Page 10 of Ruined
The more I read through her bio, the more intrigued I became.
Clicking on the back button, I returned to the search page and typed in the name of her gallery. Again, I opened the first result that popped up. The headline alone gave me chills.
Prestigious gallery no more.
I read in horror how a fire had broken out at her gallery, firefighters had been unable to douse the flames. Right at the bottom of the page was a photo of Zoe with a hand wrapped around her neck, a look of utter devastation on her face.
“Well, shit,” I muttered to myself. Scanning through the article one more time, I learned that the fire had happened last night. The sheriff in me wondered if she could have been responsible for the fire herself. People had done worse things to get insurance payouts.
There was only one way to find out. I opened my email and sent off a few requests. With any luck, I’d have the reports I needed within a few days. Just as I moved my pointer-arrow over the little x in the right-hand corner, a new email popped up.
I gritted my teeth to the point where it became painful. With a muttered curse, I slammed the laptop shut. Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. For years, I had no clue that these people even existed and now they refused to stop pestering me.
Anger and frustration powered me as I yanked the middle desk drawer open. I stared at the manila folder for a beat before retrieving and cautiously opening the file. My eyes glided over the pages, every word I took in reigniting that sting of betrayal.
Melissa had taken me for one hell of a ride, the evidence in front of me in black and white. I took in the words one more time, only now I wasn’t so sure that ignoring her parents was the right thing to do.
What if Molly was paying the price for my stubbornness?
“Dammit!” In one swift motion, the contents of the folder flew from my desk, my palms smacking down on the smooth surface of the wood with force. A faint sound drew my attention to my office door which I had yet to close. Ester stood in the doorway, white as a sheet, eyes wide.
“Uhm…Sheriff—” she quickly turned her head to look at something then turned her attention to me again. “The new deputy is here…Shall I tell him to give you a few minutes?’
Shaking my head, I swiped a hand over my face pausing at the stubble on my jaw. “It’s fine, send him in.”
Her eyes darted to the scattered papers on the floor. “You’re sure? He’s early, I don’t think he’ll mind waiting.”
I perched my fingers on my desk. One eyebrow raised, I pinned her with a hard stare. “A few hours ago you were complaining about his tardiness.” The look on her face reminded me of the one Mama gave me at the wedding. Pity. I hated that look. “Everything’s fine, Ester. Tell the deputy to come through.”
Her mouth opened as if she was preparing to speak. With a firm shake of her head, she snapped it shut and disappeared down the hall. Rounding my desk, I dropped to my haunches to pick up the strewn about papers. When everything was gathered, I straightened. It might’ve been my imagination, but my shoulders felt heavier than they had when I’d woken up this morning.
A sharp knock sounded. With my back to the newcomer, I said, “Come on in” while placing the papers back in their folder. I turned to find a young man standing just inside the door, feet spread, arms behind his back. “Liam, good to see you again.” We’d met during his interview which had gone exceptionally well.
He gave me a sharp nod, “And you, sir.”
I motioned for him to take a seat while I moved around my desk. “Are you all settled in?” I asked when I sank into my chair.
“I am, si—”
Holding up my hand, I cut him off. “Please call me Eli.”
Liam dragged his fingers through his short, blond hair while nodding in agreement and relaxing into his seat. Placing my laced fingers on the desk, I leaned forward. “You’ll find that things are a lot slower paced here than in the city.” He’d worked as a patrol officer in one of the neighboring cities before he applied for the position in Willow Creek.
“That’s not always a bad thing.”
A chuckle broke free. “Indeed it’s not.”
After I explained to Liam what his duties as the Sheriff’s Deputy entailed, I sent him back to Ester so she could show him to his desk. When I was alone once again, my mind drifted back to a certain blonde, and the troubled look in her eyes.
When I’d first seen her at the wedding, she reminded me of a hot summer day. Maybe it was because she had the ability to send my blood boiling, or maybe it was the way she lit up a room by merely being in it.
I was already struggling to get her out of my mind. how much worse was it going to get now that she was here? One thing I knew for certain, there were enough complications in my life. I sure as shit didn’t need to add to it. Knowing that still couldn’t stop me from wondering, “What demons are you hiding, sunshine?”
