Indirect Route by Claire Matthews Read Free Book Online

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    IDK.  I was too chicken to go in.  Aaron’s talking to the current owner.
    Jane, don’t be a wuss all your life.  Get in there!
    Janie felt the sting of truth in Mia’s words.  When was she going to stop being such a wimp when it came to her personal life?  She’d spent so much time taking care of her mother and her job, she’d never taken the time to grow up and take care of herself.
    I can’t, I’m faking the flu.  But you’re right.  I’ll do better, I promise.
    I know you will.  I love you—call me tonight and we’ll have wine words.
    Love you too—ttyl.
    It seemed like half an hour, but was probably only about five minutes, when Aaron emerged from the house and made his way back to the car.  He was smiling, so Janie relaxed the tiniest bit.  His smile was like a salve, she realized.
    “Well?” She pounced as soon as his door shut.
    “She has no idea who Kenneth Brown was, but she does know the neighbors four houses down.  She said they’ve lived in the neighborhood for over thirty years, so if Kenneth lived here, they would probably remember him.”
    “Okay,” Janie said, feeling somewhat deflated.  “Do we want to go and talk to them?” She looked down the street.
    “Kelli said they’re on vacation in Florida.  They should be back on Friday.  She’s getting their mail for them.” Aaron grinned.  “Her name’s Kelli.  Which you would know if you weren’t such a scaredy cat.  She hopes you feel better soon, by the way.”
    “Did you just call me a scaredy cat? Who are you, Dennis the Menace?”
    “Tease me all you like.  Big baby.”  He put the car in gear and drove off, as Janie shot him several withering glares.  They drove for a few minutes back towards the center of town.  Finally Janie’s curiosity got the best of her.
    “Where are we going?”
    “Well, we’ve got two days until Kelli’s neighbors get home.  So, for today, I think we should chase some other leads.  Get out the paperwork from this morning.” Janie paused at his bossy tone, but took out the papers anyway.
    “What other leads do we have here, Detective Aaron?”  She saw a lot of administrative data, license codes, and official seals, but nothing jumped out at her as particularly helpful.
    “One of those applications has an old employer listed.”  Aaron looked over her shoulder, and she slapped his thigh. 
    “Watch where you’re driving.  I’ll find it.”
    “I think it was an application for a hunting license,” he said, still looking her way.  Janie turned her body away from him and faced the passenger door window. “No, not that one,” he insisted.  It’s on a legal-size sheet of paper.  No, no, legal size.”  Janie grinned into her chest and pulled another letter-size form from the bundle. 
    “This one?” she asked hopefully.
    “God, no, one of the long ones,” Aarons cried, exasperated.  Janie began to giggle.
    “You are so annoying,” Aaron said, but his reluctant smile made her break into a full-on laugh.
    “That’s what you get for bossing me.”
    “Just find the form,” he said, shaking his head.
    “Please?”
    “Pretty please.”
    “Fine.  Here it is.  I didn’t even see this form earlier.”
    “Because you have no eye for detail.”
    “Because I was kind of freaking out, if you remember.”  Janie looked through the form until she saw the question about place of employment.  In block script, Kenneth Brown had listed “Johnson’s Pipeline International”.  Under occupation, he’s put “welder”.
    “He was a welder.  Huh.”  Janie’s voice was flat.
    “Huh?” Aaron’s eyebrows lifted.  “What’s wrong with being a welder?”
    “Nothing.  I’ve just never known a welder before.  Does that mean he spent all day with one of those metal masks on?”
    “Probably.”
    Janie was silent for a moment.  “It sounds like a tough job.”
    “Yep.” 
    They were both silent for a moment.  Aaron finally spoke.  “So you want