arrest?”
“Not yet,” he said, sounding reasonable. “We just need to ask you some questions.”
That wasn’t good. I’d seen enough TV crime shows to know that much. I nodded dumbly. “I think I’ll call my dad.”
• • •
While I talked to my dad on my cell phone, I wandered around to the back of the house, away from the big ears of the police.
“I’ll meet you at the station,” Dad said immediately. “We’ll straighten this whole thing out.”
“He thinks I’m guilty,” I whispered.
“No, he doesn’t, sweetheart,” he assured me. “He’s not a stupid man. Just tell him the truth and you’ll be out of there in no time.”
After ending the call, I gripped the old porch railing and stared out at the water. The waves were calmer along this part of the shore, due to the wide arc of land that swept around to the south to create the so-called cove that gave our town its name.
I smiled at Dad’s promise to straighten this whole thing out. I knew he couldn’t really do anything, but it was a relief that someone who loved me would be nearby in case something bad happened. As I walked back to the front of the house, my unsettling thoughts were interrupted by a quiet conversation I could hear taking place near the front door.
“Not a good idea, Tom.” It was the police chief talking. “Just leave her truck here.”
“It won’t be safe out here overnight,” Tommy said.
“She should’ve thought of that before . . .”
I didn’t catch the last part of the chief’s comment but I had a feeling it wasn’t complimentary.
“I’ve known her my whole life, Chief. I’ll follow her to the station. There won’t be any problems.” I appreciated Tommy’s vote of confidence.
“You know her well enough to vouch for her?” the chief asked sharply.
Tommy hesitated, then said, “I would trust her with my life.”
Hot tears sprang to my eyes, a rare occurrence. I’d always known Tommy was a good friend, but hearing him defend me to his boss, especially with everything that was going on, meant a lot.
It also meant something to know that the chief of police didn’t trust me to drive my own car to the station. That made me so angry, I wanted to spit nails. But I would just have to live with his attitude. Thor was new in town. He didn’t know me. Didn’t know who to trust and who to suspect. I could only hope that he was good enough at his job to learn quickly.
I wiped my eyes and sniffled once, composing myself before coming into view. Another patrol car had arrived and two more cops I recognized were scanning the yard in front of the house.
“Get your keys, Shannon,” Tommy said casually. “I’ll follow you to the station.”
“Okay.” I gave the chief a prickly look as I passed him. He raised that one eyebrow again, and even though I couldn’t see him as I walked down the steps, I knew his gaze never steered away from me.
When I reached the walkway, I turned to look up at him and cursed silently. Damn it, why did he have to be so compelling? It was disconcerting to distrust him so much and feel this attraction to him at the same time.
I would be smart to ignore his appeal and concentrate on the fact that he considered me a murder suspect, someone who would flee the scene to avoid his cop questions.
The two officers who had just arrived were preparing to dust the front stair rail and doorway for fingerprints. Jensen asked them to also survey the neighbors and take note of anything unusual while they waited for the county coroner to arrive. Tommy and the chief followed me back to the station in their SUVs.
Fifteen minutes later, we all pulled into the parking lot of the Lighthouse Cove Police Station. I saw my uncle Pete’s truck and figured he was here, too. I was happy to have all the support I could get. I just hoped they hadn’t stopped at the pub first to start a new betting pool.
• • •
“I’d like to go over it from the beginning
“Not yet,” he said, sounding reasonable. “We just need to ask you some questions.”
That wasn’t good. I’d seen enough TV crime shows to know that much. I nodded dumbly. “I think I’ll call my dad.”
• • •
While I talked to my dad on my cell phone, I wandered around to the back of the house, away from the big ears of the police.
“I’ll meet you at the station,” Dad said immediately. “We’ll straighten this whole thing out.”
“He thinks I’m guilty,” I whispered.
“No, he doesn’t, sweetheart,” he assured me. “He’s not a stupid man. Just tell him the truth and you’ll be out of there in no time.”
After ending the call, I gripped the old porch railing and stared out at the water. The waves were calmer along this part of the shore, due to the wide arc of land that swept around to the south to create the so-called cove that gave our town its name.
I smiled at Dad’s promise to straighten this whole thing out. I knew he couldn’t really do anything, but it was a relief that someone who loved me would be nearby in case something bad happened. As I walked back to the front of the house, my unsettling thoughts were interrupted by a quiet conversation I could hear taking place near the front door.
“Not a good idea, Tom.” It was the police chief talking. “Just leave her truck here.”
“It won’t be safe out here overnight,” Tommy said.
“She should’ve thought of that before . . .”
I didn’t catch the last part of the chief’s comment but I had a feeling it wasn’t complimentary.
“I’ve known her my whole life, Chief. I’ll follow her to the station. There won’t be any problems.” I appreciated Tommy’s vote of confidence.
“You know her well enough to vouch for her?” the chief asked sharply.
Tommy hesitated, then said, “I would trust her with my life.”
Hot tears sprang to my eyes, a rare occurrence. I’d always known Tommy was a good friend, but hearing him defend me to his boss, especially with everything that was going on, meant a lot.
It also meant something to know that the chief of police didn’t trust me to drive my own car to the station. That made me so angry, I wanted to spit nails. But I would just have to live with his attitude. Thor was new in town. He didn’t know me. Didn’t know who to trust and who to suspect. I could only hope that he was good enough at his job to learn quickly.
I wiped my eyes and sniffled once, composing myself before coming into view. Another patrol car had arrived and two more cops I recognized were scanning the yard in front of the house.
“Get your keys, Shannon,” Tommy said casually. “I’ll follow you to the station.”
“Okay.” I gave the chief a prickly look as I passed him. He raised that one eyebrow again, and even though I couldn’t see him as I walked down the steps, I knew his gaze never steered away from me.
When I reached the walkway, I turned to look up at him and cursed silently. Damn it, why did he have to be so compelling? It was disconcerting to distrust him so much and feel this attraction to him at the same time.
I would be smart to ignore his appeal and concentrate on the fact that he considered me a murder suspect, someone who would flee the scene to avoid his cop questions.
The two officers who had just arrived were preparing to dust the front stair rail and doorway for fingerprints. Jensen asked them to also survey the neighbors and take note of anything unusual while they waited for the county coroner to arrive. Tommy and the chief followed me back to the station in their SUVs.
Fifteen minutes later, we all pulled into the parking lot of the Lighthouse Cove Police Station. I saw my uncle Pete’s truck and figured he was here, too. I was happy to have all the support I could get. I just hoped they hadn’t stopped at the pub first to start a new betting pool.
• • •
“I’d like to go over it from the beginning
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