Winter's Fire (Welcome to Covendale #7) by Morgan Blaze Read Free Book Online Page B

years working for the county sheriff’s office, the last five of them in dispatch after he could no longer physically handle field work. Adam had always gotten a kick out of hearing dispatches from his father. “What are you going to do now, Ben?” he said quietly.
    The older man shrugged. “Don’t know,” he said. “Not take up gardening, that’s for damned sure.”
    “Good call. I’ve seen your yard.”
    They shared a grin, but Ben’s features grew somber. “Adam…you need to watch out for your lady friend,” he said.
    “She’s not my friend.” He spat the words out harsher than he’d meant to. After a calming breath, he said, “Why, is she out to get me?”
    “Don’t think so. But someone might be out to get her.”
    The warning edge in Ben’s voice worried him. “What are you talking about?”
    Ben glanced around, as if making sure no one was there to listen. “She’s investigating something that’s been going on a long time. Something I haven’t been able to stop.” His words were heavy with regret. “And if she gets close…let’s just say there are people who’ll do a hell of a lot to keep her away.”
    “This doesn’t make sense,” Adam said hoarsely. “She’s looking for paperwork mistakes. Mixed-up numbers.”
    “She won’t find any, but she might find real trouble.” Ben’s eyes glittered in the orange glare of the parking lot lights. “Look, I know there’s some tension between you two. I won’t ask about that. But I will ask that whatever it is, you put it aside and look out for her. Maybe this whole thing’ll blow over.
    “And if it doesn’t?”
    Ben shook his head slowly. “We’ll just have to make sure it does.”
    “Ben—”
    “Guess I’d better get back to the party.” Ben’s voice was slightly raised, almost manic with enthusiasm. “I mean, I’m the guest of honor. So I’ll see you inside?” he said—and held a hand out.
    Adam frowned. “Sure. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He extended his arm slowly, his expression puzzled as he shook hands.
    And felt Ben press a scrap of paper against his palm.
    “I’ll save a piece of cake for you.” With an odd, flat smile, the older man turned and walked back into the bar.
    Adam stood there a moment, clutching the piece of paper and drinking beer he could no longer taste. If he didn’t know Ben so well, he’d think the man had a few screws loose—that either his age or his forced retirement had driven him a little insane. But there was nothing wrong with Ben’s mind.
    Which left the more chilling idea that Winter really was in danger.
    He waited until he was sure the parking lot was empty, and then slowly unfolded the note to read Pete’s Diner, 10 tomorrow night. Nodding to himself, he tucked the paper in his pocket and finished off the beer before heading inside.
    Whatever it was, he’d be there for Ben.
     
     

Chapter 6
     
    Winter didn’t have the best of starts that morning.
    After she left the bar, she’d spent hours going over the paperwork again—both the files she’d brought, and those she’d made copies of at the station. Everything still matched the way it was supposed to, line for line. But on the six files that triggered her intuition, she’d noticed certain key figures had a strange, blurred quality to them. As if they’d been written in and later changed. The missing signatures really didn’t help, either. Knowing who’d signed off on them would at least give her a starting point. But she couldn’t be sure with the photocopies, so she’d set them aside to compare with the originals in the morning.
    Then she’d slept badly, left the bed-and-breakfast before the community meal and walked to the nearest gas station, which had halfway decent coffee for a small place with an attached mechanic’s garage. Since she would be in town for a few days after all, she’d asked the man working there for directions to the nearest car rental company.
    After he finished laughing at