Guess Clint wasn’t as smart as he’d thought himself. That was something.
Joel Masterson had been around, too. Asking questions of anyone who’d known the Beise family. Well, no one had asked Jim.
Of course, Jim and Luther had only been stepcousins. There probably wasn’t anything anywhere to connect them. Except tax records.
He’d rented a cabin off Luther when he’d been twenty-one. That was something that he’d have to explain away if asked. But he’d had at least six other landlords since those days.
It had been fourteen years, after all.
They should just let the spirit of Helen go. No one had cared that the old bat was gone fourteen years ago. Why should they care now? Leave the evil witch buried.
She’d deserved what had happened to her. He’d always known that.
It had helped keep some of the guilt off him, anyway.
The diner’s sign glowed up ahead. He’d heard through the rumor mill that one of the feds was Flo Talley’s eldest granddaughter. He remembered her. Gawky, skinny kid who’d hung around Luther’s daughter all the time. She’d been seven or eight years younger than Jim. Same as Monica, Luther’s daughter.
Now there was a real winner. Monica had learned early on how to use her tits and ass to get what she wanted. No doubt from watching that mama of hers. There had been a time or two Monica had given him a good time—in exchange for something she wanted.
Jim had been a man; he hadn’t been able to resist all the time. Not much had happened between them, but enough…enough that he hadn’t forgotten.
He wondered if Flo Talley’s granddaughter knew that? Was that one of the girlish secrets they’d shared at their little sleepovers at the Talley Inn?
Probably not.
Before he could stop himself, Jim parked his squad car and headed right toward the thick of things. It was a Saturday night. Flo’s Diner was always packed. Always.
He’d just be another diner in the midst of the crowd.
It had been years since he’d stepped inside. Flo had always had some of the best onion rings he’d ever tasted. He was just driving through and stopping for dinner. That was all.
Nothing wrong with that.
A young woman with light-brown hair and big, green eyes met him at the door. “Hello, welcome to Flo’s Diner. I’m Meyra. Will it just be you, Officer?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Jim straightened up. He might be about forty pounds overweight, but he was still a man. And he knew he wasn’t half bad looking in the uniform. He’d never had much trouble finding women to date. This one was probably ten years or so younger than he was, but she was damned hot. He hadn’t known Flo’s had such a pretty woman inside. Or he’d have come back this way sooner.
He studied her. She looked familiar. With redder hair, she’d probably look a lot like that Talley girl he’d just been thinking about.
The FBI.
He guessed she was one of the Talley girls, then.
“You related to the owner, miss?”
She gave a solemn nod and a practiced smile. “She’s my grandmother. Flo’s is a family business. Darcey will be your server tonight. I’ll be happy to take your drink order. Tonight’s special is meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans, with red velvet cake.”
He requested a soda, then tried to engage her in conversation. She was shy. He easily sensed he made her nervous. Jim gave her his best smile, then ended the conversation.
The girl had lots of work to do. There was a huge crowd in here tonight.
She wandered off to seat more people. A blond woman more than worthy of a second look and a tall, lanky cowboy were right after him. Jim studied the couple. He didn’t recognize them, but that wasn’t surprising. It really had been years since he’d been in Flo’s. The cowboy spoke with a slight Texas drawl. Not local, then.
Another man came in, a rancher by the looks of him.
Right there next to him was Joel Masterson—and Clint Gunderson.
His eyes met Jim’s. Jim nodded once, trying to make himself look friendly, then looked down at the menu. Like it was coincidence they were there or something.
Jim finally looked up when another woman stopped by his table. The women in Flo’s were damned hot. He’d be coming in more often.
After all of this ended.
“I’m Darcey,” she said in a warm, sexy voice that sounded familiar. “How are you today?”
“I…I…” Jim stuttered, looking at the blonde. “Have we spoken before? You sound familiar.”
She laughed. “I’ve heard that before. I work for the radio station here in the county. I’m usually on for a few hours each day.”
“Darcey’s Daily?”
“That’s me. I work here of the evenings. My grandmother owns the place.”
“Your sister the hostess?”
“Cousin. I have a few others working tonight, too. It’s a family business.”
“I see.” Jim gave his order, trying not to stare. Another waitress went by, another blonde.
He jerked when she squealed. She placed her tray down on the table next to his and practically threw herself into another woman’s arms. The woman had just entered with a real stuffed shirt just behind her.
“Excuse me, that’s my cousin. She’s a bit excitable. We weren’t expecting her sister tonight.” There was surprise and happiness in Darcey’s tone. Jim got it.
The tall, pretty woman was another one of Flo Talley’s granddaughters.
Jim studied the newcomer quickly. It took him a moment, but he saw the credentials sticking out of her back pocket. Just the top of the folio. And there, on her left hip, rode a holster.
This…was the FBI.
The tall, skinny girl had grown up to be a real looker. Worth more than a second look.
And she was there to find out what had happened to Helen. She’d remember him, remember him being around back then. No doubt it was just a matter of time.
Suddenly, the idea of those onion rings weren’t sitting all that well, after all.
7
Travis was ready to get
