Page 52 of Code Violation

“I guess I owe you a new fence.”

Levi looked around at the damage and shrugged. “I don’t care. It’s not as if I’m planting anything.”

Forrest took a longer and closer look at his nearest neighbor. The sweatshirt and worn jeans his friend wore hung loose on him, as if he’d lost weight. And now that he wasn’t yelling and red in the face, Forrest realized he was pale. Not the pale of a Pacific Northwesterner who didn’t get out much in the winter months, but the kind of pale that meant Levi wasn’t taking care of himself properly.

“What about the cidery?” Forrest asked.

Levi shrugged again, not answering Forrest’s question. This time last year, Levi had been in the midst of planning to build a cidery on his property and using his apples to make a local hard cider.

Well, crap.

If Lani were missing, Forrest would be in a similar state. He needed to be a better friend. Levi had no family, his father having died years ago. And now his much younger half-sister had been missing since before last Thanksgiving.

Speaking of sisters, a Cooper Springs PD cruiser turned into Levi’s driveway and Forrest unfortunately recognized Officer Lani Cooper behind the wheel.

“Fuck,” Forrest said emphatically.

EIGHTEEN

Nero – Saturday evening

“What the actual fuck, Forrest? I told you that truck was going to get you in trouble!”

Lani Cooper didn’t wait for Forrest to answer. Nero saw Forrest’s wince as his sister used her crutch to hobble-stomp across the turf to where Nero, Forrest, and the owner of the property they’d crashed onto, the man who’d also called 9-1-1, were standing. Even if Nero hadn’t known she and Forrest were related, the red hair and the similar facial features would have made it obvious. They were both attractive, Nero had to admit, but Forrest was the sibling Nero found himself drawn to.

Why was his brain thinking about stuff like that when they’d both nearly died? Maybe it was from shock, focusing on the not-dying part.

“Believe it or not, the truck isn’t sentient, Lani. It didn’t try and kill me.”

“Was it reckless driving? Because that’s what it looks like from here. Christ, look at the gouges!”

Nero’s head throbbed and so did other inexplicable parts of his body, like his right elbow. Regardless, Nero was enjoying the exchange between the older brother and younger sister. Lani was obviously not impressed by Forrest trying to dismiss what had happened.

“Reckless driving?” Forrest repeated, his voice rising. “Are you kidding me?”

Nero was fairly sure the conversation would have continued and ramped up into serious fireworks if the as-yet-unknown-to-him guy hadn’t stepped in.

“Lani, it wasn’t Forrest’s fault,” the guy said.

She turned on him. “Are you sure about that, Levi?” Okay, one question solved. The guy’s name was Levi. “Because that would be a first.”

It was also amusing that Forrest didn’t seem to realize he should be introducing people. But also they’d just nearly died.

“Yes, I’m sure. Forrest, do you want to explain?”

“I would’ve explained already if Lani would let me get a word in edgewise.”

“Forrest Cooper, quit being a damn asshole.” Officer Cooper’s nostrils flared.

“Maybe if you didn’t always jump to the wrong conclusion!”

“Conclusion?” She swept her crutch out to encompass the ravaged field and reshaped ditch. “What I see here is ‘lucky again that Forrest didn’t die’! How’s that for a conclusion?”

“I didn’t die! Jesus Christ! Why are you being so dramatic?”

Nero winced at Forrest’s statement. Even he knew those were dangerous words. Lani snapped her lips shut, watching her brother with a very dangerous glint in her eyes. Her gaze flicked to Nero, who suddenly wished he had the power of invisibility.

“Furthermore, what is he doing here?” Lani pointed a crutch at Nero. Who, not being invisible, wished there was a handy rock or tree to hide behind.

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