Chapter 2
It was mid-afternoon before Dan was able to get one of the hands to drive him back to town. Ben had been rather vague about the truck, but Dan still had an uncomfortable feeling he wasn’t going to like the news he got about the problem.
Ben’s somber face confirmed the notion. They talked briefly before Ben stuck his head into the garage and summoned Mal. “I want you to hear the details from the man who fixed the mess,” he explained. “Mal said it was deliberate damage. Wait ‘til you see those two nuts. They’re chewed damn near round.”
The mechanic came out, shook two ragged cylinders of metal out of a plastic bag, and handed them to Dan. “Here you are, Mr. Winslow. I don’t know how familiar you are with automotive hardware, but I can tell you nuts don’t lose their facets like t
