She laughed, a weary sound. “Thanks.”
He closed the door and rounded the hood. Though she appreciated the compliment, it was difficult to feel good about herself anymore. There was a time when she was proud of her work, proud of what she had accomplished. But all that ended on her wedding night. Add all those nights in prison and she felt worthless most of the time.
She was reasonably confident she would never look at herself with any sort of pride again. Not here for sure. As Eudora said, Rory could never have a life here again. To pretend otherwise was foolish. Didn’t matter anyway. If the detective and the district attorney had their way, she would be going back to prison. She imagined the Harrises were donating heavily to the cause.
Rory thought of the friends of Pete’s who had broken her window. And the other two who had vandalized her home. They all thought she was a murderer. Of course they didn’t want her back in town. She could just imagine what today’s headlines would look like. Some hungry reporter would have heard about her return already.
No matter. Rory was back in Scottsboro. Whether she stayed was irrelevant. The one thing that mattered was finding the truth and making sure the persons who murdered her husband were brought to justice.
She glanced at the man who settled behind the steering wheel. He would help make that happen. If she’d had any doubt whatsoever, she had none now. Just this morning, he had helped her to see several holes in the first investigation. Whether the detective was incompetent or had some other agenda, he had ignored those details.
There would be no ignoring them now.
Kindred Residence
Tupelo Pike
Scottsboro, 11:30 a.m.
Rory had calledher attorney’s office on the way back from the cottage. She was supposed to call the attorney as soon as she was settled but she’d been a little preoccupied. She left a message with his secretary along with her new number. Hopefully he would call soon. She had a good amount to share with him already.
As Chance slowed to turn into her driveway, Rory leaned forward. Where were all the red splotches?
“Do you recognize that truck?” Chance asked.
Her gaze shifted from the house to the driveway. The tan-colored truck parked there was not one she recognized. Squinting her eyes, she studied the driver. Male. Dark hair. Cut short. His back was turned, so she couldn’t see his face. He wore jeans and a checked shirt. He stood in her front yard, coiling up a water hose. She and Chance had just stopped by the hardware store and picked up a hose and a long-handled scrub brush.
Apparently they weren’t going to need either now.
The man standing in her yard turned as gravel crunched under their tires.
Shane.Rory drew back, glanced at the driver. “It’s Shane Carter. He’s the deputy who stopped by yesterday right after I arrived. He’s Pete’s cousin.”
“Looks like he did our work for us.” Chance shut off the engine.
Shane waved, and Rory reached for her door. Maybe there was one person in this town who didn’t hate her. “I’m grateful. After that run-in with Pete’s mom, it’s nice to have someone at least act like a friend.”
Chance agreed, “A helping hand is always appreciated.”
They emerged from the vehicle. Chance tagged along behind her since Shane was someone she knew. Rory worked up a smile for the man. “Wow. That was sure a nice surprise to come home to.”
Shane shook his head. “It’s a disgrace. I heard about it at the station early this morning. I came by, but you were gone.” He shrugged. “I figured you wouldn’t mind me taking care of the mess.” His attention settled on Chance then. He gave him a nod of acknowledgment.
“I’m sorry.” Rory gestured to the man now standing at her side. “This is Chance Rader. He’s a private investigator helping me in my search for the truth.”
“Good to meet you.” Shane extended his hand.
Chance gave his hand a shake. “Same.” He glanced at the house. “It was good of you to take care of this.”
“No problem, man, really.” Shane’s expression turned somber. “It’s a damned shame you have to go through this again, Rory. I want you to know I’m doing all I can to help. I’m asking questions and digging around. If I find or learn anything, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
Rory would never find the right words to adequately articulate how much she appreciated the effort. “We can use all the help we can get. I think you’re the only person in the county who believes me.”
“Anyone who really knows you,” Shane countered, “should know you couldn’t possibly have hurt Pete. It’s bull.”
“I just hope I can prove it,” Rory granted. What else was there to say? Now the burden of proof was back on her. She knew better than to trust the system that supposedly presumed a person was innocent until proven guilty. It had already failed her once. She wasn’t repeating that mistake again.
“Were you close to Pete?” Chance asked Shane.
