Page 99 of Hidden Nature

“You’re right about the light.”

“And plenty of times I’m in here after work.”

Rita pointed out what she wanted. Nash took notes, measurements.

“You give me a fair price, now.” With a smile, Rita wagged a finger at him. “Well, you have so far, so I expect you will. You boys do good work. Wouldn’t have you back otherwise. And Dean Cooper sure wouldn’t. I heard you’re doing some work for his daughter. Sloan.”

“Redoing a bathroom in her new house.”

“It’s good hearing she got a place. She’s been gone down to Annapolis these past years. Most figured she’d go back working there after she healed up.”

Nash started to check himself, then, deciding being told information wasn’t the same as digging it up on the internet, asked the natural question.

“Healed up? Was she sick?”

“Oh my goodness, near to death! The girl got shot. Shot twice at that.”

“Shot?”

He was from New York. He knew people got shot. Cops got shot. But the shock of it had him turning, staring.

“In the head—but that was mostly a miss, I’m told. But the one that didn’t miss hit that poor girl right in the chest.”

Rita smacked her own.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with people, I swear I don’t. She walked into one of the gas station markets, and some hooligan was robbing the place. He just shot that girl, shot her and ran. They got him, though.”

“Shot.” Nash could only repeat it.

“In the hospital for a time, then back here, as she wasn’t in any shape to be on her own. When I saw her the other day, I said a prayer of thanks that she looks like herself again. A little thinner I guess,and she went and cut off her hair. But she looks like herself. She was always a strong girl.”

She’d have to be, Nash thought.

It stuck in his head as they finished the job. Noting the time, he pulled out some cash.

“Robo, why don’t you go pick up some subs? I’ll take a cold cut, the spicy.”

“I’m all in on that,” Theo said.

Robo took the cash. He had sandy blond hair pulled back in a tail and the face of a choirboy with guileless blue eyes and a crooked incisor.

“Okay if I get the roast beef?”

“Whatever you want, Robo,” Nash told him. “Theo and I will finish getting the kitchen ready for demo, and we’ll break for lunch when you get there.”

“Sure thing, boss. That room turned out real nice, didn’t it?”

“It did. You did good work.”

Beaming at the compliment, Robo boosted up into his truck.

Nash got behind the wheel of his own as Theo climbed in the passenger side after Tic jumped in the back.

“Do you think, whenever we spring for lunch, he’ll stop asking permission to get what he wants?”

“I’m hoping that wears off.”

“He’s a good guy. And a hell of a painter.” Since the dog pushed his head over the back seat, Theo reached up to rub it. “Demo day, Tic! What’s more fun than that?”

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