Free Divine Justice by David Baldacci Page B

visitors up here. Most people here have been here all their lives. Unlike Danny here, they tend to stay in Divine till they die.”
    Danny snorted at this comment.
    Stone shook his head. “Just wanted to see that Danny got home okay. I’ll be heading on soon.”
    “You’re welcome to stay,” Danny said. This comment made both Abby and Tyree stare uneasily at him, something Stone was quick to note.
    “I doubt he’d find much to keep him here,” Abby said.
    “You never know, Ma. Ben here might be looking for a little peace and quiet.”
    Stone stared at Danny for a moment. Was the kid a mind reader? “Thanks, but I’ll be moving on soon.” Stone wasn’t going to stay and he didn’t like sitting next to a lawman, small-town or otherwise.
    “I do appreciate what you did for Danny. And you can stay in the room upstairs tonight, if you want,” Abby said.
    “You’ve done enough for me,” Stone said. “Bed and a good breakfast.”
    “Ben needs some work to do,” Danny said. “Needs some cash because he got thrown off that train along with my sorry ass.”
    “I’m sure I can find something for you to do, Ben,” Abby said.
    “I appreciate it.”
    The sheriff said, “You know, you’re welcome to stay over at the jail.”
    “Behind bars?” Danny said, laughing.
    “On the cot in the back,” said Tyree with slight annoyance. “Probably keep you okay for
one
night. Real quiet. No prisoners in lockup now.”
    “Yeah, they’re all up at old Dead Rock,” said Danny. “We passed it coming up. Looks real pretty at night,” he added sarcastically.
    Tyree nodded. “Put it on a mountaintop in the middle of nowhere, and for good reason. City folks don’t want supermaxes in their backyard. But they’ll dump them here. Not complaining, it brings jobs to folks, and Lord knows we need them.” He motioned to the door where two burly young men in blue uniforms walked in and sat down at a table. “There’re two of them right there. Probably be heading up to the prison after they fill their bellies.”
    “If you ain’t working in the mines or the prisons, you ain’t making a living ’round here,” said Danny. “Because everything else is for shit.”
    Tyree scowled at him. “Now, Danny, you know that’s not true. We got us a whole line of shops up and down that street outside that are doing real good. Folks can earn a decent living in Divine, hold their heads up and take care of each other. It’s not like that in most places.”
    “I can vouch for that,” Stone said.
    As there was a pause in the conversation the picture on the TV hanging on a wall behind the counter caught their attention; Stone’s more than anyone else’s. It was about the murders in Washington. The FBI had leads they were running down. Several persons of interest were being questioned. And though no one at the Bureau would be specific, apparently there was a theory tying together the killings of Simpson and Gray.
    Tyree said, “Hope that they catch the bastard. I think it’s some terrorist plot.”
    “Towelheads on the run,” said Danny, chuckling. “Well, if they come here they’ll be pretty easy to spot.”
    “No laughing matter, Danny. These crazies are trying to take over the world.” He touched his gun. “But I tell you what, if they do show up in Divine, they can expect some good old American justice.”
    Stone turned to Abby. “What sort of work do you need done?”
    Tyree stood, the rubbed leather of his gun belt squeaking slightly. “Danny, come see me later, boy, okay?”
    It really wasn’t a question.
    Danny grinned, nodded and went back to his over-easy eggs and grease-fried bacon.
    “Supplies need to be brought in from the back,” Abby told Stone. “Storage room picked up. Windows washed, floor mopped. One of my dishwashers called in sick so you can pitch in there too.”
    Stone nodded, wiped his mouth with his napkin and rose. “Just give me a quick walkthrough and I’ll get to it.”
    “Don’t you