RYAN CIRCLED JIMMY Reilly's car, eyeing it critically. He had spent many hours in the presence of this car in a remote garage in California. The security here was tight. Maybe he was paranoid. Maybe Jimmy really did die of a heart attack, but that didn't feel right. He was a young guy and in good shape physically. At seventeen years old, he knew every part of this model, where it went and how it worked.
In college, Ryan had taken engineering and forensics classes. Discovering what went wrong in this car was his driving need. As an adult, he had taken seminars with the FBI and police departments on accident reconstruction and arson investigation, anything that could remotely help him for the day he was ready to go over this car.
He was ready now. Most of the engine compartment was damaged in the fire, but the passenger box was untouched. He drove to California with his hauler to bring the car back to New Hampshire. The work had begun on the barn to convert into garage facilities. It would have offices, garage space and classrooms for training. Eric was going to handle security for the building. Only Ryan, Danny and Eric were going to be able to unlock it. Once it was finished, it would be a multi-million dollar facility. Ryan had worked his entire adult life for this moment.
It was strange looking at an inanimate object and knowing someone died in there. What were his last moments like? Did he know he was going to die or did he just think it was another wreck? What did he think about? Jackie? Did he see his life and have regrets? His crew chief reported he just heard Jimmy swearing before everything went silent.
All Ryan knew was it must have been some kind of heart attack to have died that quickly. CPR wasn't started right away and he was declared dead in the helicopter. That alone seemed negligent and highly suspicious to Ryan.
He'd have the privacy to go over the car in New Hampshire. This was going to be kept in a separate part of the garage only accessible to Ryan. He realized he had become obsessed with finding out what happened the day Jimmy died and Ryan gained a sister, along with a handful of other siblings.
Work was coming along on his house, as well. A few more weeks and they'd be down to punch out work. He'd gone along with Sophie's design, something that he lost a lot of sleep over wondering why. He avoided her General Store when he was in town. His brain stopped firing on all its cylinders when he was around her. He didn't remember getting tongue tied around her at Trent, but it didn't take much now.
Everything about her just did it for him. Her fiery red hair, her soft southern drawl, her bright green eyes, even all those freckles sprinkled over her face. She'd grown into a beautiful woman. When he was around her, he was sorry for the reputation he had cultivated at Trent. He was sorry he blew through girls like Jackie bought shoes. He never mistreated them. They all knew the score, but still, when he was around Sophie he felt almost dirty.
He looked back to the car. Things were going to start happening for him now. Everything was going to change.