Page 51 of Taken by the Lawman

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Kiersten wasn’t sure Deegan had made the best decision by going alone to see the Senator. Of course, she understood that Kline felt comfortable with Deegan and wouldn’t want to speak in front of her.

After he dropped her off at the office and she sat behind her desk, she stared at the ceiling, clicking the pen in restless energy.

Sitting up, she reached for the envelope of pictures, then spread them across her desk while closely examining each for the tenth time. Why did she feel as if she were missing something?

Dropping her pen, she picked up one picture and brought it closer. Grabbing the magnifying glass from the drawer, she scanned every detail. There it was! A reflection in the window. It was faint, but it was there, and it was of the killer. She was certain.

Getting up, she hurried for Jamie, the tech guy who never seemed to leave his office. He was eating a sandwich, and when she stepped in, he looked up. “Hi,” he mumbled through a mouthful.

“I need your help.” She swept around his desk and placed the picture in front of him.

He put his food down and swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “What can I do for you?”

“Do you see the reflection?” She stabbed her finger on the picture over the killer’s image.

Jaime lifted it, squinting to get a closer look. “Yeah…I think I do…”

“Can you magnify that image so I can get a better look?”

He shrugged a bulky shoulder. “I can try, but the image quality is bad.”

“Whatever you can get from it will work.”

“Okay. Let me see what I can do.” He placed the picture in the scanner, looking up at her. “This might take some time.”

She stood straight and crossed her arms. “I need it ASAP. It’s important.”

Jamie was the best tech guy she knew and he’d always been there to help, no matter what she asked…or what time of day it was. She knew he was dependable. “Give me about a half hour.”

In her office, Kiersten paced the floor for the next thirty minutes. She could only hope that Jamie could clear the image up. This could be the break they were looking for.

Ten minutes late, Jamie swept in, this time eating a glazed donut.

She stopped pacing and looked at him, not able to read his expression. “Well?”

“Not good,” he said.

She blew out a breath and clenched her teeth. “I figured—"

“It’s awesome.” He held up the magnified picture proudly.

Kiersten grinned and grabbed the picture. She couldn’t make out the man’s face, but she could make out that he was wearing fatigues and the name on the jacket read, “T. Evans.”

She nibbled her bottom lip. “That name. Do I know it from somewhere?”

“I’m one step ahead of you. I think this is what you’re looking for.” Jamie held up a copy of a newspaper article. “You probably remember when Senator Kline was running for office and the Wyoming Journal printed this.”

She read the headline, ‘Good enough to serve. Good enough for Wyoming’.”

Kiersten couldn’t believe her eyes. In the photo was a row of men, all in ACUs. In the center of the group was Max Kline…a much younger Kline. His arm was over the shoulders of another man. The name on his lapel was what grabbed her. “T. Evans.”

She lifted her chin, smiling, but it quickly fizzled. “The man standing next to the Senator is our killer. I have to warn Deegan.”

Her mind was all over the place and she needed to talk to someone.

Five minutes later, she tossed her phone to the passenger seat and pressed on the gas and pulled out of the exit. She saw bright headlights coming close and lifted her hand to protect her eyes. The car seemed to pick up speed as it drew nearer with its bright lights on. Realizing something wasn’t right, Kiersten clutched the gear shift to slam it into reverse, but she was too late. The car smashed into the Jeep, sending it hard against the cement wall. The sounds of glass breaking and metal crunching were loud in her ears. Smoke shot up from under the hood and she felt a stabbing feeling in her side.

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