Page 19 of True Valor
“Not yet.And put the hat back on.”
“Don’t...”She stopped and pulled the hatback on.“Find an inconspicuous place and pull over, or I’m gettingout at the next stoplight.”
“God, you’re a pain in the ass.”
She shot him a seething glance and reachedfor the door handle.
“Okay.Fine.Whatever.”Nic took the nextleft turn and pulled into the shopping center parking lot, slammedthe car into park and turned to face Julie.
“Julie Galloway.”He paused, waiting to allowthe information sink in, watching her face.
She still didn’t look at him.
“You live in Redding and work for the TVstation there.”
Still no reaction.
“The car you drove belonged to your parents,Patrick and Ellen Galloway, who live in Susanville,California.”
So far it was fairly ordinary information.What he had to tell her next wasn’t.He reached for her hand, butshe snatched it away.
“And?”
“Julie, the next part is...well...hard.”
Julie took a deep breath.“Go on.”
“On the night I found you, your parents andyour sister were involved in a murder suicide.They’re alldead.”
The color left her face.She sat stock stillfor a moment, then pulled the door open and ran.By the time hecaught up to her, she was leaning over an empty planter, clutchingthe sides, white knuckled, retching miserably.
Nic, his heart in his throat, scooped a bitof snow from the back of the planter, gently placed his hand on herforehead, making whispered shushing sounds at her ear, his otherarm around her waist.
“It’s okay, baby, it’s okay.”
When she finished, he turned her around andpulled her to him.She wasn’t crying, just breathing hard.As hesoothed her, she settled.
Julie pulled her head back, looking at him,her face a mask of despair.“My family is dead and it’s as if youtold me about strangers.That’s awful.”
“C’mon, let’s get back to the car.”Niclooked around, hoping to see no uniforms.
For the first time in his life, the copswere, at least at this point, something to be avoided.And hedidn’t even know if that were true.The only thing he knew forsure; protecting Julie felt right.How to best do that?He didn’thave a clue.
Chapter Six
Julie said nothing when they got back in thecar.Nic didn’t have any better ideas, so he headed northwesttoward Redding.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you when I foundout.”
She didn’t flinch, didn’t look at him, didn’tspeak.How could he say he had been suspicious of her?That wasn’texactly true, either.Mostly he’d just been scared spitless: of herreaction, of her tears maybe.He searched for an excuse thatsounded reasonable.
“Did you tell me everything you know backthere?”
“Yeah.”Nic paused.“Well, I do have youraddress and a few other details.But that was the meat of themessage.There is a newspaper article.”Nic reached into his hippocket and pulled out the fax papers, handing them to her.
“And how exactly did you get thisinformation?”
“From my uncle.”
