Page 76 of The Moment They Can Never Forgive
“Tell me what’s going on and why you called the station?”
She didn’t want to. He saw it in her eyes.
“You came here because I called the station?”
“I did, because I know you well enough to understand you’d never call there unless it was important.”
A heavy silence settled between them.
“Look. I’m a cop, so put aside everything else between us and focus on that. I’m here to help if you need it. Your call worried me enough to drive here. Talk to me, Leah.”
She looked over her shoulder for Hudson before speaking. “I don’t even know why I called. It’s probably nothing, but I found something in a barn that I don’t think the feds found when they searched this property before. I thought your uncle was the best person to look at it.” Her words didn’t have their usual strength.
Dan studied her and saw the dark smudges under her eyes and pallor of her face. “Your head bad?”
She shook it slowly, which told him it was.
“Taken anything?”
“I’ll go into town after and get something.”
“Get some water. I have pills in the cruiser.” Dan left as she protested that it wasn’t necessary. Returning with two pain pills in his hand, he handed them to her.
Leah had never been stupid, and much as she clearly wanted to refuse, she also knew that would be foolish. She walked away, and he followed. His eyes went to the table, and he saw her naked again. Looking for a distraction, he picked up a pottery bowl as she filled a glass with water. It was glazed with greens and browns, the sheen almost metallic.
“Did you make this, Leah?”
She turned to see what he was holding. “Yes.”
“You should set up one of your sheds to do this because you’re good, and it would sell here. I think Ryder?—”
“No. Not now. I need to do the planting,” she said, and her tone told him not to press.
Money, Dan guessed. Setting up a kiln, and everything else she’d need, would cost a lot of that, and she couldn’t do both the shade house and this.
“What do you want to show me, Leah?”
“I checked through the barns yesterday. I needed to see if there was anything to sell or use.”
“Find anything good?”
“I found Dad’s pickup in the last shed.”
Dan whistled. “That thing is still in there? I’m surprised it wasn’t sold. It would be worth some money due to its age and the fact that it’s highly sought after.”
“Do you think so?”
“Definitely.” He could see she was thinking about that and the money it could bring. He’d buy it, but for now, he left those words inside his head.
“Continue with your story,” Dan said.
“I wondered if it still worked, so we got in and tried the ignition.”
“You and Hudson?”
“Me and Benny. It didn’t, so I charged a battery, then went back out later to put it in and move it.”
He swallowed his smile at the thought of her and the little dog in her father’s pickup.
