Read Online Gone to Her Grave (Rogue River Novella Book 2) by Melinda Leigh - Free Book Online
Authors: Melinda Leigh
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the heat escape.
Parked next to him, Zane did the same. “I’d already planned on it. Why do you think he’s lying?”
“Maybe he’s protecting someone?”
“A close friend?”
Looking at the local cop over the roof of his car, Seth considered Peter. “Could be. The only other motivation that comes to mind is fear of the real supplier.”
Zane’s chest deflated with a sigh. “He didn’t come off as altruistic to me.”
“Which means he pointed the finger at Russ Warner to protect his own ass,” Seth concluded. “Are you going to let Russ out?”
Zane shook his head. “Not until I have to. Whoever Peter is afraid of is obviously dangerous, and I’d like to keep Russ from turning up dead.”
Carly pulled up in front of the Fishers’ squat house. She scanned the property but saw no signs of its human occupants. Darren’s four dogs barked and growled from the strip of open ground between the house and the woods. The chained animals had worn the weeds down to dirt. No one sneaked up on this house. If the Fishers were inside, they knew they had company.
Normally Carly preferred to make scheduled home visits. Unless she had a specific reason to fear for a child’s safety, an expected visit fostered a working-together mood, as opposed to the trying-to-catch-you-in-the-act atmosphere of a surprise call.
She got out of the Jeep. Thirty feet away, a snarling dog lunged to the end of its chain. Carly flinched.
Relax.
She’d been here before. She knew what to expect, but today felt different. Was it because she’d come here with an ulterior motive? Because Darren had been involved with Ted? Or simply because she was on edge about being watched last night?
Her flats stirred up dust as she crossed the driveway. The dogs stopped barking and paced, dragging their chains through the dirt. She followed the cracked cement walkway to the front stoop and knocked on the door. No answer. A bird chirped from its perch on the gutter.
She knocked again. Something moved behind the window to her left. Her ears strained for a repeat. Nothing. Could have been a cat.
Or a child instructed not to open the door.
Either way, she wasn’t getting inside the house today. She’d have to come back. She pivoted to return to her vehicle and almost collided with the brawny body of Darren Fisher. An ax rested on his shoulder, and sweat stained his T-shirt.
Startled, Carly pressed a hand to her chest. How did a man the size of the Hulk sneak up on her? “Chopping something?”
“Wood.” The morning sun angled from its position over the house into his face. He squinted at her. “Did you want something?”
“I was just stopping by to check on things. See if you had time to review that paperwork I dropped off yesterday.” Which they both knew he’d burned.
“Things are fine.” He loomed over her. “I thought I’d made it clear we aren’t interested in handouts.”
He didn’t back off, forcing Carly to take a step backward to reestablish her personal boundary.
“Are Tammy and the children home?”
“No.” He lowered the ax and rested its head on the ground next to his work boots. Below stained knee-length shorts, his hairy calves were thick as tree trunks.
“Where are they?”
“Tammy took the younger ones to visit her sister in Portland. Gary’s hanging with friends somewhere.”
A line of sweat trickled down Carly’s chest. “I guess I’ll have to stop back to see them.”
“Guess you will. If you called first, you’d know if they were gonna be here.” Darren’s eyes grinned as if he was enjoying the game.
Carly doubted he let them answer the phone. But she played along. Aggression rolled off his powerful body. She would not risk a confrontation without police backup. “Maybe I’ll do that.”
She walked around him toward her Jeep. She could ask to go into the house to look around, but she had no desire to be alone in close quarters with Darren Fisher. Being alone with him outside was unnerving
Parked next to him, Zane did the same. “I’d already planned on it. Why do you think he’s lying?”
“Maybe he’s protecting someone?”
“A close friend?”
Looking at the local cop over the roof of his car, Seth considered Peter. “Could be. The only other motivation that comes to mind is fear of the real supplier.”
Zane’s chest deflated with a sigh. “He didn’t come off as altruistic to me.”
“Which means he pointed the finger at Russ Warner to protect his own ass,” Seth concluded. “Are you going to let Russ out?”
Zane shook his head. “Not until I have to. Whoever Peter is afraid of is obviously dangerous, and I’d like to keep Russ from turning up dead.”
Carly pulled up in front of the Fishers’ squat house. She scanned the property but saw no signs of its human occupants. Darren’s four dogs barked and growled from the strip of open ground between the house and the woods. The chained animals had worn the weeds down to dirt. No one sneaked up on this house. If the Fishers were inside, they knew they had company.
Normally Carly preferred to make scheduled home visits. Unless she had a specific reason to fear for a child’s safety, an expected visit fostered a working-together mood, as opposed to the trying-to-catch-you-in-the-act atmosphere of a surprise call.
She got out of the Jeep. Thirty feet away, a snarling dog lunged to the end of its chain. Carly flinched.
Relax.
She’d been here before. She knew what to expect, but today felt different. Was it because she’d come here with an ulterior motive? Because Darren had been involved with Ted? Or simply because she was on edge about being watched last night?
Her flats stirred up dust as she crossed the driveway. The dogs stopped barking and paced, dragging their chains through the dirt. She followed the cracked cement walkway to the front stoop and knocked on the door. No answer. A bird chirped from its perch on the gutter.
She knocked again. Something moved behind the window to her left. Her ears strained for a repeat. Nothing. Could have been a cat.
Or a child instructed not to open the door.
Either way, she wasn’t getting inside the house today. She’d have to come back. She pivoted to return to her vehicle and almost collided with the brawny body of Darren Fisher. An ax rested on his shoulder, and sweat stained his T-shirt.
Startled, Carly pressed a hand to her chest. How did a man the size of the Hulk sneak up on her? “Chopping something?”
“Wood.” The morning sun angled from its position over the house into his face. He squinted at her. “Did you want something?”
“I was just stopping by to check on things. See if you had time to review that paperwork I dropped off yesterday.” Which they both knew he’d burned.
“Things are fine.” He loomed over her. “I thought I’d made it clear we aren’t interested in handouts.”
He didn’t back off, forcing Carly to take a step backward to reestablish her personal boundary.
“Are Tammy and the children home?”
“No.” He lowered the ax and rested its head on the ground next to his work boots. Below stained knee-length shorts, his hairy calves were thick as tree trunks.
“Where are they?”
“Tammy took the younger ones to visit her sister in Portland. Gary’s hanging with friends somewhere.”
A line of sweat trickled down Carly’s chest. “I guess I’ll have to stop back to see them.”
“Guess you will. If you called first, you’d know if they were gonna be here.” Darren’s eyes grinned as if he was enjoying the game.
Carly doubted he let them answer the phone. But she played along. Aggression rolled off his powerful body. She would not risk a confrontation without police backup. “Maybe I’ll do that.”
She walked around him toward her Jeep. She could ask to go into the house to look around, but she had no desire to be alone in close quarters with Darren Fisher. Being alone with him outside was unnerving
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