They made eye contact, but he waited until the room was clear before he approached her.
“Well done,” he said.
“Thank you.”
“I wouldn’t convict him based on that, but they had nothing to stand on anyway.”
“Not sure if that’s a compliment or not,” she said, smiling.
“Totally a compliment.”
“I wondered if you’d seek me out to help in your research.”
“I wanted to thank you. Barb told me she’d be able to get the files on Monday for me. I got the call earlier today.”
“That’s great. You’ve got my number if you want to interview someone who was in the area after it happened. Someone who might have lived through it after things settled down.”
She didn’t know what game he might play, if any, but she wasn’t putting her cards on the table that she was aware of who he was.
“I’d like that,” he said. He looked at his watch. A big, clunky metal one like her brothers Clay and Ford wore.
“How long are you in town for?” she asked.
“As long as I need,” he said. Not giving much away. She was okay with that. Sometimes playing the game worked in the end.
“I’m done for the day,” she said. “Don’t know if we’ll get a verdict today. My guess, unless they come back in the next hour, they will reconvene on Monday.”
“Is that your way of saying you’re free tonight?”
“It is. I don’t have much going on this weekend either.” Nothing more than Sunday dinner and wedding planning for Ford and Reenie.
“We can meet somewhere,” he said. “Or you can come to the place I’m renting. I’m positive you’re not the type to let a stranger in your place.”
She closed one eye at him with a smirk. “Not at all. Though I can assure you that with three older brothers and one younger, and their backgrounds, I can handle anything that comes my way. They’d see to the fact that I could.”
The smile dropped from his face, and she immediately regretted her joking words. It probably hit too close to home, but she wasn’t supposed to know who he was.
“I’m glad,” he said. “For you.”
She wanted to reach for his hand as she had Dave’s, but there were too many eyes around. She didn’t know him well enough, but something told her he wasn’t someone who wanted sympathy either.
That maybe he’d lived through enough of it mixed in with the demons his family had gone through.
“It had its moments,” she said. “You’ve got my information, but I don’t have yours. Let me know the time and place.”
“I’ll be in touch,” he said, then turned to leave.
That didn’t tell her anything.
Would he be in touch tonight, tomorrow, Sunday, or never?
It wouldn’t be never, but it told her he wasn’t giving much early on either.
5
NO SECRETS
At seven, Rory opened the door to his rented ranch. There was Gale in jeans and a ribbed green fitted cotton shirt showing a bit more of her body than he’d thought she’d do.
