“Leeanne?” Fred called. There was no answer.
“Well, that’s quite okay. Why don’t you show me what you’re doing with my hard-earned money,” Doris said.
She took Fred’s arm and they walked off into the house.
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My door frames were ready. The bump feature on the cordless nailer had made quick work of it. Just tap the nose of the gun where you wanted a nail, and bam, done. I almost put one in my knee cap. It was sensitive.
I headed toward the garage to collect the doors. But, when I reached the porch, I stopped. There, at the curb, a familiar chubby body lolled against the fender of a sporty black sedan. It was Hal.
Great. They must be connected somehow. This town just got better and better. Hal watched me walk to the garage. I checked the doors. The primer was dry. I picked up the back door and carried it back inside.
I could hear voices and footsteps upstairs, as the mayor continued her tour.
Ben walked over to where I was working.
“Did you see Leeanne run out of here?” Ben asked.
“Uh, no, I didn’t realize she was gone until Doris, uh, the mayor asked,” I said.
“Yeah, Doris came in, Leeanne went out the back. Like a scalded cat,” Ben said.
He stepped out onto the back porch and peered out into the yard.
I took a hammer from my belt and tapped the hinge plates into alignment. The hinge pins slid in easily. The newly rehung frame was perfect. The door fit like a glove, and the deadbolt slid in smoothly and quietly. Perfect. Now to finish the front.
“What do you suppose that was about, Dalton? Her running out like that?” Ben asked me.
He looked concerned.
“I don’t know. Maybe authority figures give her a rash?” I said.
Ben chuckled at my joke.
“Maybe, but it was weird. Didn’t you think it was weird?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe she went to the store for something,” I said.
Ben moved off to find Fred and the mayor. I went to the garage for the front door. It was weird. But, it was also none of my business. For a guy keeping his head down, staying out of other people’s business was essential. I wasn’t going to get involved.
When I came out of the garage, Hal was leaning in the window of a police cruiser at the foot of the driveway. Sheriff, Big Daddy Crawford, was at the wheel. He signaled me over. I went to his window.
“Hal here tells me you had a little run in last night. Claims you threatened him?” the sheriff said.
“Wow, I don’t remember that,” I said. “I do remember Hal following me down a dead-end road, then trying to follow me back into town for no reason. Wait, there was a reason. He said you told him to do it. But, maybe I’m remembering that wrong. I had a glass of wine with dinner.”
“What did he say, Hal?” the sheriff asked.
“Told me to stop following him. But it wasn’t what he said, it was how he said it,” Hal said.
“Like a guy who’s annoyed at being followed for being new in town?” I asked.
“So, what did he threaten to do?” the sheriff asked.
“I don’t remember exactly what he said, but he had this hammer and,” he said.
Hal stopped. He seemed to run out of ways to justify what he was saying mid-sentence.
“Well, sure, Hal, I’m a carpenter. I have a hammer. Do you feel threatened?” I asked.
I pulled out my hammer out of my tool belt and showed it to the sheriff. He chuckled.
“Sorry for the misunderstanding. Hal is the mayor’s son, so sometimes he helps me out. I mentioned he should welcome you to town. Maybe that got confused somehow. Don’t really know. Glad we could clear this up,” the sheriff said.
“By the way, West, I wouldn’t recommend getting too chummy with the new girl. Ben and Fred go through assistants pretty fast,” Crawford said. “Where is she, anyway? I know mayor Skinner wanted to meet her. Is she here? I should say hi too.”
“Nope, she just left. She’ll be back in a bit. Went to get cold drinks for everyone,” I said.
I wasn’t sure why I was covering for her, but it seemed the thing to do.
“Why did you want to meet her?” I asked.
I was mentally kicking myself for getting involved.
“New to town, wanted to welcome her, make sure she feels at home. The usual small-town stuff,” Crawford said.
The sheriff smiled. It never reached his eyes.
Wherever Leeanne was, I got the impression she was better off there.
“Alright, West, you keep your nose clean. I’ll be checking in with you on those papers, so get that straight, will you?” Crawford said.
The sheriff pulled away from the curb, then bumped the siren and lights, pulling a U turn as he pulled in behind a passing car. They slowed, then pulled to a stop against the curb, on the opposite side, about a half block down the street.
“See you around, Dalton West,” Hal said.
He made a gun with this finger and thumb, then mimed pulling the trigger.
He climbed into the black sedan. His mother came out, smiling. She offered me another cookie. I took it. She went around to the passenger side and stood, waiting. Hal jumped out and rushed around to open her door. I saw a flash of pure hatred pass her face.
Sheesh. A finger gun. What was this, kindergarten? What was with the full-court press? For people who didn’t like strangers asking questions, they sure asked a lot of them.
I went back inside. I needed to keep my head down and not cause waves. Being nice. I had too much work to do to cause trouble now, and that only started with this house. I’d have to be doubly careful to make sure Hal, or another of the Sheriff’s goons wasn’t following me.
Leeanne didn’t come back that afternoon. I wrapped up the doors and took a tour of the house with Fred and Ben, making a checklist of projects. It was going to take a lot of work. If they didn’t want to hire a crew, it would be a good six-month project at best.
We decided the basement would be the most secure place to store tools and materials. I installed padlocks on the door leading from the kitchen to the basement and the double shed style doors leading from the backyard down.
I was tired. I packed my personal tools in the back of the panel truck and climbed up. There was a knock at the window. I opened the door.
“Hey, I don’t know what Fred has given you for expenses so far, but this should cover a few days,” Ben said.
He handed me a bank envelope. I slid it into my back pocket without counting it. Whatever it was, it would be enough.
“There’s $500 there, and let me know when you run out. Fred likes to pretend we’re tight, but we can afford it, so don’t hesitate. We’ve had a hell of a time getting someone like you to help,” Ben said.
I nodded. He turned to the Lexus. Fred stood near it, looking up at the house. He looked tired but happy. All thoughts of Vern seemed far from his mind.
I started the truck and drove back to the hardware store. I backed it down the ramp, opened the barn doors and rolled it inside. The store was quiet. Upstairs, an older woman was behind the register, giving change to a customer. She was a middle-aged housewife buying two paint brushes and a gallon of paint.
Leeanne was nowhere to be seen.
The little silver bell chimed as I walked out onto the sidewalk. There were times I wished I smoked. Seemed like a good way to do something, but nothing. Like, when you want to think, but just walking around seems so pathetic. Maybe I did smoke, maybe this was a craving?
I walked back to the jail and climbed into my truck. The sun was getting lower. I didn’t have any plans for dinner, and $500 in my pocket. I was a free man. I started up and drove out of town.