Page 24 of High Velocity

I was once told the best lie sticks as close to the truth as possible.

She carefully combs through my hair and looks at my reflection in the large mirror.

“How much did you want off? You’ve got some dead ends we should probably take care of.”

She holds up a two-inch section of my hair.

“Yeah, something like that,” I agree.

I resist the urge to start asking probing questions, which is what I’d normally do trying to get information, but I’m using a cover, which means I need to be patient until the information comes to me. I don’t necessarily control the narrative, but if I’m lucky I may be able to guide it.

A bonus is Tracy likes to talk, and people who talk a lot generally share more than they intend to.

While she snips away with her scissors, she shares a bit about the run-ins she’s had with the neighbor whose trailer was for rent. I don’t have to say much, just an occasional commiserating grunt, but I listen carefully for any useful information.

“So, what brought you to this area?” she suddenly asks, before adding, “that is, assuming Betty is right and you are new here.”

This is my opportunity to try and forge a connection.

“Let’s just say, I needed to get out of Dodge,” I share in a soft voice.

She leans down, meets my eyes in the mirror, and mimics my conspiratorial tone.

“Man trouble, or trouble of the legal variety?”

I pretend to look around to make sure no one can hear.

“A bit of both. I found out my boyfriend was cheating and hit him with a golf club. Knocked him out cold.”

Tracy buys it hook, line, and sinker, bumping my shoulder with a wide grin on her face.

“Girl…good for you. That’s one way to keep those assholes in line.”

“Right. Except, now he’s looking for me and so are the cops, neither of which bodes well for me. So I packed my bags and headed north.”

Her hand lands on my shoulder, squeezing gently.

“You picked a pretty good area to hide out, trust me on that. A little off the beaten track, lots of room to disappear, and if things get too hot, you can be across the border in an hour and a half.”

“I hope so.” I feign a grimace. “I probably shouldn’t have shared all this with the first person who is nice to me.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Tracy assures me with a grin. “Just stay away from Betty, she’d have all your dirty laundry blasted across town before you could blink your eyes.”

“So noted.”

By the time I walk out of Cuts ’n Curls half an hour later, I’m not a whole lot wiser, but I have plans for lunch at Tracy’s place tomorrow.

I’m feeling pretty good about myself.

Jackson

“Are you busy tonight?”

My mother pokes her head around the door of the tack room, where I’m just returning Banner’s saddle.

We spent most of the day checking and mending fences, making sure the back fields are secure before we move some of the horses there for the warmer seasons now the snow has melted.

To be honest, I’d been looking forward to maybe taking Stephanie out for a bite to eat. Unfortunately, cell reception is spotty in that back section, so I wasn’t able to check with her but, depending on what my mother wants, that may turn out to be a good thing.

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