Page 23 of Dangerous Secrets
“It’s parked by theworkshop.I had a couple of Pop’s tools to return.”
“Take any tools youwant.”
Sawyer nodded.“There are a few Iwouldn’t mind having.”He paused and Walker knew they were boththinking about the upcoming funeral neither of them wanted toattend.
Walker opened the door for a whiningBud and flipped on the porch light.He took the chair next to hisbrother as the little dog went out in the yard to lift his leg on atree.They sat in the still night, a coyote giving a yipping howlfrom the hill beyond the north orchard.With any luck it would staythere.
He’d keep an eye out.Bud would be anattractive snack for a coyote.
Walker glanced at his brother who woredark jeans and a heavy shirt rolled up at the sleeves.A sureindicator he wasn’t on duty.
“You want to speak at thefuneral?”
Walker gave it some consideration,catching Bud when the little dog did his springy jump onto his lap.“No,” he decided.“You’re better at that kind of thing.You shoulddo it.”
“Okay.”
After a minute, he said, “You want totell me what the fuck’s going on in this town?”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning Vance Norris gotgrabby with Laney in the parking lot of Easy Money.She told methere’s conflict between people here.Some folks like the Norriseswant to build condos and shit, and the farmers don’t want things tochange.”
“Tell me what happenedwith Delaney and Norris.”
“He followed her out.Must’ve heard she planted one on me.Said he wanted some of thatand wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
Sawyer lean forward.“You straightenhim out about that?”
“Would have except Norrishas hired protection who goes by the name Frank Dicarlo.By thetime I got through him, Laney’d already taken Norris down.Kneedhim in the balls.”
“That’s our girl.”In thedim glow of the porchlight, he saw Sawyer slant him a look.“Laneyplanted one on you?”
“Yeah.She was making apoint, and it worked.”
“You looking that wayagain?”
He ran a hand over his face, his beardmaking a raspy sound, and wished his answer could be different.“She doesn’t need to get tangled up with a guy who’s been inprison.Plus, I don’t want anything I do to blow back onher.”
“Didn’t hear a no.Soundslike you want her and would make a move if it weren’t for the othershit.”
“The other shit’s myreality, so what I want doesn’t matter.”
“Everyone deserveshappiness.”
“Now you sound like afucking therapist.Can we change the subject?”
He wasn’t sure his brother would letit go, but he did.“Sure.You going to tell me what you’replanning?”
“Eventually.I need towork on it some first.”
“Fair enough.”
They sat for several minutes,listening to the night.“There’s more going on than what Delaneytold you.”
“Explain.”
“A series of sexualassaults on women in mountain towns.First one was about a year anda half ago in a town up north about eighty miles.Next one wasnearly four months after that and occurred maybe fifty miles fromtown.There have been other assaults, maybe not all related.Morerecently, we’ve had three attacks in the last six months.Last onewas in Nevada City in May.”
