Page 29 of Sloth
“Look, let's both agree to keep our current situations a secret for now,” I suggest. I’m not ready to ruin what I have with Luke yet. I was short and snappy with him this morning when I found out about my birth mom; add to that the pressure of knowing I had to take that test. He’s been so kind and thoughtful; he didn’t deserve to be treated that way.
“At least you know Mary will be pleased when you do break the news.” Liza tries to offer me something positive.
“Only if Matthew’s the father. Can you imagine how this is gonna go if he isn’t?” I look across at her, although, despite the shit storm it would cause, I’m hoping with all my heart that this baby I’m carrying is Luke’s.
“You know where I am if you need me.” She leans across to kiss my cheek, and I wait until she gets out of the car before pulling off and making my way home.
“Hey,” Luke calls over to me from the other side of the yard when I get out of the car and start making my way inside.
“Are you okay?” He passes the reins of the horse he’s walking around the corral over to Issac and leaps over the barrier so he can catch up to me. “I wanted to apologize for–”
“I’m the one who should be apologizing. I was just in shock. But I’m okay now.” I smile at him bravely, and when his hand reaches up to stroke my face, I quickly pull away and look toward Issac, reminding him that we aren’t alone out here.
“Sorry,” he whispers, looking embarrassed. “You want me to take the afternoon off?”
“No, I don’t need you to do that. I’m fine, honestly. I’m making meatloaf for tea.” I hold up the grocery bag in my hand and give him another one of those smiles.
“I love meatloaf.” He scrapes his teeth over his bottom lip like he’s thinking about kissing me, and I feel awful for keeping something so important from him.
“I better get on.” I turn to head inside, leaving him out on the yard with no idea that everything is about to change.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
LUKE
“Sheriff Nelson.” I’m surprised to see him here so late, and he couldn’t have picked a worse fuckin’ time. Still, I open the door wider so he can step inside.
“Luke. Erin.” He takes off his hat and nods his head toward where she’s sitting on the couch.
“Come in, take a seat.” She offers him the armchair, and when he takes it, he clears his throat and looks unnerved.
“I apologize that you haven’t heard from me in a while. The forensic department in Billings is only small, and it’s taken us some time to get the information we need.”
“What kinda information?” I ask, curious to what they’ve been looking for.
“We used bullet fragments to determine what gun was used to kill your brother,” he explains. “I got the details back a few days ago. The shots were fired from a Ruger American Gen 2, and I’ve been looking into all the registered keepers of that particular make who live in the area.”
“Matthew had a Ruger.” I frown. “Dad got him it for his twenty-first birthday.”
“I’m aware of that, and I’ve visited all those other registered keepers. They have been fully cooperative; almost all of them have alibis for the day Matthew was killed,” he assures us.
“Almost all of them?” I hear Erin’s voice come from behind me, and when she leans forward, she reaches out to take hold of my hand.
“The ones who haven’t had their firearms taken to forensics for testing,” he assures her. “But I can’t help finding it coincidental that your brother owns the very same rifle that shot him.” Nelson makes a valid point, one I’ve been thinking myself.
“Matthew’s gun was here the whole time. I know that for a fact because when he was missing, I checked the cabinet to see if he had it with him,” Erin explains.
“Could you show me where that cabinet is?” Officer Nelson asks her.
“Sure.” She stands up and heads for the cupboard at the back of the room, opening the door and stepping back so he can see for himself. Both me and Nelson look at each other thinking the exact same thing when we see that the cabinet is empty.
“It was there last time I checked. I swear it was,” she assures him, staring at the empty space in shock.
“I think we can all establish that it’s not there now. When was the last time you checked?” He raises his eyebrows at her.
“The day he disappeared. I wanted to check he had it with him; I’d heard a wolf close to the house a few nights before and I… It was here. Iswearit was.” I can see her getting hysterical, so I put my arm around her to comfort her.
“Are you really thinking that someone killed Matthew with his own gun?” I ask Nelson.
