Part 15 (2/2)
”Katie, then, nice to meet you.”
She glanced back at the bar. Another girl had joined the workforce there. She was older, tougher looking, someone who'd worked pubs for a few years, no doubt.
”I'm on break,” Katie said.
He angled his head, smiling. ”So, can you join me, luv?”
Her smiled deepened. She'd been waiting for the invitation. Ah, so his shoulders weren't what they might have been, but he seldom had trouble with women.
She took the seat opposite him. ”What brings you to Stirling?”
”I'm looking for a bit of excitement.”
”In Stirling?”
He shrugged. ”It was close enough.”
”You're out in one of the villages, eh? Sounds like you come from Glasgow.”
”That I do,” he told her. He took a bite of his roast. It was good.
”And you, Katie? You're from Stirling?”
She shook her head. ”Orkney.”
He arched a brow. ”Talk about a need for excitement! So, have you found any in Stirling?”
”I've only been here a few days.” She leaned closer. ”And the bloke what owns this place...what a jerk! I think I'll do better heading for Edinburgh, or Glasgow. They say there's some life going on there, at least.”
”Katie, life is where we find it. All along the road.”
She smiled and proved to be more of an aggressive little vixen than he had imagined. ”Think that you could show me some life along that road?” she queried.
He hadn't realized that her hands were beneath the table until he felt her fingers squeezing his knee.
He placed his fork down, crossed his arms over his chest and surveyed her with definite interest and amus.e.m.e.nt. ”Katie, la.s.s, you can't begin to imagine what I can show you along the road.”
”I'd love to see,” she said.
He smiled, leaning back in his chair. ”Maybe we could meet later.”
There was a breath of excitement in her voice. ”Maybe we could!” She rose quickly. ”I'm off at two. So I shouldn't be seen sitting here with you.. .if we're going to get together later.”
”Good thought,” he told her gravely. ”Very good thought.”
”Meet me down by the graveyard?”
”Perfect,” he told her.
Jonathan's information regarding Bruce had been accepted as it had been offered, Toni thought--as a good sound reason for them to stay out of the forest, and, as a darned good reason for him to feel very uneasy about the situation.
Toni was certain that David had told Kevin, and that Gina had let Ryan know. Thayer wasn't around, so he was the only one who didn't yet know.
The bodies had been found here. And Bruce had discovered one of the dead girls. Now they were all left a little uneasy, she thought. And she couldn't help wondering if they should just cut their losses and leave.
She was scrounging in the refrigerator, looking for something cold to drink, when Gina came into the kitchen.
”Don't get any food!” Gina ordered.
Toni closed the refrigerator and looked at her. ”Actually, I wasn't, but why not?”
”Because we should go on a picnic.”
”A picnic? Where?” she asked Gina carefully.
”Don't worry. I'm not going to drag anyone into the forest. I'm not sure where to go, but we'll find a meadow somewhere. With sheep.”
”And sheep p.o.o.p!” David added cheerfully, coming on in behind Gina and taking a seat with them at the kitchen table. He grinned at Toni. ”I've already told her, Kevin and I are in.”
”I guess it's just us,” Gina added. ”Bruce is gone, and Thayer took off this morning.”
Toni looked at both of them quizzically. ”You're not upset?”
”Upset?” David said, looking at Gina, frowning.
”About the bodies having been dumped in these woods, and about Bruce having made the discovery of one of them,” Toni said.
David shook his head. ”As long as you and Gina don't.. .pick up the trade and go running around in the forest, no. I'm sorry, of course. And I understand now why Bruce is so weird about it. But no, I'm not upset.”
”We just need to be cautious,” Gina added. ”Women usually need to be smart about what they're doing.”
Toni nodded. ”Um. Good.”
”Are you upset?” Gina asked.
”No!”
”Are you coming on our picnic?”
Toni was quiet for a minute. ”Mind if I beg out of it myself?”
”Why?” Gina asked, sounding a bit hurt.
”I'll leave it as a romantic outing for two couples,” Toni said.
”Hey, it's never like that,” David protested. ”We're all friends.”
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