the hill all died of asphyxiation.”
“What? How do you asphyxiate a cow?”
“By removing all the oxygen from the air.”
She sat back and stared out at the cliffs, the still water and then back at him. “How do you do that? Like carbon monoxide poisoning?”
“Not CO 2 . Blood tests aren’t back yet. But if someone was cooking crystal meth up there on your land, the gases released could kill anything that got upwind.”
“How do you know that?” Izzie asked as she gave him a long assessing look.
Clay sighed and looked away, his earnest expression replaced with disappointment. “I looked it up on the internet.”
“Do you think that was wise?”
He held her gaze. “I’ve never been wise around you, Bella.”
Her lips parted, and her heart seemed to pound in her throat. She slid closer turning her attention to him. He started talking.
“The poison is called phosphine and it kills things. Also causes visible damage to the lungs, liver and nervous system. Convulsions, coma, heart failure. And—” Clay drew a folded sheet of paper from his breast pocket “—a fluorescent green sputum.”
Izzie took the sheet, scanning over the page. “Like my cows!”
She skimmed the symptoms, and he used an elegant index finger to point to the spot. There it was.
When she glanced up, it was to find Clay watching her closely. “So you didn’t know?”
Izzie’s brow knit, and then realization dawned and she stiffened. Briskly she folded and returned the printout. “What are you implying?”
He met her hard glare with one of his own. “I told you when you hired me that I won’t be a part of anything illegal. Not even for you, Izzie. If you knew they were on your land, you best tell me right now.”
Her hands fisted, and she folded her arms defensively over her chest.
“Izzie. I mean it. I’ve been down this road before. I will not do it again.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“I don’t trust anyone. Not anymore.”
She sighed heavily and threw up her hands in aggravation. But she answered his question—again. “I did not know.”
“Word is that you got money troubles.”
She gasped. “Who told you that?”
He shrugged. Izzie looked away.
“Is it true?” His voice held a note of tenderness now.
“Yes. Mom has...some debts.”
“Then they aren’t your debts.”
Izzie sighed. “Not technically. But someone has to pay the bills. She spends everything she can get her hands on and more.”
“Gambling.”
Her brow lifted. “No. Not anymore. Not since I was a kid.” Izzie placed her elbows on her knees and cradled her chin in her upturned palms.
“She likes nice things.” And so Izzie had shut down their line of credit at the bank. Removed her mother’s name from the accounts. But the damage was done. Her mother had a nice new car, leased, and Izzie had a car payment and a six-thousand-dollar loan against her precious truck.
“And you are covering for her.”
“What am I supposed to do? She’s my mother.”
“How?”
She lifted her chin from her hands and turned to meet his stare. “I am not involved with manufacturing drugs, Clay.”
He nodded and looked out over the lake. “I believe you.”
She didn’t know if she should be insulted or relieved. Izzie stared at the abandoned quarry as she thought about it. Finally she said, “That means a great deal to me.”
He gave a humorless laugh. “It shouldn’t. I’ll believe just about anyone.”
She cast him an odd look, and he shook his head and fell into silence. It hurt her to realize how much his past still haunted him. She wondered if she might make that a little bit better by sharing the truth.
“Clay, I want to tell you something...something about Martin.”
Now Clay looked uncomfortable, his eyes shifting everywhere but back to her as his hands braced against the log, stiff and straight on either side of his body. He looked as if he were preparing to throw himself from the log and right into the lake.
“I
“What? How do you asphyxiate a cow?”
“By removing all the oxygen from the air.”
She sat back and stared out at the cliffs, the still water and then back at him. “How do you do that? Like carbon monoxide poisoning?”
“Not CO 2 . Blood tests aren’t back yet. But if someone was cooking crystal meth up there on your land, the gases released could kill anything that got upwind.”
“How do you know that?” Izzie asked as she gave him a long assessing look.
Clay sighed and looked away, his earnest expression replaced with disappointment. “I looked it up on the internet.”
“Do you think that was wise?”
He held her gaze. “I’ve never been wise around you, Bella.”
Her lips parted, and her heart seemed to pound in her throat. She slid closer turning her attention to him. He started talking.
“The poison is called phosphine and it kills things. Also causes visible damage to the lungs, liver and nervous system. Convulsions, coma, heart failure. And—” Clay drew a folded sheet of paper from his breast pocket “—a fluorescent green sputum.”
Izzie took the sheet, scanning over the page. “Like my cows!”
She skimmed the symptoms, and he used an elegant index finger to point to the spot. There it was.
When she glanced up, it was to find Clay watching her closely. “So you didn’t know?”
Izzie’s brow knit, and then realization dawned and she stiffened. Briskly she folded and returned the printout. “What are you implying?”
He met her hard glare with one of his own. “I told you when you hired me that I won’t be a part of anything illegal. Not even for you, Izzie. If you knew they were on your land, you best tell me right now.”
Her hands fisted, and she folded her arms defensively over her chest.
“Izzie. I mean it. I’ve been down this road before. I will not do it again.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“I don’t trust anyone. Not anymore.”
She sighed heavily and threw up her hands in aggravation. But she answered his question—again. “I did not know.”
“Word is that you got money troubles.”
She gasped. “Who told you that?”
He shrugged. Izzie looked away.
“Is it true?” His voice held a note of tenderness now.
“Yes. Mom has...some debts.”
“Then they aren’t your debts.”
Izzie sighed. “Not technically. But someone has to pay the bills. She spends everything she can get her hands on and more.”
“Gambling.”
Her brow lifted. “No. Not anymore. Not since I was a kid.” Izzie placed her elbows on her knees and cradled her chin in her upturned palms.
“She likes nice things.” And so Izzie had shut down their line of credit at the bank. Removed her mother’s name from the accounts. But the damage was done. Her mother had a nice new car, leased, and Izzie had a car payment and a six-thousand-dollar loan against her precious truck.
“And you are covering for her.”
“What am I supposed to do? She’s my mother.”
“How?”
She lifted her chin from her hands and turned to meet his stare. “I am not involved with manufacturing drugs, Clay.”
He nodded and looked out over the lake. “I believe you.”
She didn’t know if she should be insulted or relieved. Izzie stared at the abandoned quarry as she thought about it. Finally she said, “That means a great deal to me.”
He gave a humorless laugh. “It shouldn’t. I’ll believe just about anyone.”
She cast him an odd look, and he shook his head and fell into silence. It hurt her to realize how much his past still haunted him. She wondered if she might make that a little bit better by sharing the truth.
“Clay, I want to tell you something...something about Martin.”
Now Clay looked uncomfortable, his eyes shifting everywhere but back to her as his hands braced against the log, stiff and straight on either side of his body. He looked as if he were preparing to throw himself from the log and right into the lake.
“I
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