when I dropped in to pick up the books Leah had told me I could borrow, I asked her if she’d found someone to take those pictures for her and show her around. Leah’s neighbor delighted in telling me the news when I arrived.” She cocked her head toward the house next-door where a curtain quickly fell back into place.
Mark shook his head, not used to small towns like this.
“Sure enough,” Tessa continued without a pause, “she was glad to have hired you but decided to go ahead and do some legwork herself.”
Mark ran a hand down his face. When Tessa got to talking, she really could talk, he thought wryly. “You didn’t happen to mention, chérie, that the snakes are bad this time of year?”
“I did,” Tessa said, grinning.
“Did you tell her there still might be vagrants wandering around after the trouble we had out that way a few months ago?”
“Actually, I didn’t, Mark. I figured if snakes didn’t scare her, men wouldn’t.” Eyeing Mark speculatively she added, “Though perhaps that would have been the right excuse to use after all.”
“I can’t believe she went out there…. She hired me,” Mark replied, worried. “Which way did she go?”
“Mrs. Culpepper’s,” Tessa replied cheerfully.
Mark tilted his head, studying Tessa. “And just why do you tell me this with such a buoyant attitude?” he queried, that Cajun accent slipping back into his speech.
Her grin widened. “Because I am hoping, Mark, that you’ll go out there and make sure she’s okay.”
“Does this entire town worry about that woman?” Mark asked, hands going to his hips, exasperated.
“We sure do,” Tessa replied drawing a reluctant grin from Mark. “You didn’t think you were the only one, did you?”
“She does tend to bring out that protective instinct, doesn’t she?” Mark replied softly.
“She sure does.”
“Okay, Tessa. I’ll go check on her. After all, it is what I am being paid for,” he replied. “To help her out on this project. And when I find her, we’ll restate just what we each expect from the other in this job,” he added.
Tessa chuckled her deep rich chuckle and replied, “You do that. She’s only got about a five or ten-minute start on you. I’m sure you’ll find her easily.”
“Thanks, Tessa. Tell Drake hi,” he replied.
He turned and headed back toward his Jeep wondering just why Leah had headed out on her own without contacting him.
If he had his way, he was about to find out.
After hopping into the Jeep, he quickly left behind the city limits of Hill Creek and headed out toward the west side of town where Mrs. Culpepper lived. At the fourth mile road, as they called them since the roads were laid out so straight, he turned right.
A nice popular camping area located about five miles up was where she’d most likely gone, Mark thought. The Culpeppers owned part of the land. The rest they donated to the county for the people of Hill Creek County. It wasn’t to be developed, simply kept there so that there would always be a place for people to camp and wander. Ten thousand acres. When Mrs. Culpepper’s husband had passed on she’d said that with no children, she didn’t want the land going to the state when she died. She had donated it instead with a provision for a specific use.
She was a town icon, someone that everyone enjoyed and visited. A bit eccentric, but a good old woman. Mark had a notion that she would have made a good mother. He’d gotten to know her through Wil Whitefeather who had been acquainted with the Culpeppers for years.
Driving past Mrs. Culpepper’s house, he continued until he reached the small dirt road that led to a parking area. This part consisted of boulders placed in a semicircle on the ground. The area would hold two or three buses and a dozen cars.
He had no trouble spotting Leah’s car. Spotting Leah, however, was a different matter.
“Ten minutes. How far could the woman be?” he muttered and killed the engine of his Jeep. Pushing open the door he swung his long legs out and stood, scanning the rocky, hilly area. The summer sun beat down on his head, causing him to lean in, grab his hat and slip it on his head. A wind blew, giving relief to the hot dry air. All was quiet except for the rustling of tree branches as the wind made its music.
Mesquite trees, scrub oaks and sagebrush dotted the vicinity enough to easily block the view of someone within shouting distance. He pulled out the small cylindrical container in his pocket and fished for another toothpick. He continued to scan.
“Leah!”
So he’d shout, he thought, disgruntled. Shouting wasn’t his way. But she sure wasn’t anywhere in the area. Slipping the toothpick into his mouth he shifted impatiently. The nearby river that crossed the land was an ideal place for people to camp. Perhaps she’d gone out that way.
“Leah!” he called again and started out toward the river.
“Mark?”
He nearly jumped out of his skin when her voice came from behind him. Whirling, he opened his mouth to rail at her and stopped, surprised. “Wil,” he said nodding to the old man who stood with her.
“We were scouting the area,” Leah said. “I found Mr. Whitefeather out here hunting. He was showing me the bird’s nest he’d found.”
The aged Native American, his dark weathered skin creasing with a smile replied, “I thought Ms. Thomas might like it for her class.”
“I’m sure she would. Thank you for being with her, though.”
Leah frowned.
Wil chuckled. “That talk, young one, will get you into trouble.”
“That’s right,” Leah replied. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” Those words sounded so out of place with that soft-pitched voice.
Mark hadn’t planned to say anything in front of Wil, but Leah’s words were like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Throwing caution and concern to the wind, he asked, “Oh? Why did you hire me if you could take care of yourself, chérie?”
Leah sighed, amazingly still soft-spoken as she replied, “I thought to come out ahead and look over the area. I don’t need a bodyguard.” Some quick emotion passed across her face, one Mark couldn’t identify. It was gone so quickly Mark wasn’t sure if he had imagined it. Pausing, he considered her and thought he might have hit a nerve.
“Do you know there are snakes out here?” he prodded gently, thinking to drive home his point. This woman was just too helpless. She didn’t need to be out here like this. “And what about riffraff? Be glad it was Wil you ran into and not someone else.”
Leah bristled.
“I think, young one,” Wil said looking pointedly at Mark, “that you still have not learned patience and trust.”
Mark
