Page 26 of Silverstorm

“You wanna jump in? We can drive up to the machinery shed together.” Levi’s words cut across her next question; she’d been about to ask if Levi had seen the man’s pregnant wife. The whole thing was a little odd, and it was bothering her. Why had the van started first time? Was there actually nothing wrong with it?

“Yeah, thanks,” Jude said, turning to give her a quick look that warned her to stay out of trouble.

“Where are you going?” she queried.

“Levi and I are just checking out something Dean reported a few days ago. He’s had some cattle go missing,” Jude added, replacing his hat as he spoke, so Aria could no longer see his eyes. Then he jumped in the truck and she was waving them away in a cloud of dust.

It wasn’t until Aria had reached the top of the steps and was just about to open the front door when it finally occurred to her to wonder why it would take a ranger and a deputy to work on a simple case of missing cattle. And why the recent murder wasn’t taking precedence. Why would Brady send Jude off on a wild goose chase? Was there something else going on here? Maybe Penny would know?

Aria walked in through the door, her mind still on the reasons Jude was on the ranch, and so she was shocked when Penny practically knocked her over as she rushed to hug her.

“I’m so sorry, Aria.” Penny pulled back and Aria could see the sincere sympathy in her eyes. “I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now.”

So much had happened in the past few days, it was hard to keep track of who knew what; the timeline was fuzzy in her head. Naomi had called a couple of times yesterday to make sure she was okay. Her boss had been so genuinely concerned, Aria had to convince her not to come round; that she was fine and Jude was taking good care of her. And of course, Penny hadn’t seen Aria since she’d left in a daze with Jude the other day, the news of her father’s death still ringing in her ears. Not since Iliana had been declared missing.

People must have an inkling that Aria and her father weren’t close. A person didn’t spend eight years away, with no contact, if they were close. But none of these doubts showed in Penny’s face. And Aria was swept away by the other woman’s genuine consideration. Why was it that you always felt remorse when a person passed away? Felt like you could’ve done more, said more, to try and heal the rift. Because now her dad was dead, the possibility of finding out what was truly going on in his head was gone forever. Aria would never get the answers she needed. Had her father loved her in his own peculiar way? Where did all his crazy theories stem from? What’d happened to him before she was born to turn him into the man she knew as her father? Losing a parent changed something indelibly inside you.

“Thank you,” Aria replied simply as Penny turned and looped her arm through Aria’s as they walked together toward the office.

Aria looked up to see Naomi watching them from the doorway. She bundled Aria into her arms as soon as she got close.

“Oh, baby girl, I’m so sorry for your loss. Losing a parent is a hard thing to go through, for anybody.” Naomi drew back and looked her in the eye, brushing away the hair that’d fallen over her face with a motherly touch. The sincerity and warmth Naomi showed had a lump forming in Aria’s throat. The way she treated her, so much like she was special and fragile; worthy of love. It made Aria pine for her own mother. Naomi tucked her under her arm and led her into the office, motioning to Penny to come in and help her make coffee.

“You take a seat and we’ll get you a coffee and something to eat.” Naomi lowered her into one of the comfy armchairs and patted her hand, taking the seat opposite. “If you need anything, anything at all, you just have to ask. With the funeral arrangements, with help in settling your father’s affairs. I know it can all be overwhelming, but we know the right people to talk to in town. And you also take as much time as you need off work,” Naomi added.

It struck a chord deep inside Aria. These people hardly knew her, yet they were being so nice to her. They were good people, decent people, and she was glad to be surrounded by these caring humans. It suddenly showed her that what she thought she’d had with Beau had been a paltry example of a genuine relationship. She’d thought she loved Beau, and that he had loved her. But the fact he could send her away without a second thought showed her exactly how shallow he was. Perhaps she could blame her deficient upbringing, where her mother had died too early to really show Aria what true love was supposed to look like. And her father was so preoccupied with his own problems, he just didn’t have it in him to be capable of love.

She’d thought she was the one who was broken, but maybe it wasn’t her fault, after all. The idea hit her like a hammer blow to the chest.

“Thank you,” she said, surprised to hear the wobble in her own voice. “I seem to be saying that a lot at the moment, but I mean it. You’ve been so supportive.” Most bosses wouldn’t have been this accommodating after only two days of work.

Penny placed a mug of steaming coffee in front of Aria, the lines around her eyes still crinkling up with concern. Kneeling down, so she could look Aria in the eye, she said gently, “That’s what friends are for.”

So, this was what it was like to have true friends.

“I’d better get back to reception.” She stood and Naomi nodded at her. “I know Jude has been doing a good job of looking after you. But like Naomi said, anything you need, just give us a yell.”

“I will,” Aria replied, brushing away a tear that had somehow formed without her knowledge.

Neither of the two women had mentioned Iliana, as if they were worried Aria might shatter if they said her name. She was a tad embarrassed by all this attention already, and tears were close to the surface. She knew talking about Iliana would tip her over the edge, so she said, “When the time comes, I would appreciate your help.” She lifted her chin slightly and straightened her shoulders, hoping that Naomi got the hint. Please don’t ask me about Iliana. Not yet. “But at the moment, everything is all in limbo.” Jude had said her father’s body might not be released for burial for weeks yet. And the problem of Tango’s house and all his belongings could wait. There was no rush to do anything. A part of her that she didn’t like to acknowledge also hoped and prayed they found Iliana soon, then she wouldn’t have to do this alone. “So until it comes to the stage where I need that help, I’d love to keep busy, to keep my mind off everything, if you know what I mean.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Naomi replied sagely, thankfully getting the hint loud and clear. “Idle hands are the devil’s work. I’m the same as you. If I have a problem, or a worry, I like to knuckle down to work, because sitting around worrying about a thing never got me anywhere.”

“Yes,” Aria agreed. Today was Friday, which only gave her today to bury herself in the work. But she’d wonder about how to keep herself occupied over the weekend later.

So after they finished their coffee, Naomi opened her laptop and Aria got out her iPad, and they began to talk about Naomi’s project. Aria soon lost herself in the world of how to brand a riding camp for the blind. It needed to have that special quality that could only be found at Stargazer Ranch.

They spent the morning cocooned in Dean’s office, and Aria asked if she could have lunch at the desk. She wasn’t up to facing the rest of the staff, and Naomi seemed to get that, so she left Aria to her sandwiches, saying she needed to talk to Dean, and wanted to catch up with Clayton about something, as well. Aria stared out the window at the low clouds gathering over the mountains as she ate. Which reminded her, she still hadn’t had time to get herself a proper warm jacket yet, and winter was clearly just around the corner. Naomi had told her earlier that the first winter storm was on its way. They were predicting a bad one and Naomi had been worried that Aria’s car might not be up to handling the freezing weather to come. Aria remembered her broken taillight and bald tires, which were still yet to be fixed, and felt a twinge of guilt. Jude hadn’t said anything about them since, but she knew what he must be thinking about her driving an unsafe car.

Naomi returned to find Aria looking at different fonts on her iPad, trying to decide which would suit the new brand they were creating for the riding camp. Stargazer already had a logo, using a particular color palette, and so Aria had asked if she could use that logo and redesign it to incorporate the new theme. The two women spent the next hour shuffling images around, adding new colors, trying to find the best fit for Naomi’s new brand.

It was nearly two pm when Aria became aware of something going on outside in the reception area. It sounded like a group of people had gathered and were all talking at once. There were voices on the verandah outside and on the steps leading up to the lodge.

She stood, and both she and Naomi went over to peer out the window down into the parking lot below. She could see her Subaru and Jude’s cruiser with the sheriff logo on the side. But now other cars swept into the lot as they stared. Two police cruisers, followed by a phalanx of black sedans, and lastly a white van that had crime scene unit splashed across the side.

“What’s going on?” She turned to Naomi, who looked equally flummoxed.

All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door, and then, without waiting for an answer, Jude stumbled in, closely followed by Detective Brady.

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