Murder in the Mist by Loretta C. Rogers Page B

telling me anything I don’t already know, Friday. Thing is, Louise worked for Sheriff Gilman’s father. After he died and Roberta filled his position, she kept Louise on, saying she didn’t know how to fire a woman who had worked for her dad for over twenty years. I’m not in charge of personnel; I’m just the deputy.”
    Laura washed down the remaining bit of pastry with the last of her coffee. She was on a roll and decided to go for broke. “So, what’s your story, Mitch? What brings a Texas cowboy lawman to a small seaside community like Cole Harbor? We’ve got no night life, the sidewalks roll up at dark-thirty, and except for the fireworks on Fourth of July, the most exciting thing that might happen is you climbing up a tree to rescue Nadia Cruex’s cat.”
    She watched his hesitation. The agitated way his jaw worked. Everyone was entitled to their secrets. Lord knows, she had her own. “I’d rather hear it from you than from Louise.”
    His eyes narrowed. She thought she saw a hint of anger. He banked it fast. “After a stint in the Army, I got my old job back with the border patrol at Fort Stockton Station. Sometimes it wasn’t much different than being on patrol when I was deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Pulling the trigger was getting too easy. I didn’t like the person I was becoming, so I asked for a transfer as far away from crime as possible. Cole Harbor seemed like a good fit.”
    “Aw, disappointing. I expected a love-gone-wrong story.” Though subtle, she didn’t miss the flinch, or the tic under his eye. She knew emotional pain when she saw it. Now wasn’t the time to push. “Is it a good fit?”
    Mitch shrugged one broad shoulder. “Six months on the job, and all is well. Okay, since we’re playing twenty questions, it’s your turn. What’s your story?”
    Laura looped her fingers through the handle of her coffee cup as she stood to replenish it. “Like you, nothing newsworthy. Although I was born in Cole Harbor, my parents moved to New York when I was five. My mother and Aunt Philly were sisters. We visited a few times. Not often enough. After my father’s death, ten years ago, my mom returned. The last time I came was for her funeral, about five years ago.”
    Now it was her time to shrug. “Running the Harbor Gazette seemed like a prime opportunity. Not getting any younger…planning for the future. You know, logical reasoning.”
    He scoffed. “C’mon, Friday. What are you? Twenty-eight? Thirty, at the most? Surely you can come up with a better line. That day at the docks, you said you were an investigative reporter from New York. Though when I Googled Laura Friday, she didn’t come up, but a Laura Schofield did. Odd, the striking resemblance between the two of you.”
    She inwardly cringed. As much as she wanted to tell Mitch about Elio Casper, she didn’t trust him to keep her confidence. The last thing she needed was Louise posting gossip on some social media site that would point Casper’s boss to Cole Harbor.
    “Coincidence. They say everyone has a twin. I guess you found mine.” She grabbed a note pad and pencil. “Let’s change the subject. Anything new on Dr. McMahon’s cause of death? He was wearing a life jacket when his boat flipped.”
    “The eyes are the windows to the soul, Laura. Yours hold a secret that frightens you. Whatever it is, you can trust me.”
    She laughed. “A cowboy, a lawman, and a psychic. You are full of surprises, Mitch Carter. Now, about Dr. McMahon?”
    He stood and placed his hat on his head. “No mystery. Medical records show Dr. McMahon had a weak heart and had suffered several heart attacks. When the boat flipped, apparently the combination of stress and frigid water was too great. Official cause of death—acute myocardial infarction. See you later, Friday. I need to make rounds. Someone’s cat may need rescuing.”
    She laughed. “I’ll make sure it’s front page news. Thanks for the chat, and the Danish.”
    She took a