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“They don’t speak to outsiders and no doubt they’re wondering why I’ve welcomed you into my home. You see we don’t approve of women wearing pants or taking men’s jobs.” Suffolk went to the kitchen sink to wash up. He looked at the women. “This is my ma and Dawn. Ma is here to teach Dawn the way of things, so we can marry. I’m not making another mistake, so I chose a young one this time.”
“Did you divorce your wife?” Jo’s lips flattened as she regarded the young woman.
“Nah, she died.” Suffolk shrugged. “Without a man’s protection bad things happen.” He turned his hard glare to Dawn. “Don’t they, Dawn?”
The girl kept her gaze on the floor and that warning prickle crawled up Jenna’s neck again. “May I ask how she died?”
“Her brakes failed and she wrecked her ride, out near Blackwater.” Suffolk dried his hands on a towel Dawn supplied. “Take a seat. Coffee and cake or would you prefer lemonade? My ma makes it fresh every day.” He sat down at the table and looked at Dawn. “I’m sitting and you’re still dithering. Time’s money and I need to be back at work.” He swung his gaze back to Jenna.
“Coffee is fine for us, thanks, no cake.” Jenna sat at the table as Suffolk drummed his fingers on the table clearly agitated.
“You DC types are always watching your figures.” His gaze moved over them. “It’s an obsession we don’t allow.”
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p; I wonder when he was in DC. Jenna shrugged. “I see. I haven’t been to DC for years, when where you there?”
“A few years ago, I guess.” He narrowed his gaze at her. “I’m not giving you a reason for being there if that’s what you’re fishing for, a man has a right to go where he pleases during his vacation.”
Jenna raised a brow at his attitude and smiled. “I couldn’t agree more.”
The coffee and fixings arrived in seconds and Suffolk’s huge plate of sandwiches. The next moment the women scuttled out the door like frightened rabbits. Jenna added cream and sugar to her cup. A worry crept over her about the young vulnerable woman and she had to ask. “So does your mother live with you?”
“No, she has Pa to care for but she comes by to watch Dawn when I’m working.” He looked from one to the other. “Dawn isn’t from around here. She came recommended by one of my colleagues. If she shapes up, I’ll marry her.” He waved a hand around the house. “So far she is working out just fine. She doesn’t say much and that’s fine by me.”
“How old is Dawn?” Jo stirred her coffee. “She seems a mite inexperienced for a man of your age.”
“Coming up sixteen.” He ate slowly. “Enough of snooping into my private life. What is it you need to know about Isaac Wood?”
Trying not to change her facial expression, Jenna sipped the coffee but inside her mind was reeling. Suffolk had just added another reason for her to be suspicious of him. He had an underage girl living with him and if she made an issue out of it, she might place them all in danger. Having no idea what this huge man was capable of, she’d have to act nonchalant and wait for backup. She tried to focus on the questions but inside, she wondered if the timid girl was the missing Sophie Wood. “Just the details of the complaint. You mentioned he gave you bad advice about your wife?”
“Not to me, to her.” Suffolk bit into a sandwich and chewed thoughtfully. “You need to understand the way of things here. We look at marriage a little differently from some folks. Our church started here in Louan fifty years ago. Our womenfolk accept that we are the providers and they are chattels. They promise to obey and we enforce the contract. Any females born into our church are the chattels of their father and do as they say, marry who they say. Understand?” He sighed. “He told my wife she had the right to complain and go against my wishes. He said she could leave at any time and wear what she decided. That’s not our way.”
“What did you expect a marriage counselor to say to you?” Jo frowned. “That’s how most of the people in this country show respect to each other.”
“That is not how we measure respect. I wanted to go and speak to an elder of our church and ask him to enforce our teachings but she refused and insisted we go to speak to a social worker. How Phelps ever put us with Wood I don’t know, he has our own people working there.” He huffed an annoyed sigh. “I figure that receptionist of his had a hand in it. She is an old busybody. I spoke to Phelps and he knew nothing about it.”
“I see.” Jenna watched him eat and tried to understand how a woman could be treated as property. “Wasn’t your wife from your church?”
“Of course, she was.” He gave her an exasperated stare. “But she went to the hospital on a few occasions and some of the nurses there brainwashed her.” He snorted. “This is why I wanted her to speak to an elder but then she refused to do my bidding. I had no choice but to haul her down to speak to a marriage counselor. My word nor the back of my hand made any difference, and after the meeting with Wood she was past redemption.”
“So, you put in a complaint and the next thing the Woods’ entire family dies in a housefire.”
“You don’t say?” Suffolk’s gaze was cold and expressionless. “Now some would say that was divine intervention, same as the car wreck that freed me from my wife and allowed me to start fresh.”
“It was homicide.” Jo was watching him closely. “Someone planted an explosive device in their home and kidnapped their daughter.”
“And you’re telling me this why?” Suffolk sipped his coffee, eyeing Jo suspiciously.
“Because of the complaint, we’re hunting down anyone who might have had a problem with Mr. Wood.” Jo placed her cup into the saucer. “When did you last see Isaac Wood?”
“The day we had the counseling session.” Suffolk snorted. “Why would I need to see him again? The man is a fool.”
“And where were you around nine on Tuesday evening?” Jo lifted her chin. “Just for the record.”
“I was in Black Rock Falls.” He leaned back in his chair making it creak under his weight. “I had an urgent delivery for Miller’s Garage. I spoke to George and then had a meal at Aunt Betty’s Café. I dropped by the Triple Z Bar for a few beers and I’m not sure when I arrived home.” His mouth formed a thin line. “Why?”
Jenna noticed Dawn hovering near the doorway trying to get her attention. She gave her a very slight nod and stood, collected the coffee cups, and then took them to the sink. As she passed the kitchen door, Dawn thrust a note toward her and Jenna slipped it into her pocket. Without missing a stride, she retook her seat. “I’m sure you understand, Mr. Suffolk, when we chase down leads, we like to have a timeline of where everyone was at the time of the incident. It’s nothing personal.”
