Wrapped in Rain(65)

Out of nowhere, Miss Ella came roaring over the inter com. She must not have had much sleep either, because she was in a foul temper.



Tucker.! To the extent that you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.

"You don't let much go unspoken, do you?"

"Not if I can help it," said Katie.

"I ..." My voice cracked and I cleared my throat, "I don't think Miss Ella would mind at all."

She took a step closer and invaded the invisible bubble of my personal space. I took one step back, as if pushed, and she took a step closer, reaching up with her right index finger and tipping the brim of my baseball cap out of my eyes.

"I didn't ask Miss Ella. I asked you."

"That'd be fine."

`Just `fine'?"

I shrugged, stepped back again, and put one hand on top of the camera, bracing myself.

She put her hand on her hip, and her face grew tight. "I'm not leaving here with a shoulder shrug or half an answer. I need more than that. I need to know if you are okay with us staying for a few weeks. Is it at all problematic?" She pointed to the cottage, and the words few weeks rang in my ears.

I nodded. "Yes, I am okay with that," I said and then shook my head. "And no, it is not problematic."

She started circling again. "Thank you." Another half circle and she said, "I can pay you."

Tucker if you take one red cent of this woman's money, I will personally slap the taste out of your mouth. If you thought my praying could bring down heaven while I was on earth, you ought to see what it can do now that I'm up here.

"No, I don't think Miss Ella wants your money."

"You sure? I mean, about us staying."



"I'm sure."

She kept her head down and retraced her steps, further beating down the hay like a horse in a round pen. "Please tell Miss Ella I said, `Thank you."'

I raised one eyebrow, "Knowing Miss Ella, I don't think that's necessary. She had eyes in the back of her head and could hear your thoughts even when you whispered them to yourself. And being up there"-I pointed up-"doesn't change that. It only makes them bionic."

"Even if you're called off to shoot some more alligators, you don't mind if Jase and I stay in that house?"

"You really do like to get things nailed down, don't you?"

"Maybe if it were just me. But"-she looked toward the cottage-"I'm not asking for my sake. I'm asking for his. He needs to know that I can see past today. Past next week even. It's the same reason I told him to call you Uncle Tuck."

I should've seen that. "Yes," I said quickly, "regardless of where I am or what I'm doing, you're welcome. And you can ride Glue all you want. But as to my travel, I don't see how I can go real far with Mutt around. Him being here is going to change more than I thought. Last night taught me that."

Katie shaded her eyes. "The truck looks nice, but you've got your hands full."

I squinted toward the barn. "Something like that."





Chapter 27


THE NEXT DAY, MY MORNING RUN TOOK ME AROUND THE pasture, out through the buzzard graveyard, up through the pines, and along the hard road. What I saw stopped me. On the south side of the road-our property-fresh tire tracks in the mud showed where some type of heavy sedan or van had pulled off the shoulder and stopped. In the tall grass of the ditch, I found several cigarette butts and a jumbo Styrofoam coffee cup. Any passing car could have stopped there for a break; that wasn't unusual. But when I looked up, I began to worry. Tracks led from the car through the woods to the fence where a good eye, looking through a camera lens or a pair of binoculars, could have seen both the back of Waverly and Miss Ella's front porch. I leaned against the fence and saw a dozen or so cigarette butts stamped in the dirt. Someone had stood here this morning, and I'd say they stood long enough to watch Katie walk across the pasture and circle me like a horse in a round pen. By now, I figured that news had circulated to New York.

When I returned to the barn, Mose was making coffee. He poured me a cup and studied my face. "Something bother you?"

I considered for a moment and said, "I think we need to start keeping our eyes peeled." Mose's eyebrows lifted. He nodded toward Miss Ella's cottage and raised his chin in question. I continued. "I found some cigarette butts this morning down along the fence near the road. Someone had stood there this morning." I looked up over my coffee cup. "A long time." Mose looked out over the pasture and sipped.



"You want to call the police?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Katie's ex-husband has got friends in the FBI and all over the government. I think if we register her with any local authorities, that'll filter north, if it hasn't already. I think they'd be expecting us to do that."

Mose nodded in agreement and said, "Then we'd best be quiet and on our toes." I set down my cup, walked inside, and made a mental note to check for shotgun shells in Rex's gun closet.

Mutt woke at ten and found Jase and me standing atop the ladder looking at him. Jase pinched his toe and shook his leg. "Hi, Mr. Mutt."

Mutt looked around and pulled the wool blanket up to his neck. "Hi."