Black Single Dad Went Looking for Work on a Farm — He Didn't Know a Millionaire Would Make Him Rich
Chapter 16
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Luke lifted his eyes and looked straight at Wade Harland."No," he said.Wade's smile faded. "You're not hearing me, Callahan. You'll lose that boy.""I heard you fine," Luke said. His voice did not shake. "I didn't take your money. I won't say I did. I'm not going to teach my son that his daddy is a thief."Wade stared at him for a long moment. Then something hard and ugly settled into his face."Your funeral," he said.He pushed off the fender and walked to the cruiser, rapping twice on the window. Boyd climbed out, adjusting the rain cover on his hat."He's not talking," Wade said. "Guess he wants to do this the hard way."Boyd sighed. He opened the rear door of the cruiser and stood beside it. "Let's go, Mr. Callahan. Watch your head."Luke looked one last time at the bank barn, full to the rafters with the hay he had saved. Then he looked at Toby."It's okay, buddy," he said. "Daddy didn't do anything wrong. You remember that, okay?"He took his first step toward the cruiser."Mr. Deputy."The small voice came from behind them. Toby had stepped out from under the truck door, the wool blanket trailing in the gravel. He was holding his sketch pad out in front of him with both hands."Daddy told me to watch the tractor shed," he said. "I watched it all day."Boyd frowned and took the pad. He tilted it toward the light of his cruiser.It was a child's drawing done in four stubby colored pencils. There was a big green mountain across the top. Below it stood a red shed, a gray tank, and a green tractor parked beside it. And next to the tractor's back wheel, bent over, was a stick figure in brown pants. It wore a bright red cap. In its hand was a long gray tool with two handles, like a pair of giant pliers.Boyd looked at the drawing. Then he looked up slowly at the faded red cap on Wade Harland's head."Kid's been sitting out in the sun all day," Wade said quickly. "He drew a man in a hat. Half the men in this valley wear a red cap."Before Boyd could answer, a second set of headlights swept through the iron gate. A dark blue SUV came up the drive much too fast and slid to a stop on the wet gravel. The driver's door flew open and Clare Vance stepped out into the rain."Evening, Miss Vance," Boyd said, touching the brim of his hat. "Sorry to trouble you, ma'am. Mr. Harland called in a theft from your office. We found your cashbox in this man's truck."