32. Cody
Cody
Two days later
“ I ’m sorry, marshal. But we’d have called you if Amy Nygard had returned to campus.”
More tired than ever, I rub my eyes. “I checked out the address on her file, but she hasn’t lived there for a year.”
Our Lady of Sorrows’ principal grimaces as she pours coffee for us both. She doesn’t answer until she places a cup on a saucer in front of me. I’m not ashamed to admit that I guzzle it down.
“My predecessor was lax. I should have sent out updated requests for student information, but I’ve been dealing with the aftermath of two decades of incompetence and hadn’t gotten around to that yet. My sincerest apologies, marshal.”
Staring at my boots, I wave a hand. “I’m worried for her.”
“I must confess, I am too. I did a deep-dive into her files, and she’s been nothing but a grade A student since she came here. It’s a tragedy that all of this will come to an end in her final year of school.”
“How trustworthy is James Fairweather?”
“About as trustworthy as his family’s product line. I’ve had four sets of their snow tires fitted since December—they didn’t last the season.”
“Could he be lying?” It’s wishful thinking. I know it is. But Amy’s Paulie’s sister. I can’t let him down.
She stares at me over her coffee cup. “Do you know Amy Nygard?”
I don’t stiffen, though I can sense her curiosity. “Why do you ask?”
“Because you care more about her than Fairweather, and in close communities, the biggest bank accounts tend to cause more of a ruckus.”
“I would have assumed you’d googled my family by now.”
Enfield concedes that with a nod. “Surely Fairweather has approached you regarding this case?”
“Yes. I haven’t taken his calls. If he wants to talk to me, he can come to the station.”
“That would involve him leaving the Caribbean.”
“Precisely.” I investigated his residence too. Fairweather lives in a tax haven. “I fought in a war with Amy’s brother. He was proud of her?—”
“Was?”
“He died.” Grateful when she tops up my cup, I take a sip of coffee. “I want to look out for her.”
“A dying wish?”
“No.” There was nothing like that. We buried air, after all. There was nothing left to go in the ground aside from a coffin.
The principal clears her throat. “If there’s anything I can do, marshal, please, let me know. But I really don’t have an update. I could have saved you the wasted trip if you’d called first.”
“As with Fairweather Sr., I prefer to do things face-to-face.” Hearing the dismissal, I drain the cup and stand. “Thank you for your time, Dr. Enfield.”
“You’re welcome.” She holds out her hand for me to shake then hesitates. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in going for a drink with me sometime?”
My brows lift. “For a date?”
Her cheeks flush. “Yes.”
I squeeze her fingers. “I’m taken.”
Not officially.
But I am.
Not only would Tee piss on me like a dog if she found out I was going on a date, the principal’s beauty has registered with me since I first met her, but she’s not who I want.
I want the pain in my ass and the pain in my heart.
“Oh, my apologies. I didn’t mean to?—”
“Not necessary, Dr. Enfield. Thank you for asking.” I smile at her, aiming for polite but not standoffish. “I’ll let you know if I find Amy.”
“I appreciate that, marshal.”
Her smile’s turned awkward as she guides me out of the office. Once I’m in the outer hall, I try not to feel like the man in The Scream that’s still decorating the wall.
These past couple days have been a waste of time. Amy’s missing. Elena’s been too groggy to talk to. I’ve stopped haunting the detachment, but Tee’s music has changed. Enough that I feel how much I hurt her because I know I’m the reason for it. Moonlight Sonata’s stopped, but we haven’t shifted onto more cheerful subgenres either.
Checking the screen when my cell buzzes, I begin the walk out of the admin block. “What do you want?”
“Charming,” Colt grouses. “What’s wrong with you? It’s not like you have to go on daytime television today.”
I shake my head. “Who wants to watch you on TV?”
“I think Callan’s getting me back for every chore I ever made him do.”
“The kid should have been an agent,” I agree. “He has more contacts than you do.”
“I don’t even want to know how he set this one up. Apparently, that feature we did for La Femme caused some interest, and now Zee and I are showing Canada how to run a working ranch.”
“People need to get a life if that’s their idea of entertainment.” When he snorts, I demand, “Well? Why did you call?”
“God, you’re annoying. I wish Tee would stop wallowing just to make it less like living with two Oscar the Grouches.” He huffs. “What do you know about this dog haven? And please tell me this was your idea to get back in her good books?”
I wish.
“It flooded and Callan’s trying to fix it.”
“Has he been asking you weird questions?”
Mid-stride, I freeze. “When doesn’t he ask weird questions?”
That has Colt blowing out a breath. “You’re right. Maybe I’m just reading into it wrong.”
“Into what wrong?”
“Today, he asked me how I felt about dirt on counters.”
“Has he become a germaphobe?”
“I don’t think so. Maybe he thinks I have?”
“Can you hate germs and run a ranch?”
He laughs. “Not without great difficulty. Maybe I should be on the watch for any other symptoms.”
“I will too. I know he wants to save the animals, but I’ve not seen anything that suggests he’s becoming a germaphobe.” I shove my hand in a pocket. “Didn’t he talk to you about wanting to build a dog haven on the ranch?”
“Of course he didn’t. But I met with the architect earlier this afternoon.”
My lips twitch. “Little fucker works fast.”
“At least I nixed his previous location choice. I set it twenty kilometers away, over by the McAllisters.”
My smile morphs into a grin. “Here was me thinking that the Korhonen-McAllister grudge was over.”
“Oh, it is, but Juliette’s still a pain in the ass, and she can wake up to four-hundred dogs yowling, not us.
“Callan’s thrown his inheritance behind this. Set up a foundation and everything.”
“He’s a good kid.”
Colt chuckles. “He is. Sometimes.”
“You did that.”
“No, I?—”
“Take the compliment, Colt. You earned it.”
Sheepishly, Colt mutters, “Thanks, Cody. You’ll tell me if you think germs are becoming a problem for him, right?”
“‘Course I will. But we went riding earlier and he didn’t freak out when Levi shit on his boot. At least, not in front of me.”
“Huh. Okay, I’ll still check in with him about this. You coming home for dinner?”
“No. Busy day.”
“Liar. Have you apologized to her yet?”
“I have.”
“How many times?”
“None of your business.”
“I saw her drinking the coffee you bought.”
“And Mrs. Abelman said the DVD wasn’t in her trash can, either.”
“You brought her in on this?”
“Not really. I just asked if one of the housekeepers had noticed a broken DVD in Tee’s room because I wanted to watch it.”
“What’s next? The incense?”
“No. I did that already.” I purse my lips. “Callan said I should send her letters.”
“Not a bad idea.”
“Maybe they’d work better than the gestures. They don’t appear to be making any headway.”
“I hoped they might. Zee’s not materialistic, but Tee…”
“Yeah. She likes stuff. Apparently, not as much as I was banking on,” I drawl. “Zee threatened to kill me the other day.”
“Death by rolling pin, wasn’t it?”
“Thanks for the warning.”
“You’re not an idiot. You should have realized she’d get involved.”
I grimace. “Think I should talk to her?”
“No. She won’t help. The letters?”
I think about the last one I wrote to her… I haven’t sent it yet. It’s sitting in my desk drawer.
“I’m a coward.”
“You’re not.”
“No. I am.”
“You’re scared of losing someone who matters to you, Cody. We’ve… Look, none of us have experienced a functional family. It’s difficult to know what to do with love, and it’s difficult to know how to make things better.
“Whenever Clyde fucked up with Mum, he never said sorry to her. He just compounded it by making her cry so she’d forget.
“This is a learning curve. But the thing about us is that when we love, we love hard, and when we try to make up for the past, we give it our all.
“Eventually, you’ll make her see that you weren’t just being an asshole. But you have to open up to her, Cody. The grand gestures are great. It shows you listened to her, but if she won’t talk to you, then you’ll never make a breakthrough. The letters worked their way into her heart once, bro. They’ll work a second time.”
“Tonight.” The word croaks out of me.
“Good. We can adjust the plan if it doesn’t work.”
I tug on my bottom lip. “Callan knew.”
“About?”
“That I was Butch Cassidy.”
Colt pauses. “I swear he’s a psychic. I didn’t know your call name.”
“No, I kept it under wraps because you and Cole would make my life hell if you knew that was what they called me in the CAF,” I said wryly.
“You know what’s terrifying?” he asks, but his chuckle tells me I was right to keep the name under wraps.
“What?”
“Callan’s smart as fuck and Tee’s smarter.” He whistles. “Don’t envy you, bro.”
“ Thanks ,” I mock. “I have to go. Break a leg with teaching Canada how to ranch.”
“Gee, you’re too kind.”
Still, I’m grinning when I put the phone down.
Brothers come in handy sometimes.