Free The Gift by Deb Stover Page A

his fake coughing spell, mustered the sternest expression he could, and faced his daughter.
    “I’m not answering your question until you answer mine.”
    She ducked her chin. “Oh.”
    “Thought you women could change the subject on me.” He nodded and crossed his arms over his abdomen. “Not this time. I want to know why you called Ms. Dearborn this evening.” He swung his head toward Beth. “Then I want to know how you got hurt.”
    “Okay.” Sarah sat on the end of the couch and rested her chin in her hands. “I heard you and Pearl talking after dinner, and you said you thought maybe Ms. Dearborn was the one who would finally find the truth.”
    Damn. Ty wasn’t sure how he felt about Beth hearing that. “That still doesn’t explain why you called her, Sarah.”
    “I—I’m not sure.” The girl looked anxiously from Beth to Ty to Pearl, then back to Ty. “I just needed to talk to her—to tell her how important it is that we find out what happened to Momma. That we make people stop thinking…” She drew a stuttering breath and brought her hand to her quivering lips.
    “Sarah,” Beth said gently. “You know I work for an insurance company. Right?”
    The girl nodded. “It said so on your business card. Of course I know.”
    “I am here to find the truth.” Beth looked up at Ty, her expression open and sincere. “No matter what it is.”
    “Right. No matter what,” Ty repeated, unable to look away.
    Pearl rose from her rocking chair near the hearth. “We’ll all be glad to know the truth. That’s for sure.”
    “Your turn.” Still holding Beth’s gaze, Ty arched both eyebrows. “What happened to you? Why did I find your car out front with the lights on and the driver’s door standing open?”
    She looked down for several seconds, then met his gaze again and held her hands out to her sides, palms upturned. “The big, bad investigator is afraid of thunderstorms. All right?”
    This tough-as-nails woman afraid of a little thunderand lightning? He didn’t buy it. “If you say so.” His tone dripped sarcasm.
    “I was at Rick Heppel’s when Sarah called, and—”
    “Heppel’s?”
    “He was on the list you gave me. Remember?”
    He nodded. Why had she started with the only man on the list? And, more importantly, why was that knowledge eating a hole in Ty’s gut? There were plenty of people in town Beth could have talked to this evening, without driving back out into the country. In the dark. During a storm.
    Afraid of thunderstorms, my ass.
    “So how’d you get the goose egg?”
    “I—I’m not sure.” She gingerly put her index finger on the purplish bump, puckered her brow, and winced. “Ow, that hurts.”
    “Some aspirin before bed is a good idea,” Pearl said.
    “Yeah, I have some.” Beth unwrapped her legs from the quilt and looked around. “I probably left my backpack in the car.”
    “You still didn’t tell us how you got the goose egg,” Ty reminded her.
    “Oh, yeah.” The look she gave him said she might have stuck her tongue out at him—or worse—if they’d been alone. “I remember knocking on the front door, but the storm was so loud, no one heard me. I kept pounding on it, and it flew open. I must’ve been leaning on it when it did, and I stumbled through.”
    All the color drained from her face and she seemed short of breath.
    “You all right, honey?” Pearl felt the side of herface farthest from her injury. “No fever. Is your tummy upset?”
    Beth shook her head. “No, really. I’ll just head back to the hotel now. I’ll be fine. I’m sorry I’ve been so much trouble.”
    “You got no business driving tonight.” Pearl had that stubborn set to her jaw that told the world the battle was lost before it began. “Since your tummy’s all right, I’ll fetch you some aspirin.”
    “So…” He had to keep talking. “You fell through the front door and landed on your forehead?”
    “Flat on my face. I think.” Beth pressed her lips together,