Page 69 of The Killing Plains

Colly scrutinized his face. In some ways, the interview had raised more questions than it answered. Lowell was concealing something, she was sure. He fidgeted, avoiding eye contact one moment and meeting her gaze belligerently the next. But she sensed she’d get nothing more from him now.

“Go ahead. We’ll talk again later.”

Lowell grunted and walked away, yelling, “Y’all quit screwing around and prep the damn rotor hub.”

“Hang on, I need to ask you about the Rodeo setup,” Russ called after him. “Be right back,” he said to Colly before hurrying to catch his brother.

Damn, this headache, Colly thought as she climbed into the SUV. She checked the visor mirror. The bruise on her forehead had darkened and spread around the orbit of her eye, but the swelling had subsided a bit and the queasiness was gone.

Colly pushed up the visor. Outside, Russ and Lowell had stopped walking. Russ had his hand on Lowell’s shoulder and was speaking earnestly in his ear. Whatever they were discussing, she thought it wasn’t the Rattlesnake Rodeo.

As she watched them, Colly heard an electronic chirp. It wasn’t her phone—she’d turned the sound off. Looking around, she spotted Russ’s, still in the cup holder where he’d dropped it earlier.

Colly picked it up, and the passcode screen appeared. Going through someone’s phone without their permission was risky. Butshe needed to be sure about Russ. Pushing guilt aside, she typed in Russ and Randy’s birthday; then Alice’s; then, after a few moments’ struggle to recall it, Russ and Wanda’s anniversary.

“Damn it,” Colly muttered, rubbing her eyes.

She looked out of the window. Russ and Lowell appeared to be wrapping things up. They’d moved a little apart and were chatting more casually, though Russ’s hand still rested on his brother’s shoulder. Even from that distance, Colly could see the faint dark smudge of Randy’s name tattooed on his outstretched arm—Russ’s tribute to his lost twin.

Colly’s heart raced. Her own phone buzzed, but, ignoring it, she typed “010317” into Russ’s keypad. Instantly, the passcode screen vanished and the home screen appeared. She tapped the messages app. At 11:54 a.m.—immediately after she’d called him from the Hoyers’ driveway—Russ had texted Lowell:GOTTA TALK NOW.She checked the phone log. Lowell had called his brother at 12:01 p.m.—three minutes before Colly arrived at the station. Russ had been on the phone when she’d entered his office. She remembered the look on his face, how quickly he’d hung up when she walked through the door.

Colly looked up. The brothers had concluded their talk and parted ways. Russ, his hands in his pockets, strode slowly towards the SUV.

Colly’s phone began to vibrate again.

“Finally,” Avery said when Colly answered. “I’ve been calling forever.”

“We’re leaving the bluffs now.”

“Going to the station? I got some intel at the factory you and the chief need to hear.”

Russ had reached the SUV and was rounding the front bumper. When he saw Colly watching him, he smiled.

“Don’t go to the station, and don’t talk to anyone.” Colly checked the time. “I’ve got to pick up Satchel. Can you meet me at the farmhouse at four?”

There was a heavy silence. “Russ’s in-laws’ old place?”

“I’m staying there.”

“What about Russ? Shouldn’t—”

Colly cut her off. No time to debate the issue. Russ was outside, fumbling for his keys.

“Don’t tell him anything, yet—I want the first briefing. I’ll explain why later.” She hung up and reminded herself to smile as Russ opened the driver’s-side door.

Chapter 19

Arriving at the school shortly after the dismissal bell rang, Colly found Satchel, in his sun-sleeves and hat, waiting with his cousins beneath the covered walkway. They laughed and shouted as they bounced a small rubber ball back and forth in an improvised game.

Colly paused in the crowd of jostling children to watch. Satchel’s cheeks were rosy with exertion as he ran after the ball, catching it with the heels of his hands to safeguard his bandaged fingers.

After a few moments, Colly felt a nudge.

“Kids are amazingly resilient, huh?”

Colly turned. Brenda stood at her elbow.

“Oh God, your eye—what happened?”

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