Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Expect problems and eat them for breakfast.”
~Alfred Armand Montapert
Angel rose early and went directly to the Sheriff’s office. Davey Carson sat behind the desk. She recognized him immediately. Though he wore his hair longer than one would expect for an assistant sheriff, he kept the thick muddy brown hair tied in a neat tail at his neck. He had a rugged hard look about him. A broad forehead, long, straight nose, square jaw still stubbled with growth as though he’d failed to shave this morning. Of average height, maybe an inch or two less than six feet, his lean figure nevertheless exhibited whipcord strength, and he moved with silent confidence.
“Hi, Davey. Or should I should call you Sheriff Carson. Do you remember me? I’m Gillian, Daniel Adair’s sister.”
“Yeah, sure. I guess you’re here to check up on your brother?”
Quick, direct, but not unfriendly. “Yes, I am. I had a letter from him recently. He mentioned a cabin in the woods where he intended to stay and make repairs to the place. Said you hooked him up with the owner. I had hoped you’d be able to direct me to the cabin. I haven’t seen Daniel in awhile, and I just want to—to give him some good old-fashioned sisterly annoyance.” Her laughter sounded awkward, quivery, and too high pitched.
“Is everything all right at home? Your folks are okay?”
“Yeah, sure. I’m taking a breather before exams next week. What better place to clear one’s head than in the wilderness? Fresh air, invigorating walks, and time with my wayward brother.” She pasted a smile on her face that felt far more like a grimace. He cocked his head. The down-turned corners of his mouth suggested he’d registered her distress.
“Take a seat. I’ll write the directions and get you an area map.” He nodded toward a row of rough-hewn wooden chairs along one wall. They’d seen better days and too much wear and tear from fidgety backsides. Before she sat, he looked over his shoulder, “There’s coffee around that corner. You might find it a bit strong, probably needs a generous dash of milk for your tender stomach. On second thought, there’s also hot water and tea bags, that might not further rattle your nerves.”
He’d clearly noted her tension, but she didn’t know what else to say. She took a chair, avoiding the coffee. He was right; she didn’t need anything to add to her already agitated state.
When Davey came back, he sat in the chair beside her. “Have you had breakfast yet this morning?”
She hadn’t. Food didn’t register as important over this urgent need to find Daniel. He watched her carefully as though he expected hysterics at any moment. “I…no, I haven’t eaten.”
“I’m ready for a break, been here since 5:00 a.m. Why don’t you accompany me to Sal’s, it’s just down the street. A great breakfast spot, lots of room and quiet booths.”
Why did they need a quiet booth? She couldn’t read a single thing in his facial expression.
“You need to eat and make sure your gas tank is full before heading off into the hills. There isn’t another food stop from here to that cabin, and it’s a darn rough road, might be difficult to maneuver since the recent rains. It’s barely more than a deeply rutted trail.” He reached his arm under her elbow, lifting her up beside him then immediately dropped his hand.
Angel followed him down the sidewalk. Cars moved slowly through the town. They probably made decent revenue off anyone who dared ignore the 25-mile-a-hour postings along Main Street, a typical source of income in small towns.
The waiter brought coffee for him, water for her, and took their order. Angel ordered a single egg and dry toast, not sure if she could swallow even that much.
“He’s been in a bad way since coming home, hasn’t he?”
She looked into eyes as black as coal. His face revealed no censure, only a deep sadness. “Yeah, he’s had a rough time adjusting. I keep hoping he’ll find a way to let the past go and come home.”
Davey gently squeezed her fist, tightly clasped on the chipped, dark yellow Formica tabletop. “It takes time for lots of them, Gillie. Or is it Angel? Your brother always called you his Gillie-Angel, if I remember correctly. I think he did it to needle you.”
She smiled; surprised that he knew that much about her name and family. “Yeah, but my family usually calls me Angel, unless they’re annoyed, then they yell, Gillian Angelina. Except for Daniel, he’s always called me Gillie-Angel. Silly, the nicknames siblings tag you with. You know how families are, always adding flavor to the name depending on their reason for addressing you.” The tug of a smile tightened her mouth. Memories of family flitted through her thoughts. But when Daniel’s image passed into her head, she couldn’t prevent a sudden shiver and droop in her smile.
“He’ll be all right,” Davey assured her. “A stay in the woods might do him a great deal of good.” Unfortunately, his tone of voice and dark expression didn’t ease the sense of dread that had bothered her since she’d received Daniel’s letter. She hoped this would be good for her brother, but worrisome thoughts persisted.
“So, what’s happened to Charlotte these days? Do you still see her?” It was a clumsy and not complete change of subject from Daniel since she suspected Davey had heard of his and Char’s wild antics and break-up.
“Oh, you know, Char is Char. She keeps busy. I see her quite often, several times a week usually.”
After a few bites and a lot of pushing food around her plate while they talked about people they knew and things at home, the conversation fizzled to an awkward silence.
“Well, I need to get back to work. Take care, Angel. Be careful going to the cabin. There’ve been numerous sightings of bear and the occasional mountain lion lately. Do me a favor? Check back with me when you head home, so I know you got in and out safely and that Daniel’s settling into the cabin. I’ll check in on him now and again if that will ease your mind.”
“Thanks, Davey, I’d appreciate that. Let me give you my address.”
“Are you still with your parents?” She shook her head affirmatively. “Then I already have the address, took it from Daniel when he spent a few nights…” He stopped mid-sentence.
“I know about his disturbing the peace and spending several nights in your fine facility.” Her laugh was brittle. “I’ll stop by on my way back through town though.”
He picked up the check, “See that you do or I’ll be calling the folks. We wouldn’t want to upset them unnecessarily.”
She loaded the front seat with a few more staples and a couple of blankets she picked up at the general store. The sun had already dipped below the mountain ridge by the time Angel reached the rutted turnoff that led to the cabin. Even though it was only 3:30 p.m., the air had chilled considerably causing a few patches of ice to form on the treacherous winding road that slowed her progress.