Witch in the Wind (Bandit Creek Books) by Brenda M. Collins Page B

anything of much value.”
    The older man nodded without comment.
    “I didn’t look at it too closely but, next to a couple of the items, Dad scribbled ‘Safety Deposit Box’. It made me think I should check the box in case my parents left any instructions about the house—or their funeral.”
    A twisting pain in her chest caught her breath on the last word. Her throat was so tight she could barely raise her voice above a whisper.
    “I think one of the items was ‘Family Heirloom Jewelry’ or something like that. I can’t think of any of the other things on it.”
    “I can take her home to get it now if you want, Sheriff. ”
    “No big rush.” The older man shrugged and then ushered them out of the tight vault space as he spoke. “I’ll be tied up here for the rest of the day. We’ll have to bring the techs in from Missoula to find the source of the explosion. We don’t have anyone here who can do that sort of thing.”
    “I’ll go through my parents’ papers more carefully, Sheriff . If I find anything about the box I’ll bring it in to you tomorrow.” Avy made her way back over the debris trail to the exit.
    Evening was approaching as Marcus guided her to the sidewalk outside the bank with his arm around her shoulders.
    As they continued their walk back through the park, most of the crowd dispersed. Quiet settled over the park. Most of the kids had gone home for supper but Avy could still recognize a few faces. Shipley, the handyman, was prying apart a kiosk and tossing the lumber into a wagon. George and Lucy were rolling their portable barbeque grill back to the diner, its rubber wheels squeaking as it bumped along the boardwalk. The man she’d seen with the mayor at Ma’s Kitchen that morning was standing off to one side of the park leaning on a walnut tree. And, of course, Jack was staggering back towards his favourite bench now that his territory was vacated.
    She took a deep breath. After the stench of the explosives, her nose seemed sensitized to the fresh scent of trees and grass, moist earth, mountain air. Finally, she put words to the thought that had been burning inside her. “What the hell is happening here, Marcus?”
    When he didn’t answer, she looked up at him. He seemed lost in thought at first, but feeling her stare, he stopped walking. “I’m sorry you’re caught in the middle of all this, Avy,” he said. “I wish there was some way to keep you out of it.”
    It seemed an odd thing to say, but she could feel how deeply he felt about it. She noticed lines of strain around his eyes that had not been there this morning. She knew—call it woman’s intuition—but she was certain there was something seriously bothering him. She could feel it as if his reaction were her own. She was equally certain he would not tell her what it was.
    He took her face between his hands, and kissed her forehead. “Are you all right?”
    “As much as can be expected,” she said as she let herself lean into his chest. “Under the circumstances.”
    She felt a hard edge under her cheek. She looked up just as Marcus tugged the chain around his neck revealing a pendant at the end that had been tucked under his shirt. Remembering the one she’d seen her parents with when she was very young, she struggled to hide the ragged breath she drew in as she swallowed yet another wave of threatening tears.
    He wrapped his arms around her and tucked her under his chin.
    She could hear his heart beating with calming regularity. Hers felt like it was learning some new drum tattoo.
    He didn’t step away and gradually her own pulse slowed to match his rhythm.
    After a moment, he asked, “Do you have any idea what kind of jewelry was stolen?”
    She could feel the rumble of his voice in his chest as he spoke. “You know, now that I think about it.” She backed up so she could look up at his face. “My parents really didn’t have much jewelry.”
    She raised her hand and flashed the heavy silver ring. “Just