South River Incident by Ann Mullen Read Free Book Online Page B

eventually, I will be. I attend night classes at the
community college, and to expedite time, I also take courses online. Billy
convinced me that if I wanted to stay in this line of work I would need a
license, and as an incentive, he offered me a partnership.
    In retrospect, my career
was on the rise, but my relationship with Cole was going down the toilet.
    The twenty minutes it took
Cole to show up on my doorstep had been plenty of time for me to go into a
tailspin. I had yelled at everyone at least once, and pushed the dogs away so
many times that they finally got fed up with me, and retreated to their favorite
napping place. It was barely nine o’clock , and the day was starting out badly. My instincts
told me that it would probably get worse.
    “Good morning,” Cole said,
smiling at all of us while brushing the snow from his boots. “I think the snow
is beginning to melt.”
    “That’s good to hear,” Mom
said, walking over to Cole. “Here, let me take your coat. Come on in and have a
seat.”
    Mom quietly left the room;
Billy was in the shower; and Claire was upstairs planning the takeover of my
bedroom. I was left alone with Cole.
    “Why don’t we go to the
kitchen? We need some privacy.”
    That had to be a joke.
Privacy isn’t possible when you have three snoops lurking in the background.
    “Let’s go to the garage,” I
said. I didn’t wait for a reply. 
    The instant I closed the
garage door, Cole took me into his arms.
    “I’ve missed you so much,”
he said. His hands were gentle and his kiss warm. I wanted to snuggle up in a
bed next to him, but I was still furious about his previous behavior. I pulled
away.
    “I’m sorry about the way I
acted last night, Jesse. I was embarrassed when my new boss caught us
embracing. He didn’t know about us then, but he does now, and that complicates
matters.”
    “Why?”
    “Because Sheriff Hudson
thinks it would look bad for the department if one of his deputies were
involved with a witness.”
    “Don’t you mean someone who
is under suspicion?”
    “You’re not under
suspicion, but you are a vital member of this scenario. For the time being, I
have to distance myself. I don’t have a choice. Sheriff Hudson ordered me to
stay away from you until the case is closed. I’m sorry, but he’s my boss and if
I want to keep my job, I have to do as he says.”
    “Call me when the time is
right. You can find your way out.” I turned my back to him and fled back to the
house. With tears running down my face, I slammed the utility door and leaned
against it. What a rat! When things get complicated, he walks away.
    Billy walked out of the
bathroom. He had shaving cream from one ear to the other. His jeans looked new
and his flannel shirt looked like it just came from the cleaners. I wondered
where the fresh clothes came from, and then I remembered he kept a spare change
of clothes in his truck.
    “What’s the matter?” he
asked. “Don’t you like my clothes?”
    “It’s not that,” I sniffed,
trying to conceal my tears. “It’s just that everything you wear has a feather
or a bead stuffed somewhere. You look like a regular mountain man now. Is that
shirt new or did you iron it? I’ve never seen one of those shirts without
wrinkles unless it was new.”
    “I’m sure my attire is not
what brought those tears to your eyes. What happened? Did Cole break your heart
again? I warned you about him.”
    “I guess you could say
that,” I said, bursting into tears. I brushed past him and slumped down on the
sofa. “What’s wrong with men? Is it their destiny to drive us women crazy?”
    Billy wiped the shaving
cream off his face with the towel that had been slung over his shoulder.
    “What’s wrong with that
man? I know he loves you, but he continues to do things that make me think
otherwise. What’s his problem?”
    “It’s this case,” I cried.
“He said that he can’t be involved with me until the case is closed, and I know
that could be a