The Gift by Deb Stover Read Free Book Online Page A

you’re the first person I asked.”
    Gooch puffed up a little at that and finally gave her the damned directions. Beth thanked him and left before he could launch into his opinion of what had really happened to Lorilee. His snort had given her a pretty fair impression of that already, and now she was even more curious about Rick Heppel than ever.
    Heppel’s house sat near the creek that bordered the Malone farm—the property line, more or less. She parked her car next to a metal barn easily more than twice the size of the house.
    It was little more than a cabin. The porch sagged, the roof had been patched with tar paper, and heavy plastic covered two of the windows. Beth glanced back at the high-tech metal building. Interesting.
    A black and tan hound scurried out from beneath the porch and barked a warning. His tail wagged furiously, though, so she figured the mongrel was more friend than foe. “Hey, fella,” she said. The old dog stopped barking and melted against her leg, tail still wagging. She couldn’t resist scratching him behind the ears.
    The front door of the cabin squeaked open and the largest, hairiest man she’d ever seen materialized onthe threshold. He could easily have passed a screen test for Sasquatch.
    The overall-clad monster stepped out onto the porch and stared. Wiry gray hair hung to his shoulders, and a bushy beard fell halfway down his barrel chest. “Yeah?” He folded his arms and kept staring.
    “Rick Heppel?” Beth straightened from petting the dog.
    The man didn’t move. “Depends who’s asking.”
    Oh, goody. “Beth Dearborn.” She approached him, her right hand outstretched. When he didn’t reach for it, she dropped it to her side. Well, no Southern gentleman here, or risk of being treated like a little lady. “I’d like to ask you a few questions about Lorilee Brubaker-Malone.”
    His eyes widened, then narrowed to dark slits. “Why? What’s your interest in Lorilee?”
    “I’m an insurance investigator.” No point in hiding that fact. “The Malones want Lorilee declared legally dead.”
    Heppel chewed his lower lip for several seconds and stroked his beard. “What’s that got to do with me?”
    “Did you know Lorilee?”
    He blinked once. Twice. Moisture collected at the corners of his brown eyes, and he looked beyond her at something she suspected only he could see. Then he drew a deep breath and met her gaze, all evidence of emotion carefully masked. “Everybody around here knew Lorilee.”
    He’s hedging. “Some better than others.”
    His beard twitched as one corner of his mouth lifted upward. “Lorilee treated me decent.”
    “How decent?”
    He narrowed his eyes again and set his lips in a hard line. “I won’t stand here and listen to you badmouth a fine lady like Lorilee.” He turned toward his house.
    Thunder rumbled in the distance. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you or Lorilee.” That much was true, though her suspicions about the relationship between Heppel and Lorilee had just escalated tenfold. “Her family and Avery Mutual are looking for the truth. Maybe you can help us find it.”
    He stood with his broad back to her for several seconds. His head lowered, then he sighed and turned to face her again, lifting his chin to meet her gaze. “I was in the middle of fixin’ supper.” He looked the length of her. “You don’t appear vegan to me.”
    And you do ? Beth blinked, biting back the smart-ass comments that came to mind. “I’m more the burger-and-fries type.” She lifted a shoulder. “Guilty.”
    “If you expect me to answer questions about Lorilee, you won’t be eating flesh tonight.”
    She grimaced and shook her head. “Well, that’s a…graphic way to put it.”
    A sad smile split his beard. “That’s a fact.”
    Eating dinner alone with this odd man didn’t rate high on her list of wise ways to spend her first evening in Brubaker, but she needed to hear about Lorilee. “Thanks for the