Page 16 of Coveted Justice

“I’ll go get the food,” she said. “Unless you want to do it?”

Josh chuckled and shook his head.

“I think you want to do it far more than I do. Maybe we can go for a walk after we eat. We could both use the fresh air and sunshine.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Tucking her own phone into her jeans pocket, she headed down the block to the diner, her nose leading the way. The smells that hit her when she opened the door had her stomach making angry noises. She vowed never to skip breakfast again. It was her favorite meal of the day. Who wouldn’t want pancakes, eggs, toast, bacon, and a cinnamon roll? Her mother used to make her cinnamon toast when she was little. She said it was the one thing she could make and not burn.

“Hey Trudy,” Amanda called out, sidling up to the counter. “I’m here to pick up our order. Is it ready?”

Trudy had been watching the television mounted up on the wall, but when she turned around her mouth was hanging open and her face pale.

“If it’s not ready, that’s okay. I can wait,” Amanda offered when the older woman didn’t speak.

The guy sitting at the counter just a few feet away finally spoke up, pointing to the television. The news was on, and a reporter was standing with a microphone in front of the local bed and breakfast.

“You haven’t seen this yet?” the man asked. “There’s been a murder at the inn.”

Murder wasn’t common in their little town. It was always big news.

“Wow, that’s terrible. Who died?”

“Martin Parnham. Your dad’s ex-wife’s husband. He was found shot in the heart early this morning.”

Marty was dead? Less than twelve hours after he and Abby had a blowout at the fundraiser?

“Who shot him?” she asked, fearing the answer. “Why was he shot?”

“They don’t know who shot him,” Trudy replied, finally finding her voice. “But they’ve taken Abby in for questioning. The first suspect is always the spouse. I wonder if your dad has heard the news yet. His face is plastered all over the television because she’s his ex-wife and he’s running for governor.”

Amanda was sure that he hadn’t. Her parents were at Uncle Jared’s cabin which was so far off the beaten path that they weren’t connected by cell phone.

But her father needed to know. This could affect his campaign.

She didn’t have a clue how to get in touch with him, save driving up there herself. Lunch was going to have to wait.

The sun was already high in the sky when Tanner opened his eyes the next day. There was a loud whirring sound in his head, and he was sure he hadn’t been drinking the night before. He hadn’t had alcohol in decades.

Next to him, Maddie lifted her head from the pillow, a frown on her face.

“What is that noise? It sounds like a helicopter.”

Yes, that was what it sounded like. But why on earth would a helicopter be out here in the middle of nowhere?

He rubbed at his eyes and swung his legs over the side of the bed before tugging on a pair of pants.

“I’ll go take a look outside.”

The sound was getting louder and by the time Tanner stepped on the front porch of the cabin a helicopter was hovering above the clearing next to the lake, getting ready to land.

What in the…?

He managed to pull on the t-shirt he’d grabbed on the way out of the bedroom and headed down to meet whomever had flown in and disturbed the peace of his and Maddie’s getaway.

The door of the helicopter opened and Jason Anderson hopped out, ducking down as he ran toward Tanner. A clutch of fear took hold on his heart as his old friend jogged the distance between them. For Jason to have flown all of this way…

Someone was injured, sick, or dead. Amanda? Chris? Emily? Everything had been just fine when they’d left town last night. Had there been some sort of accident?

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