Page 110 of Taken Away

“Where were you Saturday night?”

The pliers stopped moving.

Red’s expression closed completely.

“Home.”

“Can anybody verify that?”

“Nope.”

Luke wrote that down.

Red noticed.

“Go ahead and scribble it.”

“I’m doing my job.”

“Then do it right.”

Luke let that hang a moment.

Red pointed toward the pasture.

“Storm knocked down two sections of north fence.”

Luke waited.

“I spent half the damn night fixing it.”

“Anybody see you?”

“No.”

Luke wrote again.

No alibi.

Red watched him for several seconds.

Then shook his head.

“Y’all really think I killed her?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

The wind moved through the grass between them.

Luke studied the older man.

“Tell me about Aubrey.”

Red barked out a laugh.

“There it is.”