Page 59 of Pepper, the Biker & the Vanishing Body

“Is he dead?” I asked.

“No, he’s unconscious and the EMT guys are almost ready to transport him. So, hurry and have a look.”

One look was all Ian and I needed.

“It’s him,” Ian and I said in unison.

CHAPTER 16

With it being Saturday, Ian and I had the day to ourselves. We weren’t in a rush to start it, relaxing on the couch with a second cup of tea while tossing around some ideas about the Willow mystery.

That was until Ian said, “You can’t avoid your dad. He’s probably already suspicious that you didn’t wait for him to arrive at the scene or that you didn’t follow the ambulance to the hospital last night.”

“I talked with him on the phone,” I said. It sounded like a poor excuse and Ian must have thought the same as well since he scrunched his brow. “I’ll see him soon enough.” Though I would rather not. At least not until my raccoon eyes had faded some, which likely wouldn’t happen soon enough. I was glad he changed the subject since I had planned to.

“How about we go to the bookstore in Barnsville, grab lunch out, though before we go, I thought we could do an Internet search for an aerial view of the cemetery. It could give us an idea of what might be close enough to connect a secret passageway from the mausoleum. Then we can trace the most logical ones on foot and see where it gets us.”

“I like your way of thinking,” I said, eager to start the day.

Once our Internet search was done and a few photos saved, we got dressed and found Mo sitting at the front door with his vest in his mouth and his head slightly tilted to the side, his eyes drooping with sadness.

Ian laughed. “He is just too adorable to say no to.” He squatted down and got Mo’s vest on him when his ears perked up and he barked, though his tail wagged. Someone he knew had just pulled up.

Ian stood and wrapped his arm around me to give me a squeeze. “Time to face the music.”

He knew who it was as well as I did.

We stepped outside and Mo whoofed at my dad and hurried to my truck to make sure he wasn’t left behind.

When my dad’s eyes didn’t register shock when he looked at me, it had me realizing someone had told him what had happened to me.

“Who?” I asked, then shook my head. “Josh just couldn’t resist, could he?”

“When it comes to you, your brother could never resist tattling. You should have told me.”

“And get another lecture?” I asked as sweetly as possible.

My dad threw his hands up as if in surrender. “What difference does another lecture make? You never pay attention to any of them. Are you all right?”

I was about to say, ‘Don’t I look it’ when I stopped realizing what a mistake that would be. I said what I knew would relieve his worry. “Dr. Wagner was very thorough. I am good to go.”

“I’m glad to hear that but I would rather have heard it yesterday when it happened.”

“Dad, I?—”

He raised his hand stopping me. “I know you’re an adult and you don’t need to be telling me everything about what happens to you. But to me, you will always be my little girl who I want to keep safe. So, please take pity on me and spare me what worry you can.”

“I thought I was,” I confessed.

“It is worse if you don’t tell me. So, tell me and I will try my best not to lecture you on being foolish.”

I laughed. “That would take a miracle.”

“Likewise,” he said with a grin.

“See I’m not the only one who loves you even if you are foolish,” Ian said with a handsome grin.

“You weren’t foolish in picking Ian, I’ll give you that,” my dad said, nodding at him.

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