Page 72 of Unnatural
“In my search for answers?” She nodded. “Yes.I had to be tireless. I don’t know another way to be.”
“Don’t I know it.” He sighed yet again. “And that tireless search led you to him. You do know I mostly thought you were suffering from some delusion.”
Autumn smiled, and it was soft, like a feather, the way she sometimes smiled at him. “Mostly.”
The sheriff walked to the couch and sat down. “I’m going to need to hear all the details. And while I do, I’m going toneed a drink. If I remember correctly, there’s some whiskey in the lower right cabinet there,” he said, pointing into the kitchen.
“It’s still morning. And you’re on duty,” Autumn said, but then she grinned, and Sam could see that her shoulders had relaxed.
“Yeah,” the sheriff said. “I’m bending a lot of rules today.”
***
The sheriff listened as Autumn told the story of the day the shooting had happened. He didn’t say a word, just nodded and sipped his coffee with a splash of whiskey. When she was done, his mug was empty, and he looked both troubled and resigned.
“You do realize that I could lose my position if it’s found out I helped harbor a criminal.”
“He’s not a criminal. And neither am I.”
“You’re both wanted for questioning.”
Autumn’s eyes slid to Sam. “I know. But there’s something bigger going on here. We don’t know exactly what, but we need time to find out. Sam might be in danger if he’s taken into custody.”
“What kind of danger?”
“I was in a program at the hospital. Those people will want me back.” Which wasn’t exactly true. After all, they’d dismissed him. But they definitely wanted him dead.
“That’s a pretty cryptic answer, Sam.”
“I’m sorry. It’s the only one I can give right now.”
The sheriff studied him for another moment. “You sure do have quite a few scars, Sam. Did you serve?”
“Yes.” Hehadserved, just not in the way the sheriff meant.
“I’m asking you to trust us,” Autumn said.
“Us, huh?” The sheriff glanced away. “I was never here,” he said. “Wash the mug. Put it away. After I drive off, make sure you brush away my tire tracks.”
Autumn grinned, jumping up and throwing her arms around his neck, even though he was still sitting. She kissed him on his cheek. “Thank you,” she said, standing and moving back so he could stand too.
The sheriff seemed to be considering saying something to Sam but then simply nodded and closed the door behind him. A minute later, they heard his car start up and drive away.
Half an hour after that, Sam used the red truck to drive Autumn to her car. Sam dropped her off in front of the small house, and when she put her hands on his face and gazed into his eyes, Sam got the impression that she wanted to say something but didn’t. What did she want to tell him? That she might not come back? The hairs stood up on the back of his neck. Sam had done all kinds of dangerous things, but he’d never felt fear like he felt when he considered not seeing Autumn again.
But then she murmured, “I’ll see you soon,” against his lips, and Sam was able to pull in a full breath as she hopped out of the truck and headed toward her car.
Sam returned to the lake, following the back road directions Autumn had written out, even though he could have done it without those. He’d been trained to make note of landmarks, escape routes, and other directional details.
When he walked inside, the cottage felt strange. Empty. And for a while, Sam simply sat on the couch, melancholy creeping over his skin, familiar yet unwanted. He hadn’t even realized that he’d ceased carrying it until it was back.
Sam went out to the deck and sat there for a while too, watching the movement of the water and the clouds. Loneliness. He’d always felt lonely, but it’d never been this piercing.
This is what it will be like when you’re alone again.
Yes, of course it would. He hadn’t lied to himself about that.
He’d considered it worth the risk.
