Page 23 of Sour Layer

Chapter 13

“He saved your life?” I asked as I slipped onto the passenger seat. It seemed a bit unfathomable that Walker Bennett was the type of guy to go out of his way to help anyone. He had that look about him. The kind that screamed he didn’t like people. All people.

“It was a long time ago,” Clark answered and turned around in the driveway and headed out of town.

“Fine, keep your secrets but spill his. What’s his ability?”

“He can read objects, sometimes gets premonitions, but he excels at tracking.”

“My sister is like that. She’ll call out of the blue to warn us about things. We used to think it was annoying growing up, but she’s saved my sisters more times than they can count. They have a predisposition to being shot. Although none of them are actually going to die that way. I won’t let them.”

Clark glanced at me. “You plan to save their lives?”

“What good is having my ability if I can’t use it for good?” I answered and turned my head toward the passing scenery. I never liked the snow. How cold it was, the way it made my clothes wet when I slipped on black ice. Seeing it from the warmth of the truck had me questioning the truths. Like seeing death. The blanket of snow hid the ice layer beneath its reach. An unknown layer to those that didn’t know the area well.

The snow held a sour, dangerous layer beneath the façade, just like some people hid the monsters in their closets. The blanket of snow was beautiful to the eye of the beholder but dangerous terrain to the unsuspecting few who had to figure out what lurked beneath. It reminded me of Walker Bennett, whose layers were as rich and deep as a politician’s secrets.

“Walker is also a forest ranger. He’s a tracker.”

“I’m sure his added abilities make him the best,” I said, turning my gaze to the side view mirror to find the large SUV barreling up on us and riding our bumper. He was an imposing guy, even if he was a bit of a hermit crab.

“My sisters are going to chew him up and spit him out,” I whispered, more to myself than Clark.

“I’d pay money to see that.” Clark chuckled.

“You’ll get a front-row seat when I tell the rest of the family tree where to find these guys.”

We drove the rest of the way to the Lynnfield house bantering easily, until we arrived. A dark cloud hung over the property, shrouding the frame and blocking the sun.

We got out. Walker slammed his car door as he approached. “I already don’t like it.”

“Join the club,” I said.

Walker headed for the side of the house instead of the porch.

“Where you going?” I asked, trying my best to jog in the snow to catch up with him without busting my ass.

“You wanted my help; this is me helping,” he answered as Clark appeared by my side.

Walker stopped at the back of the house and stared up at the pink curtains. “The girl’s bedrooms up there?”

“Yeah,” Clark said. “Nothing seemed amiss in their rooms.”

“Uh-huh,” Walker said as he walked backward staring up at the building. He slowly turned and gestured toward the tree line. “Let’s go that way.”

My brows dipped. “Why? Don’t you need to go look inside and get a read?”

He shook his head and grunted. “Nope.”

“Why not?” I asked, following him toward the tree line.

Were my sisters and I this obnoxious when we were working?

He crossed the distance to a tree limb and pulled a piece of fabric from the tree. “They ran this way, and one of them lost a glove.”

I exchanged a worried look with Clark. “How could he know that?”

“How do you know when people are going to die?” Walker called out as he tramped into the woods.

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