Page 59 of High Density

“I’ll do it,” I offer. “Let me get you home first.”

For a second it looks like she wants to object but then thinks better of it.

“Did you need us for anything else?” she directs at Ewing, who shakes his head.

“Not at the moment, I have my hands full, but I’m gonna want to talk to you both at some point. Especially you, JD,” he addresses me.

“Me?”

The hair on my neck stands on end and I instantly feel defensive.

“I never even spoke to the girl.”

Chapter Eighteen

JD

“I can pick us up something to eat.”

Janey pads into the house on her socks and sinks down on the couch. She reaches underneath the front of her shirt and her hand resurfaces, clutching the wires of the microphone. Tossing them on the seat beside her, she drops her head back and closes her eyes before answering.

“It’s okay. I’ll whip up something.”

I’m not sure what, because there isn’t a whole lot in the house. Besides, I doubt she’s in any shape to whip up anything. She looks like she’ll be zonked out two seconds after I leave.

“No. I’ll worry about food; you worry about you.”

I bend over the back of the couch and press a kiss to her slack mouth.

“I won’t be long.”

When I pull her truck in behind the barn, I notice only one vehicle is there, and I quickly poke my head into the clinic. The waiting room has undergone a transformation, two large folding tables set up in an L-shape, housing computers andassorted electronic equipment. Agent Wilcox lifts his head from a monitor when I enter, and Ginger crawls out from under the table, her tail wagging in greeting as she approaches me.

“I just wanted to warn you, I’m taking the trailer to pick up a horse. I’ll take the dog with me. Doc Richards is at the house,” I let him know, dropping the wire I pulled off my chest on the way over on one of the tables.

Wilcox doesn’t say anything, just flicks me a salute before he drops his attention back to the monitor. I hesitate for a moment, curious to find out what, if any, progress has been made, but I have a feeling he’ll be redirecting any questions to Stephanie Kramer anyway. I may as well wait until I can ask her.

After letting Ginger have a pee, I briefly contemplate dropping her off with Janey. The likelihood is she’s already dozed off, and I don’t want to disturb her. Let her nap for a bit.

“You up for a car ride, girl?” I mutter at the dog, who still moves with some difficulty on her cast.

She looks quite happy though, with her tongue lolling and her tail wagging. I pick her up and put her in the passenger seat, cranking the window so she can shove her nose out, which she immediately does. Then I quickly hook up the trailer.

“What are you doing?” I ask Jackson when he answers my call.

“What do you need?” he returns.

“Some clean clothes and food from my trailer, and two portions of whatever Ma has cooked up for dinner.”

“Let me guess, you want it delivered to you at Doc’s place.”

“Ideally.”

I hear him mutter something under his breath but can’t quite catch the words, although I have no trouble understanding the gist of it.

“So that’s a yes?” I prompt him.

“We had a visit from the FBI this afternoon,” he says instead of answering my question.

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