Page 42 of Protected By Duval
It didn’t take long to settle in and get to work.
The skull still had a large chunk missing on the top but that wasn’t the part that concerned her work.
It was the front and side views that she needed.
She had unpacked a small revolving stand and secured the skull to the top making it easy for her to view the skull straight on without having the slouch or lean over.
From there, she got out all of her tools. Paper and pencil were the last to come out of the travel case she brought with her to work.
A knock at the door turned her head and a Texas Ranger was standing outside with a paper in his hand.
Pushing back her chair, Noelle stood and crossed to the door.
She didn’t open it up, but look through the glass at the man. “Yes?”
He gestured at the doorhandle. “Open the door.”
She looked back at the skull on her turntable and then turned back to the door. “Sorry, I have evidence in here.”
The area around his eyes tightened and his smile fell just a hair.
This happened a lot when she told people no.
For some reason, people expected her to just agree to things because, she’d been told, ‘You look nice.’
But in this case when they said ‘nice’ what they meant was easy or compliant.
That might have been true before.
Before she lost Ciela’s father.
Now, she was a little less giving.
A little more guarded.
She gestured at the paper, but the ranger on the other side of the glass just tipped his head and looked at her.
Blowing out a breath she unlocked the door and opened it a crack. “Ranger?”
He put out his hand, working his forearm through the narrow opening.
Noelle tensed but didn’t try to close the door on his arm.
With her muscles tensed, the door didn’t open more at first.
But after he had his arm through the gap, he pushed in and opened the door using his shoulder and then his back.
Noelle stepped back putting herself between the ranger and the skull on the table.
A quick look up into the corner of the room told her that the security camera was on, making it a little easier for her to breathe.
He chuckled as he righted himself, squaring his shoulders to her. “That wasn’t very nice, was it?”
She didn’t smile at him. “It’s not about nice, sir. I have evidence in this room. Evidence that I’m responsible for.”
He lifted his free hand and pointed to his badge. “I’m a Texas Ranger, Miss. This is where I work. I’m aware of the evidence in this room.”
She nodded and darted her gaze to the table. Her phone was out of reach. Not that she knew who to call.
