Page 47 of Long Pig
“You drive a hard bargain, but I won’t pass up a good lunch of my choosing. If I suffer the mall, you can eat outside the box.”
She grinned and gave in gracefully.
The following day, after Dale left for Flagstaff, Willow went back to work on the large bureau. It had belonged to the customer’s grandmother. The intricate scrollwork took longer than Willow planned. For most of the piece, the rotary sander had done the job, but the curves and corners refused to cooperate. She’d already stripped the old stain with chemicals, yet the tight spaces still held onto years of finish. Now she was down to the tedious part of working the sanding block into thegrooves and, when that failed, using her fingers wrapped in grit paper.
It pleased her that the owner wanted to keep the original wood look. Willow had painted a few pieces for people, but her true love was wood. She liked the aesthetic of the grain and bringing it back to its original beauty.
She worked for hours, her mind peaceful while music played softly in the background. Dale had sectioned off a work area for her complete with clear plastic that circled the area to keep out dust and dog hair.
She was almost finished with the stain, when Max growled. She laid down the brush, removed her gloves and mask, and pulled aside the plastic.
“Hey dog, I’m friendly,” a male voice said.
She knew that voice. Lead filled her stomach as she walked outside where Deputy Wallard waited in his uniform.
“What are you doing here?” she asked without a hint of friendliness.
“Hi Willow.” He had a glint in his eyes that made her stomach clench tighter. “Or should I say, Miss Humphreys.” His hand moved on top of the grip of his gun as his fingers tapped against the side of the holster.
Ice spread inside her.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t discover who you are?”
He appeared so pleased with himself even when she remained silent and simply stared. It took everything she had to keep her panic in check.
“We have our own little killer here in Apache County, and she appeared so sweet, too. Now she’s running around town like she owns the place. You even have a retired deputy helping you keep your secrets. The community respects him, and I wonder what they would say.”
“What do you want?” Willow ground out.
“I think you know.” He looked her up and down before taking a step closer. Max growled. “It would be sad to shoot your dog.”
Willow’s brain had filled with dread, but with the deputy’s words, her mind cleared. “How would you explain shooting him when you can’t be on this property?” She straightened her shoulders ready for battle.
“How long will Dale be gone?” he asked, ignoring the question.
He had probably seen Dale leave town. “He went to Concho to pick up a piece of furniture for me. He won’t be gone long.” Concho was twenty miles outside of St. Johns.
The deputy stared at her for almost a solid minute. “I don’t know if you’re telling the truth or not. We both know they teach lying 101 in prison.” He paused a moment. “I read you killed your daddy. Poor man probably never saw it coming.”
He hadn’t, but Willow stayed silent.
“Your family must start them young for you to take such a drastic step. I’m glad the justice system saw through your bullshit. Fifteen is old enough to plan the entire thing. You got lucky with that ten-year sentence.” His gaze dragged slowly over her body, and she felt the filth of his regard sink into her skin. “As I partially explained before, my wife and I have an unusual relationship. I would like to take you out to dinner. I was nice about the ice cream, but then you went behind my back and reported me. Don’t worry, it wasn’t your fault. Berger put you up to it, but even so, you should have kept your mouth shut. Now you’re in a predicament that he can’t help you with. You won’t say anything this time.” His eyes had gone flat.
He took a card from his pocket and stepped closer until Max stopped his progress. Wallard flicked the card to the ground. “Call me, so it shows you elicited the contact. Make up some kind of story for the old man if you need to. We’ll go toShow Low for a nice dinner.” His expression changed again, and a smile took over. “It’s just a date. You’ll have fun.”
Willow didn’t move toward the card. She lightly slapped her hand against her thigh. “Max, Daisy, come here.” Both dogs came to her side immediately while she kept the deputy in sight. Daisy might not have growled, but she stayed on alert like Max.
The deputy tipped his hat before he ducked into his vehicle. “I should hear from you in the next few days. Make it happen.” He drove away.
Willow sank to the ground beside the dogs, shaking uncontrollably. Daisy whined. “It’s okay girl,” she said and petted the soft belly after the dog rolled to her back.
Daisy had been badly abused by the Hogg family, but she was such a sweetheart. Dale had assured Willow that if someone attacked her, that sweet disposition would go straight out the window. Daisy would put her life on the line for her. There was no question about Max. His protective instincts were always in overdrive. He’d done everything he could to protect Joan and almost died because of it.
Willow loved them so much, and they needed a protector too. So did Dale, though he would argue to the point of a heart attack. Inhaling deeply, she replayed everything Wallard said. Thankfully, she had a few days to think about what to do. Telling Dale about the deputy was only a small possibility. Wallard wasn’t intimidated, and she had a feeling that came from the knowledge that his father-in-law would protect him.
Chapter Thirty
Killing Urges Change