“Daddy, can I talk to her?” She was looking at the woman from the FBI. He saw the curiosity, and…something else. “Just for a few minutes and stuff? I just need to talk to the FBI lady. It's about the Gibson stuff, Dad. I just have questions.”
He looked over at the woman. She was a pretty woman, reminded him of Cass when she was younger. The curly hair. The big light eyes. The friendly expression and smile. He didn’t see what it could hurt. “It might take me a moment to get the big door to open so we can have some light. You wouldn’t mind?”
“I’d be glad to talk to her, Bryan. While we wait?”
Bryan just nodded. There was no predicting kids. Especially his daughter.
Chapter 38
That kid was keeping something from him. Bryan was sure of it. She’d been secretive for a few days now, ever since John had been at the house. He was just hoping his brother hadn’t said something to upset Asa, too. It was bad enough he’d upset Cass.
Then again, all of the kids were a bit overprotective over their mother. But B.J. had chased John off, and Asa had seemed fine, after that. Cass had dropped Asa off at Bryan’s mother for a few hours the next morning. Asa hadn’t been acting right since. Almost secretive. His kid wasn’t like that. Asa was usually an open book.
It wasn't fine.
He didn’t want her bothering the woman when she was doing her job. But they were really just waiting for Asher and that Knight guy—he could drive Asa home in the meantime, but…she wasn’t hurting anything. And Asa had a fascination with two things: all things crime, and all things skateboarding. He didn’t see where a few minutes’ conversation would hurt.
Maybe the woman would tell Asa she had to really get good grades to get into the FBI or something. Every bit could help.
Bryan tightened his coat and headed outside. The door to the garage—it always had been a problem. No matter how many times he’d fixed it for Derek all those years ago. The two of them had spent several hours messing around with it one day. Aimee had brought them tea and sandwiches. It had been hot out. Her kids had been playing in a splash pool at the time.
He muscled the overhead door open—and cursed. He hadn’t expected anyone to be standing there. In the blowing snow, he couldn’t really see who it was. Until he recognized the old green army coat his brother always wore. “John? What in the hell are you doing here today?”
John was supposed to be there in a few days, after the snow stopped. And after Bryan decided what he was going to do with the Gibsons’ possessions.
His brother stepped closer. “Why the hell did you keep their fucking things, Bryan? Why did you keep them?”
“Why does it matter to you?”
“You should have gotten rid of this shit years ago,” John almost yelled it.
“Keep your damned voice down. Neighbors don’t need to hear you. And Asa is inside with the woman from the FBI.”
“What in the hell? Why would you let her go in there? Why would you do that? You are supposed to protect her from that kind of shit!”
Bryan just looked at his brother. John had finally completely lost it. He just had. “Just get out of here, John. I don’t want you coming around me or the kids or my family ever again. I’m done taking care of you all the time. Go.”
John did something, raised his hand or something. And then…Bryan felt it before he heard it.
And then he was falling.
Chapter 39
Miranda studied Bryan’s daughter. She was a smaller girl, petite. She had a slouchy knit toboggan on her head with a bright chartreuse HHC on the front. She slipped her heavy winter coat off and just dropped it on the couch like kids everywhere would. And then she sat down. And stared at Miranda. She was adorable, and reminded Miranda of her cousin Charlotte when she’d been that age. Little and fierce and scrappy. This kid would conquer the world someday.
Charlotte was still little and very fierce at times.
“This isn’t the same furniture, is it?”
The little girl had Horrible Hope Rides Again! written on her sweatshirt, over a brown-haired, brown-eyed cartoon skateboarder. That was a skateboarding personality name Miranda was familiar with now. “No, their furniture was taken away years ago. Your dad keeps this furnished; that’s what he told me. You are a big fan of Horrible Hope’s?”
“Horrible Hope is like super awesome. She’s a forensic scientist, you know. Solving crimes and stuff. When she’s not skateboarding, like in her spare time and stuff.” Because apparently, skateboarding took more of Hope’s time than her work with forensics. “I'm going to be a forensic scientist too.”
“I do know about Horrible Hope, actually. I recently worked on a case with Hope’s older sister. She’s an investigator. Right before I came here.” Horrible Hope was Dr. Hope Coleson, a forensic scientist in the same department where Miranda’s cousin worked. Coincidence, of course, but it was a good topic to get the little girl to relax. Hope’s older sister Heather was an investigator Miranda had worked a case in Masterson very recently.
“In Finley Creek? I'm really hoping my dad will take me there someday. I mean, not like I could just meet her, but it would be really awesome. There's like this ranch down there called Barratt Ranch, and you can go and ride lots of horses. The Barratts of Texas are seriously hot guys. Like…sexy. They are on the internet a lot, especially if you google where Hope lives. I think my mom would really like that; riding the horses, I mean. She loves horses. We had one but he died six years ago. I want to meet Horrible Hope someday. I send emails to her fan address. Sometimes she emails back. Or I think somebody like an intern emails for her because she’s really, really busy, but…”
Talk about hero-worship here.
