Ah,
there it was. The real reason he wanted to find out who painted on the photo—to
uncover what really happened to Eddie, and whether he’d been murdered. Ignoring
the churning warning in her stomach, Skye grabbed a light jacket from the tree
stand.
“Okay.
Why don’t you gather what you think we’ll need? I’ll pop over to Magnolia and
get food and coffee, just in case we’re out longer than expected.” Skye dashed
out the door, not waiting for Lucas to answer. She didn’t want to go to the
crumbling old barn, which looked like it would collapse in a light
breeze. Even so, the fact Lucas wanted to go was a step in the right direction.
In her mind, she pictured a dead body looking up at her. Shivering, she
wondered what Lucas might see.
What
if he relapsed, retreating back into grief? She wouldn’t be able to bear it.
Skye
returned to the gallery with two large coffees, a bag of pastries, and a couple
of breakfast sandwiches, finding Lucas waiting in his SUV.
“It’s
about time, Skye!”
“I
thought it would take you longer.” She glanced in the back window before
sliding into the passenger seat. “Are you sure you have everything? Looks like
your entire studio is back there.”
“I
grabbed my camera bag when I came over, in case you needed photographs for any
insurance claims.” Lucas pulled onto the street, heading out of town.
“Always
prepared. Nice to see those Boy Scout values are still in place,” Skye teased,
sipping from her paper cup. “Have you thought about what we’re looking for?”
“I
think we should start with the ghostly figure painted on the photo,” Lucas
said, his fingers gripping the steering wheel. “I put the photo in the back so
we can be sure of the exact location. The barn is probably in worse shape than
before—”
“We
need to be careful,” Skye finished for him.
~ ~ ~ ~
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