were having a ball playing with Lynette’s Australian cattle dog at her place, but she could really use some wagging tails and canine kisses at the moment.
“My car?” Bringing it seemed far beyond the call of duty.
“I thought maybe you’d need it here, whenever you’re up to driving. Besides that, I’ve always wanted to see what one of those little numbers could do if you redlined it.”
“You…you drove it here so you could race it?”
He pointed at her, smiling. “Gotcha. I promise you I shifted through those gears like an old lady. Mostly.”
She couldn’t help smiling back. Marlboro Man was making a convert of her in the cowboy department. Pretty soon she’d be drooling over the rodeo-guy pictures Lynette kept by her desk at the clinic.
“So, how’s the leg, Doc?” he asked.
“It’s Dana , please. And it’s better, thanks. They’re springing me tomorrow.”
“I’m glad. You had us pretty worried.”
She wondered whom he meant by “us.” Certainly not Judge Hooks. The only thing that worried that glorified fry cook was the thought of her returning. Had he sent the sheriff on a mission to keep her far away? The thought tossed a bucket of cold water over her new big-hat-and-boots fixation.
“I appreciate your bringing me the car,” she said, “but you know, I’ll still have to go back to Devil’s Claw to take care of Angie’s things.”
“My deputy and I’ll see to ’em,” he said. “We can have them boxed and shipped, though it might take me a week or two to arrange to have that loom trucked. We’ll want to make sure it’s not damaged in the move.”
She looked hard into Eversole’s blue eyes. “Such a friendly, helpful bunch.”
“We’re just—”
“Trying to make sure I have no reason to return to Rimrock County?”
She had expected an argument, but he said nothing; nor did he look away. His expression grave, he only stood there as the silence between them took on weight.
Dana couldn’t stand it any longer. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
He frowned. “I haven’t found out who put the snake in your car. No one saw anything. Or so they’re saying.”
“I see.”
“I don’t mean to stop investigating. And I haven’t given up on finding your sister, either. But I’d feel better if you stayed away till I get to the bottom of all this.”
“Or until Nikki Harrison dies and I lose interest.”
His expression darkened. “That’s the second time you’ve made that accusation. You were wrong before. You’re wrong now. I don’t want you hurt again, that’s all. Or maybe killed this time.”
Dana picked up her water cup from the rolling bedside table and sipped from the bent straw. But she couldn’t swallow back the question that still nagged her. “Like Angie, do you mean? You believe…You think she’s dead, don’t you?”
He hesitated before answering. “I don’t know that.”
“You suspect it.”
“I think it’s a possibility. One that would explain a few things.” He pulled the room’s single chair by the bedside.
She rearranged the sheets for better coverage. “Why? Why would anyone kill Angie? I know she was making noise about getting together some protest, but…”
“But what?”
Dana grimaced. “This isn’t easy to say about my own sister, but it’s true. She’s binged on drugs her whole adult life, and God knows she’s an alcoholic. Sure, she got worked up about this and that from time to time, but she was bound to lose her focus, fall off the wagon. Then she’d forget about the salt-dome project.”
“Maybe she convinced the wrong folks she was serious, that she could be a problem. That project, it’s pretty important to the people around Rimrock.” He hesitated, brushing dust from his hat.
She waited him out, sensing there was something more on his mind.
“Haz-Vestment’s held a series of meetings to gain community support,” he said. “I’ve been reading through the transcripts and…”
“And
“My car?” Bringing it seemed far beyond the call of duty.
“I thought maybe you’d need it here, whenever you’re up to driving. Besides that, I’ve always wanted to see what one of those little numbers could do if you redlined it.”
“You…you drove it here so you could race it?”
He pointed at her, smiling. “Gotcha. I promise you I shifted through those gears like an old lady. Mostly.”
She couldn’t help smiling back. Marlboro Man was making a convert of her in the cowboy department. Pretty soon she’d be drooling over the rodeo-guy pictures Lynette kept by her desk at the clinic.
“So, how’s the leg, Doc?” he asked.
“It’s Dana , please. And it’s better, thanks. They’re springing me tomorrow.”
“I’m glad. You had us pretty worried.”
She wondered whom he meant by “us.” Certainly not Judge Hooks. The only thing that worried that glorified fry cook was the thought of her returning. Had he sent the sheriff on a mission to keep her far away? The thought tossed a bucket of cold water over her new big-hat-and-boots fixation.
“I appreciate your bringing me the car,” she said, “but you know, I’ll still have to go back to Devil’s Claw to take care of Angie’s things.”
“My deputy and I’ll see to ’em,” he said. “We can have them boxed and shipped, though it might take me a week or two to arrange to have that loom trucked. We’ll want to make sure it’s not damaged in the move.”
She looked hard into Eversole’s blue eyes. “Such a friendly, helpful bunch.”
“We’re just—”
“Trying to make sure I have no reason to return to Rimrock County?”
She had expected an argument, but he said nothing; nor did he look away. His expression grave, he only stood there as the silence between them took on weight.
Dana couldn’t stand it any longer. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
He frowned. “I haven’t found out who put the snake in your car. No one saw anything. Or so they’re saying.”
“I see.”
“I don’t mean to stop investigating. And I haven’t given up on finding your sister, either. But I’d feel better if you stayed away till I get to the bottom of all this.”
“Or until Nikki Harrison dies and I lose interest.”
His expression darkened. “That’s the second time you’ve made that accusation. You were wrong before. You’re wrong now. I don’t want you hurt again, that’s all. Or maybe killed this time.”
Dana picked up her water cup from the rolling bedside table and sipped from the bent straw. But she couldn’t swallow back the question that still nagged her. “Like Angie, do you mean? You believe…You think she’s dead, don’t you?”
He hesitated before answering. “I don’t know that.”
“You suspect it.”
“I think it’s a possibility. One that would explain a few things.” He pulled the room’s single chair by the bedside.
She rearranged the sheets for better coverage. “Why? Why would anyone kill Angie? I know she was making noise about getting together some protest, but…”
“But what?”
Dana grimaced. “This isn’t easy to say about my own sister, but it’s true. She’s binged on drugs her whole adult life, and God knows she’s an alcoholic. Sure, she got worked up about this and that from time to time, but she was bound to lose her focus, fall off the wagon. Then she’d forget about the salt-dome project.”
“Maybe she convinced the wrong folks she was serious, that she could be a problem. That project, it’s pretty important to the people around Rimrock.” He hesitated, brushing dust from his hat.
She waited him out, sensing there was something more on his mind.
“Haz-Vestment’s held a series of meetings to gain community support,” he said. “I’ve been reading through the transcripts and…”
“And
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