Page 8 of Claimed by the Lawman

“How about I get you two some strong coffee,” Mildred said with a stifled giggle. “By the looks of things neither one of you slept more than a few winks.”

“Bring those coffees into my office, please.” Kace wielded his dangerous expression like a secret weapon. “We won’t be having any ‘bare-all’ discussions this morning.”

Tyler imagined he used this “chilling” look to scare criminals, but she knew him. He was too kind-hearted to make her think any differently or frighten her.

Feeling like she’d won the battle, she said, “It’s about time you saw things my way.”

“As if you gave me any choice.” His eyes dazzled, but his jaw stayed tight.

“Two coffees coming up.” Mildred was already scooping coffee grounds into the filter.

“How about we get you out of here before Deputy Payne comes in and this becomes even more of a spectacle.” Kace crossed his arms over his wide chest.

Taking the keys from underneath the cot, she caught a glimpse of his grin, but she didn’t allow it to turn her inside out. She was her sister’s voice, and this was important. Handing the keys through the bars, she watched him unlock the door and swing it open.

Although she had entered the cell on her own accord, she was glad to be free. She’d probably managed more sleep if she’d slept on the concrete floor.

Without a word, Kace placed the key ring back on the hook and ambled toward his office. She followed, admiring the breadth of his back and how nice the worn Wranglers fit his firm bottom. She didn’t come here to take a stroll down memory lane with the cowboy, even if she’d thought about him many times over the years. Her focus needed to stay on solving her sister’s murder. After finding her diary, Tyler was more sure than ever that someone had set up the scene to make it appear that Susy had committed suicide.

Once they were inside of his office and the door was closed, she took the time to inspect the space. Kace was a simple man, so she wasn’t surprised that the walls were bare and the bookshelves behind his desk were almost empty, except for a statue of a horse and a handful of worn western books.

“Is that the one I gave you?” She pointed at the figurine.

“Yeah.” He hooked his hat on the deer antler that seconded as a coat rack.

Her breath stilled. “That was some night. I had almost forgotten about it.” She’d won the statue at the county fair after she’d thrown an axe into the center of a target three times in a row. Kace had been so impressed with her skill that she’d given the trophy to him so he wouldn’t forget her.

“I’m sure you did.”

“Kace, I get the feeling that you’re angry with me—”

“Now why in the world would I be angry? You just swept in here and took over my jail like this is your stage.” There was an edge to his tone.

“You didn’t leave me much choice, now did you?”

“I’m a busy man. If you want me to hear what you have to say, it’s best you get to talking.” He took a seat behind the massive cherry wood desk loaded with folders and paperwork.

Swallowing against the constriction in her throat, she took the seat in front of his desk.

Several seconds floated by until he groaned. “For someone hell bent on talking to me, you certainly don’t have a lot to say.”

Why had her tongue suddenly frozen? She’d planned this day, this moment, over and over again on what she’d say when she had the chance to speak to him, and now every single word was lodged somewhere between her numb brain and mouth. Shifting and crossing her legs, she cleared her throat, praying her voice worked. “It must be the lack of sleep.”

“Or it’s just you have nothing to add to what I already know.” He leaned back into the chair and propped his booted feet on the corner of the desk.

It scraped her nerves that he could be so unaffected, so calm, when her body was a hair’s width away from turning into a puddle of nerves. “Sheriff Mansfield didn’t investigate the case thoroughly. He only wanted to wash his hands clean of it all.”

“I read the file. She was found—” He squinted as if he couldn’t finish the sentence.

“It’s okay. I know how she was found. I’ve relived it over and over inside my head. It’s the crux of my nightmares. What person undresses and hangs herself from a second-floor balcony?”

He clasped his hands behind his head. “A woman who’d done a few lines of coke at a late-night party. The drug related deaths are up twenty-five percent from five years ago in this county alone. It’s an epidemic and it appears we’re losing the fight.”

“I know drug use is a problem, Kace, but my sister wasn’t into coke.”

“Witnesses say she was, Tyler. Their interviews are on file.”

“I realize what the witnesses have said, I just don’t agree with them. I’m the first person to acknowledge that my sister had made some bad choices, but this doesn’t mean she deserved to die.”

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