“He doesn’t. He wants money for the stuff, money I don’t have.”

“That’s why you took the insurance money.”

Garrett nodded. “But it’s a drop in the bucket. He needs more than I have.”

“Do you want to tell me who this guy is?”

“Won’t help.”

“He might listen to me if I ask him to be patient.”

Garrett gave a derisive chuckle. “Not likely. I just don’t know what to do.”

“I want to help you—I do—but you’ll have to give me more information.”

“Well, I can’t. So I guess I’m just stuck.”

–––

Oliver climbed out of the car looking for all the world to Tess like a man on the horns of a dilemma.

“Well,” she asked, “what shall we do with young Mr. Cooper?”

“I’m sorry, Tess. I can’t see prosecuting him for the damage in the mobile. It won’t get anything fixed, and it will only stress the Coopers more.”

“Absolutely true,” she said, studying him. There was more, she was certain, but he wasn’t saying. “I can have Gabe drive him home with a stern warning.”

He nodded. “I think that will be best. I can only pray that Garrett and Janie find a way to be strong together rather than always butting heads.”

“I hope that too, for both their sakes.”

19

Ice didn’t mind the physical labor; after all, it was cold here in southern Oregon—colder than what he was used to, anyway—and working hard kept him warm.

What he did mind was the soot and ash. Sometimes when he got back to his tiny hotel room, he felt as if he could never get all the black gunk off. Because his personal vehicle was a motorcycle, when it was too cold, he stayed in his room. That he was getting cabin fever was an understatement.

He’d been in southern Oregon for a week and a half. All that time he’d kept his ear to the ground, riding around on his motorcycle to check out the lay of the land, yet he’d heard no whisper of a federal witness being sheltered in the area.

The only notable happening so far was that he’d had the chance to size up the local law enforcement. Some moron on the work crew got himself arrested for looting. Stealing some stupid screwdrivers of all things. Ice had watched it all with interest. The male cop seemed competent. The woman cop, the chief, Ice had ignored. He knew he had nothing to fear from a woman. Even one with a gun. The guy seemed savvy, but Ice would bet money that he could best him. Still, he decided it wouldn’t come to that. He’d find the girl, take care of business, and be gone before the local yokels knew what hit them.