“Great peaches come from that part of the state.”
“We grew peaches, pears, and apples when I was growing up.”
Cole had removed the bandage by this time and was inspecting the laceration. Ointment and gauze covered what looked like a skin tear. “You did a good job with first aid. The cut looks superficial, although he’s favoring that leg more than I’d expect.”
“We were up pretty high when it happened. I hated to make him walk all the way down, but I couldn’t carry him.” Flynn lifted a corner of his mouth in a crooked smile.
“He’s probably just sore then, maybe bruised. I’ll clean this wound real good and suture it. We’ll keep an eye on the lameness. He’ll probably heal up okay.” Cole stood, moving to fill a stainless steel bucket with warm water and to retrieve a bottle of iodine cleanser. He grabbed some cotton, squatted back down beside the sorrel, and began to scrub the leg gently.
“I was up around Redstone Ridge today,” Cole said. “Were you anywhere near that area?”
“I was north of there, near Lowell Pass.”
A trail that angled north and west outside of Timber Creek, not anywhere close to the area where the ram had been killed.
Cole remembered what he’d learned about the family from Riley last night. “Your daughter told us about you losing your wife. I’m sorry about that.”
Flynn nodded, averting his eyes. “We’re learning to deal with it. Takes a while.”
“It surely does.” He didn’t feel comfortable sharing his own story, so he left it at that and went back to the business at hand. “This looks clean and I don’t think we’ll have any trouble closing it.”
After blocking the area with a local anesthetic, Cole began the process of suturing the wound, keeping the conversation light. Grief was a private thing and not always something to be exposed to new acquaintances, and he thought he’d let the man keep his to himself.
Thinking about grief led his mind back to Mattie. When he finished up here, he would try to reach her again.
As Mattie and Robo left the station, her phone signaled an incoming text from Riley that said, “R u home. I’m at happy shack. Can I come over?”
Mattie sent a quick reply: “Stay put. I’m coming to get you.”
While she’d been in her office completing her paperwork, Mattie had forced herself to reboot from being the victim’s relative so she could switch back into cop mode. Sure, Willie’s death hurt like hell, but the only thing she could do about it now was to find his killer. And that was something she vowed to do.
Past experience had taught her that work typically filled the emptiness inside. And two things she needed to get done this evening were to find an after school place for Riley to hang out and check out this Happy Shack ice cream parlor to make sure it was a wholesome place. As always, drugs were her main concern. Timber Creek had purchased Robo for their sheriff’s department to reduce drug traffic through their community. If there was someone out there hoping to score a sale with minors in her town, she wanted to be on the front line preventing it.
After loading Robo into his compartment, Mattie drove to Main Street. The ice cream place had taken over a small clapboard building near the grocery store. The owner had spruced up the front with plywood cutouts of tulips spray painted with hues of rose, yellow, and purple as well as cutouts of ice cream cones topped with chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla flavors. A handwritten board labeled HAPPY SHACK leaned against the building by the door.
The sun had set and the atmosphere was taking on a chill for the night. Mattie decided to leave Robo in the car for the few minutes this would take.
She navigated her way through the wooden flowers and ice cream cones while she peeked inside through the windows. The few video game machines that she’d heard so much about lined the back wall of the open room while tables clustered in the middle. An old-fashioned soda counter sat near the right wall, complete with filigreed stools. Riley—the only customer—perched on one of them.
She appeared to be deep in conversation with the woman on the far side of the counter, but she swiveled her chair around and greeted Mattie with a huge grin when she entered the store.
“I got your text,” Riley said. “I’m so glad you’re home! Thanks for coming to get me.”
The girl’s enthusiastic greeting helped sooth her grieving soul. “Sure. I’m glad I was able to.”
The woman across the counter looked like a lady who spent quite a bit of time in front of a mirror. She had lovely, purple-colored eyes, probably enhanced with tinted contacts. She wore her blond hair swept up into a cascade of curls that tumbled to her shoulders, and her smooth skin and reddened lips were covered with makeup artfully applied. The whole effect was one of an attractive lady entering middle age but holding on to her youth for dear life. To Mattie, she was a perfect example of where less could have been more.
Mattie extended her hand and introduced herself.
“My name’s Violet. Violet Carter,” the lady said, offering Mattie a firm squeeze with the ends of her fingers and a smile that revealed pretty, white teeth. “I’m so glad to meet you. Riley says you’re a friend of hers and you teach a class at the school. Sort of a Just Say No class.”
“That’s all correct.” Mattie slipped a smile toward Riley before focusing back on Violet. The name matched her eyes, perhaps part of the overall plan. “Welcome to town. I hear you opened your business just this past weekend.”
“We’re so happy to be here. I’ve always dreamed of owning a business in a small town like this. And here we are.”
Mattie leaned a hip against a stool and an elbow on the counter. “What brought you to Timber Creek?”
“Actually, it was my husband’s idea to live in a small town. He wanted a place where he could fish and hunt, and I wanted a place where I could run a business that might make a difference in kids’ lives. So Timber Creek looked like a place to try.”
“You’re interested in helping out kids?”
“Always. I ran a day care before. We had a houseful of children all the time. The little ones are too hard for me to keep up with anymore, so I thought an after school hangout might be the ticket. Especially in a town where it looks like there aren’t too many places for the kids to spend time together and just have fun.”
“Do you have children of your own?”
“Oh, my yes. I have three, but they’re all grown and out living lives of their own. They don’t have much time for their mama anymore.” Riley was rotating the stool she sat on back and forth, and Violet reached to pat one of her hands that were braced against the counter. “It does my heart good to get to spend time with a girl like Riley. We hit it off the minute we met.”
The door opened, and Violet’s face lit as she glanced behind Mattie to see who had entered. “Darling, you’re back,” she said, her voice filled with pleasure. “Did you catch anything?”
Mattie turned to see a man who had iron-gray hair peppered with black. He was built wide and solid, like a fireplug. He gave her a keen once over before turning his attention back to Violet.
“I caught four brookies and a rainbow. Prettiest trout you’ve ever seen. Dinner tonight?” He walked behind the counter and gave Violet a quick kiss on the lips before turning his attention to Mattie and Riley. He offered his hand to Mattie first. “I’m John Carter, Violet’s other half.”
Mattie shook hands. “Deputy Mattie Cobb, and this is Riley.”
“Pleased to meet you.” John turned back to Violet. “I got home early and had time to put the horses away for the evening. Then I grabbed my tools and came over to hang that sign for you.”