Wayne had tried to negotiate.
Walter had refused.
He had offered to discuss reasonable maintenance arrangements, but he would not sign a permanent easement without proper legal review and compensation.
The commissioner considered the refusal an obstacle.
He had spoken with Vance several times about the problem.
Now, with the public meeting approaching, he wanted the dispute resolved.
When Vance entered the administration building, Wayne looked up from a stack of documents.
WAYNE: "Where is Hayes?"
HOLLISTER: "At the hospital."
Wayne frowned.
WAYNE: "You told me he'd be in custody."
HOLLISTER: "He is still under investigation."
WAYNE: "That isn't what I asked."
Vance closed the office door.
HOLLISTER: "He called someone."
WAYNE: "Who?"
HOLLISTER: "His daughter."
Wayne leaned back.
WAYNE: "The one in the Navy?"
HOLLISTER: "Yes."
Wayne looked at the documents on his desk.
WAYNE: "What does she know?"
HOLLISTER: "Not enough."
WAYNE: "Then make sure she doesn't get the wrong idea."
HOLLISTER: "She's already asking about the footage."
Wayne stopped moving.
WAYNE: "What footage?"
HOLLISTER: "The diner cameras."
Wayne slowly placed his pen on the desk.
WAYNE: "You said there was no problem."
HOLLISTER: "There isn't. I have a report."
WAYNE: "A report isn't the same as evidence."
Hollister's jaw tightened.
HOLLISTER: "I know what I'm doing."
Wayne looked directly at him.
WAYNE: "Then you should have thought about the cameras before you touched him."
The sheriff stared at his cousin.
For the first time that morning, neither man seemed confident.
Wayne stood and walked toward the window.
Outside, a few residents were gathering near the public meeting hall. The meeting was scheduled to begin later that morning, and the disputed access route was expected to be discussed.
WAYNE: "If Hayes attends, he'll challenge the document."
HOLLISTER: "He won't be there."
WAYNE: "You sound certain."
HOLLISTER: "He was arrested."
WAYNE: "And now he's at the hospital. What happens when he leaves?"
Vance did not answer.
Wayne turned.
WAYNE: "You need to understand something. The company has already scheduled equipment. Trucks are expected to use that route before the end of the month. I cannot have this turning into a public scandal."
HOLLISTER: "Then don't let it."
Wayne looked at him for several seconds.
WAYNE: "I hope you know how to fix what you've started."
At the hospital, Walter was taken into an examination room.
A physician checked his wound, ordered imaging, and asked him to describe the events leading to the injury.
Walter answered carefully.
He did not exaggerate.
He did not speculate about Hollister's motives.
He described the diner, the confrontation, the fall, the arrest, and the repeated requests for medical attention.
The doctor listened without interruption.
After the examination, Walter was told that he had sustained a head injury requiring monitoring and that his shoulder was badly bruised. The wound near his temple needed treatment, but there was no immediate indication of a life-threatening injury.
He was advised to remain under observation.
Walter accepted the instructions.
When the nurse left, he sat quietly on the hospital bed.
A few minutes later, his phone was returned with his personal belongings.
He looked at the screen.
There were several missed calls from Tessa.
He called her.
The answer came almost immediately.
TESSA: "Dad?"
WALTER: "I'm all right."
TESSA: "Where are you?"
WALTER: "At the hospital. They finally checked my head."
TESSA: "What did the doctor say?"
WALTER: "They want to keep me for observation."
Tessa closed her eyes briefly.
TESSA: "Good. Stay there. Don't leave until they clear you."
WALTER: "I wasn't planning to."
TESSA: "I'm almost there."
Walter looked toward the window.
WALTER: "You didn't need to come all this way."
TESSA: "Dad, you called me because you needed help."
WALTER: "I called because I needed someone to know what happened."
TESSA: "Then I'm glad you called."
He was quiet.
TESSA: "Did anyone tell you why the sheriff wanted you out of the diner?"
Walter thought about the yellow documents he had seen beneath the napkin.
WALTER: "I saw papers on the table."
TESSA: "What kind of papers?"
WALTER: "County documents. They had my name and the property number."
Tessa sat straighter.
TESSA: "Did you recognize them?"
WALTER: "I recognized the road description. It looked like the access order Wayne has been talking about."
TESSA: "Did you see a signature?"
WALTER: "I saw his name."
Tessa looked toward the attorney sitting beside her.
TESSA: "Dad, I need you to tell me everything you remember about those papers."
Walter described the document as accurately as he could.
He remembered the heading, the date, and the county stamp. He remembered seeing Wayne Hollister's signature.
He also remembered Vance pulling the papers away when he noticed Walter looking at them.
Tessa listened carefully.
TESSA: "All right. Don't worry about the property issue right now. Focus on getting better."
WALTER: "I know what you're thinking."
TESSA: "What?"
WALTER: "That the arrest was connected to the road."
Tessa looked at the attorney.