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issue.
    Gemma had a moment of panic when she put the gearshift infirst, let up on the clutch, and the car leaped ahead as though it were a cheetah taking off after prey. When she went around the corner of the grocery, even as slow as she was going, she was sure she was on only two wheels. She barely had the car under control when she saw Colin outside waiting for her. He was talking to two young men who were wearing aprons and unloading a pickup truck. She managed to bring the Jeep to a smooth stop, put it in park, then she slid to the passenger seat.
    Colin got in beside her and put the food and drinks in the back. “Have any problems?”
    “None at all,” she said, then they looked at each other and laughed.
    “Does this thing take jet fuel?” she asked.
    “See that red button?” He pointed to the cigarette lighter. “That makes the wheels retract and I start flying.”
    “I can believe that. The brave sheriff jetting away to escape dirty diapers.”
    Chuckling, he drove out of the parking lot and turned a corner that took them back to the square. “If we sit anywhere in this town to eat, it’ll be like it was at the grocery. In Edilean, I’m a fairly public person.”
    “I feel a ‘but’ coming on,” she said.
    “I have a secret. Like to see it?”
    “Sure,” she said, but there was caution in her voice. She didn’t know him well enough to predict what kind of secrets he had.
    “Last week I closed on a house, and no one in town knows I bought it, not even my family.”
    Gemma let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “An old house?” There was hope in her voice.
    “No, sorry. New by Edilean standards. Built about 1946 or 7, and fairly recently completely remodeled.”
    “Oh.” Her voice showed her disappointment.
    “It looks a bit like a Frank Lloyd Wright.”
    “Oh.” Gemma perked up.
    “My cousin Luke rebuilt the house. He lived there for a while, but then he married the woman who owns Edilean Manor, so he moved in with her. He and I worked out a deal in private, and now the house is mine.”
    “Edilean Manor,” Gemma said, her eyes wide. “I saw photos of it on the Web site. Is it as good as it looks?”
    “Better. I’ll make sure you see it.”
    “Before I leave,” Gemma said and frowned. In just a few hours the job had come to mean more than just the Frazier documents. She’d met people and was becoming involved in their problems. And maybe she and Colin were becoming friends. Or maybe more than friends. She was quite attracted to him, both physically and as a person. And she liked that he was so well respected by the people in town. Even the children liked him.
    “ If you leave,” Colin corrected as he pulled into the driveway of a very pretty house.
    To hide her smile at his tone, Gemma leaned forward to get a look at the house. It did indeed look a bit like a Frank Lloyd Wright design, with its deep overhanging roof and built-in flower boxes. The trim around the windows and door was of rich wood that glowed with warmth.
    Colin pushed a remote attached to his sun visor, and the garage door opened. There was nothing inside, not so much as a garden hose. As the big door rolled shut behind them, he reached to the back and got the food. “Want to see the house?”
    “Love to,” she said as she got out and followed him.
    There was a covered breezeway leading from the garage to the side door. It was made of wood of three colors, all of it sealed to preserve the natural shades.
    Gemma ran her hand along the rail. “You say your cousin Luke did this? Or did he hire someone to do it?”
    “He’s the woodworker.” Colin used his key to open the back door and they entered the kitchen. It was beautiful, with new cabinets painted pale yellow, and granite countertops of a deep gold. All the appliances were stainless steel.
    The kitchen opened into a dining room that had more of the beautifully finished windows that looked out to the front.
    “Wow!” Gemma said, and