Field of Danger, 3

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It’s just after midnight, and right now I’m setting in my mother’s room at the assisted living facility, while she sleeps (I hope) in a Huntsville hospital. Thursday meant a heart catheter for her, with the result of one artery cleared of a 70 percent blockage by a stint. Preparing for this, and other doctor visits that mean trips to Alabama, etc., have kept me fairly distracted lately.

But, as I have most of my life, downtime means my minds turn to story-making. I don’t know why. I think it’s just the way God wired me and it’s why I’m never too far from a notebook or laptop.

In fact, I do a lot of plotting when I have neither, usually in the car. When I’m driving, I can work out plot or character snags, discovering new ways to move the tale forward. With Field, I realized that April, who is obviously and logically a bit shell shocked in the beginning, has shown interest in Daniel without asking a lot of questions. But she had rejected him in the past and now, despite her growing curiosity, hesitates to break the ice.

Enter Aunt Suke. Who’s shy about nothing.

———–

April raised her head, eyes still burning. “But won’t that make it easier to find out who killed him? It’s got to be local, right? Not only because he knew where Levon would be but that he knows how the police work, that all of them will answer that call? That’s what you meant about diversionary, wasn’t it?”

The older woman paused. “Yes. He’s got to be local. He knew this would leave us open.”

The underlying thought hit April, and every muscle in her body tightened painfully. “He’s still watching me!”

Aunt Suke rolled one shoulder and stretched her left arm. “Most likely, yes. And probably will until he realizes you’re secure and that no cops have showed up at his door to arrest him. Ray and Daniel will probably figure that out as soon as the shots stop at your house and will be back over here shortly.”

“You have a lot of faith in them.”

“Ray Taylor is the smartest sheriff Bell County has ever elected. Was a Marine, then a beat cop and a detective in Memphis. You know about Daniel, right?”

April shrugged. “I know he worked with the Nashville PD for awhile.”

“Did you know he did two tours in Iraq?”

April shook her head. “I didn’t even know he’d been in the military.”

“Ask him about it sometime.”

“You don’t think he’d mind?”

Aunt Suke pushed a strand of snowy white hair out of her face. “April, you’re going to discover that Daniel Rivers isn’t like most men. In any form or fashion.”

“And you think he can protect me?”

“I think he’d take a bullet for you. And not just because it’s his job.”

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