concentrate on her reason for being here, instead of thinking of her as a woman who needed his help.
The waitress took their order: eggs and sausage for him, cheese omelet and a cup of peach yogurt for her. Nick smiled in approval. He liked a woman with a good appetite. He leaned back and studied Macy. She had the same copper-colored hair and green eyes as her deceased mother, judging from the pictures he’d found of Megan Douglas in his research last night on the internet. There hadn’t been much, just a couple of articles about the trial. Not a lot of help.
But regardless of how good she looked, he couldn’t let those sea-green eyes and that dusting of freckles across her nose distract him from the job at hand—learning why Macy Douglas was in Walnut Grove and what she hoped to accomplish. He didn’t believe she just decided all at once to visit. Something had brought her here, and he wanted to know what. He had a personal interest in this now since his father might have had a hand in sending her dad to prison.
Before he could speak, she put down her fork and gave him a straight look. “Tell me the truth—how did you manage to get to that house so fast last night? I’d only been there for a few minutes before you grabbed me. And why were you parked around the corner instead of in the driveway?”
So all right, maybe she wasn’t as calm as she appeared to be, and apparently she hadn’t forgiven him for his part in what had happened. He searched for the right words. Until he knew why she was here, he wasn’t about to discuss police business with her.
“Like I said, I got a call that you’d pulled into the drive and I was nearby. I drove past just as you stopped. Since I didn’t know who you were or why you were there, I just went around the block and parked, then walked the rest of the way.”
She looked thoughtful. “I see. You said there had been attempted break-ins. What were they looking for, and why didn’t they succeed?”
He took a sip of coffee so hot it burned his tongue, trying to decide how to answer. “I don’t know what they’re looking for. As for why they didn’t succeed, people were used to watching to see if Opal was all right or if she needed anything.”
She gave him a skeptical glance. “Go on.”
He shrugged, hoping to appease her without giving away too much. “Opal had an alarm system installed a couple of years ago. That went off once recently, scaring the burglar away and alerting her neighbors. And people are quick to call in if they see anything suspicious. It’s a good neighborhood. They watch out for each other.”
Whoever was trying to break in had damaged the alarm system so it didn’t work anymore, which was one reason the police were keeping an eye on the place, and why the neighbors were on high alert. Someone was determined to get inside Opal Lassiter’s house. It was common knowledge she didn’t keep anything of value at home, so there had to be another reason for the recent attempts to break in, and he wondered whether it might tie into the sudden appearance of Macy Douglas. Like the robber knew she was coming and wanted to find something before she got there.
He wondered how many people had expected Macy Douglas to show up in town. Sam knew. So how did he find out?
Macy picked up her glass of water and sipped. “Too bad they didn’t have a system like that in place when my mother was killed.”
Nick caught the bitterness in her voice and understood it completely. Compassion surged through him for this woman who had lost so much. “Things are different today, I guess. More people, more crime. But the police were convinced they had the killer. There was evidence to back up that decision.”
Macy gave him a stern look, as if daring him to dispute her words. “The police were wrong. My father wasn’t a killer. He was a good, decent man who was sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. And he died there.”
Nick stared at her, caught by the conviction in her voice. So that was what she believed. Maybe Sam was right. Her coming could stir up trouble they might not be able to control. Start talk like that and people would line up taking sides.
“Do you have any proof of what you’re saying?”
“No, but I’m going to find it, even if I have to turn this town on its ear.”
Judging from the green fire burning in her eyes, he figured she just might do that. According to Sam, passions still ran high over what had happened back then, but most of what he’d heard had been about the election. A woman had been killed. Surely that should have been everyone’s first concern. Had the murder of Megan Douglas gotten lost in the uproar over a failed election? Some people seemed to lose what little sense they had when it came to politics.
Nick glanced at his watch, hating to end this conversation, but they had to go.
“Are you through? If you are, we need to leave. It’s almost time for you to meet with Sam.”
He dropped some bills on the table, enough to pay for breakfast and provide a tip, and followed her outside. “I’ll lead the way. It’s just a short distance from here.”
Macy didn’t look happy, but she nodded and got in her car, and he did the same.
He wasn’t sure what Sam had in mind, but whatever it was, he intended to keep an eye on Macy Douglas. Judging from the mood she was in, there was no telling what kind of trouble she might stir up.
Nick parked in front of the police station and waited for Macy to join him. Their conversation in the restaurant had been puzzling. He guessed it was normal for her to hope her father wasn’t guilty, but she had sounded so sure. Did she have evidence of some kind that led her to believe in his innocence? If she did, where had she found it, and why had it surfaced after all these years?
They entered the building, and Nick led her into the police chief’s office and at Sam’s instruction, took a chair against the wall.
Macy sat down across the desk from Sam, looking a little intimidated. Most people felt nervous at being summoned to a police station, whether or not they had done anything wrong. And here he was sitting behind her, as if he was blocking her from leaving. He guessed he could understand how she felt.
Sam leaned forward, resting his arms on the desktop. Medium height, carrying about ten pounds more than he needed, and his hair thinning on top, he didn’t look as intimidating as he had last night. Nick hoped that would help Macy relax.
The police chief eyed her intently. “You had a rough welcome to Walnut Grove. I hope it goes better from here on out.”
“Thank you.”
He waited, staring at her as if he wanted more. “How long are you planning to stay?”
Nick had a hunch she probably didn’t want to answer Sam’s question.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t talked to my grandmother’s lawyer yet, and I haven’t had a chance to inspect the house. Depending on what I learn, I might be here for an extended visit.”
Sam nodded, his expression and tone of voice sending a clear message that he wasn’t happy with her answer, or with her presence in Walnut Grove. “What do you know about your mother’s death?”
Macy looked like she didn’t want to answer that, either, and Nick wanted to jump in and ask a few questions of his own, but this was Sam’s show, so he made an effort to keep quiet.
After
