Faith's Sheriff (Montgomery Family and Friends) by Iris Abbott Page A

job, but I don’t think there were any hard feelings over his recommendation.  No one was fired to make a spot for me and I think all the other applicants were out-of-towners just like me.”
    “Let’s look at this from a different point of view,” Cole suggested.  After all he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t at least contemplate every possible angle. “What if it wasn’t someone trying to drive you out of town, but someone trying to drive you back to where you came from?”  
    Faith’s eyes grew wide and she gripped Cole’s arm with trembling fingers.   “Do you really think this might have something to do with my ex-husband?”
    “I don’t know, but I have to consider and investigate every possibility.  I obviously don’t know all the details, because you’ve never discussed him with me, but I’ve picked up enough negative vibes from Caroline to know she didn’t like your ex.”  He wasn’t sure if he really wanted to know the answer, but he had to ask the question.  “Was your ex-husband ever abusive toward you?”
    “Mentally and verbally yes,” Faith confirmed.  “He tried to control every aspect of my life and unfortunately I let him get away with it for far too long.    I lost a lot of good friendships including Caroline for a while, because I let him isolate me from family and friends.  His controlling behavior slowly escalated over the years and I finally snapped out of my complacency and took back my life.”
    Faith’s ex-husband sounded like a real piece of work.  “Does he know where you are and do you think he’s capable of something like this?”
    Faith shrugged.  “I didn’t tell him where I was going, but I didn’t try to keep it a secret either.  He could easily trace me using my professional credentials if he wanted to.  I just can’t see him going to all this trouble though.  We’re divorced and have been for several months.  My gut instinct tells me that Patrick is too lazy to come all this way just to start trouble.  He liked to control me through manipulation.  He wasn’t an in your face kind of person and shattering a large window with a rock in my opinion is very in your face.”
    “The act itself does reek of desperation,” Cole thought out loud.  Something a murderer would do, but he kept that chilling thought to himself.
    “Exactly,” Faith agreed.  “Patrick is cold and deliberate.  I just don’t think this is his style.”
    “That may be, but I still need to mention the possibility of his involvement in my report.  And I need to investigate Patrick Riley if only to rule him out as a suspect.”  Yep that was the reason Cole reiterated to himself.  It had nothing to do with a burning curiosity to know everything about the man that had once been married to Faith, nope nothing at all.
    An awkward silence fell as both of them thought about the implications of the vandalism and the accompanying message.  Faith fidgeted from foot to foot until she couldn’t stand her own wandering imagination anymore.  She broke the silence.  “I talked to Caroline before I walked over.  I’m going to stay with her and Kyle for a couple of days, at least until the window is fixed and it’s safe for me to come back here.”  She paused and when the silence grew uncomfortable she pushed the next words out in a mumbled rush.  “Thank you for looking out for me last night and giving me a place to go.”
    She gave him a shy smile.  “For the longest time I felt alone in the world.  Now I know I’ll never be on my own ever again and if I need help someone will be there for me.  I’ve got a wonderful circle of friends here and I hope you know that I include you in that group.”
    All thoughts of professionalism completely disappeared from his mind.  He pulled Faith close and gave her a comforting hug.  He didn’t care who saw him do it.  “I’m glad you realize you can’t stay here.  And you’re welcome.  Any time you need me