Part 28 (1/2)
Jenny winked at her. ”Perfect.”
David slid the truck into gear and they rolled off down the main road. The truck bucked as it went over a pothole in the road. David rested his hands on the steering wheel.
”You guys were walking back to town?”
Annja nodded. ”It's been a rough night.”
”Has it?”
Jenny looked at him. ”What in the world happened to you? Why weren't you at the hotel like you said you were going to be?”
David looked a little sheepish. ”I got called out of town unexpectedly. I tried to get in touch, but the cell-phone reception is absolutely terrible up in these parts. I'm really sorry.”
”Well, as long as nothing happened to you.” Jenny squeezed herself over a little more, prompting David to chuckle.
”I need to drive, Jenny.”
”Sorry,” she said, sounding miffed.
Annja watched the road for a moment. ”What called you out of town?”
”Pardon?”
”The errand you had to run? What was it?”
David shrugged. ”Just some police stuff. I was about twenty miles up north, is all. I'd tell you about it, but it's really boring. I wouldn't want you guys to fall asleep on me.”
Annja felt uneasy. Something didn't feel right. How could Jenny not know that David was the sheriff up here? Was that the truth? And why was David so evasive about why he'd been out of town?
”Jenny tells me you've got some amazing big-foot evidence to show her?”
David nodded. ”In town. We'll go past the station so I can get some stuff, and then I'll show you.”
”What is it exactly?”
David shook his head. ”I don't want to spoil the surprise.”
”Annja,” Jenny said, ”just be a little patient.”
”We need to get some help when we get back to town,” she said to David.
”Oh?”
”Do you have deputies or anything like that? Guys you can call on for help? Maybe the State Police?”
”Why would I need to do a thing like that?”
”Because you've got a roving trio of gun-toting guys up in the woods who scared off Jenny's students yesterday.”
David frowned. ”So they were telling the truth?”