Page 64

She let me go, and I leaned away from her, pressing myself to the passenger door as she guided the truck over onto the shoulder.

My mouth went dry when the police car followed. We came to a stop, and Esther shifted the gear into park. There was a calm on her face now, a forced steadiness as she drew in a long breath. As soon as she had herself composed, her hand silently drifted to that pocket in the door and stayed there.

It was a few seconds before the police officer got out, and when I saw his face, my teeth clenched painfully. It was Caleb, the man who’d knocked on Eamon’s door. He took measured, easy steps toward the truck, one hand at his belt, where his gun was clipped into a holster.

“Esther,” I whispered.

She ignored me, leaning out the window just a little. “That you, Caleb?” Her tone had completely shifted to match her relaxed expression.

When he reached the window, he pulled the hat from his head. “Esther.”

Then his dark eyes fixed squarely on me. His mouth pulled in a half smile. I mimicked it, but it felt all wrong. I could tell by his expression that it looked wrong, too.

“Good to finally see you, June.”

There was a knowing undertone to the words, as if he were referring to the fact that he hadn’t actually laid eyes on me when he came by the house yesterday. But he’d known I was there.

“Just got in a few days ago.” Esther spoke before I had to.

“I heard. You didn’t say she was headed back to Jasper.” He was still watching me. “How’s your mother?”

“Better.” My voice was tight in my throat.

“That’s good to hear,” he said. “People ’round here sure will be glad to see you. Been a long time.”

My eyes cut to Esther, looking for any clue as to what was about to unfold here, but she was unreadable.

“I’m sure Eamon’s told you I’ve been looking forward to sitting down and talking. I thought now would be a good time.”

I couldn’t tell if my breath sounded as loud in the truck as it did in my ears. Had he followed us? Had he been watching us in town?

“Talk?” I echoed.

“You have some time to come down to the station?”

Esther laughed nervously. “Now?”

“As good a time as any.” He smirked.

“Can this wait? We’re just headed back to the farm.”

“You’re not the only one who’s been waiting for June to come home, Esther.” He set a heavy hand on the lip of the door, a seemingly innocent gesture, but something about it felt distinctly threatening. “We’ll make it quick. I’ll tell you what, I’ll even have her home before supper.”

Esther’s gaze moved to me. She was scared, her hand still half-hidden in the pocket of the door. She was considering. Weighing her options. But if she pulled out that gun, I had no idea what would happen. Would she really shoot him? Just threaten him? What would he do when he saw it? Turn his own gun on us?

“Sure.” I smiled, hands still clutched around the pie in my lap.

Esther’s eyes bored into me.

Caleb’s smile widened. “Great.”

He waited, and when I didn’t move, he gave a nod toward my door. My hand was unsteady as I reached for the handle and opened it. I left the pie on the seat, locking eyes with Esther one more time as I got out.

I came around the truck, catching another glimpse of the gun at his hip as he fell into step beside me. He opened the door to the police car, and his hand clamped down on the top of the window as he waited. My eyes fell to the badge on his chest.

merrill countywas engraved in an arc over the wordsheriff. Beneath it was a name.

rutherford