Goodnight Moo

Tillie took over the hosing off of Jewel as Brynn, Schuyler, and Wes walked to the driveway. Schuyler opened the door of her truck. “If you need anything, let me know.” Her words felt weighty. Her tone said her concern was about more than the cow. Brynn knew that she meant it—but she hoped they wouldn’t need her for anything. She turned her attention to Sheriff Edge and Wes.

“Can I help you?” Brynn said.

Sheriff Edge looked at her, then Wes. “I just have a few more questions for Wes; then I’ll get out of your hair. I promise. I can see you’re busy.” He looked in the direction of Tillie, still hosing off Jewel, who had perked up quite a bit as the cool water washed over her.

A surge of mama bear protection tore through Brynn. She wasn’t Wes’s mother, but his parents had trusted her with him. He’d just turned twenty, not a boy, but certainly not an adult. She drew in a breath. “What’s the problem? He answered questions before, right?”

Sheriff Edge lurched back, as if shocked that Brynn spoke.

Her face heated.

“It’s okay, Brynn; I’ve got no problem helping the police find whoever killed Donny,” Wes said with a composed voice that chilled Brynn. How could he be so calm when she herself was nervous? “You don’t need to worry. I’ve done nothing wrong. Go ahead inside and I’ll answer any questions the sheriff has.”

Brynn’s legs trembled. What was wrong with her? She was making too big of a deal over this. Of course, there would be more questions. It was a murder case. They had to proceed methodically.

“Are you okay?” Sheriff Edge asked.

She nodded. “I’m a little woozy. It must be the heat.”

“Let me help you inside,” he said.

Come on, Brynn, put on your big-girl panties. “No,” she said. “I’ll be okay.” She willed her legs to move and they did. She glanced over at Tillie, finishing up with Jewel, and walked up to her front porch and opened the door to the cool air-conditioned air.

Sweet relief. She hadn’t realized how hot she was. But she knew that wasn’t her only problem. The gravity of the situation weighed on her. She tried to ensure Wes didn’t see how worried she was, but she was truly nervous. A second questioning from the police? She wondered if it meant they were taking a harder look at him as a viable suspect. And how could it be? She had faith in the justice system, even though she knew it wasn’t perfect. She knew Wes didn’t kill anybody. How could they be considering him as a suspect? Was it only because he happened to find the victim? Or was there more to it that she didn’t know? That Wes didn’t know?

She walked down her hall to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She sat down at the table, drinking the water and looking out over her backyard filled with her cows and dog, along with Tillie, who was gathering the hose and putting it away. Sheriff Edge and Wes had gone into the car to chat.

Brynn took another drink of water.

She’d come to rely on Wes a great deal over the past few months. She’d originally bought the farm assuming she and her fiancé would run it, but when that didn’t work out she decided to do it herself—which was a lot of work. She was only too happy to accept the help that Wes gave her. Okay, she taught him how to make cheese, but he was a good and willing student.

The house phone rang. Brynn jumped. It rarely rang. They decided to get one because cell service could be sketchy in Shenandoah Springs and when there was an emergency she didn’t want to deal with a squirrely cell phone.

“Hello,” Brynn said.

“Hi there. This is Roy,” the voice said. “Wes’s friend? I’ve been trying to reach him. He’s not answering his cell.”

That’s because he’s sitting in a cop car being questioned by Sheriff Edge. But she decided to keep that nugget of information to herself. “He’s busy right now,” Brynn said. “I’ll give him the message that you called.”

“Thanks, yeah, please tell him to give me a call,” he said, and then hung up.

That was odd. Wes had only been out of cell phone reach maybe a half an hour and Roy felt the need to call the house phone? She shrugged and took another sip of water. She glanced at the clock and realized she should get ready for the fair. She and Wes needed to be there soon to work the booth for the CSA. When she offered to do it she felt lively, but now she wanted to head to bed. Perhaps a shower would perk her up.

Someone knocked at the door and opened it. “Brynn?” It was Tillie.

“Are you on the phone?”

Brynn realized she was still holding the receiver. “No, one of Wes’s friends just called. Roy?”

“Roy? I thought he went back home to Richmond.” Tillie leaned against the wall.

“Maybe he did. He didn’t say where he was.”

“Oh, that’s cool. He was offered a gaming job, I heard.”

“Yeah, you know, like computer games. He’s into all that.”

“How could they think Wes had anything to do with any of this?” she asked, her amber eyes wide with worry. “I’m kind of worried; well, I’m a nervous wreck.”

Brynn hated to ask this, but given the past, she thought she was entitled to. “Do you know something I don’t know?”

She laughed. “I wish. If I did, I’d go straight to the police myself. I learned my lesson. I’ve got to run. I need to rehearse for the gig at the fair. I hope you can swing by.”

“I hope so, too, but my cheese duties might prevent me. We’ll see.” Brynn loved listening to Tillie sing and play guitar.

Tillie turned to leave.

“Yeah?” She turned back to face Brynn.

“Please be careful.” Brynn didn’t have to say more. She knew Tillie caught her drift.