“Must be good news with that smile.”
“Well kind of I guess.” She tried to play it off so she wouldn’t have to explain, but Atlas wouldn’t let her off that easy.
“Come on, after last night you should be able to talk to me a little.”
Naya started laughing. “Now you’re talking like we’re in a relationship or something. But if you must know, I have a date tomorrow afternoon.”
Atlas chuckled. “Well, I guess we better solve this case tonight then, huh?”
She rolled her eyes. “Come on, we can do a half day on Sunday.”
“Correction, you can. I do whatever I want, I’m not the one with a date.”
“Oh right, I forgot.” Naya laughed and was still smiling as they pulled off the highway onto the same long stretch of road that was starting to feel familiar with how often they’d be down it lately. She finished selecting a wheelchair, not that she knew much about them and just went based on reviews, and used her apple pay to pay for expedited shipping. The chair would be delivered on Tuesday.
“Did you look into the process of what happens to land when there is no next of kin?” She felt a little bad she hadn’t had time to look it up herself, but she felt the night before had been an extenuating circumstance.
Atlas shook his head. “I shouldn’t say that I didn’t because I did. More so, I couldn’t find a procedure. It looks like everyone who has land has some sort of next of kin, or a designated beneficiary of some kind in a will. Even if they have to notify a second cousin twice removed or it’s donated to charity or something. So, someone out there owns that land, it’s just a matter of figuring out who.”
“Time to dive into David Smith’s life?”
“Exactly. And we will do that as soon as we get another look at this dilapidated house. See if we can find any clues.” He exaggerated the last part, as if they were characters on a children’s TV show, it made Naya’s mind wander..
“Did you always plan on being a detective when you got older?” she asked hesitantly.
“I guess. Like you, I’ve always had a knack and drive for it I guess.”
She accepted his answer and watched as Benjamin’s house went by. She sense something off about that guy, she wished she could put her finger on what it was.
“What the?!”
Naya’s head snapped up at the exclamation just as Atlas sped closer and then slammed the car into park on the dirt path. Her eyes immediately met the reason for his shouting as she took in the structure.
It was on fire.
They both ran out of the car and towards the building, coughing as smoke blew in their face. By the time they were a football field away they could both tell it was too late, even if there was someone inside there was nothing they could do.
Always quick on his feet, Atlas was already on his phone describing where they were to the fire department. It would take them fifteen minutes to get there. Hopefully the fire would stay contained to just the building until then.
Just then a loud crack sliced through the air and Naya watched in slow motion as the ceiling of the building fell in. She covered her nose and mouth with her shirt and backed away from the fire, careful not to turn her back to it, Atlas following suit and standing next to her.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” He asked after a moment.
“Yep.” She was indeed.
“He was the only person besides police personnel who knew we were looking into this.”
“Exactly.” Naya watched as the outside walls of the house began to crumble, unable to stand any longer. Their evidence, whatever that could’ve been, was literally burning to the ground in front of their eyes.
They were still standing there when the fire trucks came blaring in with their sirens a few minutes later. They soon had the fire under control, and it was swiftly put out. Atlas and Naya described the situation to the fire chief who promised to keep them clued-in during his investigation. With nothing left for them to do there, they returned to the car.
“Well,” She looked towards Atlas, “Why don’t we go pay a visit to our favorite farmer?”
“We really do think on the same wavelength. Let’s go.” He put the car into reverse to avoid the firetrucks parked along the dirt road in front of them, they pulled away as the firemen continued sifting through the rubble that remained of the homestead.
He turned onto the road and they were both quiet as they made the short drive to Benjamin’s place.
He parked a little ways back from the house, effectively blocking the dirt access road with the vehicle.
“I’m not taking any chances. You go to the front and knock. I’m going around back.”
“Copy that.”
They both climbed out of the vehicle and Naya walked towards the front door.
“Mr. Rodgers?” She called out as she knocked. There was a red truck sitting unoccupied in the driveway. “Are you home? It’s detective Largusa.” Atlas who was waiting by the corner of the house motioned for her to knock again, so she did.
“Mr. Rodgers? Can we talk to you please?” She tried the knob, it was locked.
When there was still no answer, Atlas motioned that he was going around back and that she should give him time to get to the other side and then kick down the door. She gave him one last chance.
“Mr. Rodgers? I’m coming in!” The door buckled like it was made of kindling, giving way much less resistance than she expected.
The room was dingy and dark, the only light from the two windows that were covered with dirty old curtains that might’ve been white once. The back door knob spun and opened, revealing Atlas, walked in and they made eye contact. The front door had been locked, but not the back.
As if he could read her mind Atlas shrugged and continued to poke around.
They explored the room, there was a kitchen with a stove and a fridge, and not much else. There was a small table which only had one chair and across the way there was an ugly and torn plaid loveseat facing the most archaic TV set Naya had ever seen. It had to be from the 50’s. Other than that, the only other thing was a door behind the couch.
Atlas was way ahead of her and was already across the room turning the knob, he pushed open the door and stood back to reveal a bed which was made and it looked like it hadn’t been touched since. The only other door was across the room and she presumed it was a bathroom. Atlas stepped across the room and opened it, it was empty.
“He’s not here.”
“I wonder where he could’ve gone.” Naya let the hand that was holding her weapon relax by her side. They both cautiously made their way back to the front of the house and looked around.
“I don’t see a barn or anything.”
“Me neither. I did see a small shed outback with some farming equipment in it, but I cleared it and there wasn’t anyone hiding.”
“I don’t like this.”
“Me neither.” Atlas agreed. “And his car is here.” They stared at the car as if it would move any second. Naya and Atlas glanced in the cab and the bed, both were completely devoid of anything of use.
“So, where would our farmer friend go without a car when the closest sign of civilization is over ten miles away?” Naya surveyed the fields of wheat which approached the homestead from every side.
“Beats me.” Atlas took one last glance around the driveway area then turned towards the car.
Without another word they got back in and headed towards the precinct.
CHAPTER 14
NAYA
The next afternoon Naya stood in front of her mirror for what felt like forever. She felt a bit like she was back in high school. Honestly, that was probably the last time she cared this much about a date.
When she moved here she hadn’t brought any cute clothes that would work for a date with her. She had planned to work most of the time, and then hang out at home with Vance in her loungewear, like any average woman. So, when she came home from work the reality of the situation set in.
She had realized she had no idea if she had anything to wear on a date.
She had tried asking Kevin where they were going, but he wouldn’t relent. He had said it was a surprise, and he was intent on keeping it that way. After about an hour of staring at her measly wardrobe in disdain, Naya decided on her favorite pair of jeans pairing it with the most elegant long-sleeved blouse she had, it was a deep emerald. She still looked a little more professional than cute, but this was as good as it was going to get. Kevin had said that her jeans looked great on her at least.
As she was grabbing her jacket and purse she heard a commotion from downstairs, she assumed that meant the guys had arrived. She stopped in front of her mirror for a split-second and debated putting on some makeup for the second time since she had moved to Denver, but she knew that if the others were there then Kevin was probably already waiting. Besides, he’d already seen her on numerous occasions without makeup.
Kevin was waiting at the bottom of the stairs when she went down. She couldn’t tell if he had done it on purpose or not, but he seemed slightly more dressed up than normal. He was wearing dark jeans, a navy collared shirt, and a gray pullover sweater. Naya felt herself blush, he looked good, hot even, her mind supplemented.
“Are you ready?” He held out his hand and bowed ever so slightly, as if this was a scene from some old movie, it made her want to giggle.
“I am, I should just say goodbye to Vance.”
“You can, but we won’t be gone that long. And Sebastian and Trevor are with him.”
Naya’s mouth quirked to the side. Kevin was right, Vance wasn’t a child, he would survive for a few hours while she went out on a date.
“You’re right, shall we go?”
He smiled and continued to be the perfect gentleman, opening the door for her, even though it was her house.
“Do I get to know where we are going now?” She asked as they got into the car.
“Nope. And don’t even try to guess. You’re lucky I didn’t go as far as to try blindfolding you.”
“Yeah, I’m a cop, we don’t like that type of stuff.” Naya teased, she eyeballed Kevin as he navigated the side streets, his large hands moving smoothly over the leather wheel.
“I know, I’m not an idiot.”
It was quiet in the car so Naya decided to start a conversation the only way she could think to.
“So, is this the part where I ask what your favorite movie is or something?
“Sounds about right. But I suppose I haven’t been on a proper date in a while.”
She raised her eyebrows. “A fine specimen like yourself doesn’t have a date every weekend?”
“That the type of guy you pinned me as?” He asked in surprise.
She shrugged. “I’m not going to lie, a bit, yeah. You came across so confident when you were talking to me that it seemed you had a bit of experience talking to women, like, flirting with them.”
His eyes flickered in her direction. “Well, I guess your detective skills are a bit off. I don’t think I’ve been out with a girl in six months. And before that I was single for almost two years.”
Naya decided to be cheeky. “And you’re how old?”
“Thirty-two, same as Vance.”
“Hmm…” She mocked, rubbing her chin melodramatically. “The math doesn’t quite add up there Einstein.” She pivoted, and made it clear she expected a more thorough answer.
“You’re right.” He simultaneously smiled and sighed. “Well about two and a half years ago, before I was single, I dated the same woman for six years.”
“Six years and no marriage?” Even for someone who was as hesitant to commit as Naya, that was a bit long to only date.
“That’s what she said.” He checked his blind spot and merged over to the right lane, clearly planning to get off the highway. Naya looked around and spotted a suspiciously tall plastic volcano.
“You didn’t want to marry her?” Trying to get answers out of Kevin felt a little too much like an interrogation to her, it was starting to get on her nerves.
He seemed to sense her shift in mood and rushed to fill in the rest of the story as they parked.
“We met when we were in our early twenties and fresh out of college. Honestly, the first few years we were together, we were both working so hard towards our careers we rarely saw each other. I mean, we were together, but I personally feel like our relationship didn’t get serious until three years later, but she didn’t see it that way. So, three years later she got mad at me for not marrying her, and I just didn’t feel ready. She couldn’t understand that, she thought because she was ready that I automatically should be too for some reason. And I wasn’t.” He shut off the car and looked at her directly in the eyes, “And I’m the type of guy where when you try to force me to do something I will pull as hard as possible in the opposite direction. Or at least I was then.”
“I understand.” Naya answered seriously as they stepped out of the car. She quickly spotted the sign for adventure golf. She should’ve guessed.
“I did date a bit afterwards. But six years, well,” He reached down and grabbed her hand and began leading her towards the entrance. “I couldn’t get over it. I still loved her, and I had really wanted it to work out. And I couldn’t let it go and it encroached on any other relationship I tried to start.”
They got in line behind a couple of families and Kevin lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “And so finally I just accepted I wasn’t ready yet.”
“And now?” Naya stared him directly in the eyes.
“I’m ready now.” He smiled as they moved forward a spot in line, they were two from the front now.
“What changed?”
“That day you walked in the living room and I first laid eyes on you.” He leaned in so close their faces were almost touching.
“Are you messing with me?” This sounded like something straight out of a romance movie. They moved forward a spot and were now next in line.
“No I’m not.”
“You didn’t seem that enamored by me then.” She pointed out.
“I hide my emotions well.”
The cashier called them forward and Kevin quickly paid for two rounds of golf.
“And now you pick your favorite color ball.” The cashier motioned to the paper taped to the desktop and Naya leaned over to have a look.
“I’ll take orange I think.” The young cashier reached under the counter and handed her a neon orange golf ball.
“I’ll do the lime green, please.” Kevin collected his golf ball and then handed her a miniature golf club. “Shall we?” He motioned to the path, which was outlined with lights, leading to the park with a big sign labeled ’Hole 1’ directly in front of them.
He waited for her to go first. Naya leaned down and lined up her ball on one of the divots in the mat. The first hole seemed pretty easy, well it was putt-putt so it was relative, but it seemed much easier than whatever level had the volcano she had spotted on their way in.
As she aligned herself with the ball and got ready to swing, Kevin interrupted her. “I believe it’s your turn.”
Naya hit the ball, watching as it landed near the hole but not quite making it in. She would score a two for this hole for sure. “I just went.”
He shook his head. “No, I mean you’re turn to tell me why someone as beautiful, smart, and accomplished as you is single.”
She shrugged as he got ready to take his shot. “I was so focused on my career for so long, I mean, I had boyfriends here and there, but in a town like La Junta they all wanted to settle down right away and have kids, and that just wasn’t in the cards for me.” His ball landed near where hers had and they made their way over. She lined up her ball and lightly putted it directly into the hole.
“I met a man about eight months ago, and things were going well, but then I found out about Vance and there was just no way our relationship was at the point where he would want to move to Denver for me, so we split.”
Kevin putt his ball in, then leaned down and collected both from the cup. “You know La Junta and Denver aren’t that far apart, right? Why not do the long-distance thing?”
She shook her head as they approached the next hole. “Not my thing. I enjoy having free time from my phone when I’m off work. It’s become especially important to me as the years go on and my job relies more and more on electronics.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
They finished the second hole and moved on to the third. Turns out mini-golf went much quicker as an adult.
“I haven’t mentioned this,” she gestured between them, “To Vance yet, but I assume you did since I figure he would ask why you’re not there today.”
He smiled. “You assume correct. That’s basic guy code, sisters are off limits without permission.”
“And?”
Kevin got a hole in one. “He’s more than okay with it. He knows I’m a good guy.”
“Oh really?” She finished taking her turn, getting another hole in two shots.
“Yes really, those were his exact words actually.”
They were almost done with the fourth hole. “So, then Kevin good guy, what are your plans for the future?”
He was quiet for a moment while he took his shot. “Well, I guess keep working my way up in the construction world. I’d like to eventually buy a few rental properties and that way those could be a bit of income insurance when I retire.” Naya watched him without saying anything. “Is this your way of asking me if I want kids?”
She shook her head. “Not necessarily. I mean I suppose if that’s what you wanted you would mention it? I’m asking what you want out of life, and clearly kids didn’t make the cut.”
He grabbed both of their balls again and headed for the next hole. He handed Naya hers and she began to line up her swing. “I guess I should ask you the same question.”
She watched where her ball went, thinking for a moment about her answer.
“If you had asked me a year ago, I would’ve had an answer for you. But now I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean?” His eyes searched her face, as if he could find the answer himself.
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