“Yes.” Her mother smiled.
Felicity dashed upstairs to her room and dressed quickly. The moment she turned on her cellphone it rang, and to her surprise the caller ID told her it was Derick. “Calling to apologize?”
“Nope. I don’t want you mixing with Lucky Briggs. Don’t you know that young girls like you are just another notch on his belt? He’ll forget you the moment you walk away.”
Felicity wound a strand of hair around one finger and giggled. “You jealous?”
“Maybe. Look, can we talk some more about this? I’m going to be close by in ten minutes or so. I have to drop off a car for a customer and pick up the loaner.”
She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “I don’t have time. I’m meeting Aimee and we’re going into town.” She huffed out a sigh. “You’re acting too serious, like we’re married or something. I’m going to the dance without you, and if Lucky Briggs asks me to dance, I will so get over it.”
“I don’t want us to break up but it’s him or me. Make up your mind.”
She smiled. No matter what she did, Derick would come back to her. He was like a little puppy dog that needed a home. “Have it your own way. I’ve gotta go.” She disconnected and headed out the bedroom door.
In the hallway, she called out to her mother, “I’m going over to Aimee’s house then we’re going into town to hang out.”
“Okay, will you be back for lunch?”
Felicity opened the front door, inserted the earbuds into her ears and turned up the music. “No, but I’ll be home for dinner.”
Two
Sheriff Jenna Alton tipped back her chair and yawned. Stepping out of life as undercover DEA Special Agent Avril Parker and into the “safe” role of Sheriff Jenna Alton had not been easy. Since David “Dave” Kane arrived in Black Rock Falls six months previously, life had been interesting to say the least. They had solved four gruesome murders together and she had appreciated his expertise. She had picked him as ex-special forces from the get-go, but whatever his reason to be off the grid in Black Rock Falls she did not care. Having him around as backup was a bonus in spades.
Her new deputy had changed considerably since his arrival. He now sported collar-length hair to cover the scar left from the metal plate in his head courtesy of a gunshot wound received in the line of duty. She had not heard him complain once of the headaches that obviously plagued him, and she hoped the pain had eased with the warmer weather. She liked Dave Kane, and his considerable skills added another asset to the team she needed to do her job. She had learned from the best that in a crisis, a good leader delegated the work to keep sane.
After dealing with psychopaths last winter, and losing Pete Daniels, the rookie her team, her job and that of her deputies had deteriorated into negotiating neighborhood squabbles and finding lost cattle. Life had slowed to a relaxed hum. Cowboy hats and open-neck shirts had replaced the thick winter gear, and women in town wore splashes of color. Summer had arrived with warnings of a crime wave from the impending visit of the rodeo circuit cowboys.
Anything would be a relief from the current boredom.
Voices at the front desk drew her attention. The new deputy was due to arrive: Shane Wolfe, a family man with three daughters, and from his résumé, a qualified medical examiner waiting for his license to be issued for Black Rock Falls. She welcomed the idea of dealing with problems in-house rather than relying on a mortician to conduct autopsies and the state forensics team, who took on anything they could not handle. With her experience in the underworld of firearms, vice, and narcotics—and with Kane’s profiling abilities, which had already saved her life— the chance of adding another highly qualified deputy to the team was a dream come true. There will be nothing we can’t handle.
She pushed to her feet and strolled out of her office then waved at Deputies David Kane and Jake Rowley to join her at the front desk. Rowley had shaped up well over the last six months and was as solid as a rock, but having Shane Wolfe on the team would make life easier. Before Kane had arrived, her previous outlet for some serious crime investigation conversation came in the form of old Duke Walters, and she might as well talk to the mop bucket.
“Is that the new deputy?” Rowley pushed his thumbs through the loops on his regulation pants and grinned. “He looks like a Viking marauder.”
“Military police background, I believe.” Kane strolled toward the front desk. “Professional all the way.”
“Are you all settled in?” The office secretary, Magnolia Brewster, or Maggie as she preferred to be called, tossed her black curls and smiled broadly at the tall blond man standing at the counter. “Ah, there is Sheriff Alton.”
“Good morning.” Jenna held out her hand. “Jenna Alton, nice to meet you, and this is David Kane and Jake Rowley.”
Wolfe’s handshake was firm and outweighed his weary expression. “Thanks, this place is a little further off the beaten track than I envisaged.” He glanced around the room. “How many deputies do you have on staff, ma’am?”
“Not enough.” Jenna frowned. “Right now it’s just four. You, Kane, Rowley, and Duke Walters—he is over there taking a statement.” She waved toward the gray-haired Deputy Walters. “Come into my office.” Her attention moved to Rowley. “Handle the desk with Magnolia. I’m sure you can all get better acquainted later.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Rowley turned on his heel and went behind the front desk.
Jenna moved behind her desk and waved Kane and Wolfe into the seats in front. She sat down in her squeaky office chair. “Did you find the house okay?”
“Yes, and it is very comfortable, thank you.” Wolfe smiled. “It’s better than I expected and walking distance from the elementary school and here, which is good. Since my wife died, caring for the girls alone has been difficult.” He sighed. “Emily is watching Julie and Anna at the moment but I can’t expect her to do it full-time—she is in her senior year at school. Losing her mother and moving here will make it difficult enough for her.”
“I can imagine.” She towered her fingers. “I’ll get Rowley to bring us some coffee.” She lifted the phone and spoke to the deputy then disconnected. “I have a list of the available housekeeper nannies and had them checked out. Take whatever time you need to interview them. You can use my office if necessary.” She handed him a list. “We don’t have many open cases at the moment, and Kane will be able to bring you up to speed.” She drummed her fingernails on the desk. “I read from your résumé that in addition to your impressive qualifications in forensic science, you have a degree in computer science. Does that mean you can take a look at our systems? They’re pretty old and need a bit of updating.”
“Yeah, I can ‘tweak’ systems.” Wolfe leaned back in his seat and the corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile. “What do you need?”
“What we need—” she leaned forward, gripping the arms of her chair “—is a better system for logging case files. Every three months, this system archives all the files, open or closed. We can’t compare cases. We have no secure uplink to local systems. It’s run on the Boolean system, but if someone gets one letter wrong in a name, all the information goes missing.” She grimaced. “We don’t have the luxury of computers in the cruisers to check a license plate or a person’s criminal record. No on-board camera. Out at night, we are sitting ducks.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, my electronics expertise falls into a different area. Luckily, our new mayor, Mayor Petersham, gave us funding for earbuds and power packs. They should be arriving soon.”
“Do you have access to the case files using your cellphone? Can you write tickets via a handheld?”