I glanced at the clock. It was almost seven. Roy should be in soon to help out with emergency dispatch.
“Did you have any luck with Dan’s neighbors?” I asked.
“Nothing about the blast. No one saw or heard anyone come or go, and Tibs was out walking his cat. Said the only one he saw out there was Dan. Thought I’d do a rundown of where the explosive might have come from.”
“Dynamite?” I asked.
“Thinking it might be.”
“Check in with the quarry?”
“Planning on it.”
“Good.” I snagged a buttermilk donut on my way to the door. “I’ll check in when I get a chance.”
Myra was already on the computer and waved one hand in acknowledgment. Jean walked with me out of the station.
“The contract.” She handed me a yellow envelope.
“Thanks. Get some sleep. No staying up all day gaming.”
“I am not twelve.”
“You weren’t into MMORPGs when you were twelve.”
“Worse, I was into boys.”
“Yeah, but now you’re into massively multi-player online role playing gamesandboys.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. I won’t stay up all day. Laney?”
“Yes?” I opened the Jeep and tossed my coat and the envelope inside.
She didn’t say anything, so I looked over at her. Jean had that look on her face. The one she’d worn when Mom had died. The one she’d worn when Dad had died. The one that I always wanted to hug away.
“Remember that bad feeling I mentioned this morning?” Her gaze searched my face for understanding. “It’s gotten worse.”
Jean didn’t like talking about her bad feelings, so I knew how much it must be bothering her to bring it up.
“Do you have any clue as to what it might be? Who it might involve?”
She shook her head, purple, blue, and red glowing in the bright of the morning. “It involves you. Or you’re involved with it. Death, maybe?”
“Death certainly,” I said. “Thanatos is my lunch date.”
“I mean dying death, not the god of death.” She looked away and crossed her arms over her chest. “Shit, I don’t know.”
“That’s okay.” I pressed my hand on her arm. “Thanks for the warning. I’ll be cautious and careful.”
“Drive safe, too. And don’t gamble with Death. There’s that whole challenge Death to a game thing in the myths.”
“I promise I won’t play with death. I’m not twelve either.” And because that barely got a smile out of her, I leaned in and gave her a hug. “I’ll be fine. Stay safe yourself, okay, and let me know if that feeling changes at all.”
“I will,” she whispered.
“Good woman. See you in a few hours.” I swung up into the Jeep and started the engine.
Instead of walking to her truck, Jean just stood there, inches away from the Jeep as I backed away, staring at me like it might be the last time she saw me.
