“Good morning,” he said. His voice sounded rusty.
“I guess it’s here again,” she agreed. “Thanks for the coffee.” And for the comfort. She didn’t say it, aware that there were some places it wasn’t safe to go.
He wandered to the window, pulling back the curtain and looking out. “The blizzard has settled down. Just a little gently falling snow, but you can’t actually tell where the street is.”
“I guess Gage and Craig might not even show today.”
“It’s possible.” He dropped the curtain and came back to sit on the other end of the couch. “Just enjoy your coffee. No need to jump right back in with both feet. I think we’ve earned a little slack time.”
As if there was anything else they could do right now. But she simply nodded and tried to let her mind wander over things that had nothing to do with the case. Blind alleys were most likely to develop when you couldn’t put something aside for a little while, when you focused too hard. Letting the mind drift could not only be refreshing, but it might allow new avenues to suddenly appear all on their own.
“I’ve always liked this town,” he remarked. “Not that I was ever here for very long, and it’s been quite a while.”
“What did you come for before?”
“Mainly just to bring information or pick some up. Passing through. Didn’t even stay the night or meet anyone except the sheriff really. Usually the locals can handle their own problems, but sometimes they spill out of the county, so we exchange information.”
“So you’re not worried anyone would recognize you?”
“Not likely. It’s been quite a while and I didn’t exactly hang out. But I still liked this place.”
“I like most of what I’ve seen of it so far. I’m wondering about the ski resort, though.”
He turned on the couch, raising one denim-covered leg a little so it rested, bent, on the cushion. “Exactly. I’ve seen what oil did to places, and I’ve seen what tourism can do. I realize you can’t fight change, but the idea that this town won’t change if it becomes a big ski destination...well, I’m not buying it.”
“It bothers you?”
“I don’t want to see it become plastic, like you said. But they need the boost to their economy. Only time will tell what it does to the area. They’ve been through changes before, though. A big semiconductor plant was here for a few years. Lots of jobs, kids didn’t leave as often, new people came in. It created some tension. Then the place shut down and everyone paid in some way. But they did finally get a community college.” He smiled, then sipped his coffee.
“You think the same thing might happen with the resort?”
“They talk about hiring locally. I think Masters believes it, too. But if it grows...” He shrugged. “Time will tell.”
She peered at him. “Are you getting nostalgic?”
“Why not? This was like a place out of time for so long. The modern world impinges every so often, chipping away at the rural life. Inevitable. I’ve watched it happen all over the state. No point in making a judgment about it. It just is.”
She nodded, thinking about it. “That one-horse town where I grew up?”