Page 54 of Edge of Steele
“She’s a stay-at-home mom, which makes our odds better.”
“But she’s also pregnant, and she thought she was going into labor yesterday.”
“She didn’t check into the hospital. I called before I came to confirm.”
Of course he did. The guy was thorough.
Ryleigh walked through the sunny morning. The temperature had warmed in the past hour, and she didn’t doubt they would hit the predicted ninety-five-degree day. Far warmer in southern Oregon than in the Willamette Valley today, and not a pleasant day to have to recover a body burned beyond recognition. But then the team worked in all conditions, and they would persevere.
She led the way up the stone steps to a narrow porch and rang the doorbell. Russ stopped next to her and started tapping his foot again. He wore the same basic uniform as yesterday. Tactical pants. Boots. County shirt and badge clipped to his belt. Sidearm at his side.
She was free to openly carry too, as Oregon law didn’t prohibit it. But her gun was concealed under her suit coat. It was one thing to go around carrying in full view when you wore a uniform, another when in plain clothes. A special permit was needed to carry a concealed weapon in the state, which she’d applied for long before she’d even become an agent. Still, in her deputy role, she could carry any way she saw fit.
A dog barked behind the door, and a man told it to pipe down. The door opened, and Virgil Eckles stood looking at them. “Sheriff. Ms. Steele. What’s going on?”
“Can we come in?”
“Someone hurt?”
“No,” Russ said quickly. “Nothing like that. We just want to talk about yesterday.”
“Sure. Okay. Come in.” He stood back. “Seems odd that none of us can go by the site to check it out, but Tobias said we aren’t allowed on the property until you give us the all-clear. What with the baby coming and all, if I have to be off for any time, being short on pay will hurt.”
“Your wife didn’t have the baby, then?” Ryleigh asked.
Eckles shook his head and closed the door behind them. “Was just those false contractions. Braxton something.”
“Is Pauline here?” Russ asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“We’d like to talk to her too.”
Eckles squinted at them. “Why in the world would you want to do that?”
“I have a few questions,” Russ said, his wording vague enough not to worry Eckles.
“Oh, I get it. You need to confirm my story of why I didn’t go to lunch.”
Not really, but…
Eckles pointed at the old blue plaid couch. “Have a seat, and I’ll get her.”
Ryleigh sat next to Russ and tried to ignore the overflowing laundry baskets, the dusty tabletops, and the carpet that could use a good vacuum. The place was otherwise organized, and the mess could simply be from being too pregnant to care or even comfortably do the tasks.
“He doesn’t seem worried about our visit,” Russ said. “But then some people can lie easily and don’t get nervous, even around law enforcement.”
“I’ve met my share of people like that. I don’t think Eckles is involved. And his wife, as pregnant as she is? Also doesn’t seem likely, but then I’ve seen stranger things on the job.”
Pauline lumbered into the room resting her hands over her distended belly. She had dishwater blond hair that fell straight to her shoulders and dark circles hung below her eyes.
Russ introduced himself and Ryleigh.
“Please sit,” Russ said.
She plopped down in an armchair. “You want me to tell you I called Virg yesterday to come home?” Her soft southern accent flowed like honey. “Well, I did. Can I get back to the laundry now? Got so much to do before this one comes, and I have two kids to take care of.”
“We appreciate you confirming that,” Russ said, seeming unusually polite for his gruff nature. “But we really wanted to talk to you about Sovereign Earth.”
