Page 45 of Dangerous Secrets
Walker waded through the dogs tointercept her.Through his research, he’d learned Martha Watkinshad recently turned eighty-three and had worked for the sheriff’sdepartment well past typical retirement age.Her husband of oversixty years had died a few years before.Being a Korean War vet,he’d been buried at the national cemetery in Sacramento.She didher own work on her garden and was a member of a quilting groupthat met at the community center.
“Let me take those.”Iceclinked as he took the pitcher and glasses from her.
“It’s warm today so I madeiced tea.Put the glasses on that table.That’s where we’ll sit.”Walker felt like she was waiting for him to screw up, maybe dropthe glasses or spill the tea.He did as directed.
“Mrs.Watkins, you knowDelaney Bryant?”
She nodded at Laney.“Of course, I do.You’re Clara’s granddaughter.I’m sorry about James.”
“Thank you.”Laney smiledat the older woman.
Walker didn’t know a person alive whowouldn’t be softened by that smile.She took the glasses andseparated them, then took the pitcher from him and poured the tea.“You have a beautiful home, Mrs.Watkins, and your flowers arelovely.I love the color palette you’ve chosen.The overall effectis stunning.”
“It’s my pride and joy.”Mrs.Watkins studied her with shrewd eyes, then turned to skewerWalker with a hard stare.“I’m glad you came back.What was done toyou was wrong.”
He shifted in his seat.Not much madehim uncomfortable, but for some reason he’d always wanted Mrs.Watkins’s approval.He could acknowledge that now.His teenage selfhad been hurt that she hadn’t given it then.“I appreciate yousaying that.”
Her gaze narrowed.“But you’resurprised.”
“You didn’t think much ofme back then, so yeah, I am.”
“You were a smart boy whoneeded a firm hand.James tried to rein you in but was onlymarginally successful.I wanted to see you make something ofyourself, and you needed to stay out of Jerod Fetterly’s way to dothat.”
Surprise had him sitting straighter inhis seat.“You knew what Fetterly was doing?”
“He was a bully andtargeted you and Sawyer.Sawyer seemed better able to deal withhim.”She pointed her forefinger at him.“But you couldn’t seem tostop yourself from provoking him.”
“Me breathing provokedhim.”
She waved that away like a pesky gnat.“You provoked him and it was like poking at a hornet’s nest.He wasdarned easy to set off.I remember a time he brought you in forbeing uncooperative after he’d pulled you over.You accused him,very loudly I might add, of seeing him parked on a dirt road with ayoung woman in his cruiser.”
“I did see them.At thetime, I assumed she was there voluntarily, but now I’d bet money itwasn’t consensual.”
She nodded slowly.“I agree with yourassumption.There was something wrong with that man.But that’s inthe past.You might consider letting go of the injustice againstyou and focus on the good in your life.”Without missing a beat,she motioned to Delaney.“You two an item?”
“Ah—” Walker’s responsewas cut off by Delaney’s quick, “No.”
“Take it from someonewho’s seen a lot.Don’t waste time.If someone’s your soulmate, youcan’t fight it.My Charlie and I were married sixty-three years,and it wasn’t near long enough.If I hadn’t been stubborn and puthim off like I did, we’d have been married two years sooner and hadsixty-five years together.”
As he looked at this woman who worethe signs of age etched onto her face, her words resonated.He knewLaney was the only woman he’d ever want to build a life with, butif she was with him, she was in danger.
Once he removed that danger, then allbets were off.He still wore the stigma of prison, but somehow inthe time since he’d been home, that didn’t seem as important.Thecharges against him had been dismissed and while he didn’t want herto get blowback for being with an ex-con, the people who matteredto them didn’t seem to care.
“But that’s not what youcame to talk to me about.”Mrs.Watkins pointed at him again andmade him feel like the kid who’d shot a paper airplane across theclassroom to have it land on the teacher’s desk.“You staying outof trouble now that you’re a proper adult?”
He shrugged.“Trying to, but I’m goingto deal with whoever tampered with the evidence to get me convictedand sent to prison for a crime I didn’t commit.That might lead meto some trouble.”
“Be sure the trouble isworth it.But if you’re set on that course,” she raised her browsexpectantly, and when he nodded, she said, “then I’ve got somethingfor you.”She rose from the table.“There’s a box in the house Iset out for you.”
“Can I carry it out foryou?”
“Drink your tea.I’ll getit.”
Walker leaned back in his seat as thescreen door slapped shut behind her and did as he’d been told.Hedrank his tea.Bees buzzed as they circled the blossoms.The dogs,three fluffy fuzzballs he thought might be poodles, stared at himunblinkingly, occasionally licking their lips like he wasdinner.
One he kept an especially wary eye onwhen it curled a lip and made a rumbling sound in its chest.Laney’s eyes were shadowed and he thought she was making adetermined effort not to look at him.He wondered if Mrs.Watkins’swarning had resonated with her as it had with him.
The older woman returned with acardboard banker’s box.He rose to take it from her and set it onthe table.
