Page 57 of Head Room

But, hey, I could take it however I wanted.

“No need to apologize.I appreciate your time and that I can come back to you with more questions.Bye, Ned.”

He side-eyed me, but didn’t argue.With a small farewell raise of his hand, he headed toward an interior door.

I took one more step toward the exit when the figure coming inside from the pickup truck became recognizable as Miles Stevens.

Despite no questions immediately coming to mind, I reflexively slowed.

He smiled widely.“Hey, E.M.Danniher from the TV station.”

“Hi, Miles.”

He looked around.“That other one’s not here, the girl from the fire?”

This made me even more glad Nola wasn’t interested in him.

My parents, other loved ones, and anyone over eighty whom I like could call me a girl.No one else, and I hereby extended that rule to cover Nola Choi.

“No, you’ll have to make do with me.What are you doing here?”

“I do maintenance for our equipment, so I go back and forth, depending on what needs to be done where.With so much equipment called out to the cabin fire, I’m catching up.That’s the way it is with a mostly volunteer department.”

“It’s great of you to volunteer when I understand you’re working another job?”

“The maintenance is my job.Not full-time, but I don’t need a whole lot.Do some other jobs for folks, too.”

“You have another side gig?Something with computers?”

“Computers?What would make you think that?”

A fleeting temptation to give up Kam Droemi didn’t stand up to the professional instinct to protect sources, even over trivialities.

I hitched a shoulder.“Don’t even remember now.But I suppose every business, every side gig involves computers.”

“Well, that much is true.”He tried another grin.“Gotta get to work.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

I’d started myday early enough that I had time before the lunch with Mike, Needham, and Needham’s guest.I used it to swing by my house.

It was a blue-sky day.A little cooler than the previous week, but nice in the sun.So I sat outside, getting a little manuscript reading in while Shadow explored his back yard kingdom.

****

Without looking, she knew when the tall one stood and walked away.But she still felt his regard when he reached the opposite side of the room.

“None of this changes the question of what’s to be done with her.She has no husband, she has no parents, she has no family.”

“We could use a laundress, and the regulations do say we’re entitled to one,” somebody offered.

“Yes, but can she do that work?”

“Looks like she’s been doing plenty enough work for those savages,” a new voice from behind her said, and Maggie sensed a sympathy for her in the answering grumbles.But sympathy could evaporate as quickly as dew under a hot sun.

“We can sign her up like she’s a laundress, but we don’t have to make her do the work,” offered Peter, the young one.“We could let her get back on her feet like.”

“Yeah?Then we’d all be responsible for her—and I for one ain’t willing.”That was Stelmen Viess, the bearded one.