Page 174 of Five Mountain Daddies

17

Cora

I’m just about to eat dinner when there’s a knock at mydoor.

It makes me jump. I’m not expecting anyone, and fear spikes through me. Normally I wouldn’t react like this, but now I’m on edge. I know people are watching me, calling my cell phone, coming around my house, going through my trash. They want to hurt me, get me to back off. And I don’t know if they’re above coming into my home like this and making mebleed.

I pick up my phone and have Wyatt’s number ready to dial. I walk over to the front window and peek out, trying to see who’s parked out front… and instantly Irelax.

I go over to the door and pull it open. My mom glowers at me as she steps inside, not waiting to beinvited.

“What took you so long?” she grumbles at me. “You got anywine?”

I smile to myself. “There’s an open bottle—” I start, but she’s already heading over to it. She pours herself a nice, healthy glass, and turns tome.

“What’s up?” I askher.

She stares at me and drinks down half the wine. “Guess what happened to metoday.”

“I don’t know,” I say. “Marcie said something again about your backyard?”

Mom rolls her eyes. “Fuck Marcie. And fuck my back yard. Honey, what are you involvedwith?”

I stare at her, surprised. “What are you talkingabout?”

“I got a phone call,” she says, “from a very unhappy man that claims you’re poking around where you shouldn’t. What are you doing,Cora?”

“Who was it?” I pressher.

She shakes her head. “I don’t know. Didn’t sound happy,though.”

“Did he threatenyou?”

She hesitates then nods. “What are you doing,Cora?”

I sigh and sit down at my table. Mom joins me, glass clutched in her hand. “We’re investigating,” Isay.

“Atticus?”

I nod. “Wyatt andI.”

She groans. “Now Iunderstand.”

“They want us to stop because they’re hiding something. You know that,right?”

“Of course they are,” she snaps. “But these people are killers,honey.”

“Exactly,” I say. “That’s why we have to catchthem.”

“We don’t have to do anything. That’s what the police arefor.”

I roll my eyes. “They’re not going to do anything and you knowit.”

She chews her lip. This is new, this whole police thing. Before she was complaining that they don’t care about her dead son, and now she wants them to take over. Suddenly she trusts thepolice.

Well, I don’t trust them, not atall.

“What did they say to you?” I ask hersoftly.

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