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CHAPTER6
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The farm was no less beautiful in the setting sun that it had been earlier this afternoon. She could see it from a different angle this time and noted that it was a shorter and more direct drive coming from the Davis estate. Unless of course your aim was a secret hideaway closer to the woods. ‘Don’t go there Celia’ she chided herself.
If Sonya Davis were having an affair with Riley O’Rourke, would she have gone to all that trouble to go into the woods? There were more than enough places scattered around the farm to go to if that were the case. And more comfortable too no doubt.
They hadn’t found any soiled mattresses hidden away, or a tent set up for secret trysts; nothing that would lead anyone to suspect someone was having sex out there. Not even an indentation in the grass. Surely they would’ve left some kind of evidence behind if this is something that had been going on for a while.
Her eyes searched out the landscape; she could see silos, barns, some of them older and probably not in use. And she remembered that when she was here earlier the farm hands had been nowhere to be seen.
Which meant that there were plenty of places between the house and the workers where lovers could’ve met without anyone being the wiser, if they were careful. But why would a lover play such a dirty trick with the clown?
As she drove along the white ranch style fence that circled around the twenty or so acres where the house sat, she saw a lone figure walking back towards the house. From the way her stupid heart reacted she was sure it had to be him. And she still had no answers as to why he effected her like this, even after all this time.
It’s not like he was the first good-looking guy she’d ever met. Granted, he was way ahead of the others, but still. And she wasn’t at all the kind of woman who’d go after a married man. Not that he’d ever given her the time of day. He probably didn’t even know that she existed, or so she told herself.
But somehow whenever she saw him, or even thought of him, she had the same reaction; it was uncanny. She’d moved here from the big city to get away from an unrequited love that had got out of hand.
She shivered at the reminder of the upheaval in her life and all that had gone on before she made the move to this place. She’d had no intentions on spending her life in what she once saw as a backwoods town with a population of three thousand.
No, she was more comfortable in the bustling metropolis that had been home her whole life. But when her stalker had infiltrated her life in every possible way, making it so far as into her bedroom in the middle of the night while she slept, she’d decided it was time for a change.
After the trial when he’d gotten away with little more than a slap on the wrist after tormenting her for more than a year, she’d been disgusted with the whole system. The system that she’d worked so hard for had let her down and she’d started seeing herself in all the women who needed her help afterwards.
She was close to throwing in the towel though she’d never quit at anything in her life, but feeling the way she did, she saw no other way. It was hard looking in those women’s faces and giving them the same old bullshit line now that she knew the truth firsthand.
Her captain had seen the cracks and came to the rescue. He’d grown up here in this small town well off the beaten path and instead of letting her give up on her life’s work, had talked her into giving this place a try, at least for a little while.
He’d put in a good word for her with the mayor and since the town was about to lose its only senior investigator who’d been on the job for the better part of thirty years and was on his way out she’d jumped at the chance.
It was a steep contrast from what she was accustomed to, but she’d found her footing here and the place had grown on her. All had gone smoothly with the transition except for this one pesky matter. Her attraction to the town’s wealthiest man.
It would’ve been easier if it were his money she was attracted to. At least that she could fight against and stand a better chance at winning. But this attraction ran much deeper and was a source of discomfort whenever their paths crossed, which thankfully wasn’t that often.
Riley heard the engine coming down the lane, towards the house and turned at the back door where he was just about to wipe his feet on the welcome mat. “Dammit!” He took his hand away from the doorknob and walked back down the steps.
He stood with his arms folded and waited for the driver to get out after coming to a stop. He should’ve known it would be her after seeing her at the house earlier. “Good evening detective.” He took her in-in one glance then looked away.
“Good evening Mr. O’Rourke I wondered if I could ask you and your wife some questions.”
“You can ask me and you can do it out here. My wife’s in bed.” He could see the question in her eyes. It was still quite early in the evening and no one went to bed at this hour, not even in their sleepy little town.
“She was very upset so I gave her something to help her sleep. Now what can I do for you detective?” She didn’t know how to take his words, why would he put his wife to bed this early?
He had to know that the police would want to have a word with her since she and the victim had been such close friends. And hadn’t she told them both that she was coming to see them when she got done with Mr. Davis?
First they left the Davis residence and now this. “I would’ve liked to speak to both of you but I guess I can speak to your wife some other time.” She closed the door with a little more force than was necessary and walked over to stand in front of him. He towered over her by a good few inches and she hoped that he couldn’t see the pulse racing in her throat, or hear the way her breath hitched at his nearness.
She felt just a little annoyed and had to clear her throat twice before she could get the words past the sudden lump in her throat. “So, how well did you know the deceased?” She got out her trusty little notebook not quite sure why she was so upset with him all of a sudden.
“I knew her very well, as well as I knew her husband.” She listened closely for any inflection in his voice.
“I’ve been told that you spent a lot of time at the Davis residence while Mr. Davis was away from home. Can you tell me what…”
“I like the Davis children. Sonya suffered a bit of postpartum depression after Abigail was born.” Oho, touched a nerve have I? She thought as she took a quick look at him before looking back down at her notes.
“Abigail, would that be the youngest Davis child?”
