Caden frowned, not certain he followed. “UFOs?”
“That’s what people are saying. Oh, and we had a call from Chester Wilson.” Ryan smiled tightly. “His pastures are covered with star shit and he’s got another dead cow.”
Caden groaned. This was not how he wanted to start his Monday.
Katie breathed in the silence of the lobby, the few guests in residence at the Parrish Hotel out roaming the town. The lack of activity gave her a chance to catch up on bookwork, but her mind kept drifting to Sam. By tomorrow he would be well enough to go back to school. In the meantime, her mom had volunteered to spend the day with him, since her hair salon was closed on Mondays.
Sam was safe at home, but it was hard not to dwell on Saturday night’s unsettling visitations. Katie might have imagined the Mothman, but not the van. Now that she knew about Lyle, the driver’s appearance dovetailed a little too suspiciously.
Lyle hadn’t wanted his baby when he’d discovered she was pregnant, so why care now? The burden of being a single mother hadn’t been easy, but she wanted nothing to do with him. And, for the most part, Lyle kept his distance. When he’d moved away, she was relieved. She’d heard nightmare stories of men who returned years later, attempting to claim children they’d fathered. What if Lyle had changed his mind about Sam and suddenly decided to take him away?
The opening click of the front door interrupted her thoughts. A second later, Sarah Sherman scurried into the lobby chased by a draft of chilly air.
“Brr.” Her friend ran a hand through her coppery hair, taming the wind-tousled curls with a quick swipe. “It’s cold out there today.”
Katie murmured agreement. It was too early for Sarah to be off work, and too late for her to stop by the River Café for lunch. “Slow day at the courthouse?”
“Brutally.” Sarah tugged off her gloves and dropped them on the reception counter. “Not that I mind an occasional slow day. It gives me a chance to dig through the older records, but I decided to cut out early.”
Only Sarah would enjoy poking around in dusty birth, death, and marriage certificates. Her friend had been known to spend hours poring over documents dating back to the time of the Battle of Fort Randolph when Chief Cornstalk supposedly cursed Point Pleasant with his dying breath.
“If you’re looking for Eve, she headed over to Gallipolis.” Deciding bookwork was a lost cause, Katie flipped her accounting register shut.
“No. I came to see how you were doing.” Sarah shrugged out of her coat and dropped it onto the nearest chair. Her purse followed.
“You mean about Lyle?”
“Of course. Eve said she called you about him. He hasn’t tried to contact you, has he?”
“No.” She hesitated, thinking of the van. It was probably best not to spread accusations she couldn’t prove. Ryan knew about her visitor. She trusted him to look into it. “I’m not sure why he would. We didn’t speak even when he lived in town.”
“It doesn’t hurt to be careful. He’s probably staying with his cousin.”
Katie hadn’t thought about it, but the idea made sense. Lyle’s parents had sold their farm and moved east to Braxton years ago. Lyle had stayed, keeping an apartment in town until he’d lost his job as a groundskeeper with a local nursery. Not long afterward, he’d headed north in search of work. Now that he was back, he’d try to freeload with Darrell, who lived in a trailer off Route 2.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he hooked up with Darrell.” Discussing her loser of an ex took Katie’s mind off Sam, but made her nervous in other ways. He’d never lifted a finger against her, but she didn’t doubt Lyle Mason had a temper. “If he wants to tangle, he better tangle with me and leave Sam alone.”
Sarah’s gaze reflected sympathy. “I’ll keep my ears open. A lot of talk funnels through the courthouse. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks.”
“It could be nothing,” Sarah continued. “Maybe he came home because it’s the only place he knows. He was born here. Even though his parents are gone—”
“And his sister.”
Sarah’s eyes widened. “Oh dear, I’d forgotten about her. What was her name? Loretta?”
“Lottie.” Katie hadn’t known the shy, older girl, but in some ways, could relate. From what Lyle told her about his sister, Lottie had been a social outcast.
“Didn’t she fall or something?” Sarah asked.
Katie nodded. “Lyle said there was a flat section of roof outside her bedroom window. She used to crawl out and sun herself, or watch the stars at night. Sometimes Lyle would join her and they’d sit and talk for hours. That was the side of him I saw when we dated—why I was able to overlook his other faults.” Lottie had been dead for several years by the time they’d met, but Lyle’s love for his sister had overshadowed his gruffness. They’d bonded over their missing siblings, then taken their relationship to the next level. “Lyle was a jerk, but he adored Lottie. If he had any saving grace, it was his love for his sister.”
Before Sarah could reply, a fresh draft of cold air invaded the cozy setting. Both women glanced to the door in time to see a tall man dressed in a black suit step inside. A vague sense of déjà vu swept over Katie.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
Sarah stared openly as the man approached the desk.
An obvious stranger, he stood out more than most. A black fedora crowned his short dark hair, and his shiny black shoes were thick and rubber soled. Crisply tailored and immaculately cut, his suit appeared brand new. Through the front windows, Katie spied a large black car, possibly a Cadillac. The tug of déjà vu grew stronger.
“Good day.” The man spoke slowly as if the words were difficult to form. His lips curved in a wide smile, but the grin lacked emotion. “I was wondering if you could answer a few questions.” The artificial smile never left his face, plastered in place.
Gooseflesh broke out on Katie’s arms. “About what?”