Page 20 of A Touch of Murder
"Twenty-two, but he's her baby and still lives at home. She'll have him on a leash until he finally decides to move out and get his own place." Adam didn't see that happening anytime soon. Jacey enjoyed being at home with his parents and saving money."He talks about going to college eventually, but I'm starting to wonder if he'll really ever follow through and do it."
"I can't blame the kid for staying home as long as he can. It's not easy on your own. He comes from a good family. Whatever he decides, he'll do well at it. Anyway, see you tomorrow. I'll call if anything changes."
"Sounds good. Thanks for setting everything up." Adam watched Barret go, wondering how the man who called him a fake and fraud was now the man offering to drive him to a reading. Life was crazy sometimes.
CHAPTER TEN
Barret parked in front of Touched and checked his appearance in the mirror, then shook his head and laughed. This wasn't a date. It was work. He wasn't trying to impress Adam. He needed him to go with him and help him identify a killer. There was absolutely no need for him to be checking to make sure every hair was in place and that he didn't have something spilled on his shirt.
He quickly got out of the car and looked up at the apartment, then at the store. He could see Adam inside the store, so he headed that way, opening the door, stepping inside, and inhaling deeply at the scent of vanilla in the air. It instantly relaxed him, and he had the crazy thought about how the police station needed something like that to help people relax. Like the captain would ever agree to aroma therapy.
"Hey, let me make sure the diffuser is off, change my shirt, and grab the lights, then I'm ready," Adam called as he turned off some little machine that looked as if it was releasing steam. "I'd hoped to have a chance to run upstairs after I closed, but I had a couple customers stay late."
"We have a bit of time if you need—"
"No, I'm good. I'll just wear one of these." Adam pulled a maroon turtleneck shirt from the rack he had in the store and stepped into the back room for a moment. When he came out, he had the new shirt on and was pulling on a pair of black gloves. "Ready." He started turning off lights.
"How many colors of gloves do you own?" Barret asked as they headed out the door.
Adam laughed as he paused to lock the door. "Probably twenty different colors. I change them to match what I wear, but it's usually black, blue, or red. I try to wear long sleeves when Igo out, so I don't draw as much attention. In the shop, it kind of adds to the novelty of what I do, so I don't hide them as much there."
"Do you get a lot of questions about them?" Barret hit the button to unlock his car.
"All the time, but it's good promotion for the business. Gives me a chance to hand out a business card to anyone who asks about the gloves." Adam got into the passenger side.
Barret went around and got behind the wheel. "I've passed out copies of Maggie's drawing to all the other officers. We'll be scattered around the football field tonight, keeping an eye out for the man. I thought you and I could get a spot up high on the bleachers so we can look down over the crowd."
"That works. He won't be hard to identify if he's there. Do you really think it's someone local?" Adam asked.
"No, but we can't ignore the chance that he could be. The fact the body was found a state away makes the case for him having been someone just passing through stronger. I'm so frustrated with this case. I feel like it's going nowhere. We're waiting on lab reports, but since we have to send it all out to a bigger city to get anything done, we get caught in the backlog and have to wait weeks for results. I wouldn't trade living in a small town for anything, but sometimes I miss certain aspects of a big city."
"Did you come from a big city?" Adam asked.
Barret pulled the car onto the road. "No, I was born here, but I left for college at eighteen and got a job with the Seattle Police before coming back here after ten years there. Mom got sick and Becky needed help. I came to help with Mom but realized how much I missed this place and the simpler life. There was a spot open in the department, so I left the big city and settled here. Haven't regretted it for a moment, except for when I'm waiting on evidence to come back."
Adam smiled. "We give up a lot to have the peace that surrounds us here. I don't miss the traffic, the hustle, the crowds."
"Where was home?" Barret knew Adam had moved to town around five years ago but knew nothing of his past.
"Denver. I was on a road trip to see Yellowstone and the surrounding area and came across this town. I stopped for the night and just fell in love with the place. The location where the shop is and the apartment above were for sale, and before I left here two days later to go back to Denver, I'd bought it. I went home, packed up, and haven't looked back."
"Did you leave family in Denver?" Barret asked.
"Mom and Dad are both gone, and I was an only child. So no, I didn't leave anyone behind. I was happy to start fresh somewhere. I worried I wouldn't be able to make a living here, but I've been pleasantly surprised. The tourists have really been what keeps me going here," Adam told him.
"There's something about this place." Barret pulled into the high school parking lot. "The whole time I was in the city, I felt like I was missing something. Came back to help with Mom and it took only a few hours sitting on her back porch, enjoying the fresh air, to remind me what was missing, peace, quiet, fresh air, and nature."
"Yep, that was it for me. I stayed at the Hidden Falls Motel when I passed through, and it's got those trails out back to hike. I went on an early morning run the first day here and felt it. I was hooked."
Barret parked and turned with a smile. "Let's hope not too many people feel the way we do. This place is growing fast enough. I'd hate to see this place lose that peaceful feeling because too many move here and try to turn it into something bigger."
"I've talked to the city council a few times and I think they're set on keeping growth down. Some big investors came in a while back wanting to build a large hotel and they refused big money to let them build."
"I heard about that. They wanted that land the drive-in theater is on. The last thing we need is some big eyesore. While we could use more lodging, we don't need a huge hotel." Barret opened his car door. "Let's do this." He climbed out, looking over the cars in the parking lot. It would be a good turnout tonight for Trina and that made him happy.
"You come to many of the games?" Adam asked as they walked toward the field.
"I manage to catch a few through the season, but not as many as I'd like. I have good intentions, but then I get off work, get home, and those intentions go right out the window." Barret waved to several people he knew.
