Chapter Eleven
"PETE!"
Pete and Amanda, who had been fixing a part of the fence near the Mitchell's home, heard Sheriff Lawson calling Pete's name. They looked up from where they were working to see Sheriff Lawson shutting the door to his squad car.
"How come I get an uneasy feeling all of a sudden." Amanda, who had been laughing over some of the things she and Pete had been saying while they worked, stopped laughing as Sheriff Lawson started walking towards them.
"Probably for the same reason I do." Pete's own laughter stopped abruptly as he stepped away from the fence.
"Sorry for interrupting your work," Sheriff Lawson looked at Amanda as he drew close to Pete and Amanda.
Due to a few things she and Pete had said, Amanda grinned as she told the sheriff not to worry. "I can continue working on this." She then looked at Pete and, with a very straight face-only with laughter in her eyes, said, "Why don't you get back in the water."
Pete laughed not only at her words, but at the confused look that appeared in Sheriff Lawson's eyes. "I'll explain later." Pete assured the sheriff as the two of them walked towards the sheriff's car.
"What is it?" Pete asked as Sheriff Lawson leaned against his squad car.
"I've been thinking ever since you told me Caleb's cousin is out of prison and in Los Angeles. As I've said before, Caleb's never been gone long enough to travel that that far only," he rubbed his chin, "any chance you could have your partner in Los Angeles find out if Phillip would have the time to at least make it to the California border and back to Los Angeles without being missed."
"If he does, he'd have to have more contacts than Caleb. I mean, any items he would be giving Phillip wouldn't make it worth the trip." Pete said-though he promised he would call either Jim or Mac at lunch time. "That is, if I can use your phone after Amanda and I are through eating at the cafe."
Sheriff Lawson, who had up to this point, stayed out of the talk he'd been hearing, spoke up simply because he looked upon Amanda as he would one of his nieces. "You two are spending a lot of time together. What's it been- a week now?"
"Nine days," Pete grinned as he looked in the direction where Amanda had gone back to work. "I keep telling myself I'm crazy. I may not be old only I'm not exactly in my twenties anymore. I've told myself more than once to step away for 'that area' only," Pete flicked his wrist, "I can't. You know, she may not look like a candidate for the next Miss America only she's still easy enough on the eyes- and there's something about her that just makes her stand out. Sounds like crazy talk, right?"
Sheriff Lawson smiled. "Doesn't sound crazy at all. If you ask me, which I know you didn't, she's a diamond among pearls. I'd think twice about walking away from that one-I won't admit saying that though. My wife might get the wrong idea. Besides, as a general rule, I don't go meddling into that area of other people's lives." His smile then disappeared as he climbed back in his car, his mind went back to Caleb. "Come by the station and use the phone any time you want. I would really like to have the answer to that question I told you I thought about. I had a friend's shed hit last night and a few valuable items taken. Caleb was seen in the area, but that's it. No one saw him actually go near the shed, nor was there anything in his truck when I stopped him for speeding. However, I did catch sight of an open letter that was on the seat beside Caleb. I couldn't really read the majority of it only I did see the word border a couple of times, and the signature was rather large and easy to read. Do you want to guess what name was spelled out?"
"Phillip Perkins." Pete stated flatly.
"Exactly, and-I know it's far-fetched-only with the word border in the letter more than once…. Maybe?" Sheriff Lawson shrugged his shoulders.
"I'll let you know what I find out." Pete promised. Once the sheriff drove away, Pete went back to see if Amanda was ready to eat lunch.
~oOo~
"I know we're grasping at straws, Mac." Pete, who was sitting at a desk in Sheriff's Lawson's office, had finished eating lunch with Amanda and was now talking to Sergeant MacDonald. "Only, Sheriff Lawson is right; depending on Perkins work schedule, it's a real possibility."
"Okay, only, Pete," Mac didn't try to hide his frustration. "The idea of getting you to take a vacation was to give you some time to relax, time to put things behind you."
"I know that and, I promise, I'm not as involved in this matter as much as it might seem." Pete said as he saw Amanda walk past the sheriff's open door; she was starting work in five minutes.
"Pete?" Mac, who had spoken after Peter, but received no reply, said Pete's name again, and then asked, "Did you hear me?"
"Oh, sorry, Mac," Pete turned his attention back to the phone, "I got distracted for second. What did you say?"
"I said I'd have Jim check into it only I want you to promise that you'll keep your involvement in this matter to the bare minimum." Mac stressed his words.
"I'm already doing that; I promise. I have been filling my time doing other things as well." Pete smiled as he thought on all time he and Amanda had spent working together, getting to know each other, and the cookout Andrew had invited him and his parents to. "I will call Jim, either later tonight or tomorrow and tell him more about it. I would give you more details only you're on the job. I don't need to tie up your phone with personal details. Though, do you mind if I take the third week you offered me? Two weeks are almost up, and I'm not ready to come back quite yet."
"I don't mind, only is there something you need to talk about?" Mac said after a moment of silence; sincere concern was in his voice.
Pete didn't want Mac to worry about him, but he didn't have time to tell him everything quite yet. That being the case, he simply said, "Nothing that you need to worry about. However, I'll let Jim know it's okay to repeat the conversation I'm going to have with him to you. Okay?"
"Okay." Mac relaxed and agreed, "Only, you take care of yourself."
"Don't worry. I will." Pete assured the sergeant before bidding him goodbye and leaving the station, but not before double checking with Amanda when it came to what time she was getting off work. After all, he was supposed to be picking her up after she clocked out.