You Can't Run by Hope Davis (best way to read books .txt) 📗

Naya glanced down at her notes where she had written the names. David Smith was next on their list. “Do you know who owns the land now?” she asked.

Ben shrugged. “Some of the guys out here have family, but most of us don’t. So, I don’t know what happens to the land when no one shows up to claim it. But whatever that process is, that’s probably what happened to old Dave’s land. I ain’t never seen a soul out here checking on it though.”

Naya raised an eyebrow, she questioned how reliable that was, since for as well as he claimed to keep an eye on the land, he clearly hadn’t seen Atlas and her out here the other night. Or had he?

She couldn’t tell if Atlas was thinking the same thing or not, but she decided to wait to confer with him when they were back in the car.

“Anyone else still out here?” Atlas asked, looking over his shoulder for no apparent reason.

Ben shrugged. “I know there’s another guy. I haven’t talked to him though. I see him sometimes though when I go to town to buy supplies. He’s the only other person I’ve seen work the land out here in decades.”

“And where abouts is his farm located?” Naya was now standing on Ben’s other side looking at the map as well.

“Beats me. But If I had to say where I saw him farming, I would say about ten-miles down the road. Well past old Dave’s plot and a few other abandoned farms too, I’m sure.”

She felt defeated. It was unlikely that would be the third person on their list, since whoever the third person was had to be located nearby. She was starting to think the third person they had found was probably whoever Dave had his land transferred to upon his death.

“Well thanks Ben, that’s all we needed. We’ll get out of your hair, enjoy your Friday night.” Atlas folded up the map and slid it back in his pocket.

“No problem. Listen, if you two ever take a Friday night off, feel free to come back out here and have a beer, it does get lonely.”

“Thanks Ben.” Naya gave him a wave as she stepped into the car. The minute they were back on the road she turned to Atlas. “He’s…nice.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” He kept his eyes on the road and didn’t look at her. They were almost back to the abandoned building they had investigated the evening before.

“Well, I did think one thing he said was weird.”

“What’s that?” Atlas pulled to the dirt turn off illuminating the small structure with their headlights.

“Well, he says he’s so observant. Yet, he said he’d never seen anyone at Old Dave’s place…so, then did he not see us here last night?”

Atlas considered her statement for a moment and cut the engine. “You’re right. That is a bit odd.”

“I mean it could be that he just doesn’t realize what he’s missing or is less attentive than he thinks. But I think we need to ask him for an alibi for both disappearances.”

“Which he won’t have, because he’s a solo farmer.”

“Exactly.” Naya looked at the building in front of them. It looked much more imposing in the dark.

“I guess we officially have our first suspect then.”

“That we do.” Naya stood to step out of the car when her phone buzzed again. She pulled it out of her pocket to notice it was Kevin again. What she read on the screen made her heart drop.

“God, no.” She whispered and pressed dial before she even realized what she was doing.

She forgot where she was, oblivious to the fact that Atlas was watching her intently, as the phone rang and rang.

“Answer goddamit!” She muttered to the other end.

Finally, after what felt like years, Kevin picked up.

“Is he okay?! Where are you? What happened? What —” The questions shot at him in succession and so fast he couldn’t possibly answer, but she couldn’t stop herself.

“Whoa, calm down. We’re at the hospital down the street. He’s okay.” He cut in when he realized she wasn’t going to stop.

Naya let out the breath she didn’t even realize she was holding.

“Thank God.” She breathed. “You  can’t just text me that.”

“I’m sorry. I sent it without thinking as we were on our way here. We had been just playing video games like always when Vance got up to use the bathroom, and a few minutes later Trevor and I heard a crash and rushed in.”

“Oh no.” Naya whispered.

“He was unconscious when we found him but he regained consciousness on our way here. I think he stood up too fast and got lightheaded or disoriented and fell against the toilet. He doesn’t remember what happened, but they’re checking him out now. They wouldn’t let me go back with him but I’m in the waiting room with Trevor.”

 Naya glanced at her watch, the case still completely forgotten. “I think I can be there in thirty. Send me the address, please?”

Atlas heard enough of the conversation and was climbing in the driver’s seat. As Naya climbed into the passenger side she hung up the phone, waiting for the text to come through with the hospital address. By the time it came through Atlas was already turning back on to the main road with the lights and siren blaring.

“I’m sorry.” Naya was at a loss of what else to say or where to start.

“No problem. Seems serious, we can come back here later. But you’re gonna need to tell me what’s going on so when Brody asks me why we’re at the hospital I’ll have an answer.”

Naya grimaced. She had known this moment would come, she would have to tell her partner about her brother.