Luke said now. “I don’t want to see it stirred up all over again.”
She would have liked to have told him that this hadnothing to do with whatever problems there’d been between the two of them—or their families, but she wasn’t sure of that.
“I know my uncle can be difficult, but he took me in and raised me when my parents died. I owe him. If he’s in some kind of trouble…”
“It’s sheriff’s department business.” The second time she’d lied today, but certainly not likely to be a record the way things were going. She started to step past him.
He grabbed her arm. His fingers on her flesh were like a branding iron. She flinched and he immediately let go.
“Sorry,” he said, holding up his hand as if in surrender.
She said nothing, still stunned that Luke’s touch could have that effect on her after all these years.
He took a step back, looking as shaken as she felt. Was it possible she wasn’t the only one who’d felt it?
P EPPER W INCHESTER HADN’T been able to rest since McCall’s visit. She hated the way she felt, her fear making her weak. She hated feeling weak, and worse, no longer in control.
“You should drink this,” Enid said, appearing with a tray. On it was a glass of juice. “It will make you feel better.”
Pepper knew there would be something in the juice that would make all this go away for a while. She and Enid had never talked about the drugs the housekeeper had been slipping her over the past twenty-seven years.
At first Pepper had been grateful, wanting to escape from her thoughts, her memories, the things she’d said and done, especially in regard to her son Trace.
She took the glass from the tray and turned back tothe window where she’d been standing when Enid had sneaked up on her.
She’d never questioned why Enid drugged her. No doubt to make less work for herself and her husband, Alfred. Whatever Enid put into her juice had always knocked her out for at least twenty-four hours, sometimes more.
It would have been so easy to down the juice and let herself surrender to that peaceful nothingness state.
“I’ll drink it after I have a little something to eat,” Pepper said. “Perhaps a sandwich. Have we any turkey?”
“I’ve got some ham.” Enid didn’t sound happy about having to go back to the kitchen to make a sandwich and bring it all the way back up. “You should have eaten the breakfast I made you.”
That was another problem with the drugs Enid gave her. They had allowed the power to shift from boss to employee over the years. Enid acted as if this were her house.
Turning to face her housekeeper, Pepper considered the elderly woman standing before her. Her first instinct was to fire her and her worthless husband. But she couldn’t bear the thought of having to hire strangers and she couldn’t go without help.
“Why don’t I come down to the kitchen for the sandwich,” Pepper said. “It will save you the extra trip.”
Enid studied her for a moment, looking a little uneasy. “Whatever you want. I’m just here to make sure you’re taken care of.”
Yes, Pepper thought, wondering at how Enid had taken care of her and what she and her husband might have planned in the future. She realized she might not be safe. Especially if Enid thought for a moment thatPepper might ever reconcile with her children and grandchildren.
While there was no chance of that, McCall’s visit might have the housekeeper and husband worried. Pepper saw now that she would have to be very careful from now on.
Later she would pretend to drink the juice but surreptitiously pour it down the drain. While her hired help thought she was asleep perhaps she would do some sneaking around of her own.
Chapter Six
Determined to put Luke Crawford out of her mind, McCall concentrated on what Red had hinted at—that her father had a girlfriend. If anyone would have known, it was the woman her mother had worked with twenty-seven years ago.
Patty Mason had been
She would have liked to have told him that this hadnothing to do with whatever problems there’d been between the two of them—or their families, but she wasn’t sure of that.
“I know my uncle can be difficult, but he took me in and raised me when my parents died. I owe him. If he’s in some kind of trouble…”
“It’s sheriff’s department business.” The second time she’d lied today, but certainly not likely to be a record the way things were going. She started to step past him.
He grabbed her arm. His fingers on her flesh were like a branding iron. She flinched and he immediately let go.
“Sorry,” he said, holding up his hand as if in surrender.
She said nothing, still stunned that Luke’s touch could have that effect on her after all these years.
He took a step back, looking as shaken as she felt. Was it possible she wasn’t the only one who’d felt it?
P EPPER W INCHESTER HADN’T been able to rest since McCall’s visit. She hated the way she felt, her fear making her weak. She hated feeling weak, and worse, no longer in control.
“You should drink this,” Enid said, appearing with a tray. On it was a glass of juice. “It will make you feel better.”
Pepper knew there would be something in the juice that would make all this go away for a while. She and Enid had never talked about the drugs the housekeeper had been slipping her over the past twenty-seven years.
At first Pepper had been grateful, wanting to escape from her thoughts, her memories, the things she’d said and done, especially in regard to her son Trace.
She took the glass from the tray and turned back tothe window where she’d been standing when Enid had sneaked up on her.
She’d never questioned why Enid drugged her. No doubt to make less work for herself and her husband, Alfred. Whatever Enid put into her juice had always knocked her out for at least twenty-four hours, sometimes more.
It would have been so easy to down the juice and let herself surrender to that peaceful nothingness state.
“I’ll drink it after I have a little something to eat,” Pepper said. “Perhaps a sandwich. Have we any turkey?”
“I’ve got some ham.” Enid didn’t sound happy about having to go back to the kitchen to make a sandwich and bring it all the way back up. “You should have eaten the breakfast I made you.”
That was another problem with the drugs Enid gave her. They had allowed the power to shift from boss to employee over the years. Enid acted as if this were her house.
Turning to face her housekeeper, Pepper considered the elderly woman standing before her. Her first instinct was to fire her and her worthless husband. But she couldn’t bear the thought of having to hire strangers and she couldn’t go without help.
“Why don’t I come down to the kitchen for the sandwich,” Pepper said. “It will save you the extra trip.”
Enid studied her for a moment, looking a little uneasy. “Whatever you want. I’m just here to make sure you’re taken care of.”
Yes, Pepper thought, wondering at how Enid had taken care of her and what she and her husband might have planned in the future. She realized she might not be safe. Especially if Enid thought for a moment thatPepper might ever reconcile with her children and grandchildren.
While there was no chance of that, McCall’s visit might have the housekeeper and husband worried. Pepper saw now that she would have to be very careful from now on.
Later she would pretend to drink the juice but surreptitiously pour it down the drain. While her hired help thought she was asleep perhaps she would do some sneaking around of her own.
Chapter Six
Determined to put Luke Crawford out of her mind, McCall concentrated on what Red had hinted at—that her father had a girlfriend. If anyone would have known, it was the woman her mother had worked with twenty-seven years ago.
Patty Mason had been
Similar Books
