Page 39 of Silos and Sabotage

Gage had been right. Hanging onto a grudge was like sipping on poison. She’d already lost five years of her life. She didn’t want to lose a minute more of it. And who was she to judge her mother? She’d never walked a day in her shoes. Not to mention it didn’t sound like her shoes were easy to walk in.

Her mother moved restlessly in her chair. “As much as I hate to end our appointment,” she sighed.

“It’s okay, Mom.” Ella gave her a teary smile.

“Oh, Ella!” Her mother clapped a hand over her mouth, looking overcome about being called Mom for the first time.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Ella pretended to scowl at Dr. Jones. “It’s a good thing you’re not charging me for this session, because you’ve been awfully quiet over there.”

A laughing sob erupted from her mother. “You sounded so much like your father just now.”

“Chip off the old block.” Ella stood and held out her hands to her mother, intending to help pull her to her feet.

Her mother stood and used her hands to draw her into a perfume-scented embrace instead. “I’ll be counting the minutes until our next session, hon.”

Ella hugged her back, dying to get back outside and tell Gage how much better things had gone after she’d followed his advice.

Chapter 8: Person of Interest

Four days later

Gage made his daily phone call to the Heart Lake Police Department right after lunch.

Fran answered. “Hey, Gage! Any big plans for the weekend?”

His thoughts immediately switched to Ella. “I’m thinking about inviting a friend to go paddleboarding on the lake.” He’d been wanting to do it ever since he’d moved to town. There just hadn’t been anyone he’d wanted to hang out with before now.

“Ooo,” the grandmotherly woman crooned. “A female friend or a male friend?”

He chuckled. “What’s this? An interrogation?”

“Yes. With a very uncooperative witness,” she crabbed. “Just for that, I’m transferring you to the sheriff. He won’t go as easy on you as I did.”

“Thanks for the warning.” The woman was a hoot.

Luke Hawling’s voice sounded across the line. “What’s so funny?”

“Fran.” Gage figured the guy was familiar enough with his own office manager for a single word to suffice.

“Say no more.” Luke sounded amused. Then he sobered. “There’s still no sign of Billy Bob Bolander. We’ve got his truck impounded, since it’s evidence, but my gut says he abandoned it right before he vamoosed out of town.”

“I’m not sure how far he’s gonna get without a truck and money.” The guy was an unemployed jail bird. Then again, whoever had paid him to rough up Ella at the diner might still be paying him to cause trouble.

“I paid a visit to Bolander & Sons Ranch,” Luke offered.

“When?”

“Few days ago. Right after we identified the grain truck that exploded as one of theirs. Get this. Creston Bolander is offering to pay for any damage to the vehicle you were driving at the time. Not sure how he found out it was you. For obvious reasons, we didn’t broadcast your and Ella’s names.”

“There was no damage to my Bronco.” Gage thought he’d made that clear already. “Not so much as a scratch. We were far enough away.”Thankfully.

“That’s what I told him, but he keeps calling, asking if he can personally apologize to you for a company truck almost running you off the road.”

“Why?” That made no sense to Gage.

“Not sure, but he’s being so persistent that I figured I’d pass the word on to you to see if you’d like to humor him.”

“He might only be prying into Ella’s whereabouts,” Gage warned.

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