“Is it clear?” Owen asks from behind the bushes.
“Yes.”
Owen returns. “Was it my aunt?”
“I didn’t notice.”
“Oh. Well, sorry for being dramatic.”
He wasn’t dramatic, just realistic about the situation. The thought of kissing Owen out here seems ridiculous and dangerous. He’s angry at himself for almost letting his guard down in such a careless way.
“I can walk home from here,” Owen says. “It’s not that far.”
Will nods, trying to keep his mood up, but he’s struggling. He wishes the world wasn’t so quick to remind him of how complicated things are, but the world has a way of ignoring his wishes.
Chapter 15
Nate
Today, Nate is going to do something dangerous. It can backfire horribly, but he’s willing to take the risk for the possible reward.
He tells the sheriff he won’t make it to work because he and Owen are going to do some undercover work. The sheriff is eager enough to see any sort of progress that he agrees immediately, even though he needs to find someone to take over Nate’s shift.
The remaining hurdle is getting Owen to agree. Nate doesn’t know if the man has plans or if he’s even home. The only thing he knows for sure is that Sheryl is at work, so she won’t get in the way.
He drives over to Justin Avenue, where Sheryl has a nice house that she was able to afford with her late husband’s life insurance payout. Poor guy was shot while trying to arrest two burglars. That happened almost twenty years ago, but Nate still remembers thinking how stupid it was to risk your life for others. As theyears passed, he realized that being a policeman had other perks that spoke to him, like being able to arrest anyone who might give him crap.
He’s relieved to find Owen sitting on his aunt’s porch, his bare feet resting on another chair. He’s reading a thick book, as if he’s trying to make every passerby know how smart he is. When he notices Nate’s car, he sits straighter, a hard look on his face.
Did Will tell him something about me?It’s hard to imagine Will sharing with anyone what he and Nate were up to until recently, but maybe he did.
“Good morning!” He tries to sound chipper as he shuts his car door behind him. “Good book?”
“It’s a biography about Churchill.”
“Afraid I’m not familiar with any of his films. Ready for another go at saving the world?”
Owen puts the book down and stands up. “I need to make more posters for my new book club, and I promised my aunt I’d clean around the house.”
Nate crosses his arms and sighs. “Yeah, I get it. It’s just that we’re running out of time.”
Owen frowns. “Meaning?”
“There’s so much pressure on the sheriff; he’s going to arrest those dealers soon.”
“What’s the problem with that? You want them to give you names, don’t you? They’ll speak in jail.”
Nate climbs the stairs and leans with his back against the wooden railing. “We’ve tried that before, and itnever worked. They always get great lawyers who take care of them. If we want to climb higher up the food chain, we need them to trust you and open up.” He sighs. “It feels like we’re so close.”
“I don’t know if I should trust you.”
“Why can’t you trust me? Wasn’t I right about everything I told you?”
“Not about everything.”
He means Will.“I think I know what this is about, and you have the right to know more. Let’s head over to Eminence, then you and I will have an honest talk. I’ll be an open book, for sure more interesting than Churchill.”
Owen looks down at his feet as he thinks, and Nate wonders what he’ll do if Owen refuses to come. He might just tell him the story of Will and Joel right here if he must, but he hopes to do it somewhere else—somewhere more strategic.
