Cooper nodded. “Oh, he’s coming back. He’s visiting the coroner right now. He wanted to see the report with his own eyes, just in case we missed something. Then he’ll be returning here.”
“So ... what do we do?” Hannah asked. She felt lost.
“We go about our chores as if it was a normal day ... except the town isn’t open,” Cooper replied. “We all have to look busy, as if we’re doing something. I think that’s the best way to keep Agent Hoffman from being suspicious of us.”
“Right now, he’s completely focused on Justin,” Boone offered. “That’s not exactly fair to Justin, but it allows us time to figure out what’s really going on. That’s the most important thing right now.”
Hannah recognized the truth in his words, but she wasn’t happy. “I don’t like this. What if people keep dying?”
Boone held out his hands and shrugged. “I don’t know. All we can do now is watch and wait. Our hands are tied. Agent Hoffman is in charge. We need to watch each other’s backs and remain calm.”
Watching out for her friends wasn’t Hannah’s concern. She had no idea how she was supposed to remain calm given everything that was happening. It felt like an insurmountable mountain ... and the climb was too steep to even attempt.
7
Seven
Hannah did her best to appear busy for a good two hours before she gave up and went for a walk. Jacob was back in town, questioning the ragtag assortment of employees who had bothered to show up for work and searching the storage rooms for clues ... although he refused to give Boone and Cooper a heads-up as to what he was looking for. Eventually they left him to do his own thing and gathered in the paddock to watch and gossip. That’s where Hannah found them.
“I’m going to take Jinx for a walk,” she announced, smiling at the dog as he cavorted with the goats. He didn’t look all that interested in leaving.
Cooper arched an eyebrow from his place at the picnic table. “Why don’t you stay here with us instead?” He felt guilty making the suggestion, but he was antsy enough about the dancing man she described to want to keep her close.
“Because then every time Jacob comes around I will feel as if he’s watching me,” Hannah replied. “It’s creepy ... and it makes me feel uncomfortable.”
Cooper’s frown deepened. “Like in a sexual way?”
“No. Like in a ‘he doesn’t believe me and wants to lock me up forever’ way. I’m doing my best to hold it together. I would say I’m doing a good job.”
“You’re doing a great job,” Cooper confirmed without hesitation. “You’re doing an amazing job, in fact. I wanted to tell you how impressed I was by the way you handled him earlier, but I got sidetracked.”
“Oh, that’s kind of sweet.” Hannah give her hips a little swish and tilted her head. “I’m glad you approve. I need a break, though. I can’t stay with him here in town another minute. I won’t go far. I’m just going to take Jinx over that hill so we can relax without him watching us.”
Cooper wasn’t thrilled with the notion. “I’ll go with you.” He started to stand, but Hannah shaking her head stopped him.
“If we both go, he’ll be suspicious. If you stay here, it looks as if you’re guying it up with Boone and Tyler and you’re not worried about me. If two of us go, he might try to follow, which defeats the purpose of me taking a break. I swear I’ll only be gone for an hour.”
On the surface, Cooper understood that she needed a break. That didn’t stop him from worrying. “Just ... be careful,” he said finally. “I know you can take care of yourself — I would never say otherwise — but we don’t know where that reporter disappeared to and there very well might be a monster with a human face out there.”
Hannah smiled indulgently. “I promise to be safe.”
“Good, because I would be extremely sad if something happened to you. Like ... wrecked. I’ll never get over it.”
“Aw,” Boone and Tyler sang out in unison, earning a stern glare from Cooper.
“Shut up,” the security chief snapped as he leaned over to give Hannah a quick kiss. He could feel the other men watching him, but he didn’t care. “Watch for the snakes. It’s warm enough that they might be out sunning themselves. They should give you a wide berth but watch Jinx to make sure he doesn’t go after them.”
Hannah swallowed hard. She hated being reminded of the snakes. “Oh, right.”
Reading her discomfort, Tyler got to his feet and moved inside the bar, returning about thirty seconds later with a small packet. “This is an anti-venom kit. If Jinx were to get bitten, all you would have to do is inject him with this.”
“Really?” Hannah brightened when she saw the syringe in the sealed baggie. “That’s good to know.”
Tyler tried to hide his smirk ... and failed. “If you were to get bitten, it would probably work on you, too. This is a dose for a medium-sized animal. You might need another dose, but you would easily make it back here on the one dose. Honestly, the snakes should avoid you.”
“I’m not afraid of snakes,” Hannah reassured him. “In fact, there are certain snakes I like.” She didn’t recognize the fact that her words could be taken out of sorts until she saw the way Cooper’s cheeks colored under Boone’s watchful gaze. “Not those snakes!” she barked, mortified. “I was talking about the colorful ones at zoos and stuff.”
It took everything Tyler had to maintain a straight face. “Of course. Just FYI, though, those colorful snakes are the sort that will kill you with one bite. Rattlers aren’t the same. You’re going to be fine.”
Hannah nodded and shoved the snake-bite kit into her back pocket. “Come on, Jinx. We’re going for walkies.”
The dog, who had
