Page 43 of Everyone Loved Her

Blaze rubbed his brow, the solemn story making a heck of a lot more sense than whatever Lucas was claiming. “And Sarah?”

He shrugged. “No clue. I don’t know where Garrett was that night, but I know that he’d never hurt any woman.”

“Everyone’s pointing their finger at him, you know that, right?” Blaze had calmed down, his tone more thoughtful than accusatory.

“They always do,” Sheriff Myers chuckled. “You should know that by now. It’s always easier to point the finger at the screw up, than it is to start looking closer to home. Sarah had alotof people in her life, and she was a good kid, but she was too nice sometimes.”

“Yeah, I can agree with that.” Blaze stopped his thought there, as his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out, and the familiar name sent his head spiraling.

You gotta be kidding me.

“I gotta take this,” he said quickly to Sheriff Myers. “But I’m still not writing Garrett off.”

“He’s got a temper,” Sheriff Myers added before Blaze couldanswer. “And if needed, I don’t think he’d refrain from pulling a trigger—but he ain’t gonna go killing someone that doesn’t deserve what’s coming to them.”

Blaze didn’t say anything to that, answering the phone instead, and stepping outside of the station. “Been a while. Why are you calling me?”

“Heard through the grapevine this morning there was a murder in Blaine County. I got a little curious and looked into it,” Special Agent Daniel Malone said, his voice flat. “And lo and behold,Deputy Blaze Harriswas listed on the report as an investigator. How’d you pull that off?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Blazed gritted out.

“Well…” Daniel’s voice trailed off, still cold and calculating when it picked up again. “I just find it interesting that a man who seems to be leaving a trail of bodies behind himself would end up landing a job as a Sheriff’s Deputy.”

“Being a person of interest doesn’t show up on a background check.”

“No, I suppose not,” Daniel chuckled. “But what references did you write down? Because I feel a person of interest insixhomicides would be indicated somewhere in there.”

Blaze glanced around the parking lot, and then lowered his voice. “YouknowI didn’t have anything to do with any of those.”

“Do I?” Daniel scoffed. “Because your trail of coincidences can only go on for so long. You know, I was about to congratulate on body number seven when I saw your name, but it seems that the MO doesn’t fit Sarah Armitage’s case.”

A chill ran down Blaze’s spine, his mind playing recollectionsof deaths he wished he could erase. “No, it doesn’t fit. Lucky me. This time.”

“Thistime,” Daniel echoed him, his voice taking an indiscernible tone. “How many years has it been? Three? Four?”

Blaze swallowed hard. “Something like that.”

“Hmm, well,” he paused. “Best of luck to you. The first homicide case you workalwaysstays with you—especially if you’re close to the victim.”

“Yeah,” Blaze choked out, bile rising in his throat. “I gotta go. Got things to do.”

“You always do. We’ll be in touch.” Agent Daniel Malone ended the call then, and Blaze was left, standing in his uniform just outside of the front glass doors. Feeling more unnerved than ever, he shoved the phone into his pocket, and took a step toward his truck—just in time to see Ty Miller’s white lifted truck roaring into the parking lot.

Really? Right now?Blaze readied himself, staying in place as the truck parked and Ty jumped out, still in his funeral clothes. “This the most I’ve see you boys since the drug bust a couple years ago.”

Ty scowled. “Maybe if you’d actually do your job, we wouldn’t have to show up here.”

“Right. So, what can I help you with?”

“I need to make a report,” Ty walked up, chest to chest with Blaze. “Now.”

“We’ve already taken care of the incident at the funeral today, Ty,” Blaze shoved past him, ready to go out and ride horses—and try to forget about his own problems, too. “Go home…or wherever.”

“It ain’t about today. It’s about last night.” Ty followed Blaze as he walked away.

“Sheriff Myers is in there. Go talk to him,” Blaze snapped. “He can take your report.” A hand landed on Blaze’s shoulder, shoving him around, and it took everything Blaze had not to throw a punch.

“You’re the only person in this town that ain’t a biasedidiot.” Ty jabbed Blaze in the center of his chest. “I wantyouto listen to what I gotta say, and I think you’d care to know, personally. Lucas said you’rerealinterested in Garrett Myers.”

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