you?”
“Me? Why would I be in touch with him?”
“Well, you know how your dad interfered with Ronald and our father.”
“He didn’t interfere. He was trying to help Ronald. Someone had to. Your father was horrible to him. You know that.”
“Well, he was horrible to me, too, and I didn’t run off.”
This was the first I heard that Michael’s dad had treated him badly.
“He was strict with you, but did he hit you or humiliate you like he did your brother?”
“He didn’t have to. I saw what he did to Ronald, and I towed the line, I guess. He was cruel in many ways, distant to both me and Mom. He ignored me until I was old enough to be of use in the brew barn.” He gritted his teeth, working his jaw, then stopped. His next words indicated he had gathered himself together.
“But that’s over now. I just thought maybe, since Ronald liked your mom and dad, he might have gotten in touch with them at some point.”
“I’m sure Mom and Dad never heard from him after that awful night when he burned the old hop house down.”
But I had heard from Ronald. It was a secret I’d kept for years, and I wasn’t about to betray him now.
“If you heard anything, you’d let me know, wouldn’t you?” I walked him to the door. On the stoop, he turned and put his hands on my arms, pulling me to him. “You’d let me know, wouldn’t you?” He bent down as if to kiss me, but the sound of someone clearing his throat startled us, and we sprang apart. It was Jeremiah.
“That new guy you hired and wanted me to train? He’s here.”
“Just go ahead and get him started. Might as well bring him in from the beginning.” I turned to Michael, glad of the interruption. “Sorry, but today I’m beginning more summer brew, and I’m training a new man, so I’ve got a lot to do. Now, about the price.”
“Five hundred bucks, payable when you get that summer brew out and sold. No hurry. I’m almost as curious to see what you do as I am what Stanley can do for me. Good luck.” He turned and headed toward his truck, then stopped and walked back up to me. In a low voice, he said, “About that deputy sheriff’s suspicions … “
“What do you mean?”
“You know, his wild speculations about my dad and your dad’s death. You don’t buy any of that, do you?”
“I don’t know, but I have had second thoughts about Dad committing suicide. How about the gun? Your mother bought that gun, you know.”
“So I was informed by the authorities, but I can’t believe Mom would buy a gun. She’s not the type. So, I’m thinking maybe …”
“Maybe your dad forged her signature.” If I thought voicing my suspicions to Michael would startle or offend him, he evidenced no surprise or anger in his reply.
“Come to think of it, Dad and your father seemed to have some kind of a falling out before the suicide.”
I knew now it had to be murder, and I knew the motive. Mr. Ramford found out about his wife and Dad. Should I tell Michael what I knew? No, but I certainly should tell Jake about the contents of those letters.
“Hera? Boy, you sure are drifting off on me this morning. Are you okay?”
“I’m just fine. Now you’d better hurry, or you’ll be late for whatever. Don’t worry about Jake. I’ll talk to him about all of this.”
“You, but why? Oh, I get it. You still have a thing for him.” Michael gave me a thumbs up and retreated to his truck before I could deny his words.
I watched his truck turn onto the main road and started to contact the sheriff’s department, then flipped my cell phone closed. A thing for Jake. That was absurd.I disliked the man. He was rude, insolent, officious—and damned sexy. In law school, our coming together oozed sex, but our competitive natures also colored the relationship. Jake and I vied for top honors in all our classes. Had it not been for the sexual attraction, I don‘t think we would have spoken to one another. So with all that lust in the past, what did we
“Me? Why would I be in touch with him?”
“Well, you know how your dad interfered with Ronald and our father.”
“He didn’t interfere. He was trying to help Ronald. Someone had to. Your father was horrible to him. You know that.”
“Well, he was horrible to me, too, and I didn’t run off.”
This was the first I heard that Michael’s dad had treated him badly.
“He was strict with you, but did he hit you or humiliate you like he did your brother?”
“He didn’t have to. I saw what he did to Ronald, and I towed the line, I guess. He was cruel in many ways, distant to both me and Mom. He ignored me until I was old enough to be of use in the brew barn.” He gritted his teeth, working his jaw, then stopped. His next words indicated he had gathered himself together.
“But that’s over now. I just thought maybe, since Ronald liked your mom and dad, he might have gotten in touch with them at some point.”
“I’m sure Mom and Dad never heard from him after that awful night when he burned the old hop house down.”
But I had heard from Ronald. It was a secret I’d kept for years, and I wasn’t about to betray him now.
“If you heard anything, you’d let me know, wouldn’t you?” I walked him to the door. On the stoop, he turned and put his hands on my arms, pulling me to him. “You’d let me know, wouldn’t you?” He bent down as if to kiss me, but the sound of someone clearing his throat startled us, and we sprang apart. It was Jeremiah.
“That new guy you hired and wanted me to train? He’s here.”
“Just go ahead and get him started. Might as well bring him in from the beginning.” I turned to Michael, glad of the interruption. “Sorry, but today I’m beginning more summer brew, and I’m training a new man, so I’ve got a lot to do. Now, about the price.”
“Five hundred bucks, payable when you get that summer brew out and sold. No hurry. I’m almost as curious to see what you do as I am what Stanley can do for me. Good luck.” He turned and headed toward his truck, then stopped and walked back up to me. In a low voice, he said, “About that deputy sheriff’s suspicions … “
“What do you mean?”
“You know, his wild speculations about my dad and your dad’s death. You don’t buy any of that, do you?”
“I don’t know, but I have had second thoughts about Dad committing suicide. How about the gun? Your mother bought that gun, you know.”
“So I was informed by the authorities, but I can’t believe Mom would buy a gun. She’s not the type. So, I’m thinking maybe …”
“Maybe your dad forged her signature.” If I thought voicing my suspicions to Michael would startle or offend him, he evidenced no surprise or anger in his reply.
“Come to think of it, Dad and your father seemed to have some kind of a falling out before the suicide.”
I knew now it had to be murder, and I knew the motive. Mr. Ramford found out about his wife and Dad. Should I tell Michael what I knew? No, but I certainly should tell Jake about the contents of those letters.
“Hera? Boy, you sure are drifting off on me this morning. Are you okay?”
“I’m just fine. Now you’d better hurry, or you’ll be late for whatever. Don’t worry about Jake. I’ll talk to him about all of this.”
“You, but why? Oh, I get it. You still have a thing for him.” Michael gave me a thumbs up and retreated to his truck before I could deny his words.
I watched his truck turn onto the main road and started to contact the sheriff’s department, then flipped my cell phone closed. A thing for Jake. That was absurd.I disliked the man. He was rude, insolent, officious—and damned sexy. In law school, our coming together oozed sex, but our competitive natures also colored the relationship. Jake and I vied for top honors in all our classes. Had it not been for the sexual attraction, I don‘t think we would have spoken to one another. So with all that lust in the past, what did we
Similar Books
