“She does? That wasn’t part of the house lease,” Arabella said.
“No, no, she leases that out to someone else through that niece of hers. The county line is actually just beyond those trees. Where the river runs. We’re right on the edge here.”
Nothing suspicious about that. Kellan just couldn’t shake this feeling, though.
“Are you going to the fair next weekend?” Arabella asked him. They’d seen a notice for the fair earlier in a shop window. Kellan could remember loving the fair as a kid. They’d steal money off his father and get something to eat, go on a few of the rides.
Of course, if he noticed the money missing it was Kellan who would normally pay when they got home.
He rubbed a scar on his chest that he’d gotten when the bastard had taken a swipe at him with a broken beer bottle.
“No, that’s for young people.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “We can pick you up and take you.”
The old guy swiped his hand through the air. “No, no, got no time for all that. Besides, I’m talking to a few real estate agents this weekend. About selling this place.”
“You are? Why?” Arabella asked in concern.
“My nephew thinks it could be a good idea for me to go into an assisted living apartment. I’ve been resistant, but with things happening around here lately, he might be right. It’s not right what happened to your place, girlie. And he’s worried it’s not safe out here. Won’t be selling through Valerie’s niece though. That girl is a menace. You talked to her yet?”
“No. I tried this morning. Thought I’d try again tonight,” she said.
“Next time I talk to Valerie I’ll be telling her just what I think of her niece.”
Hmm. Why wasn’t this niece answering her phone? Wasn’t it her job to take care of the rental house for her aunt?
Yep, the list of people he needed to look into was growing.
32
“I’m going out for a while,” Kellan said abruptly after setting his laptop to one side.
She glanced over from where she was working on her new laptop, getting everything set up.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
Even Eli looked up in interest.
“I’ve got a few things to take care of.” He walked over to her. “Go to bed when Eli tells you to and don’t worry.”
What?
Go to bed when Eli told her to? Was that really all he had to say? And did he think she was five?
She waited for something more, but he grabbed a jacket and his keys and with a nod to Eli left.
“Is that it?” she asked, realizing she sounded a bit shocked. “Is he not going to tell us where he’s going or when he’ll be back or even give me a kiss goodbye . . .”
“You might have to teach him how to do those things,” Eli told her.
“How do I teach him that?”
“Tell him.”
“Tell him? Just come out and say it?” Could she do that? “I don’t know.”
“It’s not rude to ask for what you need, baby,” Eli told her, coming over to pick her up before he sat with her on his lap. “If you don’t tell him what you want, how does he know? And while there might be times we can’t tell you where we’re going or when we will be back, you always have the right to ask and we’ll just tell you that.”
