The Closer He Gets

“Well, he called Detective Clayton first.”

Smart man. Clayton was one of the detectives from Stimson.

“But he also talked to Detective Delancy.”

Zach grunted. “I’ll make sure my sergeant knows.” When she called after the first threat, he had told her about the dead rabbit in his locker the previous morning. He hadn’t gotten graphic, she didn’t need to hear about rotting flesh or maggots. She’d been appalled after hearing the sanitized story and had apologized for bothering him about anything as trivial as a phone threat.

Personally, he was a lot more worried about the increasingly vicious threats on top of her slashed tires. They probably saw her, rightly, as the more vulnerable target. His testimony would be drastically weakened if the second witness suddenly claimed Antonio had gone for the deputy’s gun and had kept lunging at him until Hayes finally knocked him to the ground.

His first instinct was to tell her not to answer the damn phone again if she didn’t recognize the number. But he had second thoughts. If they couldn’t get through to her that way, they’d feel compelled to try something else. A lot of dangerous possibilities fell under the “something else” category.

“Listen.” This was impulse, and probably stupid, but he was going with it anyway. “A bunch of people are supposed to show up Sunday and Monday to help me put on a new roof.”

“A bunch?” She sounded pleased. “Oh, good. I’d hoped the names I gave you would turn out to be useful.”

“I haven’t called any of them yet. My brother is local.” My brother. It felt weird to say, but good, too. “He organized some of his friends.”

“You didn’t say anything about a brother.”

“We’ve been estranged. I didn’t even know he was here in town until we came face-to-face.”

“Oh, my.”

Zach laughed. “You could say that. Anyway, some women are coming, too. They’ve planned a potluck. I thought you might enjoy it.”

Silence. His pulse kicked up.

“I thought we were trying to avoid being seen together,” she said cautiously at last.

“If the threats escalate again, I’m throwing that out the window,” he said, making sure she knew he meant it. Funny, when he hadn’t even known he was thinking that way. “But I doubt anyone who would report us will be there Sunday, and that’s assuming anyone recognizes you. Did I say my brother is with the sheriff’s department, too? A couple other deputies are coming, but he says they’re good guys. Otherwise, none of his friends have any reason to know what’s going on with us.”

Whatever that is, he thought, unwilling to lie to himself. His need to keep her safe had nothing to do with his invitation. Or maybe it did. He could relax if she was close, if he could reassure himself of her safety by scanning the yard until he saw her.

“I...”

He held his breath while she hesitated.

Then, “Thank you,” she said. “That sounds like fun. I assume the women get to work, too.”

Relief rushed over him. Too much relief. “As much or as little as you want.”

“Can I bring some food?”

“I’ll pass the word for Paige to call you. I’m told she’s trying for a balance of hot dishes, desserts and what-have-you.” He was a little bemused by that, because what difference did it make what food appeared, as long as there was enough of it?

But it must be a woman thing because Tess said, “Oh, good.”

He gave her a few more details, asked her to call tomorrow morning whether there was another threat or not so he knew before he started the day that she was okay, and tossed the phone aside. Then he glanced at the clock.

Oh, crap. He really needed to get out the door and he hadn’t even shaved yet.

Just as well not to give himself time to think about why he was trying to make his relationship with his fellow witness personal.

* * *

TESS HAD TO park a block away. She hadn’t expected the size of the crowd she’d seen in the yard and on the roof when she’d driven past.

Apparently she was fashionably late. She locked up and walked to Zach’s house, her Crock-Pot heavy in her arms. Her work gloves were balanced on the lid.