Page 79 of Hard Knock Hero

I couldn’t let them do this. Icouldn’t. I struggled to escape from Owen’s grasp. “Owen,please,” I begged. “Chester and Jeremy set this up. Youknow it.”

“Of course I know,” he said. “This is nonsense, and I intend to discipline my deputy over it. Chester and Jeremy seem to think they can pull my department’s strings like we’re a bunch of podunk puppets. But this is a hell of a lot worse than any of us could’ve expected. For now, you have to let Aiden go.”

“Absolutely not!”

Owen pulled me through the back door of the diner and away from prying eyes. I stumbled into the kitchen, clutching my stomach. I was going to throw up. How was this happening?

A better question—how had I failed to see it coming?Of courseJeremy had done this. He was never going to stop. Never leave me alone.

“Listen to me,” Owen said. “We will sort this out at the station. He confessed, and that was his choice.”

“He was trying to protect me. Like a big stupididiot.”

Owen frowned. “Well, technically he did kill Mitch. He all but admitted that to me already. Self defense, but still.”

“Not helping,” I spit out.

“Here’s what’s going to happen. I have to call in the state authorities to run the forensics, because we don’t have the facilities to handle a murder investigation. And when they do, it’ll be obvious that Mitch died elsewhere and got dumped here. They’ll find evidence it’s a frame-up.”

“Are you sure? Do you promise?”

He chewed his lip. I took that as ano. And that was not going to satisfy me. “I won’t let them do this.”

Owen boxed me in, a hand on either side of the prep table. “Get yourself dressed and meet us at the station. Find your brother and keep him with you, like Aiden said. Do not go anywhere alone.”

“I’ll do those things. But first, I’m going tokill Jeremy Rigsby,” I snarled.

Owen pointed a finger in my face. “Get that nonsense out of your head right damn now. Don’t you dare go near any of the Rigsbys. Foryoursafety. Now I need to get control of this scene and make sure nobody tampers with anything else.”

“How? For all we know, the Rigsbys have people in your department who are helping them.”

“That’s a serious accusation. I’ll leave Deputy Marsh here with you. She’s trustworthy. She’ll secure the diner and make sure nobody else gets in. Now get what you need to, and get down to the station.” He stormed back outside. I stood in the doorway and watched the police cruiser pull away with Aiden inside. Jeremy and Chester stood at the front of the crowd, grinning.

And just like that, everything had gone straight to hell.

* * *

I was a lit firecracker, ready to go off.

I raced up the stairs to my apartment. Deputy Marsh was right behind me. She was the one who’d been holding back the crowd, not the deputy who’d arrested Aiden. I had no specific reason to suspect her. She was around my age and a transplant to Hartley like me. But I wasn’t in the mood to trust anyone.

“Could I have a moment to get dressed?” I asked.

“I can’t leave. Sheriff’s orders. You know that.”

“Then at least turn around? I’m naked under this shirt.”

“I really shouldn’t, but I happen to despise Jeremy Rigsby and what he did to you. So consider this your single favor.” She turned in the doorway to face the stairs. Her back was to me.

I had to act fast.

I rushed over to the corner, where we’d stowed Mitch’s rifle. Owen knew that Aiden had killed Mitch in self defense, but it probably wouldn’t help if the state investigators found that rifle here. It could be evidence against Aiden. So I quickly wiped the barrel clean with my sweatshirt sleeves and hit it beneath my bed. Nowhere near good enough, but I’d have to deal with it later. Maybe I could claim I’d found the rifle somewhere. If I was lucky, it wasn’t registered to Mitch at all. That would make sense, considering their illegal operation on Refuge Mountain.

“Almost done?” Deputy Marsh asked.

“Working on it!” I tugged on the first pair of jeans I could find. Put on a bra, then gathered my shoes and socks. “I just need to get Aiden’s things. He’s not even wearing a shirt or shoes.”

Deputy Marsh turned around. “Sheriff Douglas told me to leave everything for the state investigators when they get here. Someone at the station will give Aiden clothes to wear for now.”

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