Breaking Steele (Sarah Steele Legal Thriller)

Untitled Part 14

WE PULLED INTO THE driveway at the old abandoned farmhouse three hours later. It had taken a while to get through dinner. The girls wanted to talk and I tried to pay attention, but seeing Williams had me on edge. When I finally arrived at the farmhouse, it was near dusk.

Mandy was in the back seat, wide-eyed and clutching her camera. I’d called her and asked to borrow her camera, but she gave me an ultimatum: either she came with it or I didn’t get it. Since I didn’t want to use any of the crappy digital cameras the office gave out, I decided to let her come. After all, it wouldn’t be dangerous.

The moon was already out, even though it was still light. It cast an eerie glow over the cornfield to our left.

I couldn’t help but think of a Stephen King novel and wondered if this was the sort of place he saw in his nightmares as he wrote. I didn’t like being here in the daytime, let alone at night, but it would probably take an hour to search the place thoroughly. It’d be dark by then.

I glanced at Joshua, who was driving the company car. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his shaved head. “Come on, Sherlock,” I said. “Let’s see what we can see.”

“There’s no light on,” Mandy whispered.

“Yeah, it’s an abandoned farmyard,” I said dryly. “And they taped this area off—I would be worried if there were lights on.”

My eyes took a moment to adjust after I exited the car. I strode toward the barn, intent on my destination.

The crickets were making music full force. A crow occasionally chimed in, as if he didn’t want the crickets to get all the glory. The grass weaved and danced in the wind, creating a rustling backdrop. I’d missed hearing this country music—real country music. I’d spent every summer with my grandparents on a farm until they died when I was ten. The sounds were familiar to me.

Two car doors slammed shut.

I sighed and turned, walking backwards. “You don’t have to come in, Mandy. Unless we find something for you to shoot.”

“Shoot? Don’t use that phrase,” she said.

“Shoot with your camera,” I clarified.

Joshua hurried to catch up with me.

“Don’t think for a minute you’re going to leave me in the car,” Mandy said.

“Fine. But you have to be quiet. I know how you like to talk when you’re scared.”

“I don’t talk when I’m scared. I mean, maybe a little, but it’s ‘cause it calms me down, gives me something to think about, something to take my mind off whatever I’m scared of and—oh, God, I’m doing it right now.”

I smiled. “Yeah, that—don’t do that.”

We arrived at the barn and stood together. More police tape stating CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS lined the doors. I pulled it free and touched Mandy on the shoulder, making her jump and mutter a curse.

“This is where it happened,” Joshua said in a haunted whisper. His black eyes glanced from one corner of the property to the other, taking it all in.

“Are we even supposed to do this?” Mandy asked, her voice shaking. “Is this legal?”

“Give me some credit,” I said. “I called the P.D. before I came and got permission. Nobody wants to come out here anymore.”

I motioned to Joshua and he helped me slide the heavy double doors open. They groaned on their hinges and the sound stopped the crickets’ serenade.