Page 47 of Killer on the Homestead

But when he moved into the kitchen, it wasn’t Rosalie in his house. It was Mom. She was wiping down his kitchen counter and Rosalie was nowhere to be seen.

She looked up at him, surveyed him in that way she had when he’d been sick as a kid and insisted he was well enough to go to baseball practice anyway.

“She had to go into her office,” Mom said, even though he hadn’t asked about Rosalie. “I’m not sure she slept, poor girl. But she’s as stubborn as you are.”

“More.”

Mom shook her head with a tiny smile. “Impossible.”

“What about you? Any rest?”

“I tried. Slept in snatches, I suppose.” She rinsed out the dishcloth, folded it neatly over the faucet.

“How’s Dad holding up?”

Mom didn’t look at him and didn’t speak right away. That’s how Duncan knew it was bad.

“He was out before dawn. Calving season is in full swing and we’re down a hand. He’s got lots of work to throw himself into. For good or for ill.”

“I wish I could be more help.”

“Next year you will be.”

Duncan smiled. It was a nice enough thought. To know he’d be here next year and the year after. That he’d be in better physical shape to really help Dad out. But he sure as hell hoped they weren’t dealing with any of this next year.

Still, he didn’t say that to Mom. He just nodded in agreement and took the mug of coffee she offered him.

“Rosalie left you a list of things to do.”

“Did she?”

Mom held out the paper, and in an only kind of legible chicken scratch there was a bulleted list.

Call your doctor get prescription refilled.

Call Cam Delaney. Security system installed TODAY.

Eat something and take care of yourself.

Nothing about the case. Which no doubt meant she’d gone into her office so she could work on it alone.

Wasn’t going to happen.

He was tempted to crumple the list, but she wasn’t wrong about the first two things. Getting a security system up and running for his cabin would be necessary if he was going to have more pills on hand and wanted to feel safe about it.

But he hated the idea of Rosalie down at her office, investigating this case that involved everything he held dear without him.

“I’ve got a favor to ask you, Mom.”

“Anything, honey.”

“I’ve got a few calls to make. If I get an appointment set up for the alarm install, can you be here for it?”

“Where are you going to be?”

“I’ll probably have to go into Fairmont to pick up my pills.”

“And you can’t plan that around a security install?”