Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 105868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
“Did I hear there’s a town wedding?” Mick Thompson appeared at the edge of their booth so suddenly May jumped.
“Where did you come from?” she asked.
He jerked his thumb toward the back booth. “Down the way. My brothers and I are taking a break from fishing. So, a wedding?”
“Yes,” Amka said easily. “I’m getting married. The whole town’s invited.”
“Are you still going to be here Saturday?” May asked.
His eyes twinkled. “We leave Sunday. That gives me four more days to convince you to go out with me, Doc.”
“Oh, she’s taken,” Amka said, smiling.
“Maybe, but I don’t see a ring on that finger.” Mick winked and sauntered back toward his brothers.
Daisy turned to watch him go. “Tourists sure get pushy, don’t they?”
Ophelia’s gaze followed him a beat longer than necessary.
May remembered Brock and Olly’s plans. “Hey, did you follow the flannel-wearing Thompson brothers the other night?”
“Yeah,” Ophelia answered. “They didn’t do anything interesting. We ran their backgrounds too. I hate to admit it, but I’m not finding anything.”
“What about anybody else?” May pressed.
“Nope.” Ophelia sighed and wiped her hands clean. “Nothing that sticks. And we’ve looked.”
The table went quiet for a second. The clatter of dishes and low hum of conversation filled in the space.
“We need to find exculpatory evidence and soon.” Daisy shifted back into lawyer mode. “We have Ace’s preliminary hearing tomorrow afternoon. The judge is being reasonable and letting us do it via teleconference.”
May’s temples began to ache. “I’m glad.” A preliminary hearing didn’t sound like fun, and no doubt Ace didn’t want to deal with it. She couldn’t blame him. She turned toward the window, more out of habit than intention, and froze.
Across the street, outside Bob’s Bait and Outfitters, Kyle Mercer stood with Peter and Jack. All three were dressed down in jeans and outdoor jackets, posing beside the massive, mounted fish near the door. One of them held up a camera while the others laughed. They were really pushing Kyle’s fake environmental agenda, now weren’t they?
Amka followed her gaze. “When do you suppose they’re leaving?”
“It’s got to be soon,” May said, her jaw aching.
“They’re leaving Friday morning,” Ophelia replied.
May jerked. “Oh?”
Ophelia’s mouth curved. “I’ve been doing my research. They’ve got a big rafting trip tomorrow night and have been posting about it all week. Then they head out first thing Friday.”
Relief moved through May so suddenly she almost slumped with it. “Good.” She hadn’t realized how much space Kyle was taking up in her mind until the idea of him leaving created room to breathe.
As if sensing her attention, his head turned. Even from across the street, she felt his focus. His gaze locked onto hers, his eyes hard and assessing.
Then he smiled.
A chill slid down her spine.
Daisy eyed her. “What?”
“Nothing,” May said automatically, but her fingers gripped her water glass.
Ophelia twisted in her seat and glanced out the window. “Oh.”
Amka’s posture shifted almost imperceptibly. “He looks like he’s enjoying himself.”
“He always does,” May replied.
Across the street, Peter snapped another photo. Jack clapped Kyle on the shoulder. They looked carefree and perfectly staged.
But Kyle didn’t look away from her. He held her gaze another second, then finally turned back to his friends.
May let out a slow breath.
“Hey,” Daisy said gently. “He’s leaving.”
“Yeah,” May answered. Yet she couldn’t settle. The bell above the Green Plate’s door jingled as someone else walked in. Knife’s Edge carried on.
Amka reached across the table and squeezed May’s hand. “You’re not alone.”
May looked at her friends. Daisy with her quick mind and steady resolve. Ophelia already building timelines in her head. Amka grounded and calm. “I know,” May said softly.
Across the street, Kyle laughed at something Peter said, and caught her eye again.
May looked away first.
Chapter Thirty-Three
After three straight hours with Smitty, Ace’s head felt packed tight with noise. The guy knew how to dig into brains, now didn’t he? Ace sucked in a long breath of cool summer air.
He walked down the rocky bank toward the dock where the Cessna 208 sat tied up, white fuselage gleaming against dark water. The afternoon sky hung low but not threatening, a pale wash of gray-blue with thin high clouds. Birds wheeled overhead and complained to each other.
He’d spent the morning doing odd jobs around town that he’d been ignoring, and his belly had been nicely full before he’d gone to see Smitty.
Now he wanted to puke.
The dock creaked under his boots. A breeze came off the river strong enough to slip through his jacket, but he didn’t feel the cold as he just stood at the end of the dock and let himself look at the plane.
She was beautiful.
The spring lines were set properly, snug but not straining. The aluminum struts connecting the floats to the fuselage were clean and free of corrosion. Fuel caps seated. No visible oil streaking showed along the cowling.