Dark Coulee Read Online Free Page A

macular degeneration. The middle of your vision goes. I’ve started to listen to Books on Tape because I can hardly read anymore. I wish I could help you. I didn’t even know that was Jenny over there until she screamed.”
    Claire didn’t remember seeing a young girl near Spitzler. “So the daughter was there?”
    “She found him, I think. And her brother. So awful for the both of them. What that family has had to endure.”
    Claire thanked her and said she might have to talk to her again.
    “Oh, I would enjoy that. Since I’m retired, I seem to have more time than I know what to do with. You’re welcome to stop by my house anytime.”
    Claire thanked her. When she turned away from Mrs. Gunderson, she saw that two deputies, Billy Peterson and Steve Walker, had arrived in a patrol car. She went over to tell them what she knew and to have them help her with the questioning.
    Rich sat on the stage, drinking a beer, and watched Claire work. Jed Spitzler had been taken away. Two more deputies had shown up, but Claire hadn’t slowed down at all. She was talking to everyone she could corral, pointing at the spot where Jed had lain, asking them questions, noting things down on slips of paper she pulled from her purse. It was odd to see her working as a deputy in her dancing outfit. He wasn’t against women doing anything a man could do, but she just didn’t seem to be wearing the right getup for police work. He knew Claire would agree.
    This night was shot to hell. He could see that clearly. But there would be other nights. He finished his beer and wondered what he should do with himself. It was nearly midnight—a late night out for him. Might be best just to take himself home. He was sure one of the deputies could drive Claire back. He hated to let go of what he had felt earlier, how she had felt in his arms. He’d sit a while longer and hope she might leave things to her fellow officers, but he doubted it. Just not in her character.
    Rich waited until Claire was done talking to the other deputies, then walked over to where she was standing and put an arm on her shoulder. “I’m wondering what I should do here. Is there anything I can do to help?”
    She spun into him and said, “I’m sorry about this, Rich. Last thing I thought would happen tonight.”
    “Well, it is all your fault,” he teased. She hadn’t pulled away from him, and in fact it felt like she was leaning into him more than a little bit. A kiss might not be appropriate for the middle of a police investigation, but it was almost all he could think of. “I had a perfect evening planned.”
    She looked up at him and said, “I know. But now that I’m investigator, I should probably follow up on this while it’s fresh. I’m sorry. I had plans too.”
    That’s what he liked about Claire. She didn’t pull away, she didn’t back off, she never played coy. She might be slow coming to him, but when she got there, she was there.
    “What’re you going to do?” he asked.
    “Talk to a few more people here. But I also want to talk to his children, and I’ve heard they went down to the hospital. I’ll probably go down to get statements from them. Billy can take me. You don’t need to stick around through all this. I don’t know how long it will take.”
    “Billy can bring you home?” Rich hated to walk away from her, but she was doing her job.
    “Yeah.”
    Rich thought about what he wanted to say and then decided to say it. What the hell. “You might ask him to drop you off at my house.”
    Claire thought for a moment, then nodded. “I could do that. I could tell him I left my car there. But it would probably be pretty late.”
    “I’ll leave the door open.”
    “Okay. I’ll see you later.”
    He pulled her close for a moment and leaned down and kissed her. She kissed him back, quickly and deeply.
    He walked away with a spring in his step. The old cowboy boots felt pretty good on his feet. He imagined Claire waking him in the middle of the