Today's Promises (Promises #2)(48)

Sure, there are projects here and there, but it’s not always something one can depend on. And that’s not going to cut it. I need consistent, reliable employment if I’m serious about building a future with Jaynie.

And I am. More than anything else in my life, I want to do that.

But what sort of employment would I best be suited for?

When I think back to my time at the Lowry house, I have to admit that for all the bad times there were a few good ones. Meeting Jaynie is certainly at the top of that list, as well as forging what I know will always be lifelong relationships with Mandy and the twins.

The twins… I think about the time I spent with them, specifically their home-schooling. We older kids were responsible for teaching Cody and Callie all their school subjects, and we did a good job. I, however, was especially adept at helping Cody. He has difficulties learning in traditional ways, but that never mattered to me. I was always coming up with creative methods to teach him what he needed to learn.

Like this one time with math. Cody couldn’t figure out how to count. I enlisted Jaynie and together we used craft materials—different colored wooden dowels, to be specific—to help Cody learn to add.

Maybe I could take some college classes myself, just like Jaynie plans to do.

Maybe I could become a teacher.

Hell, I think I’d really like that.

With a newfound purpose in my step, I stride to the new work area, only to discover all the other workers have stopped for lunch.

Sighing, I take a seat on a huge cement block, away from the other guys. I open my brown bag and pull out the creation I made this morning before I left the sandwich shop. But just as I’m about to bite into tasty roast beef and cheddar on five-grain bread, my masterpiece, my cell buzzes.

It has to be Jaynie, so I place my sandwich on the crinkled bag and answer the phone, all without checking to see who the caller actually is.

“Hey, babe,” I say without pause.

“Um…” Shit, not Jaynie. “It’s Detective Silver,” the voice on the other end informs me. “This is Flynn O’Neill, yes?”

“Yes. It’s me.” I clear my throat, my cheeks warming at my silly misstep. “Sorry. I thought you were someone else.”

“Clearly.”

There’s humor in the detective’s voice, and I can’t help but chuckle myself. But then, as always, he gets down to business.

“I called today to give you a head’s up on the Canfield case, just like I promised I would.”

“Hey, I appreciate that,” I say. “So, what’s up?”

“My court date for today was postponed,” Detective Silver informs me. “So, it looks like I may have some extra time on my hands. I was thinking of driving up to the Lowry property to check out your lead on that potential new evidence.”

“Whoa, that’s great.” I blow out a breath, both nervous and excited. I want the detective to find the planted evidence, sure, but I can’t help but worry a little that he’ll realize it’s manufactured. “So you’re heading up there, like, right now?” I croak out.

“Yes,” he replies. “Though this is too last-minute for me to get a forensics team together. Still, I can take some photos and cordon off the area. I’ll get another patrolman posted up there to stay the night. I had one on duty last night, but he’s off today.”

My voice cracks as I ask, “You had a patrolman on duty up there?”

“Absolutely. We wouldn’t want to take a chance on vandals getting to the evidence you told me about before the authorities do, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right,” I murmur.

Shit. This is it. There’s no turning back. I should call Jaynie to let her know the ball is rolling.

Quickly, I end the call with the detective, and then I try to reach Jaynie.

Unfortunately, there’s no answer, which I find a little odd. Jaynie always picks up when it’s me…unless she has no service.

But where could she be that she has no cell service?





Jaynie



Okay, so traipsing around on the Lowry property all by my lonesome is kind of terrifying.

Who knows what kind of weirdos could be lurking up here in the middle of a lonely summer day?

The silence is positively deafening as I walk more briskly up the long driveway. Seems even the birds have nothing to sing about today up in this hellhole. And then, as if things weren’t creepy enough already, the wind starts to blow, making it sound as if the leaves on the trees are whispering to me: Watch Out!

“Crap,” I murmur. “Stop with the overactive imagination already.”

Still, I pick up the pace. Consequently, I’m down at the work barn in no time. Despite wearing cotton shorts and a thin tee, I am drenched in sweat.

Fanning myself with one hand and pushing the barn door open with the other, I mutter, “God, just make this fast, you fool.”

It’s unsettlingly dim in the work barn, and, of course, that’s when I realize I left my cell in the car. Not that it matters, since there’s such spotty service up here. If I find myself in a bind, I’ll be shit out of luck.

Pushing damp hair from my face, I hurry into the shadowy recesses and rush over to the area where Flynn and I hid the ‘evidence.’ Once I’m in the right place, I drop to my knees and get to work on removing the cement slab from our fake evidence hiding place.