2 A Deadly Beef by Jessica Beck Page B

I’ll have a tough time sleeping
tonight."  I looked toward the side road hoping to spot something
out of the ordinary, but it took a few turns soon after it left the main road,
so all I could see was darkness in the direction of Sally’s place. 
"What should we do while we’re waiting?"
    "I
didn’t bring any knitting with me, if that’s what you’re
asking," my grandfather said with a smile.
    "I
didn’t know you knitted," I said.
    "I
don’t, but if I did, the statement stands.  I still didn’t
bring it along."
    I
nodded.  "That’s good.  I didn’t bring my totem
pole to work on, either."
    "You’re
carving a totem pole?" he asked in wonder.
    "No,
but I might take it up, just as soon as you start knitting.  I’m
sorry, I thought we were listing things that neither one of us do."
    He
shook his head and laughed softly.  "Victoria, I could never deny
the fact that you’re my kin, could I?"
    "Not
if you hoped that anyone would believe you," I replied.  I was about
to say something else when the weeds lit up softly in the night. 
"Is he finished already?"
    "It’s
bound to be him."
    Sure
enough, three minutes later, Dave’s truck came up the road, hesitated,
and then took off back toward town.  Moose started the truck and followed
him again, using just his parking lights on the road.
    "Turn
your headlights on," I said as I fought to see where we were going.
    "I
don’t want to arouse his suspicions," Moose said.
    "Don’t
you think you’re doing exactly that by running your parking lights? 
He won’t wonder if you flip on your lights, unless you high-beam
him."
    Moose
grunted as he turned his headlights all the way on, and I settled in beside
him, happy now that we could both see the road ahead of us. 
    Dave
headed straight home, and we watched as he pulled into his driveway before we
drove past him.  There was some kind of container under his arm as he got
out, something I hadn’t seen him leave the grocery store with.
    "What’s
that he’s got with him?" I asked Moose.
    "Beats
me.  Maybe it’s his dinner."
    "Do
you honestly think that Sally’s cooking for him?" I asked. 
"Moose, that doesn’t make any sense."
    "Victoria, I’m just guessing.  There’s no way we can know what he has, but
it seems kind of odd to me, doesn’t it feel that way to you?  If
he’s romancing Sally Ketchum on the QT, he’s not investing much
time in the process."
    "It can’t be that," I said.  "No woman would put up
with it.  There has to be another reason Dave went out there.  What
could be in that container?"
    "You
realize that it might not have anything to do with Sally, don’t
you?" Moose asked.  "It might just be a coincidence that he
took it into the house with him after visiting her at her farm."
    "You
might be right, but what good does it do us to assume that?  I’m
going to continue believing that the container is related to his visit until I
learn otherwise."
    "Well,
think what you’d like, but don’t jump to any conclusions."
    "I
won’t."  I had a sudden impulse that I wanted to act
upon.  "Moose, stop the truck."
    "What’s
wrong?" he asked as he slowed, and then stopped the truck.
    "I
need to see what’s in that container," I said.
    "Have
you lost your mind, Victoria?  What are you planning to do, go up and ring
the doorbell, then ask him nicely to let you have a peek at what he brought
home?"
    "I’ll
think of something when I get there," I said.
    "Wipe
that thought from your mind right now, Victoria.  You’re not going
there alone," Moose said firmly.
    I
couldn’t let him tag along, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to say it
without hurting his feelings.  "He might talk to me , Moose,
but he’s not going to do it if you’re standing right there beside
him.  You’re too intimidating."
    "I’m
not sure that I agree with that, but there’s another possibility
you’re failing to take into consideration."
    "What’s
that?" I asked.
    "Dave
might decide to grab you if he thinks that