It was odd, though, that for the first time in his life he felt he’d met a woman who suited him in every way. They shared a passion for their work above the ordinary, and the rare times they left work behind they fit well in every respect.
But he’d better not let it grow any more. She had just said she wasn’t ready to go beyond the job. Her shield and lance high, she would focus on work and shut everyone out.
Including him.
Chapter 12
A new deputy showed up at their door in the early morning. Introducing himself as Micah Parish, he was a large man who did indeed wear his Cherokee ancestry proudly. The years had been pretty kind to him. Tall and straight with dark eyes and black hair that was just beginning to show threads of gray, only weathering had added to his age.
“Gage told you I’m okay, right?”
DeeJay nodded and invited him in. “News?”
“Maybe. Been talking to our old sheriff, Nate Tate. He and I go all the way back to Vietnam. A lifetime ago, it feels like. Then sometimes it feels like yesterday.”
DeeJay and Cade had been indulging in coffee cake for breakfast. Micah was happy to accept a piece.
“The thing about Nate,” Micah said while he ate and sipped coffee, “is that nobody sneezes hereabouts that he doesn’t get wind of it. Gage is clued in, but Nate goes past that to a level that’s almost scary. So Gage put your concerns to him about this Calvin Sweet.”
DeeJay leaned forward to hear better. Cade, on the other hand, seemed to settle back, watchful and waiting.
Micah’s voice was deep, his manner almost deliberate.
“So Nate did some ruminating and called me this morning. If he’s forgotten anything about the people around here, you couldn’t prove it by me. He said Sweet didn’t rise to radar level very often. Quiet boy, caused no problems. His father committed suicide when he was a youngster, so his mother raised him. Nate remembered the mother pretty well, called her a sour, disapproving prune who had little to do with anyone around here. No family, no friends. Said he felt sorry for anyone who was raised by her. Anyway, there were a couple of times, just a couple, when teachers questioned the boy about whether he was being mistreated at home. He denied it and while it came to Nate’s ears, there was no evidence to pursue. Some felt he wasn’t getting enough to eat, but there were no signs of physical abuse. You can’t go all Dirty Harry on someone because a couple of times some teachers felt there might be something wrong.”
“And that’s all?” DeeJay asked.
Micah smiled very faintly. “Depends on what you’re looking for. A good kid who never made waves, who appeared too thin for his age. But there was one time he wound up in the emergency room with a severe concussion. They both claimed he’d been fooling around in the barn loft and fell. He was released a few days later, and seemed fine. Nate tried to get more information about the accident, because he’d heard from the teachers who were concerned about the boy’s treatment. Nothing. Sweet and his mother both explained it away well enough. Accidents do happen.”
Now DeeJay was holding her breath. She looked at Cade, who nodded, his expression intent.
“Head injury,” she said. “Very often involved in these cases.”
“But not enough for a warrant,” Micah said flatly. He looked at DeeJay. “Gage said you got an invite to go out to Sweet’s ranch.”