Page 42 of Texas Scandal

Tiernan made good points early on in the investigation when he brought up the size issue, as well. She wouldn’t be strong enough to lift an eighteen-year-old male, let alone carry him away from a vehicle with no signs of the body being dragged across the dirt and scrub.

The sheriff was locked on to her, though. Did he have other evidence? He wouldn’t have to disclose everything to her attorney. Surely, he had something in his back pocket that he was hiding to keep circling him back to her. Did he believe Tiernan was in on it, too? The two of them were somehow in league with each other? Wouldn’t it be easy enough to prove they’d never met before he’d volunteered to take the back seat of the deputy’s SUV?

It was an angle the law might be looking into now that she really thought about it. Why would they be willing to be seen together now, though? Wouldn’t that go against a secret affair? Or a business arrangement? The sheriff hadn’t been too keen on Tiernan stepping in to help her when they were in his office. Was he trying to make a case against the both of them? She wished she could be a fly on the wall of his office to see what he was up to.

Heading back to the kitchen, she switched gears to caffeine and breakfast. She’d slept better last night than she could remember, but she wasn’t ready to concede it was because Tiernan was in bed with her. His bed was far more comfortable than the couch she’d volunteered to sleep on the night before.

The smell of dark roast was enough to wake her up as she walked into the room. Seeing Tiernan standing in the kitchen, a lean hip against the counter, sent her heart racing, making the caffeine boost a little less necessary. Her throat suddenly dried up as she walked toward him. He held up a second mug.

“Thank you,” she said. Clearing her throat didn’t help as much as she wanted it to. Taking a sip after blowing on the top of the coffee was better.

He mumbled something she couldn’t quite scan and probably didn’t need to hear. His presence in the room already had her body keenly aware of him. The fact he wasn’t wearing a shirt didn’t help matters much in the attraction department.

“We can grab breakfast on the road if you want to get going soon,” she said.

He answered with a slight nod. The man’s carved-from-granite face and intense eyes made for one helluva package. The wordperfectioncame to mind, even though he’d laugh at the description. “Might as well head out since the vet wants to keep Loki a few more hours.” He started toward the bedroom. “I’ll throw on a shirt.”

Melody had no comment even though a few protests came to mind. She finished her coffee and put on her shoes. She still hadn’t checked all her phone messages but had made a dent. Fifty-seven texts. Melody had forgotten how bad it was with all that had happened since she’d last checked her phone.

The threatening email came back to mind. Would the sheriff explain that away as her trying to make herself seem innocent? Would he suspect either her or Tiernan of doing that to throw off suspicion?

The man needed to have his head checked out because there were some serious deficiencies in his logic. She tucked her cell inside her purse and walked over to the door.

Tiernan returned, looking better than any man had a right to in a black long-sleeve cotton shirt that fit him to a tee. He finished off his coffee before setting the mug inside the sink and heading toward her.

She checked the time. “We should get to my brother’s before he leaves for work. It’ll probably be best to surprise him at home anyway.”

Tiernan nodded. He started to say something but stopped himself. What was that about?

“He has a few ‘tells,’ so I should be able to read him better in person than on the phone,” she said in more of a defensive tone than intended. She shook her head as though she could somehow shake off the giveaway that she was nervous about the visit.

Tiernan held the door open for her but he held his tongue. He also didn’t comment on her statement, which spoke volumes.

Could she get answers from Coop? Did she really want to know if her brother was capable of murder? Because she had an ominous feeling she was about to find out.

Chapter Seventeen

The ride to Melody’s brother’s house north of Austin was quiet. The quick stop for fast-food breakfast sandwiches and coffee refills was the only interruption in the hour-and-a-half drive. The houses in this subdivision were new and looked like mini mansions. They also all looked alike with their brick facades and castle-like features.

“His SUV is parked out front,” Melody said. It was a top-of-the-line Lincoln Navigator in shiny gold. There was a red Porsche beside it. The house and the vehicles said flashy money, a stark contrast to Melody, who drove a small sedan and wore jeans. They hugged every single curve to perfection, but she wasn’t exactly dripping in jewels. Nor did she care, which was an even bigger point. “And his secondary car is here, too.”

Melody and her brother couldn’t be more opposite on the surface.

“What about a wife and kids?” he asked as he circled the block.

“He’s married but no children yet,” she said. “I think they were trying before our father’s arrest and then put it on hold.”

“Will his wife be home?” he asked.

“She travels a lot for work, so my guess is no,” she said. “When she is home, I think she parks inside the garage.”

“Who corroborated your brother’s alibi?” Tiernan asked.

“I’d have to ask the lawyer or the sheriff,” she said. “The law must have been by to interview my brother by now, along with my mother.”

“Did she mention a visit?” he asked.

“As a matter of fact, all she talked about was the break-in and how much stress she was under because of it and the stuff going on with my father,” she responded. “She expressed concern for Coop and the way the case was affecting her reputation.”

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