Page 7 of Texas Scandal

“You seem to have caught on to something law enforcement hasn’t put together yet. What is it?” she continued after a quick nod.

“I just don’t see you dragging a body from the trunk of your car to the spot where it was buried. The victim would have had to walk there himself and then climb in the grave,” he stated as honestly as he could. Plus, her vulnerability tugged at his heart. She’d seemed genuinely caught off guard when they’d cornered her in her parking spot. Ever since, she’d had that lost quality that he was unable to ignore.

“Do you recognize my last name?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

He had to think about that one.Cantor.

Realization dawned. He remembered reading the reports now. Dots were connecting as to who she was and why she might be defensive around law enforcement. Her father claimed to be innocent of all charges, but the evidence against him was significant and there was a long line of victims who’d lost their life savings.

“You do know who I am,” she said with disappointment in her voice.

He confirmed with a nod.

“Is that why you believe you’re being treated this way?” he asked.

“Makes sense, doesn’t it?” she said without a whole lot of enthusiasm in her voice. “I’m related to Henry Cantor. Therefore, I must be bad, too.”

“People aren’t their families,” he retorted, indignation rising up. He should know, considering he was nothing like Duncan Hayes. That was a story for a whole other time.

“Try convincing other people when their minds are made up,” she said with the kind of honesty that left no room for doubt. It was true, though. A family name like theirs came with expectations. Some good, some bad. It all depended on what the others before them had done. In his case, Duncan’s reputation in the community was untarnished. At home, he’d been one mean son of a bitch. Insiders knew the man cared more about keeping up appearances than taking care of his own.

“It shouldn’t be true,” he said on a frustrated sigh.

“But it is,” she continued. She was right. The sheriff’s next steps would tell them where she stood, and he feared this situation was about to go south for reasons that weren’t her fault.

THEDOOROPENEDand then the sheriff walked in. He didn’t give off the vibe of being the brightest bulb in the bunch, which worried her. His jaw was slack, and there was a dull quality to his eyes. Sheriff was an elected position and stellar intelligence and qualifications weren’t always top of the list with voters. Sometimes, it came down to loyalty and connections to prominent families. She should know. Her father had pulled together plenty of parties over the years with elected officials.

Cleve Tanner’s face was scrunched with determination as he walked with a long stride straight to his chair without glancing over. Melody took it as a bad sign. Her heart sank to her toes along with any hope things weren’t about to get worse.

“Will you excuse me?” Tiernan said as the sheriff took his seat.

“Uh, I guess so,” Sheriff Tanner said, looking up with surprise. Tiernan had caught the man off guard.

“Thank you, sir,” Tiernan said. She took note of the formal quality to his voice. He turned to her. “Don’t answer any questions until your lawyer arrives. Okay?”

Melody blinked up at Tiernan. He winked just out of view of the sheriff as if to saytrust me.Trust was a hard sell for Melody these days. Her belief had been,I’lltrust a person about as far as I can throw them.For so long, the saying had become ingrained in her. In this case—and mainly because her back was against the wall—she would choose to trust Tiernan.

“Got it,” she said to him.

“Cooperating with us now is in your best interest, Ms. Cantor,” Sheriff Tanner made a point to say. “You might be able to provide information that could keep the trail of a killer from growing cold.”

A couple of responses came to mind. Melody clamped her mouth shut.

“Blame me if anything goes wrong,” Tiernan said. “I’m the one advising her not to speak up on behalf of her innocence.”

“Hold on there a minute, tiger,” Sheriff Tanner said. The man didn’t seem to realize just how condescending his tone came across. “No one said she was a suspect. This is an ongoing murder investigation. Time is of the essence.”

Tiernan’s blue eyes registered the slight. He stood tall and stuffed his hands inside the pockets of his jeans. “Let’s be honest, Sheriff. Thisisan ongoing murder investigation, and let’s get real about how I’ve been treated versus how Ms. Cantor has. The body was found on my property, after all. I have a vested interest in finding the real killer and not wasting valuable time and resources.”

“You were the one who called it in,” Sheriff Tanner pointed out. “I’m aware of the location of the crime scene.”

“No one checked my trunk for signs of a struggle or drops of blood,” he said. “I’m strong enough to carry dead weight from my vehicle to the spot in question. Why not consider me a suspect? Don’t I make a whole lot more sense?”

“You’re missing an important point. Your name wasn’t found on a slip of paper inside a dead man’s pocket,” Sheriff Tanner pointed out.

Melody realized Tiernan’s genius after the sheriff spoke. He’d just given away his position as to whether or not she was a suspectandhanded his piece of key evidence over in the process. She had to give it to Tiernan. He was smart. And, based on the sheriff’s response, she was in serious trouble. The kind of trouble that involved lawyers and court dates and the possibility of her being handcuffed.

Tiernan fished out his cell phone and held it up. Then, he stepped into the hallway, leaving the door open. From where he stood, she could hear the conversation play out. The lawyer’s name he mentioned caused the sheriff to sit up a little straighter. The conversation was short and efficient. The sheriff’s gaze narrowed as Tiernan returned to the room.

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