Page 25 of Lion's Share
“What?”
Briefly, I told him about Tory’s visit to the pet store and the information she’d passed along. “It’s weird, right?”
Ben’s brows drew together, and I could tell he wasn’t very happy to hear about any of this. “Very weird. And hearing this, now I’m worried that the electromagnetic anomalies Marjorie Tran found are being picked up by instruments way beyond Silver Hollow.”
I didn’t like the sound of that at all. “Do you think that’s why they’re here? Some of the government’s scientists realized something strange was going on, and they sent their agents to investigate?”
“That makes as much sense as anything else,” Ben replied. “Although I’m not sure why they would connect the electromagnetic anomalies to Victor Maplehurst’s death. On the surface, they don’t seem related at all.”
No, they didn’t. “Maybe,” I said slowly, wishing right then I had the late Lou Whitaker’s penchant for watching police procedurals. Possibly then I’d have a better feel for why the FBI would think the two things were related. “Maybe a second autopsy, one we don’t know about, picked up something strange in his cell tissues. Or maybe evidence of the goring by the unicorn turned up after all?”
Problem was, I could go around and around in my head and still not get any closer to the real truth.
Ben didn’t look too thrilled with either of these possibilities. “If they did a second autopsy, one by a private doctor rather than by the county medical examiner, then there’s no chance we’d ever learn what they found. But I know this sort of thing can happen, especially if a family isn’t satisfied with the results of the first examination.”
And certainly Victor Maplehurst’s widow would have the means and the connections to make something like that happen.
“If that’s really what’s going on, then this isn’t good,” I said. “You need to warn Marjorie to stay away from anyone in a suit. In fact, it might be better if you asked her to go back to Davis now.”
This suggestion was met with a pair of lifted brows and a curl of Ben’s lip. “Have you ever tried to tell Marjorie Tran to do something she didn’t want to do?”
Considering I’d never even met the woman, no, I hadn’t. “Stubborn?”
“More like single-minded. She’s found something here she can’t explain, and she’s determined to get to the bottom of it.”
That was just great. Although I supposed I should be glad of her focused dedication to the pursuit of science, the last thing I wanted was for her to spill the beans to the feds about the true extent of the anomalies affecting Silver Hollow and its environs.
“Okay, so you probably won’t be able to get her to leave before Sunday,” I said. “But can you at least warn her about the feds? Maybe spook her by saying they’ll try to take over the investigation if she tells them what’s going on?”
Ben’s hazel eyes glinted with amusement. “That angle could work. Let me send her a text.”
He extracted his cell phone from the pocket of his jeans, rapidly typed in a message, and then set the phone down on the tabletop near his place setting. “Okay, she’s been warned. Here’s hoping she takes it seriously.”
I nodded, and just as he was about to pick up his fork and return to his meal, the phone pinged.
“She says ‘duly noted,’” Ben told me after a quick look at the screen. “Which I suppose can mean anything, but I suppose we have to hope she’ll take the situation seriously enough to try to maintain a low profile.”
About all I could say was, “Yes, here’s hoping.”
We went ahead and finished our dinner, and I got out the red velvet cake for dessert. Once we were full and knew we couldn’t eat another bite, Ben helped me clear the dirty plates and store the leftovers in the fridge. Just as I was done filling the empty casserole dish with hot water and some soap, the lights flickered again.
Ben glanced upward and frowned. “The outages don’t usually happen this close together, right?”
“Not usually,” I replied, worry rising in me again, sharp and uncomfortable. “What does it mean?”
“I don’t know,” he said. He came closer, and I went gratefully into his arms, glad to lose myself for a few minutes in the strength of his embrace and the delicious taste of his mouth.
How had I denied myself this for so long?
Because you’re an idiot, I told myself.
Maybe so, but at least we were together now. Even with FBI agents crawling around Silver Hollow and the electrical disturbances apparently increasing, I still felt utterly at home in those arms, safe and comforted.
Whatever happened next, we’d deal with it.
…mostly because we didn’t have any other choice.
Chapter Nine
