“I guess they were keeping it secret. So we have Willie in the hospital with an overdose of a drug he didn’t take. Debby killing herself for no reason, and now Danny nearly died. There has to be a connection.”

“I can’t see one.”

“Willie also said that his father was accidentally shot by Rory Peterson.”

“But that was over two years ago.”

“It could still be important.”

“Can we go outside for a few minutes? I need some air.”

They walked out in time to hear the thump-thump of the aircraft going over. Stone looked up.

“Chopper?”

She nodded, staring up too. “Going to Dead Rock. Prisoner transport.”

“Why not just drive them?”

“Most of the prisoners spending the rest of their lives up there come from pretty far away, lot of urban areas. Roads are pretty crappy around here and lots of places for ambush. Hard to bust your buddy out of jail thousands of feet up there.”

“I can see that.”

She turned to face him. “So what were you doing when you ran into Danny?”

Stone stared over at Willie’s pickup truck where his bag was in the back. “I was heading out of town,” he said a bit guiltily.

“Okay. Does this have something to do with Trimble wanting to write a story about you?”

Stone tried hard to look surprised. “What are you talking about?”

“Danny told me that you came along with him because a government car pulled into the town where you two got off the train.”

“I think he made a mistake.”

“If you’re in some kind of trouble—”

“I’m in no trouble, Abby.”

“I was going to say if you are in trouble, I want to help you.”

“Why? You barely know me.”

“You saved my son. And I can’t explain exactly why, but I feel like I’ve known you all my life.”

Stone looked down, stubbed the sidewalk with the toe of his shoe. “I appreciate the offer, Abby, I really do.”

“But you’re leaving anyway?”

He shot her a glance. “I didn’t say that.”

“But you didn’t not say it either. Everybody’s got problems. You have no obligation to stay here and help us. Hell, it’s not your battle.”

“Why don’t you just leave here? You’ve got plenty of money.”

“Run out of my hometown? No thank you. I’m not built that way.”

“But Danny left.”

“He didn’t want to go. I made him.”

Stone looked stunned. “What, why?”

“This is no place for him. What’s he got here? Work in the mines or the prison?”

“Is that all? Or how about the strange things happening here you mentioned?”

“It’s not your fight, Ben. If you need to move on, you move on.” She hesitated. Stone thought she was going to say something else. “I better go back and check on Danny. And I’ll look in on Willie too.”