“So.” Sullenger started back in the direction they’d come. “Will you be staying long once this investigation is wrapped up?” She shook her head. “And, after the funeral? I’m really sorry about your mother, Detective.”
Yep, the girl was getting the lay of the land. Sizing up the challenge the competition represented. The sympathy was just something she tacked on for appearances’ sake. “Thanks.”
“You’ve got a lot on your mind,” Sullenger suggested, answering her own question. “The funeral. Taking care of your mother’s place. You’ll probably be around for a while.”
“I don’t think my chief would be too happy,” Adeline admitted, “if I hung around too long.” But the woman was right. Adeline had a lot to take care of ... none of which she wanted to think about right now. God, she hadn’t even considered that reality.
Sullenger made an agreeable sound. “Sheriff Henderson probably won’t be too happy about you going.”
“He’s a big boy, he’ll get over it.”
“He never stopped loving you.” Sullenger stopped and faced Adeline. “You do know that, don’t you?”
If she’d slapped Adeline in the face she wouldn’t have been more surprised. “Do you always nose around in folks’ personal business?” Adeline folded her arms over her chest and met the woman’s brazen stare. No point beating around the bush.
The deputy hiked her shoulders, then let them fall. “Only when it affects me.”
Adeline’s gaze narrowed a second time. “If you and Henderson have something going on, you don’t need to worry about me.” Adeline started forward again. “When this is done andthingsare taken care of,I’m out of here.” The question of whether she would stay or go had never been a real issue. Had she inadvertently given the impression she might stay?
“We don’t exactly have anything going on,” Sullenger confessed as she trailed behind Adeline, “yet.”
With everything else that was happening, the pure jealousy that roiled inside Adeline pissed her off. She had no right feeling jealous. She had way bigger problems than Wyatt Henderson. They’d had sex, yes. But they were both adults and it hadn’t meant anything real. Had it? Of course not. “You got no competition with me, Deputy.”
“Ha.”
Adeline shot the smart-mouthed deputy a look.
“Every woman who’s given him a second look has to compete with you.”
“Well now.” Adeline kicked aside the ridiculous feeling of victory that attempted to roar through her. “Maybe the right one just hasn’t come along.”
“Is he why you’re still single?”
Now she’d stepped on Adeline’s toes. She laughed it off. “I’m married to my shield, Sullenger. It’s what I do and that’s all I need.”
“Funny,” the deputy commented, “that’s what he says.”
41
Laurel, Mississippi; 6:05 p.m.
His daddy had told him to wait until five o’clock.
Danny had followed his daddy’s instructions. Every one of them. Just like he said in the note.
Danny didn’t know how his daddy had done it because his grandparents wouldn’t let his daddy come to their house anymore. But after Danny got home from visiting his mom at the hospital last night, his grandma had tucked him into bed. When she’d left the room, he turned on his side and stuck his hand under the pillow the way he always did and there was the note. He’d switched on the light, saw it was from his daddy and smiled.
His daddy had written that at five o’clock today he was to make sure no one was watching him. Then Danny was to put on his coat, put the letter in his pocket with his gloves, and go into the upstairs bathroom, the one by the room where he slept. Over the bathtub there was a window. It was really little but Danny could fit through it. Being real careful that he didn’t make any noise, he had slid the window open and climbed out onto the roof. Then he’d made sure he closed the window real tight. His daddy had written in his note that the police would be looking at the windows. Danny had to be sure he didn’t forget that part. It was real important.
The roof was the one over the big old side porch. Climbing out onto the roof had been scary at first, but his daddy had told him notto be afraid. He was a big boy now and he could do anything his daddy told him.
This was the only way they could be together again.
Danny had to inch all the way to the part of the porch that connected to the garage roof. Soon as he was on the garage roof, he lay flat on his belly and wiggled his way toward the farthest end from the driveway. The next part was the hardest, scariest part. He had to climb down.
The ladder was there, just like his daddy had said in the letter. Slowly sliding his body off the edge of the roof, he climbed down one rung at a time. Turned out it wasn’t too hard, either.
Peeking around the corner of the garage, Danny made sure no one was looking for him on this side of the house. His daddy had said to be sure the searchers had moved toward the woods first. Danny could hear them calling his name in the woods beyond the backyard.