The only reason I’d agreed to talk to him without a lawyer present was because I trusted him. More importantly, Hazel trusted him. Those two butted heads all the damn time, but if she were in my shoes, she’d work with Sheriff Magee, not against him.
I just hoped my cooperation would be the key to my release, not my incarceration.
“Are you charging me?” I asked.
He shook his head and sank into the chair across from me. “Not today.”
My shoulders fell. “I didn’t do it.”
“That’s what everyone says.”
“You don’t believe me.”
He thumbed through a pad of paper he’d brought in with him. “I’m not sure what to believe. The evidence I had this morning only pointed to you. But I’m still collecting puzzle pieces. Good news for you is that the more I get, the less the picture resembles your face.”
That was the best news I’d had all day. “So what now?”
“You go home for the night. I keep working until I have all the pieces.” He blew out a long breath and kept his seat. I was ready to bolt, but the sheriff had something more to say. “You’ve got a lot of people who love you. I hope you’re grateful for them.”
“I am.”
“And you’ve got a smart woman who pays attention to details.”
The hairs on my arms stood up. “You talked to Willa?”
“In that room.” He pointed to the wall at my back.
I nearly shot out of my chair to go next door. The last place I wanted her was in an interrogation room, but I kept my seat. “What did she say?”
“She told me you left your house that night after a phone call. And that you came back three hours and seven minutes later.”
She’d been awake? Fuck. I’d been so drunk and exhausted that I hadn’t realized.
“So . . .” Sheriff Magee drummed his fingers on the table. “Like I said. This morning, the evidence pointed to you. But now I know you were at home for a good portion of the night.”
“I told you that earlier.”
“You did.” He sighed. “And if I could take everyone at their word, my job would be a lot easier.”
“I didn’t kill her.”
“And I’m inclined to believe you, Jackson. I really am. But I need proof. Until then, you’re still my number one suspect. I’m going to keep digging until I can prove it wasn’t you or I find someone else with the same means and motive.”
“Understood.” I nodded. “Did you call Dakota?”
“Just got off the phone. He’s coming right down.”
“Good.” I rubbed my neck. Dakota would provide an alibi for two of the hours I was away from home. Then all I needed was for something to come up to show Mom was alive during the other hour.
“Goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway.” Sheriff Magee pointed at me. “Don’t leave town.”
“No, sir.”
“I expect to hear back from the medical examiner sometime this week. Expect a phone call asking you to come back down.”
“Okay.” I stood from the chair. My lower back pinched and my legs were stiff, but I ignored them and held out a hand to Sheriff Magee.
“We’ll talk soon.” He shook my hand, then walked out the door.
I followed him out of the room, hoping to get a glimpse of Willa next door, but it was shut.
“She’s in the lobby.” Sheriff Magee glanced over his shoulder. “You’ve had a whole crew in here today, drinking all my coffee.”
I didn’t respond as I followed him through the bull pen and down the hallway that led to the lobby. Sheriff Magee opened the door for me, then stepped to the side.
I strode right past him into the lobby, where Logan and Thea were standing against a wall, whispering to one another. Hazel was sitting in one of the lobby chairs with her knee bouncing. And Willa was in the seat next to her.
The second they spotted me, the room breathed a collective sigh.
Thea said something. Hazel stood. But I kept my eyes on Willa.
She sat perfectly still, not leaving her chair. The look on her face was part relief, part frustration.
Was she pissed? She should be. I’d lied to her and made a huge fucking mistake, so she had every right to be mad.
I opened my mouth to apologize, but the front door to the station opened and Dakota walked inside, kicking the snow from his boots.
“Dakota?” Thea asked, turning to look at our employee. “What are you doing here? Who’s at the bar?”
“No one,” he told her. “I locked up when the sheriff called.”
“Thanks for coming down,” I told him, sending Thea a look that meant we’d talk later.
Dakota crossed the room and walked right up to Sheriff Magee. “Uncle.”
“Hi, bud. Come on back.”
Dakota nodded, clapped me on the shoulder, then followed the sheriff back into the station.
When the door closed behind them, the room went silent again. My gaze went back to Willa, where she still sat frozen.
“Willa.” I took a step forward, ready to get on my knees and beg for forgiveness. But before I could, she shot out of her chair and ran across the room.
She flung herself into my arms and the weight of a thousand worlds fell off my shoulders.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. I hugged her tight, burying my face in her hair and breathing it in deep.
“You didn’t do it, so don’t apologize.”
“I didn’t do it.”
Her arms around my neck got tighter. “I know.”
She knows. Without any kind of explanation, she knew. She had that kind of faith in me.
“I love you.”
She leaned back, her blue eyes full of tears. “I love you too.”
I pulled her back in, wishing we were alone. There was so much I had to explain and I wanted some time for the two of us to just talk things out. But that wasn’t going to happen. First, I had to tell my little brother that our mother was never coming back for him because she was dead.
“Meet up at the bar,” Hazel declared as she collected her coat and purse. “We’ll talk there.”
I let Willa go and took Hazel’s hand. “I need to talk to Ryder.”
“It can wait.” She gave me the look I didn’t argue with. “He’s fine. He’s with Betty at home, probably doing homework. And I want to know what’s going on. Now.”
“Okay.” I sighed. “I need to get my things. I’ll be right behind you.”
As I went to the deputy at the desk to collect Willa’s car keys and my coat, everyone else hurried to leave. When I turned back around, the lobby was empty except for Willa, who stood by the door, waiting.
I took her hand as we walked outside, leading her right to my truck. “I didn’t get your car cleaned.”
She gave me a small smile. “You can do it later.”
“I will.” That was, if I wasn’t in prison. It all depended on what Sheriff Magee could dig up to prove my innocence.
Or whatever I could dig up to save myself.
“You drive.” She handed me my keys, then stood on her tiptoes to give me a quick kiss before going to the passenger door.
We got in and went directly to the bar, parking next to her car before going inside.
When we walked through the door, Hazel was already pouring Thea a glass of water and Logan a shot of whiskey. She held up the bottle, silently asking if I wanted a drink, but I shook my head.
Until this was all over, I wanted a clear head.
“Willa?”
“Just water for me.” She shrugged off her coat and took a chair at the table in the middle of the room where Thea and Logan were sitting.
“Jackson, lock the door,” Hazel ordered. “We’re closed for the rest of the day, and I don’t want any distractions.”
I nodded and turned back around, locking the door. Then I snagged an extra chair and slid it next to Willa’s.
“Okay. Start at the top,” Hazel said after she’d brought over drinks and we’d all sat down.
With a deep breath and an apologetic look at Willa, I dove in. “Mom called me about three weeks ago. That was the phone call I got the night I left the house.”
“I kind of figured that one out today,” she muttered.
“I’m sorry. I should have told you.”
“You should have told all of us.” Thea crossed her arms over her chest. “Was she calling you this entire time?”
I shook my head. “Just that once.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I guess I didn’t want to talk about her.” She’d been theoretically dead to me. Now, she actually was.