies always assume the worst. I didn’t take your pig, Shelby. I don’t need to. I’ve got my own entry, and it’s better than anything you could bring to the table—even Big Red.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Who is it this time? You usually bring in stock from out of town so no one sees your entry until the last minute.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.” He smirked and turned toward the barn, acting as if he’d already dismissed us.
I wasn’t letting him off that easily. “Listen, Travis. If I find out you had anything to do with this, I’ll make sure the whole town hears about it.”
He stopped and looked back over his shoulder. “You do that. In the meantime, good luck finding that hog of yours.”
I followed him to the barn, my boots kicking up dust. “My pen was locked up tight. Somebody opened the gate and dragged Red out. You have the most to gain by him not competing.”
“Yeah.” Rosie glared. “You’ve pulled some dirty tricks before, Travis, but this? This is low.”
He chuckled. “I don’t have time for this. I’ve got my own hog to tend to—entered it fair and square, like everybody else. I can’t help it that you didn’t take the proper care needed.”
My hands curled into fists. The man was too smug. He knew something. If he took Red, he thought I wouldn’t be able to prove it. I was going to make sure I did.
“Come on, Shelby.” Rosie tugged on my arm. “Let’s grab some breakfast from the diner.”
Travis waved as he entered the barn. “Goodbye, ladies.”
Ugh. The man was insufferable. “Okay. We need to formulate a plan to find Big Red in time.”
“Do you think we can?” Rosie climbed into the truck.
“Caleb seems to think someone is holding him until after the competition and then he’ll show up.”
“That doesn’t help you.”
“No, it doesn’t.” I shot another glare toward Travis’ barn, then turned around and headed to town.
“How do you feel about Caleb returning?” Rosie tilted her head.
“I haven’t thought about it. I have other things on my mind.” Liar. I thought about it a lot. Lost sleep over that thinking the night before. Truth was, I didn’t know how I felt about his return.
“Hey, Rosie.” The hostess of the diner, Macie, led us to a booth. “I’ll be back to take your order. Sorry about your pig, Shelby.”
“Thanks. Can you keep an ear out for any mention of him?” I opened the menu, my gaze landing on biscuits and chocolate gravy.
“Well. . .” She leaned closer. “Folks are saying Travis is sure to win the competition now.”
“No whispers of who might’ve stolen Big Red?”
“Not yet, but you know this town. Someone will slip eventually.” She left to seat a group of four.
“A three-hundred-pound animal cannot simply disappear.” I sighed and leaned against the booth. “I should go back to Travis’ tonight and snoop around.”
“That’s trespassing!” Rosie’s eyes widened.
“So?” I shrugged. “It’s also illegal to steal. His farm is the biggest around, with plenty of places to stash my pig. You’ll help me, right?”
Her shoulders sagged. “Yes, I’ll help. I feel like we’re still in high school and you’re getting me in trouble again.”
“Those were the good ole days.” I grinned and ordered the biscuits and chocolate gravy when the server came to take our order. Then I sobered and asked Rosie, “Do you know where the competition records are kept?”
Rosie shook her head as Caleb spoke from behind me. “I do.” He slid in beside me. “I’ve got a buddy who works at the county clerk’s office. I bet he’ll let us have a peek.”
“You think so?” I tried to scoot away from him without being obvious. I couldn’t eat with him sitting so close.
“I’ll text him right now.” He pulled out his cell phone and typed, then motioned the server over. “I’ll take the special. Three eggs over easy, hashbrowns, and sausage. Oh, and coffee.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” I asked.
“The office doesn’t open until nine. My first appointment isn’t until nine thirty. I’ve got time. What have the two of you been up to?”
I filled him in on our visit to Travis’. “He knows something.”
“Shelby and I are going tonight to snoop around.” Rosie grimaced.
“Absolutely not.” Caleb’s face hardened. “It could be dangerous. Hold on. I’ve got a text.” He glanced at his phone. “My friend said come to the back door of the courthouse tonight and he’ll let us in.”
I arched a brow. “How is that any different than going to Travis’?”
“We’re invited, for one.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you don’t have the authority to keep me from doing anything.” I smiled as the server brought my breakfast.
“I could tell the sheriff.” He shot me a sideways glance.
“You won’t.”
“No, I won’t.” He sighed. “Guess I’ll have to go with you then. As backup.”
I shrugged. I did ask for his help.
Later that night, I met Caleb behind the courthouse, where a man let us in a side door. “You know, I could get in serious trouble for this,” Caleb said. “Where’s Rosie?”
“She opted out. Said she had a rough day.” I stepped back as the stranger waved us inside.
“Shelby, meet Alan.” Caleb introduced me, and we followed Alan into a small office.
“Thank you, Alan,” I whispered. “We wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
Alan sighed, rummaging through a file cabinet before pulling out a manila folder labeled Livestock Competition Entries. “Here it is, and hurry. Mind you, there’s still time to enter, so not all entries are listed yet.”
I flipped through the pages, scanning the names. Most were familiar, farmers and ranchers I’d known for years, but. . . “This is a new entry. Someone who has never entered before.” I turned the file around. “Who is Mason Duggar?”
Caleb peered at the page. “I have no idea, but it says here that he’s entered a hog in the same weight class as yours.”
My gut twisted. “That’s quite a coincidence. I mean. . .he could be the guy. I don’t really believe in coincidences.”
“Why would you say that? Big Red can’t be the only hog his size in the county,” Caleb asked.
Alan crossed his arms. “Mason’s not very well known around here yet. Moved to town a few months ago. Does odd jobs, mostly farmhand work.”
I glanced up. “Where?”
“Recently he’s been working for Travis Reed.”
My breath caught as I met Caleb’s gaze. I slammed the file shut. “I bet Travis made Mason steal my hog.”
Caleb frowned. “You sure about that?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. I wouldn’t put it past him to have someone else do his dirty work.” I tapped the folder. “This entry is just a smidge under three hundred pounds.”
Caleb exhaled. “What are you gonna do?”
“I’m gonna prove it. And when I do, Travis Reed is gonna wish he’d never messed with me.”
“Right now, you’re both going to leave,” Alan said, replacing the folder. “If someone sees my light on, they’ll come to investigate. I should’ve left the office hours ago.” He ushered us out, locked the door, and made a beeline for his car.
“Now what?” Caleb asked, walking me to my truck.
“I pay a visit to Mason Duggar and the butcher, Carl Brunner.”
“Why Brunner?”
“Because he’s also entering the same weight size. One of those competitors has Big Red.” I opened the driver’s side door and climbed inside. Of course there were more competitors than just us two or three, but Travis was the only one I’ve had run-ins with in the past.
Caleb closed it for me, then folded his arms on the doorframe. “When do you want to visit Travis’ farm again?” His eyes glittered in the light of a streetlamp.
“Tomorrow night. Ten o’clock. Be at my place or we leave without you.”
He stepped back. “I’ll be there.”
Mutt greeted me on the porch when I arrived home. I scratched behind his ears. “Everything okay here?”
He answered with a woof.
“Good boy.”
Since Rosie and I had been interrupted at breakfast and not had time to formulate a plan on getting my hog back, I pulled a pad of paper from my desk and sat at the kitchen table. I wrote down Travis Reed’s name and Mason Duggar’s. The only other clue I had was that a truck and trailer had been seen on my road the night Big Red disappeared.
I chewed on the end of my pencil. Maybe tomorrow night would reveal some more clues. I hoped so. I had a farm to run and a hog to find and found myself torn between the two. Work couldn’t suffer. I had Luke to help care for the livestock, but they were my responsibility.
What a time for him to request time off. I frowned. Did he have an ulterior motive? Could Luke have taken Big Red and needed the time off to find a place to stash such a large animal? The pigs were used to him. They wouldn’t have made a giant fuss at his presence in the middle of the night, especially if someone lured my hog with food. I added him to my list of suspects. Maybe I was getting somewhere. Tomorrow night might reveal what I needed to do next.
