Page 67 of Out to Get Her
Samantha frowned. “Not if we consider the manner in which they killed him.”
“Right,” Erin said. “Subtle. Not sloppy or heat of the moment. Someone who had access to whatever was in that needle.”
Which put them right back with the doctor or pharmacist.
Samantha had a sinking suspicion that if she hadn’t tanked this election herself the other night, solving this case would do it. Because she was about to put herself directly in Nathan’s cross-hairs.
“Do you think he could have killed someone?” Erin’s voice was small and gentle. Questioning without judgment. “You know him better than anyone. Do you really think he has it in him?”
Erin wasn’t wrong. Samantha probably knew Nathan better than anyone else in this town. But that didn’t mean she actually knew the man. He wouldneverlet anyone know the real Nathan. But she caught glimpses. And she eventually learned to read through his lies and manipulation. Not completely, but better.
“No, not by his own hands,” she said. “But I think he’d encourage someone else to take care of a problem for him.”
“Encourage?”
“Pay. Bribe. Blackmail. Something that would make a slightly less direct connection to him.”
“That makes sense,” Erin said. “For him.”
“Now the only question is, who connects the dots? Paul was about to get his hands on those prescriptions. Nathan wanted them gone, and Paul was in the way. Who did Nathan send to do his dirty work?”
“Who did he have dirt on or who needed money?” Erin asked. “Or who had their own stake in keeping this doctor prescribing pills?”
Samantha chuckled. “Half the town falls under that first question.”
Then she remembered why they were looking at a bunch of books and not the evidence itself. She knew she should keep this bit quiet, but she needed someone else to confirm that she wasn’t overreacting out of professional jealousy or some other petty reason.
“I think Jordan could be helping him. He might not have murdered Paul himself, but I think he’s up to his neck in this.”
Erin stared wide-eyed for a few moments, then shook her head. “Wait. Jordan Fonseca?DeputyFonseca?”
“The one and only.”
“Why would he want Paul dead?” Erin shook her head again. “Wait, do you thinkhewas after the prescriptions, too?”
“No, but I’m afraid he’s involved in covering for Nathan.” Samantha frowned. This part hurt the most, no matter how much she tried to pretend she didn’t care. “I’m pretty sure Nathan’s backing his campaign.”
Erin’s shock transformed into white-hot fury as her eyes narrowed and her hands balled into fists. “That rat bastard.”
“Among many other things, yes. You won’t get an argument from me on that.”
“I don’t remember anything much about Jordan, since he was older than me.”
Erin tilted her head in thought. It was so cute Samantha had to fight the urge to take the woman’s face in her hands and pick up where they’d left off earlier. If they hadn’t been discussing a murder in this very house.
“Do you think Jordan has it in him?” Erin asked.
“I don’t think so, but I can’t rule it out.” With a nod toward the bedroom door, Samantha said, “We should probably check on Zach and that dip. I think better with food.”
Samantha could stay in that room with Erin all night, but she needed time to process everything before she connected the next set of dots.
Erin winked. “Me, too. Plus, we don’t want to leave Zach alone in the kitchen too long. He’ll wipe out all the snacks before this storm gets halfway through.”
As Samantha followed Erin out of the bedroom, Zach and snacks were the last things on her mind.
ChapterTwenty-Two
Zack and Erinpicked up their cards as Samantha slid the pennies from the center into her ever-growing pile. She was whooping both of their butts, despite claiming she hadn’t played bourré in years.
