I pulled out my phone to call Mikey for a ride. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Truman laugh through his tears. He was going to be okay.
I’d make sure of it.
I left Truman at Rockley Lodge with Mikey and Tiller. Their friend Gentry and his uncle Doran were expected to stop by for a visit to help Truman get in touch with someone in state law enforcement. Since Doran supposedly managed Gentry’s music career, I figured he probably had friends in high places and could help Truman find the right person to talk to.
I knew that Truman wasn’t ready to tell Mikey and Tiller about their hit-and-run in December until after he’d spoken to the state police, but we’d told them about what had happened to us on the mountainside with the rental bike and that Truman had recognized Gene’s truck.
As I left, Mikey was fussing over Truman’s dusty clothes and insisting on changing him into some comfortable clothes from Mikey’s own stash. I fully expected to return to a Truman decked out in navy-and-orange Rigger gear.
Before heading to the Honeyed Lemon to meet the fire investigators, I stopped at the Chop Shop to check on my own bike and inform them about their rental. Jim Browning was behind the counter, squinting at an old calculator covered in years of shop grime. As soon as the bell over the door chimed, he looked up.
“Well, if it isn’t our new troublemaker,” he said with a friendly grin. “You’re good for business.”
I let out an unexpected laugh. “Sorry about that. How did you hear about it so fast?”
“Newt Coney came by to pick up some parts and told me he saw the Versys hung up on a guardrail halfway up the mountain. You didn’t seem like a green rider when I first saw you, but looks can be deceiving, I guess.” He winked at me to let me know he was only kidding. “But I’m glad you’re here. Got your bike ready.”
I was shocked at the news. “You… sure?” I couldn’t believe how fast he’d been able to fit me in. My mechanic in Houston was booked out for weeks at a time.
“Sure as can be. Come take a look.” He led me to the first bay where my bike stood as good as new. I stepped closer to look at the fork. “Brand-new. I had to go into Denver for a family thing, and I picked up the part while I was there. I know you were in a hurry this time, but if you decide to get fancy one day, I’d love a chance to upgrade her suspension.”
He looked at my bike with hearts in his eyes, and I knew I’d be in good hands once I moved here. I reached out a hand to shake. “Thanks, Jim. I really appreciate it.”
We went over some insurance claim information on the rental, and I settled up with him for my own repairs so he wouldn’t have to wait on payments from both insurance companies. Then I rolled the bike out to the parking lot and left it for pickup later, pocketing my keys since I wasn’t quite “Aster Valley” enough to trust leaving my keys with the bike in the middle of town.
I pulled out of the Chop Shop and turned toward the center of town, driving only a couple of blocks until I got to the burnt-out shell that had once held Truman’s shop and his aunt’s before that. One of the sheets of plywood over the front door had spray paint on it that read, “We luv U Mr. Sweet!” I took a picture of it with my phone and texted it to him. Leave it to a town like Aster Valley to have teen vandals who used love instead of slurs. Hopefully, that would remind Truman that not everyone in town had it out for him.
I parked Tiller and Mikey’s SUV around back and found Dirk and Gail sitting in their state vehicle finishing a takeout lunch. Mikey had shoved a sandwich in my hand before I’d left, but I selfishly hoped he had a big dinner planned so I could gorge myself on some of my old favorites when I got back to Rockley Lodge. And if I was really fortunate, I could convince Truman to stay overnight with me there again.
But the look on Dirk Bromley’s face when he noticed me made me wonder if I was possibly spending the night somewhere else tonight. Somewhere like a jail cell. I hopped out of the SUV and kept my movements easy and obvious.
The two fire inspectors eased out of the vehicle without taking their eyes off me. I had a sudden desire to turn and flee at top speed, but I forced myself to remember I hadn’t actually committed a crime.
“There’s a cafe just down the street if you’d like to grab a cup of coffee,” I suggested.
They agreed to walk back down to the coffee shop with me and even greeted the woman behind the counter with familiarity. I blinked when I recognized Truman’s friend Chaya.
“I didn’t realize you worked here,” I said.
She grinned. “I didn’t either, until about ten hours ago. Yasmin needed some help because of a family emergency, and since I usually pick up part-time hours with Truman, I’m free at the moment. What can I get you?”
The three of us ordered and took a seat at a small table off to the side of the pickup counter. Gail pulled out a notebook, while Dirk craned his neck to get another look at Chaya. She was tall and beautiful with a mane of dark, curly hair. The woman would attract attention even without saying a word, but she had such an effervescent personality, her personal greetings and periodic laughter lit up the room around her.
Someone had a crush.
“What can I help you with?” I asked to get this conversation going. I didn’t want to spend more time in town than I needed to. There was too much work to be done helping Truman organize the cleanup, not to mention the work at the lodge I’d specifically come to town to do for Tiller and Mikey.
Dirk hopped up to grab our drinks when Chaya set them on the counter and returned to our table after she left him to greet the next customer.
I took a sip and almost groaned in pleasure. God, I’d needed that. It had already been a hell of a day.
“Where were you at midnight the night of the fire?”
It took concentration to stay relaxed, but I did my best. “I believe I’ve already told you this. I returned from Truman’s farm to Rockley Lodge where I’m staying with friends.”
Gail nodded and scribbled in her notebook.
Dirk tried asking it a different way. “Describe the route you took from one place to the other.”
I described the simple drive from Truman’s down through town and up the other side of the valley to the lodge.
“So you drove past the Honeyed Lemon,” Dirk suggested.
I nodded. “As I have previously mentioned, yes.”
“And why were you seen in front of the Honeyed Lemon that night?”
“Didn’t I just answer that?” I asked, unsure of what he was asking. “I was on my way back to the lodge.”
Dirk clarified the question. “On foot. Why were you on foot at the shop?”
He asked it so casually, I almost second-guessed myself. “I… wasn’t? After I got the call from Truman about the fire, I couldn’t get within a block of the place. I pulled to the side of the road in front of the newspaper office, I think.”
Gail didn’t raise her eyes from her notes. “He means before the fire.”
I knew what they were asking, but I still gave it serious thought in order to be precise. “I didn’t go anywhere near the Honeyed Lemon on foot that day,” I said carefully. “In fact, the only time I’ve ever even entered the premises at all was when I first met you after the fire.”