used to be a crook, remember?" The man was taking a page from my book, lying convinc ingly by telling the truth. There was an art to it, one Butch had obviously mastered long ago.
"I can't even hide right," David said miserably.
Sandy approached him. "Do you know about your father?"
David's head shot up. "That man is not my father. He walked out on my mother before I was born. What was he thinking, coming back here after all this time?"
Jenna asked softly, "You know he's dead, don't you?"
David looked wildly at us. "I didn't kill him!"
"We believe you, but if you didn't have anything to do with his death, why are you hiding?" I had to know.
David looked at me as if I'd lost my mind. "You're the one who keeps saying what a fool Sheriff Hodges is. If I show my face, he'll arrest me for sure."
"You don't know that," I said. "And I never said Hodges was a fool. He's a lot of things, including lazy, but he's not stupid, David. You're just making things worse for yourself hiding like this."
"I can't just walk into town now, can I?"
Butch stroked his chin. "Why not? You haven't done anything." He paused for a few seconds, then smiled. "In fact, that's exactly what you should do. David, you need to head back into town with us, go to work with Carolyn at the shop, and call your mother. She's worried sick about you."
David looked ill at the suggestion. "I tried to call her this morning, but she wasn't picking up her cell phone."
"That's because she left her phone on all night so you could call her," I said. "I agree with Butch's plan, with one change. You'll borrow Jenna's cell phone and call your mother on the way down the hill."
"So you honestly think I should just act like nothing's happened? What about you, Jenna? What do you think?"
"I have to agree with them, David. If you haven't done anything wrong, there's no reason to hide. Don't forget, I was a lawyer long before I was a judge. I'll stay at the shop for the rest of the day, in case you have any trouble with the sheriff."
"You'd do that for me?"
"Of course I would," she said. "We will all do whatever we can to help you. We're here, aren't we? Now let's forget this foolishness and go to Fire at Will."
He looked relieved that we'd stepped in. At least until Jenna handed him her phone. "Call your mother," Jenna and I said in unison.
He nodded reluctantly. "Fine. Can I call her before we go, though? I'd like a little privacy."
"Need I remind you all that we're here unlawfully?" Jenna asked. "It wouldn't do to tarry."
"I won't be long. I promise," David said as he walked back to the bedroom area.
The four of us waited in the living room, and I saw Sandy frowning. "Is that what I think it is? No, it couldn't be."
She was admiring the Monet I'd spotted on my first visit to the house, but before I could confirm it, Butch glanced at the painting and said, "It's the real thing, all right."
Jenna said, "Now how could you possibly know that? You barely glanced at it."
"Would you really like to know?" Butch said, barely able to hide his grin.
"Forget I asked," she said as David rejoined us.
"That was quick," I said.
"She's going to meet us at the shop," David said. After expressing her relief, Hannah undoubtedly had blistered him for taking off the way he had. I wasn't looking forward to being privy to part two of their little chat, but Fire at Will wasn't anywhere near the size of Tamra's house, and if they raised their voices above whispers, we'd all be able to hear what they were saying.
After David put Tamra's gun away properly and set the house alarm, Butch locked up and returned the key to its resting place. We then rode down the hill in relative silence. I half expected to see Sheriff Hodges waiting for us when we got back into town, but there was no sign of anyone in front of Fire at Will as Butch pulled into a parking space near my doorway. I normally liked to keep those spots open for new customers, but I wasn't about to ask Butch to move, not after
"I can't even hide right," David said miserably.
Sandy approached him. "Do you know about your father?"
David's head shot up. "That man is not my father. He walked out on my mother before I was born. What was he thinking, coming back here after all this time?"
Jenna asked softly, "You know he's dead, don't you?"
David looked wildly at us. "I didn't kill him!"
"We believe you, but if you didn't have anything to do with his death, why are you hiding?" I had to know.
David looked at me as if I'd lost my mind. "You're the one who keeps saying what a fool Sheriff Hodges is. If I show my face, he'll arrest me for sure."
"You don't know that," I said. "And I never said Hodges was a fool. He's a lot of things, including lazy, but he's not stupid, David. You're just making things worse for yourself hiding like this."
"I can't just walk into town now, can I?"
Butch stroked his chin. "Why not? You haven't done anything." He paused for a few seconds, then smiled. "In fact, that's exactly what you should do. David, you need to head back into town with us, go to work with Carolyn at the shop, and call your mother. She's worried sick about you."
David looked ill at the suggestion. "I tried to call her this morning, but she wasn't picking up her cell phone."
"That's because she left her phone on all night so you could call her," I said. "I agree with Butch's plan, with one change. You'll borrow Jenna's cell phone and call your mother on the way down the hill."
"So you honestly think I should just act like nothing's happened? What about you, Jenna? What do you think?"
"I have to agree with them, David. If you haven't done anything wrong, there's no reason to hide. Don't forget, I was a lawyer long before I was a judge. I'll stay at the shop for the rest of the day, in case you have any trouble with the sheriff."
"You'd do that for me?"
"Of course I would," she said. "We will all do whatever we can to help you. We're here, aren't we? Now let's forget this foolishness and go to Fire at Will."
He looked relieved that we'd stepped in. At least until Jenna handed him her phone. "Call your mother," Jenna and I said in unison.
He nodded reluctantly. "Fine. Can I call her before we go, though? I'd like a little privacy."
"Need I remind you all that we're here unlawfully?" Jenna asked. "It wouldn't do to tarry."
"I won't be long. I promise," David said as he walked back to the bedroom area.
The four of us waited in the living room, and I saw Sandy frowning. "Is that what I think it is? No, it couldn't be."
She was admiring the Monet I'd spotted on my first visit to the house, but before I could confirm it, Butch glanced at the painting and said, "It's the real thing, all right."
Jenna said, "Now how could you possibly know that? You barely glanced at it."
"Would you really like to know?" Butch said, barely able to hide his grin.
"Forget I asked," she said as David rejoined us.
"That was quick," I said.
"She's going to meet us at the shop," David said. After expressing her relief, Hannah undoubtedly had blistered him for taking off the way he had. I wasn't looking forward to being privy to part two of their little chat, but Fire at Will wasn't anywhere near the size of Tamra's house, and if they raised their voices above whispers, we'd all be able to hear what they were saying.
After David put Tamra's gun away properly and set the house alarm, Butch locked up and returned the key to its resting place. We then rode down the hill in relative silence. I half expected to see Sheriff Hodges waiting for us when we got back into town, but there was no sign of anyone in front of Fire at Will as Butch pulled into a parking space near my doorway. I normally liked to keep those spots open for new customers, but I wasn't about to ask Butch to move, not after
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