Page 70 of The Killing Plains

“It’s nothing. Looks worse than it feels.” Colly was getting tired of the question. “Satchel did okay this afternoon?”

“He must have. I’ve been at the clinic, but Wanice would’ve called if anything happened.” Brenda hesitated. “I hope you don’t mind—I told Niall about the matches incident. Childhood compulsive disorders are his specialty.”

“Did he have any advice?”

“He’s giving it some thought. Which reminds me, he wants to cook for us Friday night.”

“I don’t know, Bren. I shouldn’t socialize with someone I’ve interviewed in a current case.”

“It’s impossible to keep clear boundaries in Crescent Bluff.” Brenda laughed. “You don’t suspect Niall, do you? He wasn’t even in Texas when Denny died.”

Colly shrugged noncommittally and glanced at her watch. Avery would arrive at the farmhouse in just over an hour. Colly longed for a nap, or at least a shower, before then. “I should get Satchel home.”

“What do I tell Niall about Friday?”

“I’ll let you know tomorrow.”

Though he’d seemed happy enough while playing ball, Satchel was subdued on the ride home, answering Colly’s questions about his day with hunched shoulders and a mumbled “I dunno.”

Newland males have been stonewalling me this whole damn day, Colly thought irritably as she turned up the long drive.Is it genetic, or what?

The sight of a navy-blue Jeep in front of the farmhouse interrupted her musings. Through the tinted windows, she could see the outline of a man’s head.

Colly hit the brakes. “Stay here, Satch.”

Climbing out of the car, she approached the unfamiliar vehicle with a hand on her pistol. When she was fifteen feet from the Jeep, its driver’s-side door opened and a tall, slender figure emerged, looking out of place in a well-tailored suit and black wingtips.

Colly was both relieved and annoyed.Can’t I get five minutes to myself?She released the gun and said with more irritability than politeness, “What are you doing here, Dr. Shaw?”

Shaw appeared unperturbed. “Please, it’s Niall. I—wow, are you okay?” He gestured towards her forehead.

“Yeah, but I need to get a t-shirt that says, ‘You should see the other guy.’”

“One of those days?”

“You have no idea.”

“I won’t keep you long. Brenda told me what happened this morning with your grandson.” He reached into the Jeep and produced an orange gift bag.

Colly heard a noise and turned. Satchel was standing beside the car, staring curiously at the stranger.

He pointed to the gift bag. “What’s that?”

“Get out of the light, Satchel.” Colly hurried towards him.

“But it’s cloudy,” he whined as she pushed him into the car.

“That doesn’t matter.”

Colly drove the car beneath the red oak near the house and hustled Satchel onto the porch, motioning for Niall to join them. She introduced him as “a friend of Aunt Brenda’s.”

Niall smiled and shook Satchel’s hand. He held out the gift bag. “This is for you.”

Satchel’s eyes narrowed. “Today’s not my birthday.”

“I thought you might not have many toys here.”

Satchel looked at Colly. When she nodded, he reached for the bag, extracting a rectangular object made of clear plexiglass set in a blue stand. He turned the thing in his hands. “What is it?”

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