Twilight at Blueberry Barrens (Sunset Cove #3)(33)
As if to punctuate the threat, her uncle stooped and picked up a hefty rock. “I have nothing to lose anymore, Kate. Do what I ask. Now.”
She looked at the boulder in his hand, then at his set face. There were probably spiders and centipedes in that cave. She suppressed a shudder and flipped on the flashlight, and then she stepped into the kayak and picked up the paddle.
SIXTEEN
The side-yard light cast a wide circle of illumination into the backyard. Drake stood on the back porch as Kevin O’Connor snagged the raccoon with a noose under the cottage and transferred it to the cage. “That didn’t take long.”
Drake had called the game-warden service after the animal started scratching at the floorboards in the kitchen. The girls had refused to go to bed with the terrifying noise. He tried to reassure them that it was Vince, but they’d been hysterical. Phoebe had liked the raccoon when it had seemed a cuddly stuffed animal, but the noises it made now had evaporated all her warm feelings.
Kevin put the cage in the back of his pickup. “I’ll relocate this big fella and everyone will be happy.” He smiled at the two girls peering out the backdoor screen. “You did the right thing by having your uncle call me. This guy will be a lot happier out in the woods.”
“Uncle Drake thought we were being silly,” Emma said. “Are there bears out there? He said the sound couldn’t be a bear.”
“In this case he was right. A bear couldn’t get under that small space.” Kevin slammed the tailgate shut.
“In this case?” Drake glanced around but saw nothing in the dark beyond the circle of light cast by the overhead lamp.
Kevin nodded and pulled his keys from his pocket. “It’s late July, and the bears are trying to fatten up as much as possible. They love any kind of berry so they’ve been known to come this way. Make sure you don’t put any trash out unless it’s in a bear-proof can.” He pointed to the big rubber trash can Drake had bought in town. “That thing will just attract them. Get a metal one with a tight-fitting lid and store it in the shed out back. Or in the garage.”
“I’ll get another kind. Anything else?”
Kevin pointed at the apple tree at the edge of the property. “Make sure you pick up any fallen apples. Fruit like that attracts them also.” He stepped to the overhang on the porch and took down the hummingbird feeder. “Bring this in at night too. And make sure you clean your barbecue grill after using it.”
The entire thing sounded daunting, but Drake nodded. “Is it safe to let the girls play outside alone?”
Kevin considered the question as he looked at Phoebe and Emma staring with big eyes through the door. “If they’re paying attention, they’d see any animal coming across the fields, but kids don’t always look for those things, and the girls aren’t used to living up here. I’d keep bear spray handy. I know Kate is looking after them, and she knows how to handle herself.”
At the mention of Kate, Drake decided he wanted to talk to Kevin in private. He turned toward the cottage. “The raccoon is gone, so you girls go brush your teeth. I’ll be up in a minute to read you a story.”
Phoebe’s lower lip came out. “I want to stay with you.”
“Emma will be with you. Go on to bed. There’s nothing left to be afraid of, and I’ll be there to pray with you in a minute.”
With a final protesting glance, the girls moved away from the door. Emma’s comforting voice faded as they went up the stairs to the bathroom. Drake followed Kevin to the vehicle and leaned against the truck bed. “I wanted to ask you about Kate’s situation. I just found out her uncle has escaped from prison and her mom is in jail too. Murder is a pretty ugly word, and I’m having second thoughts about hiring her.”
“Kate’s had a raw deal. She’s nothing like her mom or her uncle. You’ve probably heard the story about how she and Claire are twins?” When Drake nodded, Kevin went on. “She’s been the one who kept this business going even when she was sick. It belongs to her mom, a payoff for turning Claire over to Harry Dellamare to replace the dead daughter his mistress killed. I wouldn’t punish Kate for the sins of her family. She was a victim as much as Claire or anyone else.”
“I don’t want to do that either, but I’m worried about the girls. What if her uncle shows up when she’s watching them? I wouldn’t want them to be in the middle of something this unpleasant.” And he had his hands full with investigating his brother’s death without getting tangled up in her problems too.
Kevin opened the truck door, and the light spilled out onto the grass. “Kate can handle her uncle. I don’t think he’s in the area anyway. All of the wardens have been on high alert looking for him, and we haven’t seen any evidence that he’s here.”
“But until he’s captured he’s still a threat. And would Kate help him if he showed up at her door? He’s her family. I can’t see her turning him away.”
“Kate has a strong streak of justice. I think she’d call me the second she could. Trust her a little. She’s a good person and has a big heart. She will take good care of those girls.”
Drake held Kevin’s gaze. “Are you just defending her because she needs the money?”
“Nope. Her uncle isn’t stupid. He knows everyone here is looking for him and would turn him in right away. If you let her go because of something she can’t help, you’ll just be compounding it.”