Page 13 of Search for the Truth
He didn’t seem confused, but there was definitely a look of trying to connect the pieces he had just been given.
Blake felt the warmth of his shirt around her and decided to give him a hand.
“I moved back to Seven Roads a few months ago to take care of my niece and nephew,” she said, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. “My sister passed away six months ago, and now I’m their legal guardian. My niece was the one today who talked about moths and butterflies at the daycare assembly.”
Blake gave another little smile. She hoped to undercut the potential pity coming her way. Thankfully, the sheriff didn’t give it. At least he didn’t give too much.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” Then a slight pivot that she appreciated. “And I remember your niece. She spoke well.”
Blake felt some pride at that. She merely accepted the compliment with a nod though. Then it was down to business.
“How does Ryan Reed figure into everything?” he asked. “You two clearly know him, but I’ve never run into him since I took up my badge.”
Blake wasn’t surprised. In fact, the only surprise she had was that Ryan had shown up in Seven Roads at all. She had been sure he wouldn’t dare after their last encounter.
“Ryan was my sister Beth’s brother-in-law,” she explained. “Former brother-in-law. Beth and his brother, Tim, divorced right after my nephew was born.”
Blake cut her gaze to Price. She tried to find tactful words.
“Tim wasn’t the best of guys,” she continued. “He gave up his rights to the kids after letting anyone who would listen know that he didn’t want to lose his life by being a father. After the divorce was finalized, he left town and moved somewhere up north. As far as I know, no one’s heard from him since. He didn’t even show up for Beth’s funeral.”
Old but violent rage welled up inside of Blake. She slipped her hand onto her lap and balled it into a fist. Her nails bit into the skin of her palm. Both men showed their displeasure. Price was shaking his head. The sheriff’s frown was deep.
“Ryan, however, did,” she kept on. “He pulled me aside and started asking about money. He kept wondering what I’d do now that I was back in town. If I’d get into the sheriff’s department or if I’d sit around using up Beth’s life insurance money to keep the kids and me going.” Tiny points of pain radiated into her palm as Blake applied more pressure. “He didn’t once ask about how the kids were doing otherwise.”
“He was also really loud about the rest, from what I heard,” Price added.
Blake nodded. She’d had no doubt that word would travel fast after Ryan had been so loud at the funeral. She had been relieved, however, to hear that the rumor mill hadn’t churned out every detail. Maybe that had been more to Lola’s credit than anything. Blake had long suspected that her stepmother had worked overtime to try to keep as much idle chatter about their family’s tragedy under wraps as possible over the last six months or so. It was no one’s business but their own that Blake was currently using her own life savings to take time off from working and make their transition as easy as possible. The insurance money was currently in a savings account that she wasn’t touching unless absolutely necessary.
She hadn’t told Ryan any of that.
And she definitely wouldn’t.
“So this is the first time you’ve seen Ryan since the funeral?” the sheriff asked.
Blake nodded again.
“He doesn’t, and hasn’t, lived in Seven Roads for years, as far as I know,” she said. “So seeing him at the school caught me off guard. I was going to go ask why he was there, but he started running. Past job experiences had me run after him on instinct.”
“Did he say anything to you?” he asked.
“He asked where ‘it’ was and said he knows that I’m working on it. I have no idea what he’s talking about.” A cruel thought ran across her mind. “Unless he’s referring to the insurance money Beth left behind.”
Maybe it was her imagination, but Blake could have sworn she saw the sheriff’s jaw twitch. Sheriff Weaver pushed his chair back with a little force too.
“Only one way to find out,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
Blake did the small-talk dance with Price while the sheriff interviewed Ryan. She caught up on his daughter’s life, some mutual friends from school chatter, and then lightly on some of the bigger changes in town. That small talk had no choice but to lead back to the Grayton Steel Mill accident. It had been one of the most sensational things to happen in Seven Roads in the last few years.
“You know Mr. Grant’s son started working a lot harder after the accident,” Price made a point to say. “His name’s Elijah. I met him once. He isn’t as much of a social butterfly as his dad. He doesn’t seem to need the attention. Still, I heard he stays at the mill enough that he’s won over some of the workers. There was even some talk that they want him to take over the place instead of his daddy.”
Blake didn’t know how to feel about the steel mill anymore. Growing up, it had always just been a place that employed half the town. Even after the accident, it still was just the steel mill.
But then, one day, it became the last place that Beth had been seen alive.
She had finished her safety inspection and then gotten into the car accident on the way home.
It hadn’t been the steel mill’s fault, but now Blake felt an uncomfortable weight at its mention.
