Page 55 of Twin Jeopardy

“We always grilled hot dogs and brats on the Fourth when the kids were little,” Mr. Shepherd said.

Someone who wasn’t watching closely would have missed the sadness that fleetingly shadowed Vince’s mother’s face. Though she had acted cheerful all morning, now that she was closer, Tammy could read the strain in the dark circles beneath her eyes and the slight tremor in her hand as she poked a straw into her drink. When she noticed Tammy watching her, she leaned closer. “You haven’t heard anything more from V, have you?” she asked softly.

“No.” Vince had told her he had decided not to tell his parents about the attack on her, the message on her car or the late-night phone call. “Hearing all that would just upset and worry them,” he had said. She had agreed. As much as she hated the harassment V had aimed at her and Vince, at least she hadn’t targeted these two older people, who had suffered so much.

They finished lunch and spent another hour walking around the park, visiting the various vendors and stopping to listen to a woman who played “America the Beautiful” on a hammered dulcimer.

“I’m walked out,” Mrs. Shepherd said as they approached the food court again.

“Time for us to head home,” Mr. Shepherd said.

“You’re not staying for the fireworks?” Tammy asked.

“We can see great fireworks from our backyard in Junction,” Mrs. Shepherd said. “Maybe not as spectacular as here in the mountains, but when they’re done, we can go right to bed.” She laughed. “I can see the idea is appalling to you, but when you get to be our age, it’s a plus.”

They each hugged Vince goodbye, then surprised Tammy by embracing her too. “Your parents are such nice people,” Tammy said when they were gone.

“They are.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders. “But it’s good to be alone with you too.”

“Was the water in the dunk tank cold?” she asked.

“Icy.” He grimaced.

“It was for a good cause.” She patted his chest. “And you looked good up there.”

“That was your brother who tried to take me down toward the end, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, that was Mitch. And the woman who got you afterwards is his girlfriend, Elisabeth.”

“Elisabeth who?”

She frowned. “I don’t remember.” She or Mitch must have said, but the name escaped her. “She’s from Nebraska, I think. Though I guess she’s decided to stay here.”

“Where in Nebraska?”

“I don’t remember. Why?”

“She looked familiar.”

“You’ve probably seen her around town. She’s the kind of woman men notice.”

“Nah. Not my type.” He grinned. “I prefer curly-haired blondes.”

They spotted Gage and Travis Walker, and Vince waved. The two law enforcement officers joined them. “I saw you at the dunking booth,” Gage said. “You got soaked.”

“Next year, I’m going to lobby for them to fill the tank with warm water,” Vince said.

“It wouldn’t be nearly as fun then.”

“You can both pick your vehicles up from our impound lot tomorrow,” Travis said. “We weren’t able to get a great deal of information off of them, unfortunately.”

“I’ll have to call a wrecker to haul mine away,” Vince said. “I wish you could find who did that and make them pay for the repairs.”

“No more love letters from V?” Gage asked.

“None,” Vince said. Which wasn’t a lie, Tammy reminded herself. Gage hadn’t asked about phone calls.

She waited until the lawmen were some distance away before she asked, “Have you had any more phone calls?”

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