Page 47 of Mountain Freedom
Greg made a face, giving me the point. “Has he made any direct threats or tried to lay a hand on you?”
“No.” I knew Greg was asking more as a father figure than as a sheriff. “Nothing like that. You know his style. He’s too smart to come after me directly. But threaten someone I care about? Well, that’s as Russell Sharp as it gets.”
“Was the window closed when you picked Allison up yesterday?”
I shook my head. “I picked her up at the clinic. She hadn’t been home since that morning. It could have happened anytime between eight a.m. and nine thirty p.m.”
“Any clues on site?”
I reached into my pocket, pulling out an envelope to hand him. “Just this. Found it out back, behind her house. Can’t be sure it was from yesterday, but…”
He sighed as he took the clear plastic bag and stared at the cigarette butt inside. “That’s Russell’s brand.”
“Yeah, it is.”
He placed the bag on the desk. “You know it’s a conflict of interest for you to investigate this.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I also know you’re the best detective I have and that you aren’t going to have any peace of mind if I assign this to a lesser one.”
I nodded, grateful he understood.
“So, I’ll handle it myself,” he said in a tone that made it clear the matter was closed. “If there’s anything else I need to know, you come to me right away. Don’t approach Russell. Let me handle that. I’ll keep you in the loop. Anything else happens, you call me. Got it?”
“Got it.” I stood up to leave.
“And, Jackson?”
“Yeah?” I turned back to him.
“Keep your girl safe.”
I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. “I will, sir.”
Chapter Nineteen
Allison
I wentthrough the day with a smile on my face despite the events of the night before. I had expected to be shaken up. Instead, I felt happy. Calm. Safe.
In fact, yesterday felt like it had happened a million years ago, having been far outshadowed by everything that happened after. Jackson had stayed with me. He had volunteered to watch a movie he clearly had no interest in just so I didn’t have to go upstairs and sleep alone. And he had slept on the uncomfortable floor to keep from waking me.
Pact or no pact, one thing was clear. Jackson was a completely different kind of man than Mike, and I was beginning to think my decision had been made in haste. It was still a terrible idea to date the town hero and then break up. But breaking up might not be inevitable after all.
That is, if Jackson felt the same way about me that I was starting to feel about him.
That was the one thing that made me pause. He might not be interested in me at all. He also seemed to be set on remaining single, believing against all evidence that he wasn’t capable of being a good husband or father. My heart ached just thinking about it.
Russell had really done a number on him, and I knew those wounds weren’t likely to heal quickly. But surely he could see that he would never make the same mistakes. He was a good man, deserving of every good thing in life. That might not mean a wife and kids for him, but if he wanted it, he shouldn’t deny himself the chance.
Other than hisquick text asking about the clinic that morning, I didn’t hear from him all day. By midafternoon, his absence had left a hole in my day that hadn’t existed prior to the renewal of our friendship. I had never been one to keep up with my phone—work always got one hundred percent of my focus. But I missed him.
So I sent him a text asking if he wanted to meet for dinner. He didn’t reply. But twenty minutes later, when I heard Beverly loudly saying hello in the sugary tone she seemed to reserve for Jackson, I smiled. Unable to stop myself, I got up from my office chair and headed straight for the lobby.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t Jackson waiting for me there. It was Sheriff Morrison.
“Oh, hello, Sheriff,” I said, reaching out to shake his hand. “What can I do for you today?”
