Read Online Salvaged to Death by Vanessa Gray Bartal - Free Book Online Page B

a pumpkin to smithereens, it would inflict dire emotional harm on her employer. Sadie refrained and instead kicked ineffectually at the ground.
    “You putting out a fire?” Hal puffed as he jogged up to her.
    “I’m having a tantrum,” she said.
    “Are they always this calm? If so, you’re doing it wrong.”
    “I lost him.”
    “Probably a good thing,” Hal said. “He felt like a big guy. Or maybe there were six of him.” His hand graced over his ribs. “That’s what I’m going to tell people, if it’s okay with you.”
    “What was he doing here?” Sadie said. She turned in a slow circle, but there wasn’t much to see. Not only was it dark, but pumpkins obliterated the landscape.
    “Obviously it was Bo, and he was here to damage the pumpkins, probably on his boss’s orders.”
    “I don’t think so,” Sadie drawled. “They know we’re here. They’re not going to damage the pumpkins with us watching.”
    “Then what was this about?” Hal asked. He sat heavily and leaned against a pumpkin, yawning.
    “If it was Bo, then I think he was watching us.”
    “I know things are boring in the country, but are they so starved for entertainment that they watch us watch pumpkins?” Hal asked.
    Sadie sat beside him, scooting close for warmth. The run made her sweaty. Now the sweat was making her cold. “No, it’s not that. Something is wrong with Bo.”
    “You mean besides the beard and the fact that he works as a lackey for the kingpin of a rural salvage yard?”
    “That’s precisely what’s wrong,” Sadie said. “A job like that should go to a moron. Bo’s smart. Why is he here?”
    “Maybe he’s one of those get-back-to-nature types who doesn’t believe in working for the man,” Hal suggested.
    “Or maybe he’s an ex-con,” Sadie mused. Maybe that was what had been niggling in the back of her brain. Maybe her subconscious had been trying to alert her to the fact that Bo was a criminal.
    “That fits,” Hal said. “This is a good place to hide.”
    “I guess,” Sadie said, still not convinced. “It’s just that people don’t usually come to small towns to hide. The city is far more anonymous. Here everyone knows everything about everyone.”
    “Maybe they’re willing to look the other way,” Hal said.
    “They look the other way for one of their own, not outsiders. Something is missing from the puzzle,” Sadie said. “This is really bugging me. I need more information. I need to know about Bo.”
    “How are we going to do it?” Hal asked.
    “I think we should break into their office and have a look around,” Sadie said. After a few beats of silence, she turned questioningly to Hal.
    “What?” he said.
    “I was waiting for you to tell me it’s a horrible idea and we shouldn’t do it,” she said.
    “Keep waiting. I’m too busy trying to figure out how to scale razor wire.”
    “If Luke was here,” she started but didn’t finish. If Luke was there, he would tell them they shouldn’t do it. He would probably try to physically block them from going into the salvage yard. But Luke wasn’t there; Hal was, and he was all for the idea.
    They stared blindly toward the razor wire fence. “If we had bolt cutters, we could cut a section of fence,” Hal said.
    “That would leave a trail,” Sadie said. “A trail leading to Fiona. I don’t want to do anything to increase the feud. We need to get in and out without a trace.”
    “We could put a mattress or leather on top of the fence,” Hal said.
    “Maybe,” Sadie agreed. “But it would shred upon removal. Tom is sure to notice large chunks of mattress stuck in his fence.”
    “You’re poking holes in all my best ideas,” Hal complained.
    Sadie linked her arm with his. “I’m sorry. You’re helping me brainstorm.”
    “By giving you really bad ideas,” he said.
    “It’s more helpful than you might think,” she said. She stood and tugged him up beside her. “C’mon, let’s take a look at the lock on the