Raymond « Ray » Gutierrez

ay Gutierrez, 67, is a former sheriff from southern New Mexico who took early retirement a few years back, not because he had to, but because he’d seen enough. After decades of walking that thin line between law and compromise in border towns, Ray now roams the backroads in his old Ford, not quite sure if he’s chasing peace or just trying to outrun the ghosts. He stopped at the Newton Motel without planning to, just drawn in by the sunset and the silence. He keeps mostly to himself, watching the desert through the window like he’s waiting for something, or someone, to appear on the horizon.