“Yes. That finished Ranier. He said the valley was evil and he wouldn’t set foot in it. So he deserted me.”
“You have the map you stole from me?” Warner asked.
Walz eyed him defiantly.
“Maybe.”
“Hand it over.”
“Like fun I will! I didn’t all but kill myself to get here, only to make things easy for you. Oh, no!”
“We can take the map,” the rancher quietly reminded him.
“You can’t,” Walz sneered. “I’m not dumb enough to walk in here with it in my pocket.”
“You’ve hidden it?”
“Better than that. I’ve destroyed it.” Triumphantly, the motel owner tapped his forehead. “The secret is here—right here. Known only to me.”