For the Defense by Maggie Wells

Author:Maggie Wells
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-06-10T20:11:32+00:00

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SINCE THEY WERE agreed Lori would be point person with the locals, the next morning she made Rinker’s Pharmacy her first stop. Chet Rinker’s place had long served as the town’s express package pickup and drop-off point. If Samuel Coulter had shipped any parcel containing live animals, it would have gone through Mr. Rinker’s store. Lori wasn’t sure how these things worked, but it was possible the man had a record of deliveries made in the area.

She hung back, sipping a cup of coffee from the bakery and waiting for the line in front of the cash register to dwindle. Marjorie Rinker, Chet’s wife, was working the line while he bustled around behind her filling orders without making eye contact with the people at the counter.

Lori waited patiently, enjoying her coffee and letting her speculation run wild. She was so lost in thought she jumped when the bell above the door jingled behind her. She did a double take when she realized the woman bustling into the store was her own—“Mama?”

Sophia Castillo-Cabrera whirled, her expression a mixture of surprise and mortification. “Mija? What are you doing here?”

Lori nodded toward the counter. “I need to ask Mr. Rinker some questions, but I was waiting for the line to die down. What are you doing here?”

“Me?” With her hand pressed to her chest and her eyes wide, Lori’s mother was the picture of innocence. Unfortunately, she’d oversold it with her delivery. “I’m here to pick up odds and ends.”

Lori frowned at her mother. Sophia was many things, but a good liar was not on the list. “Mama, is everything okay?”

Her mother’s mouth pinched into a tight line and her dark eyes narrowed to slits. When she was younger, Lori would have quavered at what she termed her mother’s angry face. Now, studying her up close, she could honestly say her expression was more agitated than aggravated.

“The doctor gave me a prescription to help with some...personal issues,” she said at last.

Lori swallowed a scoff. Her mother didn’t appear to be in the mood for jokes. “What kind of medication?”

“I’m starting to have hormonal changes, not that it’s any of your business. The doctor called in a prescription for me, but I’m fine.” With a flick of her wrist, her mother dismissed any possible discussion of what Lori could only assume was the onset of menopause. “What do you need to talk to Mr. Chet about?” She moved closer and pitched her voice low. “Are you in trouble?”

The conversation shifted from menopause to pregnancy so fast Lori felt the whiplash. “No, Mama. I have to talk to him about police business.”

“Ah.” Her mother’s hand flew to her chest again, but this time she gave herself a comforting pat. “Okay. Okay, good.”

Lori shook her head. “I can’t believe you thought—It would be an actual miracle, Mama,” she said gravely. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

Sophia sniffed, clearly miffed. “I’m not disappointed.” Her expression softened. “I’m never disappointed in you, mija. I just miss you sometimes.

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