Page 19 of Exposure of Murder

Ethan picked up the envelope by the corner. No stamp, no address, just her name on the front. A piece of paper was inside, and he removed it.

He stared at the words: “You have something I want.” He turned the paper over. There was nothing on the other side. It looked to be part of photocopy paper. Jane hadn’t said a word. The silence in the kitchen was only interrupted by the ticking of the grandfather clock he passed in the living room.

“What does this mean?” He crinkled his brow. “When did this come?”

“I have no idea what it means, and I don’t know when it came,” Jane replied. “I get little mail here, so checking the mailbox is not something I regularly do.”

Ethan rubbed his temples, took a minute to collect his thoughts. “Okay then.” He tapped the table with his fingers. “It probably came from someone around here. What could someone possibly want from you?”

She shook her head, her chin trembling. “Do you think this has something to do with the broken window or items moved around the barn?”

“I still believe kids did that. This note is personal. Could it be someone from your past?” He leaned back in his chair. “Or Bucky?” As a well-known mystery writer, Jane had to do a lot of research and probably engaged with criminals and the police.

Jane opened her mouth to reply, then furrowed her brow. “What are you asking me? Do you think I’m lying or bringing trouble here? And why are you bringing Bucky into this?”

Crap. He really did it this time. “You know Bucky is a convicted felon? He served three years in prison for assault and battery.”

Her eyes widened. She hadn’t known.

“Yes. I knew,” she said with a straight face. “I believe everyone deserves a second chance. Are you accusing him of harassing me?”

It had occurred to Ethan. However, he had to get a handle on who Jane interacted with in town and who might be a suspect. Bucky was at the top of the slim list. Then the thought that maybe Jane and Bucky were in this together crossed his mind. That was stupid. Why would they be? Especially if she was reporting it to the sheriff. Ugh. His mind was driving him crazy. Despite his reluctance to admit it to himself, he greatly admired her ability to establish a new life for herself and felt strangely attracted to her.

Oh, no way in hell.

Where did that thought come from?

Ever since Corinne broke his heart and soul, he wasn’t into women anymore and definitely not attracted to the sexy, good-looking woman from the city who kept him on his toes—no, sir. Not him.

“Not accusing, just advising caution. This isn’t a big city, but you still need to keep your eyes open and be aware of your circumstances.”

“Humph.” Jane huffed. “I’m not unaware of anything. You can’t live in a city like Boston and not take precautions. So, are you going to take this seriously or just throw your hands up and tell me I’m crazy?”

Ethan stood. “Jane, you’re not crazy, and I am taking this seriously.” He pocketed the envelope. No sense worrying about fingerprints. Ethan was sure so many people had handled it, they’d never be able to narrow it down.

“I’ll hold on to this for the time being.” He walked toward the front door, then turned. “If you hear or see anything else, call me.”

Jane followed him out. “Thank you.”

As Ethan walked toward his truck, a pang of guilt nagged at him. He was being a dick to a woman. Not just a woman, but someone he swore to protect as a sheriff. Damn. He could blame it on Corrine, but after all this time, he could admit to himself that it wasn’t her—it was his attitude, and he needed to fix it.

Twelve

The next morning, Jane stood on the edge of the pond as the morning sun glinted off the surface, making the ripples in the water sparkle like diamonds. She pulled her fleece tight against the brisk wind and felt at peace. Everything was going according to plan, despite the unsettling note and grumpy sheriff.

Today, they were going to dredge the pond, and Jane’s mind was filled with visions of swimming parties and barbecues the next summer.

She was glad she applied for the approvals right after she moved in, since it had taken weeks to get them and then drain off much of the water.

They’d already found old soda bottles, several animal carcasses and pieces of an old metal plow. The plow bits reminded Jane that the old dumping ground in the woods needed to be cleaned out. It wasn’t uncommon for farmers to find a place to put junk and parts of worn-out machinery somewhere on the property to be used again. But it was an eyesore.

The dredging crew was already at work, the rumble of their equipment reverberating in the silence. She watched the excavator release his load onto the back of a dump truck. They would put the muck they removed in a back pasture to dry and then use it for a new hayfield.

Her conversation with the sheriff yesterday bothered her all night.

Ethan had been so condescending the other two times he came out that this time she practically accused him of not taking her seriously. She hadn’t been fair to him. As sheriff, he couldn’t go off half-cocked just because she was worried. Jane knew enough about investigations to know that Ethan had little to go on.

It didn’t surprise her that Bucky had served time in prison. She suspected he had just from his eyes and demeanor.

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