Debbie Herbert - Appalachian Prey

“I think breakfast is just what you need,” Luke continued, unaware of Harlan approaching from behind. “Let me take you out.”

Her stomach revolted at the thought of food. “No, thank you.”

“Ah, come on—”

“The lady said no,” Harlan snapped.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

His jaw tightened. “We have business to discuss.”

Luke held up a hand and shuffled backward. “I’ll leave you two alone then.”

Well, at least he might not pester her for dates anymore. So at least something good would come of this unexpected meeting with Harlan.

“Is that him?” Harlan asked stiffly.

“What? Oh, you mean... Never mind, it’s still none of your business.”

“Seemed pretty spineless to me,” Harlan observed. “He cut out pretty quick when I came.”

“You practically ordered him to leave,” she argued. “Besides—”

“Yoo-hoo, officer!” They looked up the stairs, where Ms. Cranston stood in her housecoat. “That was quick. I just called five minutes ago.”

“Ma’am, I’m not—”

“I got to puzzling on that stranger hanging around here last night, and the more I thought on it, the more scared I got on account of—”

“Stranger?” Harlan took the stairs two at a time and withdrew a small notebook from his shirt pocket. “When? What did he look like?”

Lilah followed him, trying to quell the butterflies of alarm in her stomach.

“He was medium height, a little on the thin side and dressed all in black. Kept walking back and forth in that hallway there.” She pointed to the hall where Lilah’s apartment was.

“Did he wear a black ski mask?” Lilah asked, holding her breath.

“No. If he had, I’d a called the police right away.”

“Could you describe his face or hair?” Harlan asked.

Ms. Cranston shook her head. “He stayed in the shadows.”

Harlan sighed and returned the notepad to his shirt pocket.

“Thing is,” Ms. Cranston continued, “another feller came ’round this morning dressed all in black. I leaned out my window and yelled, ‘Hey, whatcha doin’?’ He took off running to the parking lot without even turning around to see who was talking.”

“Did you get a look at the car make and model, or a tag?”

“It was a big dark blue car,” she said. “Sorry, I don’t know models and such as that.”

Harlan nodded. “Thank you, ma’am.” He took Lilah’s arm and motioned for the stairs.

“Hope you catch him,” Ms. Cranston called to their backs. “I don’t cotton to strangers roaming around here. Up to no good, I bet.”

“We’re going to your apartment, and you’re going to pack your things,” Harlan said in his no-nonsense voice. “We’ll talk on the way to Lavender Mountain.”

* * *

“WON’T BE ANY safer there,” she muttered. Inside her apartment, she whirled to face him. “You can’t just show up and start ordering me around.”

His face was as set as she’d ever seen it. “Have a seat.”

Something was wrong. Bad wrong. Her jellied legs no longer felt strong enough to support her weight, and she sank into the nearest chair, clasping her hands in her lap. “What’s happened?”

Harlan ran a hand through his hair and sank to his knees beside her, so close she could feel the heat of his skin and inhale the scent of his woodsy aftershave. “There’s no easy way to break this, darlin’.”

Who was in trouble or hurt this time? Jimmy? He’d returned to his tour in Afghanistan last week, and Lord knew that he’d been placed in dangerous missions time and again—

“It’s Darla,” he said gently, placing a large rough hand over hers and squeezing. “She’s been murdered.”

No. No, not her sister. “I just saw her yesterday,” she mumbled. How stupid. As if that meant Darla couldn’t possibly be dead. Lilah shook off the useless denial. “How...”

“Shot in the back.”

Murder again. The air pressed in and her lungs seized. She squeezed in a painful breath and exhaled. “Same as Dad?”

“Yes.”

Without thinking, she collapsed onto his broad shoulders, her body shaking uncontrollably. Not again. Not again. Harlan shifted into the chair beside her and guided her onto his lap where she felt cradled by his strength. His hands rubbed up and down her back. She focused on his touch—it was all she could grasp to stop the maelstrom of mourning, which threatened to overwhelm her.

First Dad, and now Darla. All in the space of a week.

Lilah snapped her head up, remembering she wasn’t alone in her grief. “Those poor kids! And Ed, too.”

Harlan brushed away the tears on her cheek. “We’ve called Ed’s parents, and they’re on the way. If need be, they can keep the children at their place while we get to the bottom of this.”

“Surely Ed wants them there with him. And I can go over and stay a bit until things settle down. Help him out. He must be devastated.”

“You think so?”

“Of course.” She cocked her head to the side, digesting the impact of his words. “You don’t... I mean... You aren’t saying Ed killed Darla, are you?”

“We’re not ruling anything out. Usually, a killer is someone known intimately by the victim.”

She tensed, fighting the sudden shudder that crawled up her spine. “Not in this case. It’s the same way my dad was killed, so it must be the same person. And Ed had no beef with Dad.”

“That you know of,” Harlan corrected.

“Only when he got Darla pregnant in high school. Once they got married, Dad and Ed got along just fine.”

“Did your brother-in-law ever work for your dad on the side?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Are you arresting Ed?”

“J.D.’s questioning him now.”

She jumped off his lap. “And the kids? I have to get down there. They might need me.” Guilt snaked its way through her gut, insidious and slimy. Who was she kidding? Nobody needed her. She and Darla had had a major argument over the stolen money. The last time she’d seen her sister, she’d stormed out of the house, threatening to put the cops on her tail.

Frantically, she grabbed her purse off the table, eager to leave and keep her mind and hands busy instead of dwelling on the news. “I’ve got to pack a few clothes, and...and...” She blindly stumbled into the coffee table and rubbed her shins.

“I’ll drive you.” Harlan took her purse and set it on the sofa. “Go ahead and pack. Take your time. There’s no rush.”

She shook her head. “No. I’ll need my own vehicle. I don’t want to be dependent on you to drive me everywhere while I’m back.”

“Yeah, about that. The easiest thing all around is for you to stay with me. Ed and the kids have his parents to help out, and there’s no sense in you wasting money on a motel.”

No. He didn’t love her, and she wouldn’t be a burden to him or anyone else. Lilah thought fast. There was always Uncle Thad and Aunt Vi, but with their eight children, it tended to be a bit noisy and cramped.

“I can stay with my Aunt Ruth who lives about forty miles from here. She has health problems so she’ll appreciate my help around the house and my company.” She stifled the impulse to cross her fingers behind her back. Ruth was nearly seventy years old and had never married or had children—a quiet woman like her preferred the solitary life. Yes, she’d recently had minor surgery but, truth be told, Ruth was just fine on her own.

His brow furrowed. “She doesn’t have anyone else to take care of her? I don’t like you working so hard.”

“No. Besides, what’s it to you?”

His eyes trailed down to her belly. “Somebody needs to look out for you.”

Lilah couldn’t help it. She blushed.