Cold River - Carla Neggers [30]
“What kind of work are they having done?” Sean asked.
“Carpentry and some masonry work on the exterior and the chimney.” Bowie winced as Hannah tightened the bandage on his cut hand. “It’s not a tourniquet, you know.”
“You want it tight enough to help stop the bleeding, especially if you’re not getting stitches.”
“Doesn’t need stitches.”
“Dr. Bowie…” She stood back, examining her handiwork. Blood was already oozing through the gauze. “If you won’t get medical attention, at least stop at your place first and clean these wounds and put on fresh bandages.”
He grinned at her. “Sure thing.”
Hannah didn’t say anything more. Bowie wasn’t accustomed to having anyone worry about him any more than she was.
“I work in stone,” he said, zipping the black bag shut. Poe was back out of sight again and quiet. “I’m used to getting cut. You should get moving before you freeze. I’ll come by later and take a look at your cellar leak.”
“If you feel up to it. Are you sure you can drive?”
“I can drive.”
“Jo will want to talk to you,” Sean said.
“Anytime.” Bowie peeled the bandage off his face with his uninjured hand and balled it up. “I like talking to the law. Agent Harper knows how to find me. If she wants to arrest me for being stupid and knocking over a pile of rock on myself, she can have at it.”
Hannah ached, the cold exacerbating the sharp sting of her scrapes and bruises. “No one’s accusing you of anything.”
Bowie shut the van’s passenger door. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt any worse. I’m sorry you were scared. Next time you hear Poe barking, let him bark.”
“It’s cold out here. If I hadn’t investigated, maybe you wouldn’t have survived.”
“Me? This sweatshirt’s warm as sin.” He grinned at her and winked. “And I know sin.”
He headed around the front of the van to the driver’s side. Hannah stood back even farther, almost bumping into Sean, as Bowie got in behind the wheel, started the engine and made a U-turn back to the corner, then headed across Ridge Road and up Cameron Mountain Road. It was getting dark fast, the stark trees creating long shadows on the snow, the mountains a deep blue-gray against the darkening sky.
“I’m not afraid of Bowie,” Hannah said without looking at Sean next to her.
“Why not?” His tone wasn’t demanding or hostile, but it wasn’t gentle, either.
“He’s had his run-ins with people around here, and he’s made mistakes and paid for them, but I grew up with him. I didn’t grow up with Camerons and Harpers.” She crossed her arms, wincing at the pain in her wrist as she added softly, “I don’t expect you to understand. We may be from the same small Vermont town, but we’re from two different worlds.”
“Los Angeles and Black Falls are two different worlds. Black Falls and Black Falls are the same.”
“To you.” She dropped her arms to her sides. “You’re just stalling until Jo and Elijah can get here. Jo may be a federal agent, but she doesn’t have jurisdiction over falling rock, snow and ice.”
Sean didn’t respond at once. “We can go across the street and wait where it’s warm.”
Hannah looked back toward the wooded hillside, feeling shaken and off balance. The cold, the wind, the exertion and adrenaline were all taking their toll. So was being around Sean Cameron, but she didn’t want to think about that now. “It could have been kids. They could have parked down the hill and come up the trail through the woods. They ran into Bowie and then me and decided to hide and have some fun. It’s a cemetery. I can see a couple of kids playing ghost, thinking they’re funny. Why not?”
“They’d know your name?”
“Sure. Toby’s still in high school, and Devin just graduated in June.” She felt a sudden twinge of pain in her