Margaret nodded as the two of them got back into their car and drove past Betty, who was getting a ride from her friend, that was as blind as a bat. I wasn’t sure how the woman got anywhere alive.

Dropping the hood of Betty’s car, I gave the front a good wipe-off to remove any potential prints as she shuffled up to the open bay door.

“That lot givin’ you trouble? They were busy snoopin’ around my home earlier. Feds—they always think they can do what they want.”

“Agreed, but they’re just tryin’ to do their job. I don’t mind.” I held out the keys to the older woman and waved to her friend, who was performing a fifty-point turn to position the car to exit the property.

“You’re too nice, I swung at the tall one with my broom and told them to bugger off, or I was havin’ them arrested for tresspassin’ without cause.”

“Maybe I need to hire you to keep them off my property,” I said as Betty took the keys from my hand.

“You betcha I would.” Betty reached up and patted my cheek. It was something she had done for as long as I’d known her. She moved to the area shortly after Abel killed our mother, and she was the first person I befriended as Cain, the sole owner of the farm. Even someone like Abel and me needed to have character witnesses. It was one of those just-in-case things. “See ya later, handsome.”

Stepping out of the way, I waved as both cars disappeared down the driveway, and I could finally let the forced smile on my face fall. It took way too much work pretending. It was just another thing that annoyed me about my brother. Acting always came so easily to him. Whereas I had to focus hard on every word and twitch my body made. I looked up at the camera in the corner, and my smile was real this time.

Making sure that all the vehicles were indeed gone, I hit the button for the lock on the gate and closed the garage door, locking both the man door and bay door in place before I stripped off the coveralls and washed my hands.

Heading inside, I wandered down to the room that Sunshine was in and unlocked the metal door. Before it was even open an inch, I could hear the cursing and yelling.

KIRBY