Page 98 of First Surrender

“When don’t we? What is it this time?” I ask reluctantly, sitting behind my desk.

“Vanessa Porter made a complaint. She’s accusing you of conspiring to have her cousin killed. Thomas Jameson.” It’s been almost a month since he was shanked in his prison cell and this is the first that I’ve heard anything.

“You’re aware that accusation is ridiculous,” I state plainly. I don’t have time for bullshit like this when there are real problems to deal with. “I’m being dragged into this because Ihurt Mrs. Porter’s feelings and accused her family of criminal activity.”

“Yes, Sheriff. I agree with you but I think you need to watch yourself. The Porters are a powerful family. Once they lock in on you, they won’t make your life easy,” he warns.

“I don’t care who they are unless they can tell me why people keep overdosing when no one seems to know where the drugs are coming from.”

Fulton looks at me for a moment, introspectively, debating what he wants to say next. “I appreciate your dedication to the crime in this county. It’s been a long time since we’ve had someone with your… Ethics.”

“What aren’t you saying, Fulton?”

“I think the Porter family might be exactly who you need to talk to, but tread carefully.” He clears his throat as he stands. “They have a knack for making things disappear.” With that ominous statement, he leaves my office without looking back.

I don’t appreciate word games and context clues, I want answers. The first of them needs to come from the Porters.

I spend the afternoon breaking down their family tree.

Vanessa’s cousin, Thomas, is dead.

Her husband, Chuck Donahue, is dead.

Her two brothers, Anthony and Benjamin, are dead.

Her nephew, Kyle Jameson, is dead, by my firearm.

Her mother and her aunt both died when she was a child.

So who is left?

Her father, Reverend Jefferson Porter, is still the pastor of a Baptist Church in the area but well into his 80s.

She has two sons, one of whom is running for Mayor of Langston. That’s Randall Porter. He has a clean record like she said.

Personal information on the other one is not as openly available, but he does have a past. Jeremiah Porter has acriminal record like many others in his family. Odd that Vanessa never wanted to mention him.

Why is it that her children don’t share their father’s last name? Why carry on their mother’s maiden name?

* * *

“Mrs. Porter, this is not an interrogation and you do not need counsel present, but if you’d like to obtain a lawyer, we’ll have to put off this conversation further. I think you want to have this conversation,” I state plainly. Prosecutor Fulton is sitting to my left and Vanessa is sitting across from me at the table in his office.

Her accusation of my involvement in Thomas’ death already fell through because no one believed that I had anything to do with it. Now I am ready to slap her with a defamation lawsuit just to get her to talk. I don’t usually play dirty but I’m over all of the bullshit.

“I don’t need a lawyer, I’ve done nothing wrong.” She huffs, clacking her fake nails on the wooden tabletop.

“Why did you accuse me of conspiring in Thomas’ death?”

“Because you were asking lots of questions and then suddenly he turned up dead. What else am I supposed to think?”

“That he was a criminal and had enemies. Obviously.”

“Doesn’t matter now. He’s dead and you’re still doing your job. Why am I here?” She asks, impatiently.

“Why is your family tied so deeply with so many crimes in this county?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

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