Part 20 (1/2)
Kayden held up the bar of soap. ”Tate's Healers, as in Patty Tate?”
”One and the same,” Brody said.
Kayden looked over at Jake with a smile.
Brody stopped and linked his arms across his chest, his feet in a military at-ease stance. ”I a.s.sume you're not here to purchase soap?”
”Actually, I will take a bar,” Kayden said.
”Okay,” Brody said slowly.
”Can we ask you a couple more questions while I pay for this?” she asked.
”I imagine I don't have a choice.” He led her up to the register, where yet another teen was working.
”We believe Conrad was out somewhere between nine and ten thirty the night before his climb. Any chance he came back here for one more practice run?”
”Nah.”
”Were you working that night?”
”Yes. Until close.”
”So you would have seen him if he came in?”
”Absolutely.”
Kayden paid the cas.h.i.+er for the soap and dropped it in her purse.
”We'd like to take another look at your logbook. Just to verify,” Jake said.
”Whatever.” He scoffed. ”Kyle,” he yelled to the kid behind the counter, ”hand me the logbook.”
Kyle complied, and Brody handed the book over to Jake.
He flipped to the day in question, and Kayden stepped alongside him to scan the record. Conrad had been in after leaving work, as everyone had said, but had never signed back in. Neither had Patty Tate.
Jake handed it back to Brody. ”Thanks.”
”Just get out of my gym.”
Jake fought the urge to reach over and hold Kayden's hand as they walked over to Patty Tate's place. Ever since the dance, he'd been longing to hold her hand again, even if for the briefest of moments. The melody of the song still played through his mind whenever he saw her, the music bringing him right back to the moment and all the sensations wrapped up in it.
”Have you always enjoyed exercise?” he asked, trying to s.h.i.+ft his mind off of that night.
”What?” Her nose crinkled. ”Yeah, I suppose. I mean, we all grew up outdoors.”
”Sure.” He slipped his hands into his pockets-maybe that would lessen the temptation to reach for hers. ”I mean you, though.”
”What about me?”
He was trying to figure out what made her tick and why. Clearly he wasn't being direct enough.
”Do you like the outdoors because it's what your family does and that's how you grew up, or do you truly enjoy the outdoors?”
”I love being outdoors. Love running and climbing and kayaking.” She studied him a moment. ”What about you?”
”What about me?”
”I'm a.s.suming you grew up in the city, in Boston. How'd a city boy get to be so at home in the outdoors?”
”Summers with my grandparents.”
”Oh?”
”Yeah. They lived down on the western sh.o.r.e of Maryland, and I spent my summers with them.”
”And your parents?”
”Would travel.”
”Without you?”
”Yeah. They weren't much on having a kid-other than showing him off when it suited them.”
”Oh.” She kicked at the sand bordering the walk with her toe. ”I'm sorry.”
”It was what it was. They weren't horrible parents or anything-trust me, I've seen a lot worse.” It was hard to explain. ”They just weren't . . . involved.”
She nodded.
He dipped his head, glancing up at her. ”I wish I could have met your parents.”
”Really? Why?”
”Because they must have been amazing.”
”How could you know that? I mean, other than what we say about them, though I suppose that's enough.”
”I know because they raised you.” He smiled. ”And Cole, Piper, Gage, and Reef.”
”He's starting to change. Reef, I mean.”
”I noticed that too.” He'd also noticed the blush creeping up her cheeks when he'd said you and how she'd quickly moved on to a different topic.
”You must miss your folks.”