Page 15 of Peril in Piney Woods

“I’m sure you’ve spoken with Meg about what happened last night.”

“I did.” Ernie was aware Griff had a thing for Meg. Ernie had been divorced for two years. He and Griff often discussed their relationship woes.

“How did she seem?” Ernie shrugged. “I mean, was she upset? Calm? What’s your take on her reaction?”

Griff’s unease escalated. “What’s going on, Ernie? We’ve known each other for a long time. What’s with the beating around the bush? If you’ve got something to say or to ask me, then just do it.”

Ernie set his mug aside. “Something’s off with Meg. I know how you feel about her and that the two of you are close, but I just have this bad feeling that there’s something I’m missing.”

Griff digested the words. “Okay. I saw her for a few minutes last night, and we had breakfast together this morning. She stayed awhile to avoid going back to her shop. A couple of reporters were hanging around.” He shrugged. “She seemed fine. Last night she was a little shaken, but she was handling it well.”

“That’s the thing,” Ernie said. “She’s handling it really well. Even right after it happened, she was as calm as a cucumber. She’d just killed a man, and I would have expected her to be, at the very least, shaken up.”

A hint of anger mingled with Griff’s uneasiness. “What does that mean?”

Ernie held up both hands. “I’m not accusing her of anything, it’s just odd. That’s all I’m saying.” He exhaled a big breath. “Look, we’re like brothers, man. I’m just worried. There’s something off, and I can’t pretend I didn’t pick up on it. I hardly slept last night for mulling this over. It just won’t sit right with me, and my gut kept telling me that I needed to talk to you about it.”

Griff felt a little irritated. “I’ve known Meg for about a year, and I’ve never seen her overreact to anything. Maybe she’s just not the type that lets all her emotions show.” He had to admit that being forced to kill someone to protect yourself was a big deal, but still, if hiding her emotions was her way, then it was possible...

Ernie just listened and said nothing, but his face told Griff the tale. This was not good.

Hell, Griff didn’t understand how to excuse this, whatever it was. What he did get was that his friend was worried. Griff had known Ernie his whole life, if he had a bad feeling about this, it wasn’t just his imagination.

“Explain it to me,” Griff prompted.

“I wouldn’t generally do this,” Ernie said as he opened the laptop. “But I think this video explains it better than anything I can say.”

“What is this?” Griff studied the screen, recognizing the inside of the Gas and Go.

“This is the video footage from the store’s security cameras.” Ernie looked straight at him. “It’s a clip of what happened between Meg and the dead guy—Zyair Jones.”

Griff nodded. “All right. Let’s see it.”

“I’m going to play it in slow motion. Otherwise you’ll miss the things I need you to see, because it happens really fast.”

Griff nodded. Ernie pressed Play and the video started.

The clarity wasn’t the best, but it was good enough to see the intent on the guy’s face. Gun in hand, he was walking toward the checkout counter, prepared to do whatever was necessary. The camera view showed Meg huddled at the end of the counter. Griff’s chest constricted.

A scream echoed in the video.

Jones looked over his shoulder toward the back of the place.

Meg had moved ever so slightly to see what he was doing. Suddenly she sprang upward.

Jones turned back toward her.

She was already moving through the air like a ballet dancer. The knife she held sliced across the man’s throat even as her body started to turn in midair.

Blood spurted.

The gun fired.

Meg hit the floor, right shoulder first.

Jones staggered, then crumpled to the floor.

Meg got up. She kicked the weapon away, and then, staring at the man, she backed a couple of steps away. The next instant, she turned toward the back of the store and started in that direction.

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