He chuckled. “I’ve heard she can be…intimidating.”
“The people who told you that were probably in her class at one time. She’s the terror of Honoria Elementary—and the best teacher in town. Fiercely loyal to her family and friends, a bit gruff but very good-hearted, bossy but well-intentioned. There are some people who are put off by her bluntness, but I’m very fond of her. She and Caleb are a wonderful couple—the perfect foils for each other. They both have something very special to offer. They’ve been married for almost forty years.”
“Are there any McBrides you don’t like?” Mac asked, shaking his head.
She laughed. “No, not really. My own family is so small—just Mom and Brad and me, and a few distant relatives we don’t see very often. I must admit, I’ve always been a little fascinated by the McBride clan.”
“It shows.”
Her mouth twisted. “I suppose that’s why you and I always end up discussing them. You must wonder if I ever talk about anything else.”
Had she actually convinced herself that she was the one who kept bringing the McBrides into their conversation? If so, Mac had been more subtle than he’d believed—or she was more worried about her brother than she was letting on, which was more likely. Deciding to be content with the progress he’d made for the evening, as well as feeling guilty for manipulating Sharon this way, Mac changed the subject. “Did you get all the photographs you needed today? Will you be out at the site again tomorrow?”
She shook her head. “I’m going car shopping tomorrow afternoon. I can’t keep renting.”
“Did your insurance come through for you?”
She shrugged ruefully. “To a point. I took a loss, of course, and I’ll have to finance a new car.”
“It’s damn unfair, isn’t it? Whoever was driving that van should be the one paying. It wasn’t your fault the idiot decided to run you off the road.”
“I know. And you’re right. It is unfair, and it makes me furious, but I suppose I’ll have to live with it until Wade catches the guy. Even then the chances are slim I’ll ever be reimbursed, I suppose.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“I try not to think about that night very often,” she said, looking into her coffee cup. “It’s too disturbing for the most part. But I can’t help wondering sometimes…”
“Wondering what?” he asked gently, sensing she needed to talk.
She looked up at him. “The van seemed to come at me so deliberately. You don’t think—you don’t think it was deliberate, do you? To keep me from testifying about what I saw, or somehow identifying him, I mean? Am I letting my imagination run away with me when I think along those lines?”
She was asking for reassurance that someone hadn’t deliberately tried to kill her. Knowing how horrifying that possibility must be to her, Mac wished he could give her the reassurance she wanted. But in this, at least, he had to be honest with her. “I don’t know, Sharon. Maybe it was an accident, but under the circumstances, maybe it wasn’t. You can bet it’s a question your friend Wade will ask if he ever gets his hands on the guy.”
“When, not if,” Sharon corrected him automatically. “Wade will catch him.”
From what he was learning about the very thorough police chief, Mac understood why she spoke so confidently. If the driver of that van was still in the area, there was a good chance Wade would catch him. But it was more likely that he was long gone. Too many crimes like that were never solved, an endless source of frustration to those who worked in law enforcement, and one of the reasons Mac had wanted out.
“Try not to dwell on it,” he advised her, knowing that wasn’t as easy as it sounded. “You’re safe now. It isn’t as if you could identify anyone.”
“I know. I just can’t help remembering every once in a while…” Her voice trailed off as she shivered, and he pictured her reliving the terror during sleepless nights. His fist tightened around his coffee cup. He wished he could get his hands on the guy who had almost cost Sharon her life.
She shook her head. “I’m fine, really. And I’ll never forget the way you helped me that night.”
“I’m just glad I was there. So, is anyone going car shopping with you tomorrow? Or do you prefer to handle that sort of thing on your own?”
“Brad wants to go, but fortunately he has baseball practice. I’m afraid he would try to talk me into buying something completely impractical—like a Corvette or a Viper or something equally out of my price range. I’m quite sure he won’t approve of the sensible sedan I intend to buy. My friend Jerry—he’s an insurance salesman here in Honoria—offered to go with me, but Jerry’s the take-charge type. He’d never let me get a word in edgewise with the car salesperson. He means well, but I’d prefer to handle the purchase myself.”
“If you’d like some company, I’d be happy to go with you. I’d only give my opinion when you ask for it.”
She looked intrigued. “Are you sure you have the time?”
“I’ll make the time—if you want me to go along.”
“Actually, I would appreciate having a second opinion. I thought about asking Trevor or Trent, but I wasn’t sure either of them would be available.”
“I’m available.”
Her smile made him glad he’d taken the risk of offering his company. She was obviously pleased—which pleased him in return. “I’d like that.”