guessing there could have been some dirty work going on. There’s always that possibility. And no, I don’t think your dad would have taken part, but he might not have known about it. I don’t know all that much about what went on, and at the time it wasn’t any of my business, so I really didn’t care all that much.”
Nick narrowed his eyes. “That was what, twelve or thirteen years ago?”
“More like seventeen, I believe. Macy was just a kid. He knocked her out, almost killed her. And that was another problem. Regardless of Steve’s politics, a lot of people had trouble believing he’d kill his wife or hurt his own kid. He was crazy about that girl.”
Nick remembered the way Macy Douglas had stared at the old house. Something had brought her to Walnut Grove and he had a feeling it was rooted in the past.
“If he was innocent, that means there might still be a killer out there who doesn’t want to get caught.”
TWO
M orning light filtered through the blinds as Macy glanced around the motel room. This wasn’t turning out to be a great day. First she needed to get through the meeting with Sam Halston. Then she had the meeting with the lawyer, another thing she wasn’t looking forward to. According to him, her grandmother Lassiter had been dead for several months, but he’d had to close out the estate and then it took a while to locate her. And then after seeing the lawyer she would move into her grandmother’s house. She had no idea what she was getting into, but there were only two options: carry this through or turn tail and run.
She had no place to run.
When Grandma Mattie had been battling the cancer that had finally killed her, Macy had to take several days off work at Wesley Manufacturing, which hadn’t sat well with her supervisor, Lena Hankins, a cold, play-it-by-the-book woman who didn’t believe in second chances. Then when she had needed a few days to get her grandmother’s affairs in order Lena had given her a choice: forget it or quit.
Fresh from the funeral and still wounded by losing the only family member she had left, Macy had walked out. So here she was, no job, no family, no one who cared. She’d listed Grandma Mattie’s house for sale, but so far, no takers.
And eating breakfast with Nick Baldwin seemed way too intimate. What had she been thinking? A knock on the door sent her hurrying to open it. Nick stood there in his police uniform, the rising sun dusting his shoulders with gold. His smile was warm and welcoming. At this stage in her life, warm and welcoming was good. He was also six feet or more of muscle and charm. A deadly combination.
His dark hair was combed back, not rumpled as it had been in last night’s storm, and his golden-brown eyes were friendly as he stepped back to let her walk past. She accidently brushed against him, and quickly moved on, more aware of him than she liked. What was it about Nick Baldwin that affected her this way?
He smiled and her pulse rate accelerated. “I guess we’d better go in separate cars since you have an appointment with your lawyer right after you talk to Sam.”
The flare of disappointment caught her by surprise. After all, it wasn’t as if she wanted to spend more time with him—or did she?
And her lawyer? She’d never met Raleigh Benson. Would he be friendly to the granddaughter who had never seen or talked to Opal Lassiter, her maternal grandmother, in the past seventeen years? Or would he be one of the enemies her grandmother Douglas had warned her about in the letter Macy had found after her death?
Macy closed the door and locked it behind her, and they walked through the parking area. The April air smelled fresh and clean after the rain. A sprinkling of new leaves brightened the tall oaks, and sturdy green shoots of jonquils held a promise of golden blooms to come. Nick waved from his car and she followed, finding it hard to believe that she was actually looking forward to having breakfast with him.
Last
Nick narrowed his eyes. “That was what, twelve or thirteen years ago?”
“More like seventeen, I believe. Macy was just a kid. He knocked her out, almost killed her. And that was another problem. Regardless of Steve’s politics, a lot of people had trouble believing he’d kill his wife or hurt his own kid. He was crazy about that girl.”
Nick remembered the way Macy Douglas had stared at the old house. Something had brought her to Walnut Grove and he had a feeling it was rooted in the past.
“If he was innocent, that means there might still be a killer out there who doesn’t want to get caught.”
TWO
M orning light filtered through the blinds as Macy glanced around the motel room. This wasn’t turning out to be a great day. First she needed to get through the meeting with Sam Halston. Then she had the meeting with the lawyer, another thing she wasn’t looking forward to. According to him, her grandmother Lassiter had been dead for several months, but he’d had to close out the estate and then it took a while to locate her. And then after seeing the lawyer she would move into her grandmother’s house. She had no idea what she was getting into, but there were only two options: carry this through or turn tail and run.
She had no place to run.
When Grandma Mattie had been battling the cancer that had finally killed her, Macy had to take several days off work at Wesley Manufacturing, which hadn’t sat well with her supervisor, Lena Hankins, a cold, play-it-by-the-book woman who didn’t believe in second chances. Then when she had needed a few days to get her grandmother’s affairs in order Lena had given her a choice: forget it or quit.
Fresh from the funeral and still wounded by losing the only family member she had left, Macy had walked out. So here she was, no job, no family, no one who cared. She’d listed Grandma Mattie’s house for sale, but so far, no takers.
And eating breakfast with Nick Baldwin seemed way too intimate. What had she been thinking? A knock on the door sent her hurrying to open it. Nick stood there in his police uniform, the rising sun dusting his shoulders with gold. His smile was warm and welcoming. At this stage in her life, warm and welcoming was good. He was also six feet or more of muscle and charm. A deadly combination.
His dark hair was combed back, not rumpled as it had been in last night’s storm, and his golden-brown eyes were friendly as he stepped back to let her walk past. She accidently brushed against him, and quickly moved on, more aware of him than she liked. What was it about Nick Baldwin that affected her this way?
He smiled and her pulse rate accelerated. “I guess we’d better go in separate cars since you have an appointment with your lawyer right after you talk to Sam.”
The flare of disappointment caught her by surprise. After all, it wasn’t as if she wanted to spend more time with him—or did she?
And her lawyer? She’d never met Raleigh Benson. Would he be friendly to the granddaughter who had never seen or talked to Opal Lassiter, her maternal grandmother, in the past seventeen years? Or would he be one of the enemies her grandmother Douglas had warned her about in the letter Macy had found after her death?
Macy closed the door and locked it behind her, and they walked through the parking area. The April air smelled fresh and clean after the rain. A sprinkling of new leaves brightened the tall oaks, and sturdy green shoots of jonquils held a promise of golden blooms to come. Nick waved from his car and she followed, finding it hard to believe that she was actually looking forward to having breakfast with him.
Last
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