Facing Evil
Page 45
“Hey, partner, you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Thanks for what you said, that was nice.”
“I meant every word.” She watched his profile for a moment and knew something was bugging him. “You sure you’re okay?”
His eyes remained on the moonlit, snow-covered lake. “Yeah, I was just thinking about Hyme. He would’ve blown this case wide open.”
“Linc, it’s over with; let it go.”
“I’m trying, Abby, but something’s been bothering me. And you always told me that when something with a case is bothering you, it’s because something isn’t right.” Lincoln turned and looked at Abby. “Who was driving that Jeep?”
“I don’t know—”
“And who did Dot hear that night?”
“Lincoln,” Abby said slowly, “It's the past. And it's time to just let...it...go.”
“Aren’t you curious? I mean, why did he leave all that evidence for us to find?”
“Lincoln,” she answered, “we may never know. So you can choose to let it eat you up inside and consume your life, or you can take a step back and realize what's done is done. You can't change it, you can't fix it, so be done with it and move on.”
“Abby?” Sarah’s searching voice came over the steady buzz of chatter, but Lincoln and Abby were locked in a stare.
“Doesn’t it bother you?”
“Not anymore. I've got my life back, finally.”
“But are you curious?”
“Nope.” She responded just as Sarah found her and ended their conversation.
“Come here, you.” An excited Sarah took Abby by the hand and dragged her back into the center of the room. Looking over her shoulder, she watched Lincoln finally rejoin the rest of the guests.
“Wait here,” Sarah asked.
“What?” Abby was confused as Sarah put up a hand.
“I said, wait here. Please.”
Something was up and Abby knew it had been brewing most of the evening. Anxiously she watched Sarah disappear into the kitchen. Moments later, Günter and Helga came out and stood next to Nathan. Abby looked around the room trying to guess what was coming next.
“Abby.”
She turned at the sound of her name and looked into Sarah’s sparkling excited eyes. Abby smiled. “You look as if you’re about ready to burst,” she teased with a chuckle.
“I asked you earlier if you were happy, and you said you were.” Sarah squirmed nervously back and forth from one foot to the other. “But I think there’s something missing in your life. Just wait.” She stopped Abby before she could respond. “I wanted to get you something...” Suddenly Sarah found herself with a large lump in her throat, but she forced herself to continue. “But what do you get the girl that has everything?” Sarah continued to squirm, and then something moved. Abby realized it wasn’t just Sarah squirming as a little black nose popped out of her sweater.
“Someone can't wait to meet you.” From beneath her sweater she pulled out a puppy. “Lincoln helped me find him. He came from a litter sired by Buck’s brother.” Sarah handed the silver and black ball of fur over to her. “Abby, I would like you to meet L.B.”
Abby reached for her new friend. “L.B.?” she questioned as she held the puppy over her face. He leaned down and licked at her nose.
“Little Buck.”
Abby closed her misty eyes as she recalled another time and another place. And for the first time in a long time, the past made her smile.
The End
♥♥♥
About the author
“I write what I would like to read. About characters that are not perfect, who don’t always make the best or wisest decisions in their lives before the twists of fate and the desires of an author turn their lives into a snow globe. Maybe for the best, maybe for the worst, but definitely for the entertainment of my readers.”
And such is the story of CL’s life. Happenstance and a twist of fate brought her life to a virtual standstill after an accident. Writing was a way to keep her mind occupied, and the Internet was her playground. The fans of her writing were demanding more, and so came the creation Facing Evil. CL has also penned From A Distance - the 2011 GCLS Literary Award for Mystery/Thriller.
CL Hart is an avid outdoors woman who is as handy with an axe and a hammer as she is with a pen. Her colorful rainbow of occupations has included: police officer, bus driver, trucker driver, and singer. She currently resides in a log home outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, with her wife and their menagerie of pets.