Lead Me Home, Numb3rs, Part 26/84
Don't own, don't sue.
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Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20
Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25
Colby was awake well before the crack of dawn again the following morning. There was no cell phone ringing or kids sneaking in his room. He was just awake.
_This is starting to be a pattern,_ he thought as he headed downstairs to the kitchen. He put on a pot of coffee before heading back upstairs to take a shower and dress for the day.
Colby was just finishing his first cup of coffee when Jason came into the kitchen.
"Up early again?"
"Couldn't sleep any longer."
Jason shook his head and refilled Colby's cup while filling his own. "Is it the quiet? Gotten use to city noise?"
"Maybe. Maybe just a lot on my mind."
Jason nodded. He didn't seem interested in really delving into his brother's psyche. "You coming to help me this morning?"
"Nah. I, uh," Colby cleared his throat. "I'm actually headed into Boise today and I kinda wanted to be gone before the boys got up."
"Coward."
Colby shrugged. He wasn't going to confirm or deny the claim.
"So what's in Boise?"
"Beth Colby and Zach's grave."
"Ahh. Mom know you're going?"
"Yep. She made up a little care package last night."
Jason laughed. "It's always about food with Mom."
Colby chuckled and nodded, "Yeah."
"Okay, then." Jason put his hands flat on the table and used them to stand up. "I'm headed out to the barn. Looks like we got an inch or so of snow overnight so you drive careful, now?"
"I will."
"Good. See you for supper then."
Colby nodded and got up for the table himself. A quick rinse of his cup and he was headed upstairs to grab his cell, wallet, and stuff from the lock box.He'd stop in Winchester to have breakfast at the diner. Not only would it get him out of the house earlier, it would give the roads a chance to clear up.
A short note left by the coffee pot was his last stop before leaving the house. It was less than a dozen words but it would be enough to satisfy his mom and hopefully the boys:
Gone to Boise.
Back for supper.
Love you.
czg
~3~
The Silver Spoon diner was the same as he remembered it. He took a seat at the counter and looked around. The table clothes were the same red and white gingham and blue vinyl covered the booth seats. The same men sat in the corner having coffee and discussing the paper as when he was a kid. They looked a little older now, but they were still there. It was exactly how he saw this place in his memory. He was glad to be reminded that some things really don't change
"Hey, Colby."
He turned back to the counter and smiled at the waitress. Karen Jones had been a year ahead of him in school and had been working at the diner since high school. "Hey, Karen. How have you been?"
"I'm doing well. And I hear from your mom and Tony all about you so I don't need to ask how you are."
Colby laughed and blushed. "Yeah, well..."
"It's great to see you doing so well, Colby."
"Thanks, Karen."
She cleared her throat and tossed him a smile. "So the usual or do you eat something special now that you're a California boy?"
"No, I'm still an Idaho boy at heart, but you remember my usual?"
She winked at him, "A good waitress never forgets. I'll have coffee out for you in a second."
"Thanks."
Within a few minutes, he had a cup of coffee and a plate of bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and pancakes before him. He ate with relish having missed the home style cooking the Spoon had been known for.
He pushed the empty plate away with a contented sigh.
"Good meal?"
"Great meal, Karen. No place in L.A. cooks like this. I'd almost thought I'd imagined food this good outside of my mom's kitchen."
"We aspire to be as good as your mama. She has a gift with food, she really does."
"Yeah."
Colby looked out the windows. The sun had come out bright and clear. The snow was quickly melting off to the heat of the day.
"I should get going. Can I get the check, Karen?"
She smiled and shook her head. "Nope. On the house."
"Karen..."
"I'm not taking your money, Colby Granger. So you just get on about your day."
Colby looked into to Karen's eyes and knew that she was dead serious. So he pulled out his wallet and handed her a five-dollar-bill. "This is your tip. Thanks for breakfast."
"You're welcome."
Colby nodded to the men in the corner as he left the diner, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. His worries from Christmas Eve had certainly been alleviated by the reaction of everyone at the restaurant.
He'd just shut the door to his rental when one of the Sheriff's Department SUVs pulled up behind him, blocking his exit. Colby stuck his head out the window to yell at Tony when he saw it wasn't his friend.
He couldn't have mistaken who was behind him for anything. "Sheriff Taylor."
Eric Taylor had been County Sheriff as long as Colby could remember. He took the protection of the town and its surrounding farm families very seriously. His brown hair had grayed considerably since the last time Colby had been home, the man's eyes still shown with intelligence and insight from the now wrinkled face. The man's gait as he came around the vehicle had barely slowed from Colby's memory.
"Agent Granger," the older man said as he stuck is hand out to shake Colby's through the window. "Heard you were back in town. How long are you here for?"
"Not long. Got in the night of the 22nd and head back on the 31st."
The older man nodded. "I know this is a family visit, but I was hoping you'd do me a professional favor."
"Of course, Sheriff. What can I do?"
"Got some cases, giving us all fits. Thought maybe you could take a look, see if..."
Colby nodded. "A fresh set of eyes never hurt anything. I'm on my way to Boise today, but I might be able to stop in tonight on my way back or maybe tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow would be fine. Thanks."
"Any time, Sheriff," Colby replied again shaking the older man's hand.
Once the SUV had pulled away, Colby sighed and started his own vehicle. He had put off heading for Boise long enough.
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Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20
Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25
Colby was awake well before the crack of dawn again the following morning. There was no cell phone ringing or kids sneaking in his room. He was just awake.
_This is starting to be a pattern,_ he thought as he headed downstairs to the kitchen. He put on a pot of coffee before heading back upstairs to take a shower and dress for the day.
Colby was just finishing his first cup of coffee when Jason came into the kitchen.
"Up early again?"
"Couldn't sleep any longer."
Jason shook his head and refilled Colby's cup while filling his own. "Is it the quiet? Gotten use to city noise?"
"Maybe. Maybe just a lot on my mind."
Jason nodded. He didn't seem interested in really delving into his brother's psyche. "You coming to help me this morning?"
"Nah. I, uh," Colby cleared his throat. "I'm actually headed into Boise today and I kinda wanted to be gone before the boys got up."
"Coward."
Colby shrugged. He wasn't going to confirm or deny the claim.
"So what's in Boise?"
"Beth Colby and Zach's grave."
"Ahh. Mom know you're going?"
"Yep. She made up a little care package last night."
Jason laughed. "It's always about food with Mom."
Colby chuckled and nodded, "Yeah."
"Okay, then." Jason put his hands flat on the table and used them to stand up. "I'm headed out to the barn. Looks like we got an inch or so of snow overnight so you drive careful, now?"
"I will."
"Good. See you for supper then."
Colby nodded and got up for the table himself. A quick rinse of his cup and he was headed upstairs to grab his cell, wallet, and stuff from the lock box.He'd stop in Winchester to have breakfast at the diner. Not only would it get him out of the house earlier, it would give the roads a chance to clear up.
A short note left by the coffee pot was his last stop before leaving the house. It was less than a dozen words but it would be enough to satisfy his mom and hopefully the boys:
Gone to Boise.
Back for supper.
Love you.
czg
~3~
The Silver Spoon diner was the same as he remembered it. He took a seat at the counter and looked around. The table clothes were the same red and white gingham and blue vinyl covered the booth seats. The same men sat in the corner having coffee and discussing the paper as when he was a kid. They looked a little older now, but they were still there. It was exactly how he saw this place in his memory. He was glad to be reminded that some things really don't change
"Hey, Colby."
He turned back to the counter and smiled at the waitress. Karen Jones had been a year ahead of him in school and had been working at the diner since high school. "Hey, Karen. How have you been?"
"I'm doing well. And I hear from your mom and Tony all about you so I don't need to ask how you are."
Colby laughed and blushed. "Yeah, well..."
"It's great to see you doing so well, Colby."
"Thanks, Karen."
She cleared her throat and tossed him a smile. "So the usual or do you eat something special now that you're a California boy?"
"No, I'm still an Idaho boy at heart, but you remember my usual?"
She winked at him, "A good waitress never forgets. I'll have coffee out for you in a second."
"Thanks."
Within a few minutes, he had a cup of coffee and a plate of bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and pancakes before him. He ate with relish having missed the home style cooking the Spoon had been known for.
He pushed the empty plate away with a contented sigh.
"Good meal?"
"Great meal, Karen. No place in L.A. cooks like this. I'd almost thought I'd imagined food this good outside of my mom's kitchen."
"We aspire to be as good as your mama. She has a gift with food, she really does."
"Yeah."
Colby looked out the windows. The sun had come out bright and clear. The snow was quickly melting off to the heat of the day.
"I should get going. Can I get the check, Karen?"
She smiled and shook her head. "Nope. On the house."
"Karen..."
"I'm not taking your money, Colby Granger. So you just get on about your day."
Colby looked into to Karen's eyes and knew that she was dead serious. So he pulled out his wallet and handed her a five-dollar-bill. "This is your tip. Thanks for breakfast."
"You're welcome."
Colby nodded to the men in the corner as he left the diner, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. His worries from Christmas Eve had certainly been alleviated by the reaction of everyone at the restaurant.
He'd just shut the door to his rental when one of the Sheriff's Department SUVs pulled up behind him, blocking his exit. Colby stuck his head out the window to yell at Tony when he saw it wasn't his friend.
He couldn't have mistaken who was behind him for anything. "Sheriff Taylor."
Eric Taylor had been County Sheriff as long as Colby could remember. He took the protection of the town and its surrounding farm families very seriously. His brown hair had grayed considerably since the last time Colby had been home, the man's eyes still shown with intelligence and insight from the now wrinkled face. The man's gait as he came around the vehicle had barely slowed from Colby's memory.
"Agent Granger," the older man said as he stuck is hand out to shake Colby's through the window. "Heard you were back in town. How long are you here for?"
"Not long. Got in the night of the 22nd and head back on the 31st."
The older man nodded. "I know this is a family visit, but I was hoping you'd do me a professional favor."
"Of course, Sheriff. What can I do?"
"Got some cases, giving us all fits. Thought maybe you could take a look, see if..."
Colby nodded. "A fresh set of eyes never hurt anything. I'm on my way to Boise today, but I might be able to stop in tonight on my way back or maybe tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow would be fine. Thanks."
"Any time, Sheriff," Colby replied again shaking the older man's hand.
Once the SUV had pulled away, Colby sighed and started his own vehicle. He had put off heading for Boise long enough.
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