Free Tattered Legacy (A Nora Abbott Mystery) by Shannon Baker Page B

seat.
    The 4Runner sported leather seats and a black interior. It felt like riding on a cloud compared to Nora’s geriatric Jeep.
    Darrell glanced at her. “So tell me about Nora Abbott.”
    She gave him a sideways glance. “Going all politician on me?”
    He tilted his head back and laughed. “Got me.”
    “Why don’t you tell me about you instead?”
    He shifted his eyes toward her. “That’s a boring story.”
    “We’ve got a half-hour. Bore me.”

Eleven
    Nora admired the beauty of massive red and black cliffs as they rose on either side of the highway that wound along the Colorado River east out of Moab. She inhaled the heated afternoon air that blew in the open window. Willows, Russian olives, and tamarisk lined the banks and whipped in the afternoon wind. At this point in its journey, the Colorado hadn’t gained the power and wildness that was its trademark as it made its way through the Grand Canyon. But it ran high enough to accommodate adventurers in their colorful rafts bouncing in the waves.
    Rain clouds built in the distance to fuel the over-active monsoon rains of this season.
    “That’s a big sigh,” Darrell said.
    Nora dug for a smile. “I was thinking about all the river trips Lisa and I took together.”
    Darrell laughed. “I joined her on a trip last year. We were having trouble getting funding for the Canyonlands film, and she decided to invite a few potential donors for a river trip.”
    “Since she ended up coming to the Trust for money, I’m assuming the trip didn’t go well,” Nora commented.
    He gave her an irresistible grin that promised whatever adventure he cooked up was sure to be fun. “It started off great. We had sunshine and a light breeze to keep the bugs at bay. But things went downhill pretty fast when one of the older gentlemen kept ordering Lisa around like she was a waitress.”
    “Uh-oh.”
    “You know how everyone takes turns with chores on a river trip? This guy didn’t do anything. Two nights before we pulled out of the river, we were sitting around the campfire after dinner. Lisa and I had just finished cleaning up the dishes and settled in with the group when this old duffer raised his empty glass and nodded at Lisa to get him a refill of wine.”
    “Did she toss him into the river or just his sleeping bag?”
    “Actually, Lisa smiled as sweetly as I’ve ever seen and took his cup. I thought maybe she would sacrifice her pride for the good of the film.”
    Nora laughed.
    “Yeah, I didn’t know her very well then.”
    “So what did she do?”
    “She walked back with the last two bottles of expensive cab he’d brought along. When I saw the look on her face I jumped up, but I was too late. She lifted the bottles and poured them on the rocks of the fire ring.”
    Nora could envision Lisa’s fiery eyes. “He was lucky.”
    “Classic Lisa.” Darrell laughed. “It took all of my people skills to keep him from decking her. I’m not sure he ever understood what he’d done wrong.”
    “Lisa was okay with you defending her?”
    The twinkle in his eyes showed his shrewdness. “She didn’t know about it and I wasn’t going to tell her. As far as she knew, he realized his error and donated much less than she’d hoped.”
    “I see why you’re a successful politician.”
    “Ouch.” He grew serious. “I didn’t do it for a vote. I’m pretty sure I lost that one. I did it because we needed the cash for the film. It’s important work.”
    “Yes. But politicians tend to do what’s expedient for their careers, not necessarily what’s right.”
    Red cliffs blackened by unrelenting sun rose in majestic splendor on Nora’s right. Rows of tourist cabins nestled in a grassy meadow that led to the river on the left.
    Darrell glanced at her, then back to the road. “You’re right, of course. And I’ll admit to a little hedging here and there. Quid pro quo. But not on something this serious.”
    “A sincere politician?” The resignation in his eyes