Hide in Plain Sight Read Online Free PDF Page B

chemistry just isn’t there.”
    Andrea didn’t bother to analyze why she wasrelieved. “I understand he’s been around for about a year?” She made it a question for both of them.
    “Just about,” Grams agreed. “He stayed over at the Zimmerman farm for a while, I think, when he first came to the area.”
    “You never mentioned renting the barn to him when we talked.” Grams and Rachel had come into the city for dinner just a month ago, but in all their talk about the inn, they hadn’t brought up their resident tenant.
    “Didn’t we? I thought you knew about him.”
    The vagueness of it got under her skin. “Where did he come from? What did he do before? What does Uncle Nick think of him?” Her grandfather’s business partner had a solid, no-nonsense attitude that Grams lacked.
    “I don’t know. Does it matter?” Grams frowned a little, as if Andrea had said something impolite. “And it’s not James Bendick’s business.”
    Rachel moved slightly. “He’s a nice guy. That’s all we need to know.”
    It wasn’t all she needed to know. Perhaps the truth was that Grams hadn’t mentioned him because she’d known exactly the questions Andrea would ask and didn’t want to answer them. Grams did things her own way, and she’d never appreciated unsolicited advice.
    “I believe I’ll get some coffee.” Grams stood, picking up her handbag.
    “I’ll get it for you, Grams,” she offered.
    Her grandmother shook her head. “You stay here and talk to Rachel. I want to stretch my legs a bit.”
    Andrea watched her leave, her heart clutching a little.Grams wouldn’t admit it, but she was slowing down. Grams had always been so strong, so unchanging, that age had sat lightly upon her. It had seemed she would never let it get the better of her. But that had been an illusion.
    A weight settled on Andrea’s shoulders. She had to make the right decisions now. Rachel, Grams—she was responsible for both of them.
    “Are you okay, Dree?”
    She shook off the apprehension before she turned to look at her sister. “Sure. Just worried about you. Did the police talk to you about the accident?”
    Rachel nodded. “The township chief was in before you got here. It doesn’t sound as if they have much evidence. He wanted to know if I remembered anything.”
    “Do you?”
    Rachel moved restlessly. “I don’t remember anything that happened after about noon yesterday.”

THREE
     
     
    C al let himself in the side door of the Unger mansion, toolbox in hand. He’d told Katherine that he’d fix the loose post on the main staircase, but that wasn’t his only reason for being there.
    He’d been mulling it over, praying about it, most of the day. Prayer was still new enough to him that he wondered sometimes whether he ought to be asking for guidance about simple everyday things. Still, it was comforting to feel that Someone cared.
    And this wasn’t a selfish thing. He wanted a sense of whether he should speak to Andrea about her grandmother. Seemed to him the answer was yes, although that might just be his need to do something.
    Two years ago, he’d have found it laughable to think he’d be so concerned about an elderly woman who wasn’t even a relative, but he hadn’t been much of a human being, either, back then. Now—well, he cared about Katherine Unger.
    Katherine was kind, proud and too stubborn to ask for help even when she needed it. She’d be appalled, probably, if she realized how much he’d learned abouther concerns just by listening. If she knew he intended to talk to Andrea, she’d be outraged.
    But someone had to. Emma Zook could, but she might be too much in awe of Katherine to do it. So he would. He reached the stairs and pulled out a hammer. He’d been watching for an opportunity to speak to Andrea alone since she’d returned from the hospital, but she’d been holed up in the second-floor family quarters. Maybe a little noise would draw her out.
    Sure enough, it didn’t take more than a