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

Benjamin audibly gulped. “Sure thing.” He stepped out on the porch and closed the door behind him. He motioned to the two rocking chairs, which occupied most of the small space. “Did you want to sit down?” He asked, a gracious host despite the circumstances.

“No thanks. We’ll just cut to the chase. What happened to David Smith?” She didn’t have time for pleasantries. As if on cue, her phone vibrated in her pocket letting her know she had a text. Probably her mom, as promised.

He sighed. “Ah, so you found out about that.”

Atlas cut in. “You knew we would, that’s why you’re hiding out here. On your property, after you lied to us and told us there was a third farmer out.”

Benjamin looked genuinely shocked. “I’m not hiding. I switch where I live frequently. I’ve just been at this place this week.”

“Without your truck?” Atlas accused.

“I drove my tractor out here. It’s parked behind the house if you want to check.”

Naya wasn’t too sure, but he hadn’t run when they had knocked on the door, so it didn’t seem like he had much to hide. “Then why lie about who owns this property? And about David Smith?”

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath. “I didn’t really mean to lie about David. Okay, you’re right, I knew he was dead and I’ve been working his land. But to be fair, I tried to call numerous times to find his next of kin and they wouldn’t give me any information.”

Naya and Atlas’ eyes met. His story matched up, though it sounded different from his perspective. “Why didn’t you report that he was dead?” Atlas pushed.

“I, didn’t know I had to?” He lifted his hands and shrugged.

Naya almost believed him. “So, he died, and you just buried him and called it good?”

“No, it wasn’t like that.” He shook his head vehemently. “Dave started getting sick long before, and I couldn’t care for him and the farm. So, I called the records place to find out if there was anyone who could come and care for him, but I never got any info. Nor did he have health insurance, or any kind of will that I could find, Dave was old-fashioned like that. A while before he died he told me how and where he wanted to be buried. So, when he passed, I buried him on the north side of his land. There’s a few trees over there, it’s real peaceful. And well, I gave up on the records department and I’ve been farming both pieces of land ever since.”

“Why didn’t you tell us that the first time we were out here?” Atlas still had a stern look on his face, but he had holstered his weapon. He didn’t seem to think Benjamin was a threat to their safety anymore at least.

“Because I’m not actually stupid, and I know I was supposed to report his death. I just had a lot on my plate, okay? And I knew the city would probably keep his body forever looking for whatever relatives that were out there that didn’t exist.”

He sighed. “Fair enough. I’m not going to arrest you, but we do need to have you report his death.” Although his gun wasn’t in his hand, he was still using a voice that meant he was all business.

“I will.” Benjamin promised, nodding frantically.

“Now, why did you lie about the third farmer?”

Benjamin pursed his lips. “I didn’t lie okay. There was a third farmer out here. But he disappeared years ago. So kinda like with Dave, I just started working his land.”

Naya knew that in farming, the amount of land you had to work was basically the same as cash. “How long ago did he disappear?”

He shrugged again, “Ten years maybe. It’s been a while. I don’t usually take over a farm unless I’m absolutely sure it’s been abandoned, and I think I started working this land about seven years ago.”

“And you farm all of these acres all by yourself?” Atlas was clearly reading Naya’s mind.

“No, I hire transient farm hands for the harvest, same with the planting. In between I will hire people as needed, but wheat doesn’t need as much care as it used to thanks to genetic modifications which make it pest and weather resistant.”

Atlas and Naya met gazes again. She couldn’t tell if he wanted to ask more questions or not, so she said nothing. She didn’t see any holes in the man’s story. Apparently, he had been waiting for the same thing, so when she said nothing either, he spoke up.

“Alright Benjamin, thank you for talking with us. Now please, come to the police station and report that death sometime this week. And no more disappearing on us.”

He nodded. “I am sorry. I had no idea you were looking for me.”

They quickly said their farewells and headed back to their respective cars, but Naya’s eyes were drawn to the sky, where a couple of large dark birds were circling.

“Atlas.”

It came out as a whisper, but he looked to where her eyes were and swore before they took off at a sprint.

The body was about a hundred and fifty yards from the house where they had just spoken to Benjamin. It was a beautiful young blonde woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties. Naya was sure it was Alia Larson. Her eyes swept the area as she caught her breath. He was so far ahead of them and she was so angry she wanted to scream.

Atlas called the crime scene techs while Naya checked for a pulse even though she knew it was futile. The girl was ghostly pale and definitely dead. She lifted her head and scanned the horizon for Ben’s house, trying to do some quick distance calculations