Unexpected Defense by Laura Snider

Author:Laura Snider [Snider, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-03-06T16:00:00+00:00

22

KATIE

After ending her call with Ashley, Katie immediately left for the Campbell farm. There was no time to waste, especially if she wanted to get Albert settled into Nikki’s house and back in time for Lucas to take his medications and get a good night’s sleep.

The weather was typical for March, yo-yoing up and down from freezing temperatures to seventy-degree days. Today, the weather was mild, in the mid-fifties with an overcast sky. A tad gloomy, but a nice break from the miserable February temperatures. The radio was on, and her mind was blank as she drove for perhaps the final time to the property while it was still owned by the Campbell family.

When she arrived, she pulled all the way up the driveway, parking right in front of the deck. Albert came to the door holding his shotgun, but he kept it at his side, smiling and waving at her.

“Howdy-do, little lady,” Albert said.

“Hello there,” she said as she came up onto the rickety porch.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’ve come for a couple reasons. We’ve solved your living situation. Nikki Nelson would like you to move in with her.”

“She does? I thought she was mad at me. She never visits anymore.”

“That has nothing to do with you. Or Lucas. She’s got some problems of her own, Albert, but I’ll let her explain those to you. It’s not my place.”

He nodded.

“Let’s get packing up your stuff.”

“What about the furniture?”

“Kristy is coming for that. I spoke to her earlier today. She said you should take whatever you want, and she’ll come get what remains before the auction.”

“I don’t want any of this stuff. What’s an old man to do with a couch when he has no home?”

Katie didn’t know what to say to that. It was a valid point. Instead of dwelling on it, she switched topics.

“Ashley mentioned Lucas had some sleeping medications. Do you know where he would keep those?”

Albert’s bushy eyebrows shot up in surprise. “He wants them?”

“Umm, yeah. Is that a problem?”

He shook his head, a sharp snap back and forth. “He said he wasn’t goin’ to take them anymore.”

“I guess he changed his mind. Ashley went to see him today, and she said he looks terrible. He hasn’t been sleeping. He’s under a lot of stress. Why did he stop taking them?”

Albert shrugged. “They worked too well, I guess. Sure, he slept like the dead, but it didn’t help none when he could barely wake up the next morning to get his chores done.”

“They made him groggy the next day?”

“More than that. He’d wake up and not only his mind would be tired, but his body, too. He’d move around like he was as old as me, complaining about sore muscles and stiff joints.”

“I see. Well, I think he’s desperate at this point. He needs some sleep if he is going to be any assistance in his defense. He can’t face a jury looking like he does now. They’ll convict him based on that.”

Albert shook his head, slowly, sadly, because he knew it was true.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.