***So far, Miranda Jessup Buckley has been jilted, fired and left to take care of her ex-lover's child.   She is falling for the sheriff.  Sheriff Mitch thinks her friend and neighbor Aaron Earl is an idiot.  She wants everyone to be happy so she comes up with a plan.

 

 

 

                  ***************

After a kiss that seemed all too brief, I return to find Aaron and Waylon still sitting at the table.  

 

Aaron has a sour look on his face.  And I can't say that I blame him.  He's built up this scenario in his head.  He's going to carry his great- uncle's remains to his daddy.  I don't know too much about Aaron's dad, but I know when a boy longs for a parent's approval.  And Aaron could be the poster child for that.

 

"Stop pouting, Aaron," I say before he can call me out for spilling the tea to Mitch.

 

"Stop pouting?  Are you for real, Miranda?  He said he was gonna arrest me."

 

I wave his comment off.  "He's not gonna arrest you."

 

"Why did you tell him?"

 

I sit down across from them.  I need to make them both understand why I did what it did.  I'm sure Waylon is upset as well but he isn't as pouty as Aaron.

 

"Aaron, I'm not saying this to hurt your feelings, but you don't have a clue what seeing a dead body is like.  It's not like what you see in the movies.  I wake up sometimes, seeing Ed Preston's pale face, those eyes staring ...".  I can't finish.  "It's going to take this wonderful moment of closure for your family, and turn it into a trauma for you."

 

"I'm not a powder puff," he mumbles.

 

"I'm not either.  This is not something you can unsee."

 

He stands up, pushing his chair back with a tad more force than necessary.   "Guess it doesn't matter.  Your cop boyfriend said no."

 

"Aaron, wait."

 

He pauses before going out.  "I can't believe you sold me out."

 

I watch as he closes the door, then look over at Waylon.

 

"Guess you're mad at me too."

 

Waylon shrugs.  "Why did you tell the sheriff?"

 

"Because, messing with a dead body is illegal.  And it's immoral.  Think about it, Waylon.  Suppose you and Aaron manage to retrieve whoever is in those cars.  Are y'all gonna throw them in the back of his pick-up?  That's assuming the body doesn't fall apart while you're swimming to shore."

 

"I get it.  But Aaron just wants to be a part of it." Waylon says.

 

I have a brilliantly bright light bulb go on in my head.

 

"Kid, you're a genius."

 

Waylon looks over, surprised at my statement.  "Tell that to my teachers."

 

"I'm going to make a quick call.  Go take your shower, okay?"

 

He nods and heads to the bathroom.

 

I pick up the phone and dial Mitch's number.  He may not even be home yet.  

 

"Hello?"

 

I have a pleasant flashback to the kiss we shared but shake it off.  I have a proposition for him.  And if he's as smart as I think he is, he'll agree with me it's a good idea.

 

"Hey.  I, uh, hope it's not too late to call."

 

"I'll let it slide.  What's going on?"

 

"First, promise me that you'll hear me out."

 

"Sure."

 

"If Aaron shows you where those cars are in Haynes Pond, will you let him assist in the retrieval of them?"

 

"Geez, Miranda.  I don't know.  I know he's your friend but he's a little odd."

 

"What does that have to do with the price of eggs?"

 

"Are you going to be there, too?" Mitch asks.

 

"He wants us to see this through with him." I say.  

 

He's quiet.  Probably regretting his decision to answer my call.  After several seconds, he speaks.  "It's gonna take a couple of days to get the dive team ready.  I'll see what they say.  If you think your buddy can stay out of the way, then I'll vouch for him."

 

I feel a flicker of hope building.

 

"Thanks, Mitch.  If you were here, I'd kiss you."

 

"If I was there, I just might let you.  Night, Miranda."

 

I hang up and head straight over to Aaron's. 

 

He's reluctant or still just pissed, because I feel like I stand out on his deck, in the dark for longer than need be, before he opens the door.

 

"You can stop pouting now.  I talked to Mitch about assisting the dive team with the retrieval.  But you've got to swear you won't get in their way or do anything stupid."

 

He frowns.  "I guess that's better than nothing."

 

"You bet your ass it's better than nothing.  You can show them where the cars are, go down there with them.  You just can't touch anything."

 

"Thanks," he mumbles.  He still doesn't look too happy.  So, I know something else is bothering him.

 

"Well, what's wrong now?"

 

The look in his eyes tells me everything I need to know.  He's hurt I went behind his back to pull Mitch in on this.

 

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to call in your boyfriend?  You blindsided me, Miranda."

 

"You wouldn't have let me call him in."

 

He nods, puts his hand on the edge of the door.  "Doesn't make it okay.  I'd like to say it's okay, but I never would have done that to you. "

 

I can't say anything.  It's true.  Aaron would have been a faithful friend, following blindly to the end.  But sometimes good friends, trusted friends, make bad mistakes.  Don't they say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions?

 

 

To be continued ...