Page 24 of Wish I Didn't Want You Back

He let out a low chuckle. “Yep. He’s a total asshole. He’s been trying to get in touch with her, but she’s been dodging his calls. I wouldn’t be surprised if he showed up soon.”

I set my coffee down on the porch railing. “Sounds about right. Do you think he had anything to do with it?”

“It’s hard to tell. He was too busy telling me how ungrateful his daughter was and how lucky she was that someone like Baz Zimmerman would even want to marry her in the first place.”

I dragged a hand through my hair. “He’s a miserable excuse for a human being.”

“Agreed.”

I rubbed my temple. “What about the ex?”

He paused. “Yeah, he was even worse. The guy is a real piece of work. He acted like he was offended that I even called. When I told him about the house, he didn’t ask where she was or if she was okay.”

I cradled the phone against my shoulder. “My money is on him.”

He was quiet for a minute. “It’s too early to tell, but his reaction raised a few red flags. He was furious with her. Played dumb when I questioned him about the hoses but made some comment about, she should come crawling back to him any day now.”

I gritted my teeth and tightened my hand around the phone. “That won’t be happening.”

Tuck laughed, and I frowned.

It might have been five years, but I still felt this need to protect her.

“Listen, I’m calling in a few favors. Due to the amount of damage, Chief had the state police send their tech guys out to the house and dust for prints. We got nothing, but I promise, nothing is being ruled out. Those washer lines were intentionally cut. I promise I won’t stop until we figure out who is responsible.”

“I know he’s responsible,” I said. My theory about her ex was gaining strength in my head. “She humiliated him. The guy has an ego bigger than the state of Texas. He’s got money and influence to boot.”

“I’m not saying you're wrong, but we have no proof. There were no security cameras installed. Right now, it’s simply a hunch.”

I stared across the yard. “What does that mean? How do we prove it was him?”

“It means I keep digging until I find something to connect him to the house, but I’m doing this mostly on the side, so I don’t catch heat from Chief Scott. I’m a sheriff, not a detective. I’ll lose control of the investigation if I get caught using the department’s resources.”

That sounded like Chief Scott. He did everything by the book. He didn’t bend the rules for anybody, no matter who you were.

“I understand, and I appreciate it.”

“Can you promise me something, Brooks?”

“What?” I asked, feeling the third degree coming on.

“Promise to keep your head on straight. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think you’re doing the right thing. My only concern is that it might come back and bite you in the ass later. Her staying at your house means something, whether you want to admit it or not.”

“I’m only letting her stay here because she has nowhere else to go. The sooner we get that house cleaned up, the sooner she can leave.”

“Just don’t do anything stupid.”

I let out a dry laugh, feeling the weight of the situation press down on me. “Define stupid.”

“Like inserting yourself deeper into this mess. She pissed off some very powerful people, and I know you’re still hung up on her, so don’t do something you will regret.”

“You know nothing,” I said, picking up my coffee and wishing I had something stronger.

“Yeah, okay. Sure. Whatever you say. You are so keyed up right now, I can practically hear you vibrating through the phone.”

I leaned against the porch railing and crossed my feet at the ankles. “Thanks for the pep talk, brother. I’ll let you go back to work so you can go write some speeding tickets.”

He exhaled audibly, the sound coming through like static. “Just be careful. I know you are pissed and want to help her. Don’t let your anger cloud your judgement. If either of them shows up, you call me.”

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