Page 27 of Wanted by the Lawman

He hesitated a long moment. Would he deny her? He finally sat down in the chair. “Me first,” he said. “You’ve only been separated from your live-in boyfriend for a week?” His brows scrunched.

“I-I know this all must seem like a scene out of a murder mystery, but I promise when I left the condo he was alive…or at least he was snoring like a bear. I did sneak away from him because he wouldn’t have let me leave otherwise.”

“Why the hell were you with a guy who’d have the balls to handcuff you to him and hold your clothes hostage?” His blue eyes penetrated her. She wondered if his questions came from a professional lawman or a personal side.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and brought her legs up to tuck under her behind. Had she expected him to go easy? “He wasn’t always angry, but it happened so gradually that I chalked some of the issues up to normal. He’d always been a bit egotistical, but he also owned a whole bandwagon of charm. I’ve been threatening to leave him for six months, and that night I made my mind up that I could no longer live with him or be near him. He knew I was serious and that’s why he’d gone to the extreme of the handcuffs. I truly don’t know all of his secrets.”

“But you were his assistant?”

She met Zander’s gaze. “Yes, in name only. Looking back, I see he might have used me. I signed paperwork, handled meetings, social gatherings. Wow, I made life easy for him.” She swallowed against the painful constriction in her throat.

“If you’re innocent, you have nothing to worry about.”

“If?” She sighed. “I am innocent. Where Rory is, or what he did, I have no clue. I left my car, phone, clothes, and money just so I could sever the ties completely. I came here with a meager amount of cash and a dream.”

“Do you have reason to believe he’s looking for you?” His jaw was set tight and worried lines appeared around his eyes.

“It’s always a possibility. I don’t want to be with him, but I don’t want him dead either.”

“Look, I’ll keep a closer eye on things around here. I spoke to Rudy and he’ll be keeping a watch too. But most importantly, if he tries to contact you in anyway, tell me. Okay?”

“Sure.” She shifted in the cushion. “Why didn’t you tell me who you are?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t see that it was important, but if I’d known that this would happen, I guess I should have.”

“Does this mean that we can’t be friends?” Her chest tightened.

“It means that it’s my duty to make sure you’re safe. Other than that, I’m not on this case with your ex so we can be friends. Does this mean you no longer view me as gum on the bottom of your shoe?” One corner of his mouth lifted.

“I never thought of you as gum on my shoe, and I’m sorry you felt that I did. I think we need to start over with less secrets between us.” She stood and stepped over to him, holding out her hand. “Hi, I’m Wynn. Although I appear to be a grossly emotional, scatterbrained, a lunatic of a woman, I can assure you that under normal circumstances, I’m easy and fun-loving and have been told I’m intelligent, at least from the tests I’ve taken.”

He took her hand, but instead of shaking it as she’d wanted, he simply held it in his warm, gentle clutch. “I’m Zander. Although I’m a Special Agent, that’s not all I am.” He winked.

“Well, Zander. It’s nice to meet you.”

~~~**~~~

Zander slid off the snow mobile and his boots crunched in the ice. He met Rudy who shook his gloved hand. “I’m glad you decided to come.”

“Homicide’s not my thing, buddy.”

“Hell, man. You know more about tracking criminals and investigating murder than anyone I know, including me. You know that too,” Rudy said, pulling his hat lower over his ears.

“I’ll look, but I can’t promise anything.”

“She’s over here. Looks like she’s been here for a while.”

Stopping a few feet from where the woman’s body lay, Zander first examined the surrounding area, then bent down to take a closer look at the body. “When did you say she was found, Rudy?”

“One of the cows broke out of the fence and the owner came out looking for her. He found her around seven this morning. I think she’s been here at least twenty-four hours.”

“By the condition of the body, I’m guessing the same, but the medical examiner will be better at telling you exactly how long. With these conditions, sometimes it can be hard to tell. Got a positive ID?”

“Sabrina Dexter. Found her driver’s license in her purse.”

“Has anyone made a missing person’s report on her?” Zander asked.

“No.”

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