A Murder In Milburn Book 2 Death Of A Deputy REVAMPED June 2016 SCRIVENER by Nancy McGovern Page B
Authors: Nancy McGovern
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back her chair. “I don’t have to listen to this.”
“No. You don’t,” Tina agreed. “But you’re going to listen anyway, because I’m your friend. You pushed Harvey away on the flimsiest of excuses. Now you’re pushing me and my money away too. You told me that you’d probably have enough money to think of asking the bank for a loan after the Viking festival, but you haven’t approached anyone, have you? Instead, you’re telling yourself you’re chasing your dream of owning a diner when you’re not. You’re going to talk to Anna, you’ll take her money, you’ll work for her for six months, and at the end of that time, you’ll make new excuses about why you don’t want to start the diner.”
Nora’s face hardened. “I don’t want to see you again, Tina,” she said. “You can keep your armchair psychology to yourself.”
“I’m telling you this because I love you and I’m your friend, Nora,” Tina said.
“I had a friend,” Nora replied. “I had a best friend already, and you, no matter how hard you try, aren’t ever going to come close.” So saying, she tossed down a few dollars and headed out the door.
*****
Chapter 14
The nerve of her. Nora was fuming. The cheek! How dare she suggest that Nora wasn’t trying her hardest to open the diner? For ten years, she’d been killing herself, working every job she could, to save up the money.
She and Raquel had been so close, too, Nora thought. They’d been so close to making their dreams a reality, and it had all been snatched away in the blink of an eye.
Nora remembered the blow of it, losing first Raquel, and then her dream of opening the diner.
With the exception of the few moments that she’d shared with Harvey, the last time Nora had felt truly light and carefree had been with Raquel. They’d been struggling, but it had been their struggle. They’d shared something together that no one else would understand, a dream of transforming the world.
Now Raquel was gone, and Nora was left with…
With what?
Was Tina right? Nora wondered. Was she saying the same things that Harvey had tried to tell her?
The truth was, Nora couldn’t picture opening the diner any more. Every picture she’d had, in her ten years of struggling for it, had involved Raquel. She’d pictured the two of them, best friends forever, working together. They’d even mapped out their roles neatly, each of their strengths complementing the others perfectly.
After Raquel’s death, Nora continued to struggle, almost considering it her duty to do what Raquel had wished. She’d worked very hard to earn the money that would go to opening the diner, or so she’d thought.
Maybe, without Raquel involved, Nora’s heart had come to believe that there could be no diner.
She felt an absurd flood of tears come to her eyes.
Luckily for her, she was in the most comforting of Wyoming’s forests. The woods she’d grown up playing in. Even now, as an adult, Nora came into the folding embrace of this green patch, whenever she felt vulnerable. It was here, in fact, that the final confrontation with Raquel’s murderer had occurred. Nora shivered as she recollected the horrible moment when the sound of a bullet had rung out, and Harvey had dived to save her.
She walked on further in the woods and then paused. In between the trees, she could see movement. A bright cloth flashed and then vanished just as quickly.
Intrigued, she followed. Moving closer, she heard sounds too. A voice.
“Well, I know what I saw,” the voice was saying. “I know I saw you with him, and I think that’ll interest a lot of people.”
Nora froze. Who was this? It sounded young. A boy’s voice, not a man’s. She crept closer to the sound of the voice.
“You can say that again,” the boy was saying. “I only know what I want, and I’m going after it. In this world, you take what you can, when you can. That’s what I’ve learnt. So let’s make a deal.”
Nora crept
“No. You don’t,” Tina agreed. “But you’re going to listen anyway, because I’m your friend. You pushed Harvey away on the flimsiest of excuses. Now you’re pushing me and my money away too. You told me that you’d probably have enough money to think of asking the bank for a loan after the Viking festival, but you haven’t approached anyone, have you? Instead, you’re telling yourself you’re chasing your dream of owning a diner when you’re not. You’re going to talk to Anna, you’ll take her money, you’ll work for her for six months, and at the end of that time, you’ll make new excuses about why you don’t want to start the diner.”
Nora’s face hardened. “I don’t want to see you again, Tina,” she said. “You can keep your armchair psychology to yourself.”
“I’m telling you this because I love you and I’m your friend, Nora,” Tina said.
“I had a friend,” Nora replied. “I had a best friend already, and you, no matter how hard you try, aren’t ever going to come close.” So saying, she tossed down a few dollars and headed out the door.
*****
Chapter 14
The nerve of her. Nora was fuming. The cheek! How dare she suggest that Nora wasn’t trying her hardest to open the diner? For ten years, she’d been killing herself, working every job she could, to save up the money.
She and Raquel had been so close, too, Nora thought. They’d been so close to making their dreams a reality, and it had all been snatched away in the blink of an eye.
Nora remembered the blow of it, losing first Raquel, and then her dream of opening the diner.
With the exception of the few moments that she’d shared with Harvey, the last time Nora had felt truly light and carefree had been with Raquel. They’d been struggling, but it had been their struggle. They’d shared something together that no one else would understand, a dream of transforming the world.
Now Raquel was gone, and Nora was left with…
With what?
Was Tina right? Nora wondered. Was she saying the same things that Harvey had tried to tell her?
The truth was, Nora couldn’t picture opening the diner any more. Every picture she’d had, in her ten years of struggling for it, had involved Raquel. She’d pictured the two of them, best friends forever, working together. They’d even mapped out their roles neatly, each of their strengths complementing the others perfectly.
After Raquel’s death, Nora continued to struggle, almost considering it her duty to do what Raquel had wished. She’d worked very hard to earn the money that would go to opening the diner, or so she’d thought.
Maybe, without Raquel involved, Nora’s heart had come to believe that there could be no diner.
She felt an absurd flood of tears come to her eyes.
Luckily for her, she was in the most comforting of Wyoming’s forests. The woods she’d grown up playing in. Even now, as an adult, Nora came into the folding embrace of this green patch, whenever she felt vulnerable. It was here, in fact, that the final confrontation with Raquel’s murderer had occurred. Nora shivered as she recollected the horrible moment when the sound of a bullet had rung out, and Harvey had dived to save her.
She walked on further in the woods and then paused. In between the trees, she could see movement. A bright cloth flashed and then vanished just as quickly.
Intrigued, she followed. Moving closer, she heard sounds too. A voice.
“Well, I know what I saw,” the voice was saying. “I know I saw you with him, and I think that’ll interest a lot of people.”
Nora froze. Who was this? It sounded young. A boy’s voice, not a man’s. She crept closer to the sound of the voice.
“You can say that again,” the boy was saying. “I only know what I want, and I’m going after it. In this world, you take what you can, when you can. That’s what I’ve learnt. So let’s make a deal.”
Nora crept
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