Grady Hart: The Disappearing Act (Episode 11, Part 3)

Sadie and Sam Ride Together

The sky above Clearwater hung heavy with storm clouds, casting a dull gray pall over the ramshackle town. Sadie Blackwell rode in from the east, her mare trotting slowly through the muddy streets. The telegram in her pocket weighed more than it should, its simple message playing over in her head.

Grady’s missing. Need help. Meet me in Clearwater. —Sam.

She hadn’t told Brett about the message when she intercepted it. She doubted Grady’s brother would’ve let her come along. And while she figured he could be useful, there was a time she’d wondered if Brett Hart even would have cared enough to drop his sheriff’s duties in Hell’s Half Acre to cross the town for his younger brother no less the whole country. In either event, Sadie didn’t have time to argue. Grady needed help—or at least his friend Sam thought he did. That was enough.

The town wasn’t much to look at: a few crooked buildings leaning into the wind, a saloon with sagging shutters, and the faint stink of unwashed bodies wafting from every direction. Sadie adjusted her hat and kept her gaze sharp, scanning for Sam Rawlins.

No one greeted her as she tied her horse outside the saloon. Inside, the air was thick with smoke and the murmur of low voices. Sadie moved to the bar, her boots clicking against the warped wood.