Page 24 of Stryker

“Good. When will we knowwho that is?” John motioned out the window.

“Soon. Elias will probablytake the guy to the station and grill him for answers.” Strykerwished he could be there, but his place was here withJohn.

“Okay. I’m going back towork. If anything else comes up…” He cocked a warning eyebrow atStryker, who chuckled.

“I’ll tell youimmediately, tiger.”

“Thanks,” John said withthat slightly crooked smile that Stryker was getting all too usedto wanting to see.

Stryker turned and watched as theyloaded the mystery man into the back of the sheriff’s truck, andboth vehicles took off in the direction of the police station.They’d have their answers soon enough, but for now, he’d go andhang out in the back with John. He found it oddly soothing watchingthe man work, creating beautiful designs out of blank pieces ofwood.

The store’s opening was to take placethat Saturday and Jason was busy arranging furniture pieces in theshop. He hoped nothing got in the way of their opening, John andJason had put in a lot of work into making this shopshine.

When he reached the back shop, hefound John looking at a four-by-six-foot piece of lumber at leastfour inches thick.

“What are you thinkingabout doing with that?” Stryker asked.

“I’m not sure,” Johnreplied. “There’s so much I can do with it, but everything I’vecome up with so far doesn’t fit.”

“What do you mean fit?”Stryker asked.

“Well, for me anyway, Ilook at something like a piece of wood and see what it should bemade into. It’s as if I can see past the surface and glimpse what’sinside waiting to be discovered.” John got quiet, and Stryker felthe wasn’t telling him something. John soon snapped out of it andcontinued. “But I'm coming up blank when I look at this one.Everything I think of just doesn’t fit.”

“What are you going to doabout it?”

“It’s gonna have to sitthere until I come up with an answer.”

“You’re not going to carveor create any old thing with it?”

“No way. It’d be likeforcing a racehorse to pull a plow. Just doesn’t work. It’s abeautiful piece of mahogany. I refuse to waste it.”

“I’ve never thought of itthat way. You have an interesting way of looking at things,John.”

“Is that just a fancy wayof saying I’m odd?”

“Not at all. I find youinteresting. I don’t find many people interesting.”

John turned to look at Stryker. “I’mglad I’m one of them.” There was an awkward silence then Johnturned away.

“Well, I might as well geton with those table legs.”

He walked over to one of the benchesto begin his day. Jason soon joined them and began work on acabinet they’d been commissioned to create. They both seemed athome here, and for once, Stryker felt at home as well.

Of course, that was likely because hewas here with John.

***

John

Every time Stryker’s phone rang,John’s heart leapt. They were still waiting for word from Brickabout the identity of the mystery man who was taken into custodythree hours prior.

He tried to busy himself with work andwas doing a pretty good job until the last call came in, andStryker informed him that the boss was on the way over to the shop.That couldn’t be good. Soon, there was a knock on the locked backdoor, and Stryker went to answer it.

When the door opened, John saw astranger walking into the shop. Brick said a few words to Stryker,but John was too far away to overhear him.

Jason came over to stand beside Johnas the two men approached. Stryker came to stand on John’s otherside.

“John, I’d like you tomeet Detective Woodley,” Brick said by way of introducing thestranger. “He’s been thoroughly checked out.” His demeanor said ifthey’d found anything suspicious, the man would be at the bottom ofthe nearest lake right now.

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