Page 61 of Traitor
We manage to finish the first two parties and are wrapping up the last without any major incidents. Jim watches from the corner and normally it wouldn’t bother me, but there’s something about his eyes that makes me feel off-kilter. I keep my distance as I flit back and forth between the supply room and the party rooms.
He snags me on one such trip and pulls me to the side. His breath is rank, and I fight to keep from shrinking back. Someone has been hitting the liquor cabinet. I try, and fail, at not judging. “Can I help you with something?” I ask. Maybe if I don’t breathe in, I won’t have to smell him.
“I heard you were there; the night Lola was killed. Alice and I used to go out on the boat there all the time.”
I’d had a few people stop and pump me for details so while this wasn’t uncommon, it never failed to make me uncomfortable. “I was, but I have to get back to—”
“If she would have stayed home, this never would have happened. She was always so headstrong. Argumentative. She drove everyone crazy.” I don’t know if it’s the wild look in his eyes or the vise grip he has on my arm, but a cold chill sneaks down my spine.
“I’m sorry?”
But it’s almost like he doesn’t hear me. “I told her not to go, but she didn’t listen. She never listened.”
“Jim? Are you okay? Should I get Alice?”
His eyes focus on me for the first time, then clear. He straightens and runs a hand through his hair. “I’m fine. No, don’t get her. I think I’ll go home and get some rest.”
He stumbles out the door and I stand, stunned, and wonder what the hell happened. My mind races to catch up, but one remark sticks out. He and Alice have a boat. They used to go to Bear Lake all the time.
I grip the shelf next to me, knocking over a ceramic fox someone had painted. It crashes to the ground and all eyes turn to me. I grip the outline of the knife in my pocket for reassurance.
Could Jim have had something to do with the murder? Was he the man I’d seen?
Flabbergasted, I retrieve the broom and dustpan to sweep up the mess before one of the children get hurt. Once I have a spare moment, I sneak off to the break room to tap out a text to Ford.
Call me as soon as you get this.
I don’t know if he’ll answer, but he’s the only person I know to turn to. The sheriff’s department made me feel like I was insane. Going to them without any concrete proof feels like a fool’s errand.
Ten minutes later, I check my phone again, but there was no read receipt.Dammit, Ford. Tears prick the back of my eyes. What am I going to do?
Ineedto talk to him. Need to hear his voice. I don’t care if that makes me desperate or demanding, dammit.
“Peyton?” Alice calls over the sound of chattering children. From the high-pitched tone of her voice, I can tell her patience with me is wearing as thin as her smile. “Will you get more canvases, please?”
She must not have seen her husband. Understandable, considering what she’s going through. Poor Alice. How the hell am I going to tell her about this?
Mind racing, I tuck my phone back into my pocket. I have to think quickly. Much as I want to say something to Alice, I want to talk it over with Ford first…but if I’m right—and I have to be—we need to come up with a plan to keep her safe. Considering the annoyed looks she sends as soon as I come out with the canvases and tray of party favors, she may not be willing to listen to everything I have to say if I come to her by myself.
“Here we go!” I say with false cheer. “Who’s ready to paint?”
As I pass out more favors, little tin trays filled with watercolor paints, my mind is on my phone burning a hole in my pocket. I leave it in on vibrate in case Ford tries to call back, but he doesn’t, and by the time the party ends an hour later, I’m frantic.
I clean up going double time, making more of a mess in my hurry to finish, but I can’t seem to control my hands.
“All right, now that everyone’s gone, you need to tell me what’s going on. Now, I’ve tried not to buy into any of the nonsense going on around town about Ford and your pasts, but this is business, girl. You’ve got to keep your head on straight or it affects my bottom line. I can’t have that, especially now.”
“I’m sorry, Alice. Truly. I hate to put you in the middle of this and ordinarily, I wouldn’t want to cause any trouble. Normally, I wouldn’t ask, but I haven’t heard from Ford and I’m really worried. Do you mind if I have Carrie come in to cover the rest of the day?”
Alice takes off her glasses, polishing them with a clean end of her apron. “Tell me what’s going on and then we’ll figure out what to do.”
Unable to sit still, I take out a wet wipe and begin washing the kid-sized table of paint splotches, spilled water, and crumbs from leftover cake. “I don’t want to bring you into this. You’ve already done so much for me and you’re right, I shouldn’t bring personal problems into work. Once I finish here, though, I’ll need leave, and I understand if you have to let go me for it.”
I finish wiping the table and begin stacking the miniature chairs upside down in preparation to mop the floors. As soon as I’m done, I’ll drive back to the lodge and hunt Ford down myself. And Lord help him when I do find him. I’m going to personally attach his phone to his body if I have to solder it to his hand myself.
Alice, who’d disappeared once I started mopping, comes back into the room and stops me from resetting the unused supplies from the party. “Let’s go,” she says and jiggles her keys. “I’ll take you to the lodge and we’ll track Ford down.”
I blink at her, not understanding. “No, you don’t have to do that.”
