Stonechild and Rouleau Mysteries 3-Book Bundle by Brenda Chapman

Author:Brenda Chapman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Published: 2016-02-09T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

After a meal of scrambled eggs and toast, Kala called for Taiku and they set out for a walk up the road. The night was calm and the air cooler than it had been the past few evenings. She wasn’t a fan of heat and welcomed the lower temperature. She felt the stress of the day slipping away as she walked past untamed stretches of trees and bush. Taiku stayed close for the first few minutes, but there was a rustling in the long grass and he raced ahead of her, tail and ears on alert until he was out of sight. She ran after him, calling his name, worried that he’d corner a skunk or porcupine. She had no energy to deal with either tonight.

She rounded the bend in the road and stopped mid-yell. Taiku was standing in the road growling at Gundersund and his Border Collie. She called for Taiku to stop and by the time she reached the dogs, Taiku was sniffing the Collie, whose tail was wagging back and forth. Kala wasn’t sorry that Taiku’s first instinct was to be protective, but she was happy that he’d never attacked another dog or human. She had no doubt he would if she was truly threatened. Her eyes lifted to Gundersund standing a short distance behind the dogs. A grin spread across his face as he caught sight of her. He stepped forward and patted both dogs on their heads before walking over to meet her. “Looks like Minny and Taiku are hitting it off. Nice evening.”

“Does your dog actually like being called Minny?” She was winded and felt at a disadvantage coming upon him so unexpectedly.

Gundersund laughed. “She’s never complained. Fiona named her after a favourite aunt. Where did the name Taiku come from?”

“Not from a favourite aunt.”

“You’ve neatly sidestepped my question.” He smiled.

She smiled back at him. “I’ve made a religion of avoiding answering questions.”

“I’ve noticed.”

Kala inhaled the smell of sweet grass and rich earth and looked into the deepening shadows cast by the pine trees. The houses on Old Front Road were widely spaced with a tangle of woods between that gave the sense of being in the wilderness. The sun was sinking over the trees, and already stars were glittering through the darkening sky visible above the ribbon of road.

“The heat wave is over. It feels like fall’s in the air.” She looked back at him. “I think we should pay a visit to Professor Tadesco’s office in the morning. Leah was in his class and he is often around the help line. He might be the other man in her life.”

“Good idea. I can pick you up. It’s on the way to the station.”

“No, I’ll meet you. I like to have my own vehicle.”

“Suit yourself. Not everyone gets to ride in my Camero though.”

“I’m sure there’ll be other opportunities.”

They started walking side by side down the side of the road toward the dogs. The silence stretched between them. She wanted to ask him about his wife, Fiona, but she’d made a pact with herself not to get involved.

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