Stormcatcher by Colleen Rhoads

Author:Colleen Rhoads
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2006-10-06T04:00:00+00:00

THIRTEEN

“Let’s get some coffee,” Simon told Wynne when they docked the boat.

“I’m game.” Her bones ached from the cold.

She followed him to Bob’s Eats. It felt as if buzz of conversation faded when they stepped inside. Maybe it was her imagination, but it almost seemed as though the men were staring at Simon. She thought she saw suspicion on several faces.

The waitress brought them coffee. “Sheriff’s been looking for you.”

Wynne didn’t like the way Rhonda said it. She looked at the waitress with a question in her eyes.

Rhonda shrugged and glanced at Simon. “Better watch yourself, Simon. I hear he thinks he’s got almost enough evidence to arrest you.”

Simon looked stricken. As soon as the waitress was gone, Wynne leaned toward him. “We need to figure this out, Simon, before you end up in jail. Rooney is convinced it’s either you or a Canadian drug ring. I think we’re going to have to find the truth ourselves.”

“I’m not quite sure how to go about that,” he said.

“What about the old manager, Roger?” Wynne asked.

“What do you have in mind?”

“We could poke around his neighborhood, maybe talk to some of his employees. You said he started his own business. Shelby Boats, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Simon was beginning to look encouraged.

“Let’s see what we can find out.”

They bolted down a sandwich then drove out to the neighborhood where Roger lived. An older man was out cutting the grass with a push mower. Simon stopped the truck.

“Let me ask the questions,” Wynne said. She put on her most charming smile. Her size tended to be in her favor. She was so small, older men especially tended to underestimate her and treat her as a child.

The man returned her friendly smile. Dressed in a red gingham shirt and jeans, he looked to be in his sixties. “You lost, little lady?”

“I’m looking for the Shelby house,” she said.

“You found it.” The man nodded to a neat brick house with green shutters. “The Shelbys live there.”

The man’s friendly smile reassured her. “Oh, great. Have they lived here long?”

“Oh, ’bout ten years or so. Nice family.”

It was time to probe more deeply. “Oh? I heard Roger has a bit of a temper.”

“Don’t we all?” The man grinned. “Are you with child protection services? The last one who was here was older than you.”

Bingo. There was more to Roger than they’d seen so far. “No, I’m not with the agency. Has he been investigated for mistreating his kids?”

The man’s open, friendly look began to fade. “Nothing major. I’m sure Roger is a fine father. He spends a lot of time with his kids.” Suspicion began to creep across his face. “Who did you say you were?”

“Thanks for your help,” Wynne said hastily. She hurried back to the truck and told Simon what she’d found out. “It sounds like he’s got quite a problem with his temper.”

“That still doesn’t make him a murderer.”

“No, but it sure makes him a likely suspect,” Wynne said. “Any man who would mistreat his kids is capable of anything.

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