Every summer he’d worked two jobs just to make sure he could afford a place alone when he went back to school.
“Your mom’s place might be safer,” Hank continued. “It’s small, but her condo complex has security.”
Rick shook his head. He didn’t want to put her in danger. “Don’t tell her any of this, would you guys? If she thinks something’s wrong, she’ll stay home to help and miss her vacation to visit all her grandkids. It’s probably nothing, but if trouble is heading my way, I’d feel better knowing Mom is out of danger. I’ve got to convince her to leave.”
Hank agreed.
“I’ve made a list of our relatives who have places where you’d be safer. Whoever did this is not likely to come onto a farm or ranch, and with all the Matheson farms and ranches around, someone would notice a stranger hanging around long before he could find where you’d gone.”
“No.” Rick knew he sounded stubborn. “I like staying in town.” He knew he couldn’t afford a better place with security, even for a few months, but he’d go mad laid up on some farm. “I’ll not let some bully run me out of town.”
“Well,” Alex said with a shrug, “there’s always the jail. We could rent you a room.”
“Maybe I could just double my locks. The apartment will have to do.”
The door bumped suddenly, and a round ball of fake green fur waddled into the room. Nearing her sixties, she’d reached that “who cares” stage about everything in her life from her dress to her manners.
Martha Q Patterson made no pretense that she hadn’t been listening to every word they’d said. “I’ve got your problem solved, Sheriff,” she said in a voice raspy from years of smoking. “My lawyer can stay at my place. Winter’s Inn Bed-and-Breakfast is within walking distance to his work and I’ve got a first-rate security system, so he’ll be safe.”
“Thanks for the offer, Mrs. Patterson, but I can’t afford…” Rick knew the only reason Martha Q thought he was her lawyer was simply because she took him to lunch once a month. Martha Q didn’t need a lawyer, but she did very much want company.
“I’m not giving it to you.” She straightened. “I’m asking if you’d consider watching over the place for me. I’ve decided to go to Dallas for a little work on Saturday, and Mrs. Biggs,my cook, says she won’t stay in the house alone because those grandsons of hers have convinced her that the place is haunted. I’ve no guests coming in for the next few weeks. By then you”—she pointed at Alex—“should be able to find out who’s trying to kill my lawyer.”
She stared at Rick. “I’ve got a yard man, a cook, and a housekeeper, and you can stay in a first-floor bedroom, but I’m not paying but a hundred a day, so don’t think about charging those lawyer rates on me. One hundred a day to run the place plus room and board seems fair.” She raised one eyebrow and looked him up and down. “From the looks of you, you’re not running at full speed so maybe I should only pay seventy-five a day.”
Rick had always thought Martha Q crazy, but in her own way she was kind. She was also right to have someone watch the old place while she was in Dallas. He figured he could either become a housesitter for a few weeks or defend the bums who’d try to break into Winter’s Inn Bed-and-Breakfast when they heard she was gone.
“Any other duties? This sounds almost too easy.”
She thought for a moment, then added, “If you’re up to it, I’d like you to try and make the writers’ group meeting at the library. Way I figure, I’ll only miss one, maybe two, sessions while I’m in Dallas. If you’ll take notes, I won’t get behind.”
“I’d be happy to do that.” Sitting in on the writers’ group might bring him some new clients. If they were anything like the groups he sat in during college, they were mostly women. “You’ve got yourself a deal. Go ahead with your plans.” Rick smiled,
“Your mom’s place might be safer,” Hank continued. “It’s small, but her condo complex has security.”
Rick shook his head. He didn’t want to put her in danger. “Don’t tell her any of this, would you guys? If she thinks something’s wrong, she’ll stay home to help and miss her vacation to visit all her grandkids. It’s probably nothing, but if trouble is heading my way, I’d feel better knowing Mom is out of danger. I’ve got to convince her to leave.”
Hank agreed.
“I’ve made a list of our relatives who have places where you’d be safer. Whoever did this is not likely to come onto a farm or ranch, and with all the Matheson farms and ranches around, someone would notice a stranger hanging around long before he could find where you’d gone.”
“No.” Rick knew he sounded stubborn. “I like staying in town.” He knew he couldn’t afford a better place with security, even for a few months, but he’d go mad laid up on some farm. “I’ll not let some bully run me out of town.”
“Well,” Alex said with a shrug, “there’s always the jail. We could rent you a room.”
“Maybe I could just double my locks. The apartment will have to do.”
The door bumped suddenly, and a round ball of fake green fur waddled into the room. Nearing her sixties, she’d reached that “who cares” stage about everything in her life from her dress to her manners.
Martha Q Patterson made no pretense that she hadn’t been listening to every word they’d said. “I’ve got your problem solved, Sheriff,” she said in a voice raspy from years of smoking. “My lawyer can stay at my place. Winter’s Inn Bed-and-Breakfast is within walking distance to his work and I’ve got a first-rate security system, so he’ll be safe.”
“Thanks for the offer, Mrs. Patterson, but I can’t afford…” Rick knew the only reason Martha Q thought he was her lawyer was simply because she took him to lunch once a month. Martha Q didn’t need a lawyer, but she did very much want company.
“I’m not giving it to you.” She straightened. “I’m asking if you’d consider watching over the place for me. I’ve decided to go to Dallas for a little work on Saturday, and Mrs. Biggs,my cook, says she won’t stay in the house alone because those grandsons of hers have convinced her that the place is haunted. I’ve no guests coming in for the next few weeks. By then you”—she pointed at Alex—“should be able to find out who’s trying to kill my lawyer.”
She stared at Rick. “I’ve got a yard man, a cook, and a housekeeper, and you can stay in a first-floor bedroom, but I’m not paying but a hundred a day, so don’t think about charging those lawyer rates on me. One hundred a day to run the place plus room and board seems fair.” She raised one eyebrow and looked him up and down. “From the looks of you, you’re not running at full speed so maybe I should only pay seventy-five a day.”
Rick had always thought Martha Q crazy, but in her own way she was kind. She was also right to have someone watch the old place while she was in Dallas. He figured he could either become a housesitter for a few weeks or defend the bums who’d try to break into Winter’s Inn Bed-and-Breakfast when they heard she was gone.
“Any other duties? This sounds almost too easy.”
She thought for a moment, then added, “If you’re up to it, I’d like you to try and make the writers’ group meeting at the library. Way I figure, I’ll only miss one, maybe two, sessions while I’m in Dallas. If you’ll take notes, I won’t get behind.”
“I’d be happy to do that.” Sitting in on the writers’ group might bring him some new clients. If they were anything like the groups he sat in during college, they were mostly women. “You’ve got yourself a deal. Go ahead with your plans.” Rick smiled,
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