Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
I watched him get in an old car that had seen better days and did not pair well with the stylish and expensive clothes he wore, and I wondered what that was about.
Ian and I were in the house long enough for me to get Mo’s vest off and for him to stretch out in front of the fireplace that Ian had got a fire going in when I heard a car race up my driveway.
“I forgot to tell you I called your da,” Ian said.
My dad burst in just as I unlocked the door.
“I’m all right. Ian came as soon as I texted him,” I said, seeing how upset my dad was.
“Thanks, Ian,” my dad said with a nod. “And thanks for texting me.”
“Come sit and have some coffee,” I said, hooking my arm in his and walking him to the kitchen.
Ian caught my eye. “I’m going to take off, Pep. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
I loved the man even more for knowing when I needed time alone with my dad.
I got my dad coffee and joined him at the island.
“I didn’t like or trust Noah back then and I like him even less now,” my dad said. “I just can’t see how that man walked away from his wife and six-year-old daughter. I remember the day he left. He told Amy he’d be back. She cried, not wanting him to go, but he promised inside and out he’d be back. Nancy never said, but I think it was the one time she didn’t believe him. I think she knew it was the end. He broke both their hearts.”
“I’m not going to let him break Amy’s heart again, Dad,” I assured him, determined to see it didn’t happen.
“The thing is, Pepper, Amy would be better off talking with him, seeing for herself who he truly is so she can finally let go. But he manipulates with charm that appears genuine. I’m afraid he’ll whittle his way back into her heart then hurt her all over again. And as much as we want to prevent that, we may not be able to.”
I understood what he meant since I feared the same thing.
My dad’s eye caught the stack of papers Ian and I worked on last night and he grabbed the one off the top.
“You made a suspect list.” His eyes roamed the paper.
“It’s a list of all those I could account for that were here in Willow Lake thirty-five years ago. Like you often told me, you can’t eliminate anyone as a suspect until you make sure they had nothing to do with the crime.”
“That’s what I thought thirty-five years ago, but Sheriff Barrett had his mind set and kept his interviews to only a few people. Travis was missing and, therefore, guilty and on the run. I had to say I thought the same, but I also thought we should follow procedure and investigate a bit more.” He pointed to one of the names on the list.
“Jim Barrett, now Mayor Barrett. I spoke with Marsh Evans this morning. He had kind words for Travis.”
“He did back then as well,” my dad said. “I interviewed him.”
“And who interviewed Jim?” I asked.
My dad scrunched his brow. “No one, his dad said Jim didn’t know Travis.”
We looked at each other and I said what we both thought. “Do you think he lied?”
8
“Is your da going to question the mayor about it?” Ian asked after I got finished telling him everything my dad and I discussed as we sat on the floor in the library about three hours later opening boxes.
“No, he’s going to question others first and see if the mayor is mentioned by any of them before he talks with him. He’ll start with Marsh Evans and Mr. Burns, the auto mechanic teacher who’s near to retirement, and go from there. No one will be suspicious about being questioned since the mayor has made it known that he wants this case solved.”
“And who are we going to question?” Ian asked with a smile.
I grinned. “I would say you the women and me the men, but that might be construed as sexist.”
“Or otherwise, a wise move since women rarely put a guard up when talking with a good-looking man.”
“And you certainly would know that,” I teased.
“I wouldn’t have the successful career I have if it weren’t for my looks,” Ian said unapologetically as he broke the seal on one of the boxes. “I fell into my career like many people fall unexpectedly into their careers.”
“But yours is fun and lucrative.”
“I will admit it can be fun, but it also can be tiresome like any other job and I’m lucky mine turned out as lucrative as it did.”
“Maybe some luck, but you were wise enough to expand and turn it into a profitable business.” I couldn’t help but ask, “What do you think you would have done if you hadn’t fallen into modeling?”