Read Online The Long Way Home by Mariah Stewart - Free Book Online
Authors: Mariah Stewart
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gesture.
“Just judging by the job you’re taking on here.” His hand waved around the room to take it in. “All the furniture’s been uncovered and it looks like it’s been vacuumed. Everything’s been dusted and cleaned. It’s been a long time since this place looked like someone lived here.” He glanced at the fireplace, then did a double take. “And you found Ted Cavanaugh’s decoys. Damn, it’s been years since I’ve seen these things.” Hepicked one up to admire it. “They weren’t here last time I was in. Where’d you find these?”
“They were in a closet in the kitchen wrapped in newspaper.” She paused. “Wait. Did you say the last time you were in here? Does that mean you have a key?”
“Actually, I do have a key.” He glanced over his shoulder, the duck decoy still in his hand. “I have one, Jesse has one. But I’ll be glad to drop mine off in the morning so you don’t have to worry I’ll come in during the night to rob you blind. Or something else more sinister.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think that of you.”
“You don’t know me.” He replaced the duck on the mantel and picked up a different one. “Not that I’m inclined to do such things, but since I’m a stranger to you, you shouldn’t be so trusting.”
“Jesse sent you, though …”
“Do you know that for sure?” He turned to her. “Did you call him? Ask to see some sort of ID?”
She felt the blood drain from her head. She’d always been so cautious, and yet here she was, allowing a stranger into her house, one whose identity she’d not even questioned.
“I’m harmless, and I really am Cam O’Connor.” He pointed out the window. “See? Name’s right there on the truck. And now that I’ve spooked you—don’t try to deny it, you’re white as one of the sheets Miss Lilly used to cover her furniture with in the summer—I’m happy to show you my driver’s license and you can call Jesse.”
She peered out the window to the truck and saw that it did, indeed, have CAMERON O’CONNOR, GENERAL CONTRACTOR , painted on the passenger side door.
She exhaled. “I don’t need to call Jesse.”
He put the duck back. “I’d still ask to see the ID if I were you.”
She put out her hand and waited while he took out his wallet and held up his driver’s license.
“Thank you. I never thought to ask. I just figured … well, this is such a small sleepy town, and who else would know I was here and that Jesse said he’d be sending you over …” she rambled.
“By now, pretty much everyone knows you’re here. And by the way, small sleepy towns have their share of crime, too. Even St. Dennis.”
“What, stolen bikes, graffiti on the sidewalks, cars being egged on Mischief Night?”
“A couple of years back, a guy who lived in town was abducting, raping, and killing young women. His wife was one of the town’s police officers. He killed her, too.”
“Are you making that up just to scare me?”
He shook his head. “It really happened. The point’s not to scare you as much as to remind you to be careful. When you’re new in town, especially a town like St. Dennis, it’s easy to trust everyone because everyone is so friendly. All I’m saying is, be careful.”
“Message received.”
“Good.” He went back to checking out the duck decoys. “These are just perfect.”
“They are pretty, aren’t they?” Ellie walked closer. “They look hand-carved.”
“Oh, they are,” he replied. “Miss Lilly’s husband carved them. Ted Cavanaugh was a legend aroundhere, won all sorts of awards for his decoys.” He turned over the duck he was holding. “See? TJC. Ted—I forget his middle name—Cavanaugh; 1943. This one’s a mallard. This one over here—” He picked up another and put the mallard down. “This is a ruddy duck. This one …” He pointed to a third. “This one’s a pintail.”
“How do you know all that?”
“I grew up on the Bay.” He shrugged as if that
“Just judging by the job you’re taking on here.” His hand waved around the room to take it in. “All the furniture’s been uncovered and it looks like it’s been vacuumed. Everything’s been dusted and cleaned. It’s been a long time since this place looked like someone lived here.” He glanced at the fireplace, then did a double take. “And you found Ted Cavanaugh’s decoys. Damn, it’s been years since I’ve seen these things.” Hepicked one up to admire it. “They weren’t here last time I was in. Where’d you find these?”
“They were in a closet in the kitchen wrapped in newspaper.” She paused. “Wait. Did you say the last time you were in here? Does that mean you have a key?”
“Actually, I do have a key.” He glanced over his shoulder, the duck decoy still in his hand. “I have one, Jesse has one. But I’ll be glad to drop mine off in the morning so you don’t have to worry I’ll come in during the night to rob you blind. Or something else more sinister.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think that of you.”
“You don’t know me.” He replaced the duck on the mantel and picked up a different one. “Not that I’m inclined to do such things, but since I’m a stranger to you, you shouldn’t be so trusting.”
“Jesse sent you, though …”
“Do you know that for sure?” He turned to her. “Did you call him? Ask to see some sort of ID?”
She felt the blood drain from her head. She’d always been so cautious, and yet here she was, allowing a stranger into her house, one whose identity she’d not even questioned.
“I’m harmless, and I really am Cam O’Connor.” He pointed out the window. “See? Name’s right there on the truck. And now that I’ve spooked you—don’t try to deny it, you’re white as one of the sheets Miss Lilly used to cover her furniture with in the summer—I’m happy to show you my driver’s license and you can call Jesse.”
She peered out the window to the truck and saw that it did, indeed, have CAMERON O’CONNOR, GENERAL CONTRACTOR , painted on the passenger side door.
She exhaled. “I don’t need to call Jesse.”
He put the duck back. “I’d still ask to see the ID if I were you.”
She put out her hand and waited while he took out his wallet and held up his driver’s license.
“Thank you. I never thought to ask. I just figured … well, this is such a small sleepy town, and who else would know I was here and that Jesse said he’d be sending you over …” she rambled.
“By now, pretty much everyone knows you’re here. And by the way, small sleepy towns have their share of crime, too. Even St. Dennis.”
“What, stolen bikes, graffiti on the sidewalks, cars being egged on Mischief Night?”
“A couple of years back, a guy who lived in town was abducting, raping, and killing young women. His wife was one of the town’s police officers. He killed her, too.”
“Are you making that up just to scare me?”
He shook his head. “It really happened. The point’s not to scare you as much as to remind you to be careful. When you’re new in town, especially a town like St. Dennis, it’s easy to trust everyone because everyone is so friendly. All I’m saying is, be careful.”
“Message received.”
“Good.” He went back to checking out the duck decoys. “These are just perfect.”
“They are pretty, aren’t they?” Ellie walked closer. “They look hand-carved.”
“Oh, they are,” he replied. “Miss Lilly’s husband carved them. Ted Cavanaugh was a legend aroundhere, won all sorts of awards for his decoys.” He turned over the duck he was holding. “See? TJC. Ted—I forget his middle name—Cavanaugh; 1943. This one’s a mallard. This one over here—” He picked up another and put the mallard down. “This is a ruddy duck. This one …” He pointed to a third. “This one’s a pintail.”
“How do you know all that?”
“I grew up on the Bay.” He shrugged as if that
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