Page 24 of Exposure of Murder

“Told me he was buying Jenkins’s farm and finally getting what could have been his. Then he would cut off our supply of water from the stream. I told him ‘over my dead body’ and to go to hell.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Ethan shouted. Was he going to have to add Tanner’s name to his list of potential suspects? “Did anyone witness this?”

Tanner shrugged. “No. Maybe. It was early afternoon. The diner was practically empty.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“I didn’t think it was important. Thornton was talking shit.”

Ethan rubbed his hands through his hair. What a clusterfuck.

“Also …”

Fuck. There was more.

Tanner sighed. “He came by the farm a couple of weeks ago, threatening me again. I told him to get off the property or I’d get my shotgun. There may have been blows exchanged.” Tanner picked up his cup, took a sip, sighed and took another sip before setting the cup down.

“Oh, sweet Jesus,” Ethan muttered. Was he in an alternate universe?

First, it was Jane who looked suspicious. Now Tanner. Who was next?

Fifteen

Ethan veered left out of the driveway, the tires of his truck crunching on the gravel, and headed toward Mills River Road.

The Old Mill loomed on his right as he crossed over the bridge.

The sky that had been blue with white puffy clouds all morning had turned dark gray with threatening black clouds—just like his mood.

He stared at Community Church, its steeple rising high into the darkened sky, and pulled into the parking lot. Maybe he could get some clarity on this case. He turned the truck off and slammed his hands on the steering wheel, the sound echoing in the cab.

“What in God’s name just happened?” he muttered. All he did was investigate a murder that was now spiraling out of control, leaving him with two unlikely suspects, one of whom was his own brother. Frankly, he didn’t believe Tanner or Jane murdered David Thornton, but circumstances required him to put their names on the suspect list.

Ethan closed his eyes and let his mind wander, wondering if his dad and grandpa had faced similar problems. How did they deal with the conflict of family loyalty versus duty?

He was the sheriff, and as such he couldn’t eliminate someone just because they were family. Why the hell didn’t Thornton just move away and take his shady dealings elsewhere? He’d been nothing but trouble for years.

Ethan sighed, realizing there would be no divine intervention or miracles today.

He started the truck and headed into the office.

Maybe there would be some good news and the killer confessed. He chuckled. Yeah, maybe if he was the main character in one of those TV shows where cases were wrapped up in an hour. However, that wasn’t real life, and dreaming didn’t help his situation. The best he could do was gather clues, investigate what Thornton was up to and who had it in for him, and ultimately crack the case.

His phone rang just as he pulled into the parking lot of the sheriff’s office and turned off his truck. The talk with the mayor was short and direct.

Rubbing his hands over his face, he took a deep breath and exhaled. Showtime.

Ethan said hello to one of his deputies who was leaving and stepped into a quiet office. Two deputies worked at desks, while Rosie and Adam chatted in a corner. He walked over.

“Meet me in my office in a few,” he said. Ethan took a minute to pour himself a cup of coffee. He didn’t have to do the sniff test to know it’d been brewing for a while. He grimaced when he took the first sip. Yeah, most likely sitting there since this morning. He dumped the liquid in the sink and washed his cup.

Opening the door to his office, he hung up his jacket and looked out the large window. It overlooked a small patch of pineand maple trees. People were walking on the sidewalk, either heading toward the courthouse or elsewhere.

“Ethan.” Rosie stood in the doorway. “Are you ready for us?”

“As ready as I’m going to be,” he replied. “Come on in.”

Adam and Rosie took seats across from his desk.

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