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Authors: Jerry Apps
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she offers it first. Josh figured this would be especially so if the woman wore a badge and carried a firearm on her hip. Do you ever shake hands with a law-enforcement person? He didn’t have the answer. For some reason, she unnerved him.
Natalie offered her hand. It was soft and warm, yet her grip was firm and authoritative. Josh had known lots of women, but never one wearing a badge. Natalie quickly picked up on Josh’s discomfort. She smiled pleasantly, and once more Josh was drawn to the big brown eyes that defined her face, eyes that sparkled when she talked. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail. She wore no makeup.
“How’s it going?” she asked.
“OK,” Josh said. “Trying to find my way around a new office.” Josh wondered why she wanted to meet with him. He had become quite wary as the years passed. When people wanted something, some coverage in the paper, they contacted him. But often times when he called someone, they avoided him. He’d come to understand that some people just didn’t like “the press.” Josh had also become quite good at reading people, seeing through the veneer and uncovering who they really were and what they really wanted. But he was having trouble reading Natalie Karlsen. He had no idea what she had on her mind, but he doubted she merely wanted to get acquainted with him.
“Lots going on here in Ames County these days,” Natalie said.
“It seems that way,” Josh answered. He wondered how long it would take her to say what she really wanted. Josh had little patience for small talk—he saw it as a major waste of time. He wished when people had something to say, they would say it. But he also knew that farm and small-town people seldom got to what they had on their minds until they marched around the topic several times. Over the years, he had learned to listen patiently and wait for information he was seeking. And now this good-looking young conservation warden, who Josh noticed was not wearing a wedding ring, was doing the same thing. When he met her, hewouldn’t have taken her for the beat-around-the-bush type. He soon discovered that she wasn’t.
“Remember when we met the other day?”
“Of course,” Josh said.
“You mentioned that you’d just interviewed Dan Burman and had seen him cutting up some goat meat.”
“Yes.” Josh wondered where Natalie was going with the conversation.
“Did you know Burman is suspected of poaching deer?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Well he is. I got a solid tip that he had had been shooting deer out of season.”
“Really,” Josh said. “He told me he was cutting up goat meat.”
“I know, that’s what you said. I don’t know how to say this politely, so I’ll just ask.” Natalie looked more than a little uncomfortable when she blurted, “Did you tip off Burman that I might be paying him a visit?”
“Did I what?” Josh asked, a little too loudly, wondering if he had heard correctly. People at nearby tables glanced over, and he lowered his voice.
“I haven’t talked to him since the day I was out there.”
“Well, I think somebody did. The sheriff and I drove out to his farm— and all we saw were two goats. No venison.”
“Well, it wasn’t me,” Josh said, pushing back from the table and sounding more defensive than he intended. He had hoped for a much more pleasant meeting with Natalie, but she sure knew how not to impress a man. Unbelievable , he thought. She has the gall—but maybe her attitude just goes with her work. And maybe she is like me—never trusting anybody .
“Sorry,” she said smiling. “I couldn’t imagine that you had done it, but I had to ask.”
Josh said nothing as he sipped the coffee Mazy had delivered to their table.
He couldn’t think of how to reply. Inside, he was furious. No one had ever accused him of anything like this before. He took a last drink of coffee, stood up, and said, “Got to be going; got a big story brewing.” He tossed some money on the
Natalie offered her hand. It was soft and warm, yet her grip was firm and authoritative. Josh had known lots of women, but never one wearing a badge. Natalie quickly picked up on Josh’s discomfort. She smiled pleasantly, and once more Josh was drawn to the big brown eyes that defined her face, eyes that sparkled when she talked. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail. She wore no makeup.
“How’s it going?” she asked.
“OK,” Josh said. “Trying to find my way around a new office.” Josh wondered why she wanted to meet with him. He had become quite wary as the years passed. When people wanted something, some coverage in the paper, they contacted him. But often times when he called someone, they avoided him. He’d come to understand that some people just didn’t like “the press.” Josh had also become quite good at reading people, seeing through the veneer and uncovering who they really were and what they really wanted. But he was having trouble reading Natalie Karlsen. He had no idea what she had on her mind, but he doubted she merely wanted to get acquainted with him.
“Lots going on here in Ames County these days,” Natalie said.
“It seems that way,” Josh answered. He wondered how long it would take her to say what she really wanted. Josh had little patience for small talk—he saw it as a major waste of time. He wished when people had something to say, they would say it. But he also knew that farm and small-town people seldom got to what they had on their minds until they marched around the topic several times. Over the years, he had learned to listen patiently and wait for information he was seeking. And now this good-looking young conservation warden, who Josh noticed was not wearing a wedding ring, was doing the same thing. When he met her, hewouldn’t have taken her for the beat-around-the-bush type. He soon discovered that she wasn’t.
“Remember when we met the other day?”
“Of course,” Josh said.
“You mentioned that you’d just interviewed Dan Burman and had seen him cutting up some goat meat.”
“Yes.” Josh wondered where Natalie was going with the conversation.
“Did you know Burman is suspected of poaching deer?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Well he is. I got a solid tip that he had had been shooting deer out of season.”
“Really,” Josh said. “He told me he was cutting up goat meat.”
“I know, that’s what you said. I don’t know how to say this politely, so I’ll just ask.” Natalie looked more than a little uncomfortable when she blurted, “Did you tip off Burman that I might be paying him a visit?”
“Did I what?” Josh asked, a little too loudly, wondering if he had heard correctly. People at nearby tables glanced over, and he lowered his voice.
“I haven’t talked to him since the day I was out there.”
“Well, I think somebody did. The sheriff and I drove out to his farm— and all we saw were two goats. No venison.”
“Well, it wasn’t me,” Josh said, pushing back from the table and sounding more defensive than he intended. He had hoped for a much more pleasant meeting with Natalie, but she sure knew how not to impress a man. Unbelievable , he thought. She has the gall—but maybe her attitude just goes with her work. And maybe she is like me—never trusting anybody .
“Sorry,” she said smiling. “I couldn’t imagine that you had done it, but I had to ask.”
Josh said nothing as he sipped the coffee Mazy had delivered to their table.
He couldn’t think of how to reply. Inside, he was furious. No one had ever accused him of anything like this before. He took a last drink of coffee, stood up, and said, “Got to be going; got a big story brewing.” He tossed some money on the
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