Chapter 4
He stood still his mouth working but no words coming out. Then he remembered his manners and took Cydney's outstretched hand and smiled hesitantly again as he shook it. 'I'm real sorry, I guess I'm taken aback. You were the last thing I expected you see. Yeah I'm Kevin Richardson.'
'I see Mac didn't enlighten you about me. Would it have mattered if you had known I was a female?' She asked knowing that his answer would probably help or hinder their future working relationship. She studied him uncertain of what way he would go.
'Aww no, not really I guess. You know I sort of had this impression of Sidney Wade being a man like Dennis and around his age. I dunno why though. It's my fault for assuming things.' He smiled charmingly. 'Look I'm forgetting my manners, come on inside. That's a real unusual name you have there.' He stuck out his hand to point the way inside as he opened the door for her and motioned Cydney into his home.
Cydney looked around admiringly. The house was made entirely of timber and stone. It felt homely, warm, comfortable and welcoming. The polished floors were covered with large scatter rugs and the lounge area was dominated by a huge glass sliding door that led out onto an expansive timber deck that was built out over the mountainside and covered the length of the house. The home had sweeping views of the local terrain and the mountains and indeed to be part of them. Big comfy easy chairs and sofas were positioned around a large stone open fireplace. There was another wall dominated by a huge timber entertainment unit with a large screen TV and a stereo that looked like you would need an engineer's degree to operate. She finished the inspection, her trained investigator's eye absorbing all this within seconds and she turned to face Kevin who was leaning casually against a door frame watching her examine his home.
'Yeah it's a weird name for a girl.' She continued on with his question. ' My mother named me after her father which was real lucky for me.' she drawled implying otherwise 'But everyone calls me Cyd.'
'Well may I call you Cyd then?' He smiled as she nodded. 'I see you found your way here alright then? No problems?' He pushed off the door frame and made his way over towards her.
'No real problems but I wasn't paying attention about five miles down the road and I missed the turnoff there so I had to turn around quick smart. Hey nice place you've got here.' She smiled and tucked a lock of fair hair behind her ear and he found himself smiling back at her.
'Thanks, it's my retreat away from the world. I did a lot of the work around here myself, there is nothing like getting your hands dirty to keep you grounded.' He raised his hands and shrugged his shoulders. 'Hell what am I thinking keeping you standing while I chatter on. Would you like some coffee? Tea?' He nodded his head towards the kitchen.
'Coffee sounds great.' Cydney followed him through to the big country kitchen. In the centre was a large weather beaten table with enough chairs to seat a large gathering of people around it.
'Pull up a pew.' Kevin said as he made his way over the breakfast bar. 'The coffee is freshly brewed. So how do you have it Cyd?'
'Black no sugar please.' She watched his long fingered hands pour the coffee into two gaily patterned mugs. She noticed he drunk his coffee like she did because after pouring it into the two mugs he made to sit down straight away. He hooked out a chair opposite her with his booted foot and placed her cup in front of her. He sat down and regarded her out of his intense green eyes. He looked as if he wanted to say something then he hesitated remembering he still wore his hat. 'Excuse me Cyd.' He said as he whipped it off and chucked it on to a sideboard behind him. He ran a hand through his fine dark long hair to smooth it down. It fell about his face as he leant forward on the table. 'I forget I have it on.' He said by way of explanation.
She grinned and said in her soft lilting voice. 'It's ok. Actually it suits you. Makes you look the part of a country boy.'
'I bet I sounded like such a hick as well by blurting out that comment about you being a girl.' He shook his head in disbelief at himself but his green eyes were smiling. 'Not a good start hey?'
'Hey it's ok.. I guess I should be used to all the smart comments by now I just reacted without thinking. Besides it wasn't your fault. How many female Cydney's do you know? And Mac could have told you.' A smile tugged at her lips and her grey eyes sparkled irrepressibly.
'Well I know one now don't I?' Again he found himself smiling back. Then his face sobered as he remembered what he wanted to say. 'I'm really sorry about your partner Cyd� I liked and respected Dennis, he was a good man.'
'He sure was Kevin, he was one of the best and I will miss him..a lot.' Her grey eyes clouded over with sadness.
'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to probe any raw wounds. I just wanted you to know I held him in high esteem.' Kevin sighed. 'I guess this is no game we're involved with here eh? It's dangerous.'
Cydney sipped at her coffee and over the rim of her cup looked thoughtfully at Kevin. 'Are you having second thoughts?'
Chewing his lip he considered her question his intense green eyes darkening as his expression became serious. 'Well I'd be a fool to deny I wasn't concerned at the consequences of my actions here but you know sometimes you just gotta fight for what you believe in. I waded into the fight, I'll stay the distance.'
'But why put yourself in danger?' Cydney asked wanting to know why a man with everything and anything could possibly be so committed to a cause that might end up costing him his life. For her it was her job and a cause she believed in.
He rubbed at his goatee in thought as he leaned back in his chair and stretched his long legs out in front of him. Again he considered her question giving it some thought before he answered. 'Well�.i guess I could sit by and do nothing. Yeah that's easy to do and would cost me nothing�.. but my integrity.' He sighed and leaned forward on his forearms and his hair fell across his face as it took on a passionate intensity. 'Look Cyd I'm not some spoilt celebrity in this for the publicity. This is my backyard it's happening in. Some day my kids will have to grow up here and I want them to have a backyard to grow up in. I'm not doing this for me or for you but for the future generations that follow after us..the future Kentuckians. I want to clean up my own backyard, then with that small step maybe.. just maybe I can take a bigger step and make a difference to the world and how we think about it.'
Cydney put down her cup and leaned back in her own chair to study the man in front of her some more. She decided she liked what she saw.
'Do I pass?' he asked with a twitch of his lips.
She grinned and pushed back the hair from her face. Her eyes were warm as she regarded him. 'Yep you'll do' she added. 'I can see why Nev liked you.'
'Did he? I'm glad.' He said simply. He looked at her empty cup. 'Do you want some more coffee?'
'I'd love to Kevin but I really have to be going. Can you tell me if there is a hotel nearby? I need to find a room and it's getting late.' She stood as she spoke and witnessed some indecision on his face.
'Well you see Cyd, when I thought you were man I sort of assumed you would bunk down here. I've plenty of room you see. I thought it would be easier. You're still welcome to do that of course but I understand if you don't feel comfortable with this suggestion.'
For the first time since that afternoon it was Cydney who looked uncertain of her position. 'I don't know..i don't want to intrude �' Kevin saw her common sense war with her reluctance to be a nuisance.
'Well look at it this way Cyd. You'll be close on hand as we work together, less inconspicuous say if you as a single female was to turn up all of a sudden and spend a length of time in a small town hotel room. It's a small town remember with a small town mentality.' Kevin reasoned sensibly. 'They're great people ..just you know typical country folk.'
'But won't people talk if they know I'm here?' she asked.
'Probably.' Kevin said with a sudden grin and sparkling amused eyes. 'I'll just tell them you're my new girlfriend that'll keep them quiet.'
Cydney's face was a picture of disbelief and Kevin had to laugh. 'Hey come on would that be so bad?'
'Like would people about here even swallow a story like that? Come on Kevin be sensible.'
'I am being sensible. Look no one would bat an eyelid if they thought you were the lady in my life, whereas you show up on your own in this country town you're going to attract all sorts of interest especially from the males of the locality. You're a young attractive woman Cyd, you will generate talk and people will want to know what you're doing here.'
'I dunno..'
'Where's your car key's?' Kevin asked decidedly.
'Here in my handbag why?' Cydney looked even more perplexed.
'Here give them to me.' She still looked confused. Her grey eyes blinked up at him unsure of where he was going with this but she handed them over anyway. 'Where's your gear? In the trunk?'
'Yes of course. But Kevin why?' she yelled after his retreating back.
' Grab another coffee and sit down. I'm getting your gear out of the trunk, you're staying here with no arguments ok?' And he disappeared from view.
'Well I'll be damned.' Cydney sat down stunned. 'Looks like I'm staying.'
********************
'Did you get unpacked alright?' Kevin asked while busying himself in the kitchen cooking dinner as Cydney appeared after her shower. Her fair hair was damp but tousled from towel drying and fell like a halo about her face framing her grey eyes.
'Yeah I did thank you. I still can't believe I'm here actually.'
Kevin placed aside the tongs that he was using to turn the streaks over with and he turned to face her leaning back against the kitchen bench. 'Look Cyd it's important we build a good working relationship from the start and we need to learn to trust one another. I had that relationship with Dennis and I want to build that relationship with you.' He sighed and gave her a shy smile. 'I hope you don't think I'm being presumptuous here in assuming we might be a team but...'
'Kevin it's cool, relax. I think you're right about me staying here.' She pulled out a stool beside the bench and sat and faced him resting her chin in her hand. 'I will need some privacy. I'll need a place to set up my lab equipment and my laptop and in a hotel room I'd have been exposed to scrutiny I neither would want or need, so you have done me the biggest favour by inviting me to stay here. I promise you I'm tidy and house trained.' She added the last mischievously and Kevin raised an amused eyebrow at her.
'Good in that case I've a bottle of wine over there on the sideboard, you can open it if you like. You do drink wine don't you? If not there's beer in the fridge.' he added as an after thought.
She laughed light heartedly. 'Kevin I was trained in drinking by the best the agency has to offer, I could probably teach you a thing or two.' She looked around and picked up the bottle of red wine and examined it. 'Oh very nice.'
'I aim to please.' He quipped as he looked over at her and he waved his tongs around. 'So how do you like your steak cooked?'
'Medium rare please.' Cydney sat back down and uncorked the bottle. 'Glasses?'
'Over there Cyd.'
'So what other delights are you feeding me besides steak?' Cydney asked as she poured the ruby coloured wine into two glasses. Taking a sip she moaned appreciatively. 'Oh very nice. You've a good palette for the grape I see.'
Kevin chuckled. 'Oh a connoisseur. Well I have salad and bread rolls. I hope it meets with your approval?'
'I can't remember the last time I had a man cook for me.' Cydney murmured with closed eyes as she took another sip of the wine admiringly.
'You can't?' Kevin blurted amazed. Cydney's eyelids fluttered open and she coloured a becoming pink.
'I mean� well. I haven't had a man in my life for a long time. The job sort of prohibits it.' she said softly. 'I guess it's the hours I work. It's not conducive to being in a relationship. I'm never really home.'
Kevin placed the tongs down and picked up his glass. After taking a sip of the wine he said ruefully ' Tell me about it.'
Cydney looked bemused. 'But you're a celebrity surely you'd have no trouble finding a woman?'
'Finding? It's not so much that .�. It's finding the right one that's so hard Cyd.' He picked up the tongs and examined the steaks and decided they were done to his satisfaction. 'We're a fine pair hey? Two very different careers but each of us have a simular problem with the opposite sex.' He looked up from the grill with a rueful grin.
'I gave up worrying about it a while ago. If things are meant to happen I guess they will.' He placed the steaks on two plates and carried them over to the table which he had already set previously. Cydney picked up the bowl of salad and the basket of bread rolls and followed him to her place. She placed them on the table and went back to collect her glass of wine.
'Yeah I think I've done the same thing Kevin. It's all in the lap of the gods.' She smiled with a shrug of her shoulders as she sat down at the table. 'Well this looks delicious. Do you cook often?'
'I don't mind mucking about in the kitchen. I can do the basics ok but nothing too fancy. How about you?' he asked between mouthfuls of steak.
'Oh I'm no gourmet chef, but I can whip up a passable meal when I have to. The trouble is living alone it's easy to fall into bad habits. But I try to eat well. I guess like you with all the weird and wonderful strange hours we work it's important to try and eat healthily but sometimes you can't avoid the inevitable junk food. Lucky I have my martial arts training and gym work to keep me fit.' She spoke as she ate.
Kevin waved a fork as he spoke. 'You train? I've a gym set up downstairs. Feel free to make use of it. While you're staying here Cyd, my home is your home.'
She smiled across at him. 'Thanks. I will definitely take you up on that offer.'
'And you said something earlier about you lab equipment and laptop. I've a study off the lounge room. You can set up your gear in there if you like, would that suit you?' he topped up Cydney's wine glass as he spoke.
'Kevin, I don't want to put you out. Are you sure?'
'Cyd, it's not putting me out. Besides it's a practical solution. You will need somewhere to analyse soil and water samples. I guess that's what all that technical looking equipment is for isn't it?' He saw her nod and continued. 'I thought so. Do you have a plan of attack yet?'
Cydney picked up a bread roll and tore it open. 'Not yet. I thought I would like to spend a few days looking around the area. Exploring the town, asking a few discreet questions and such. You know get a feel for the place and the people. Having you with me Kevin might make them less suspicious, you being a local boy.'
'Local hick you mean?' he teased.
'If the boot fits..' she retorted but giggled unable to keep her face straight. 'Or should I say hat..'
Kevin found himself laughing and relaxing in Cydney's company. She was easy going and her relaxed nature he put down to being used to working in an office full of men. She found it easy to relate to those of his sex. Since their meeting earlier today she had also given him several glimpses of her personality. And in this short time he thought, as with Dennis Neville he would feel safe working with her. Kevin sensed instinctively that he would be able to trust her with his life, for he realised with a certainty, that it would probably come down to that in the end. But for now he was content sit back relax and learn some more about the woman with whom he would share his crusade with over the next few weeks. And as she turned the conversation easily to other matters he realised she in turn was doing the same thing.
Chapter 5
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