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just wanted to check in and let you know I was here.” Bandy grabbed his hat, and Bob grabbed his beautiful gray felt cowboy hat as a gust of cold wind stirred up some dust.
     
    “I’ll head in and find a motel. Ana-Bella has my cell phone number, so she can call me when she gets in and…”
     
    “Nonsense,” Bob said. “Come on into the house. You’ll be staying here for the duration. We’ll get your bags later. I’d like to talk to you about the situation before Ana-Bella gets here, anyway.”
     
    Deciding that going along with Bob Sheridan would be better than not, for this at least, Bandy followed the man up the stairs to the porch and then inside.
     
    His cowboy hat went on a peg of a long hat rack, and Bandy placed his alongside. He noted the gun case not far from the door. There were gun belts with revolvers hanging on pegs inside, along with a selection of lever action rifles and double barrel shotguns. The gun belts had shells in the loops, and there were bandoleers of rifle and shotgun shells on other pegs. This wasn’t some fancy display; it was a set of working guns.
     
    “We don’t normally pack in the house. If you are armed, I’d appreciate you hanging it up here.”
     
    “I carry at home,” Bandy said. “No permit for here. I do have weapons in the truck, though.”
     
    “That’s fine.” They took a few steps across the polished floor of the front room. “Magdalene!” Bob called quietly through a door, “We will be in the study.”
     
    Bandy heard a woman’s voice answer. “Yes, Dear. I’ll be in shortly. Show the gentleman the washroom.”
     
    “Oh. Yes,” Bob replied, to Bandy, not Magdalene. “Right through there.”
     
    Bob was waiting a couple minutes later when Bandy came out of the bathroom, standing by another open door. When Bob turned and went into the room, Bandy followed. It was a warm room, built with polished wood and furnished with polished wood and heavy leather furniture.
     
    Bandy took one of the button tufted leather club chairs in front of the massive desk while Bob took the desk chair. Bandy caught a slight wince on Sheridan’s face when he sat down and thought “Back problems.”
     
    Bob didn’t waste any time. “Just what has Ana-Bella told you of this situation with Angus?”
     
    “Well, sir, she told me that Mr. Longhammer has become interested in preparing for a possible future full of potential disasters. That a local militia type gang has been pressuring him to provide them a base of operations and the ways and means to essentially become the dominant force in this area in the event of a really major situation where normal channels of authority are no longer effective.”
     
    Sheridan leaned back in the chair and tented his fingers. “I suppose she does understand the situation a bit better than I gave her credit for,” he said.
     
    Magdalene, carrying a tray with a coffee and tea service came into the room just as Bob spoke.
     
    Bandy was on his feet immediately and took the tray to place it on the desk. “Yes, she does, Bob. I know you believe Angus will snap out of this ‘phase’ as you put it, but I agree with Ana-Bella that there is a real danger.”
     
    Bob sighed. “Yes. Yes. I agree now. But what to do about it? Angus is scared now, worried about his family. He wouldn’t tell me, but I think there were some implications, if not outright threats, that if he didn’t follow through with what they wanted, his family and business might be in danger.”
     
    “That is not good, Sir,” Bandy said. He quickly added, “Tea,” when Magdalene asked which he preferred. He took the cup when Magdalene poured it and shook his head at the offer of lemon, milk, honey, or sugar.
     
    “If they are willing to push the law to the limits now, they will have no compunction about doing whatever they want if there is no law to even try and corral them.”
     
    “The Sheriff is doing all she can to put a stop to the group. But this is a