Page 19 of In Safe Hands
“Can you show me where you were standing when you saw this?”
“Sure.” She pushed away from the counter and led the way through the living room and up the stairs. It made her neck prickle to have a near stranger following her, even if he was the sheriff. She couldn’t stop herself from glancing over her shoulder at him a few times. He looked around as they walked through the house, and his sharp gaze seemed to take in every detail.
When their silent train of two finally reached her bedroom, Coughlin moved around her and stepped toward the window. Daisy lowered her shoulders from where they’d been hunched around her ears, relieved to have his focus on something other than her.
She stood next to him, keeping as much distance as she could without seeming weird—or weirder. Despite his poker face, Daisy was pretty sure the sheriff thought she was an odd duck.
“The squad was parked there,” she said, pointing at the spot on the street. “The deputy walked between the empty house and the Storvicks’, carrying the bod—uh, the large thing.”
“Deputy?” He turned his head to look at her. “I thought you couldn’t see the person’s face. Do you suspect anyone in particular?”
“No. I don’t know any of the deputies—just Chris. He showed me a picture, and the only ones I could really rule out were the two women and a couple of skinny guys. Chris said one was…um…” She tried to remember his name. “Deputy Lorenzo?”
“Deputy Lawrence?”
“That’s it!”
“Why do you think it’s a deputy, then?”
“Because of the SUV?” It seemed so obvious to her, but just his asking the question made her doubt her logic. “Chris said it could be anyone who had temporary access to a squad car, but it just made sense that someone driving a sheriff’s department vehicle would be a deputy. Oh, and Chris said the boot prints matched his.”
“Deputy Jennings is right about the squad.” The sheriff returned his gaze to the poorly lit scene in front of them. “If we start making assumptions, we could miss the truth just because it doesn’t fit into the too-small box we’ve created.”
She felt slightly chastised, although she did like the “we” he’d used. It made her feel included in the investigation. “I have a video of him on my phone. It’s not very clear, but you’re welcome to take a look at it.”
He looked at her for a long, silent moment before repeating in a flat voice, “A video.”
“Yes.” Relieved to have an excuse for avoiding his penetrating stare, she pulled out her cell and found the video footage. Holding her phone so the sheriff could see the screen, Daisy hit play. While he watched, she eyed his face nervously, looking for his reaction, but his expression was impassive.
As the clip ended, Daisy dropped the hand holding her phone to her side. “I know it’s dark, but maybe it could be enhanced and lightened with video-editing software?”
“Ms. Little.” Once again, he was focused on her, and it was an effort to hold his gaze. “How long has it been since you’ve left this house?”
Although she’d suspected that the questions would eventually come around to that, it still took her by surprise. Daisy took a step back, feeling as though he’d punched her in the chest. “Um…almost eight years.”
The assurance in his nod told her that he’d already known, which meant he’d just asked to make a point. A flame of annoyance flickered to life inside her.
“What does that have to do with anything?” She was proud of her strong, steady voice.
He didn’t answer her question but glanced toward the stack of books on her nightstand instead. “Do you read a lot of mysteries, Ms. Little?”
“Not especially.” Her self-assurance was fading, and the words came out weaker than she’d hoped. “I read lots of different types of books.”
“True crime?”
“They aren’t my favorite. What does this have to do with anything?”
Once again, he didn’t respond. “Do you watch your neighbors often?”
The earlier questions were just annoying, but that was a direct blow. Even as she tried to stop the blush, she felt her cheeks getting warm. “Yes.”
His chin tipped down. “Have you ever witnessed anything else…unusual?”
Daisy couldn’t stop her arms from crossing over her chest as she shook her head. The sheriff’s questions made her feel naked. “Just the stuff with Corbin Storvick.”
“Stuff?” he repeated, eyebrows raised.
“When he and his girlfriend have a fight, I let Chris know.” She’d never seen the harm in watching the world outside her window, but admitting that to the sheriff made it sound so…slimy. Daisy dropped her eyes to the window-seat cushion. “Just so he can keep an eye out for Corbin’s possible retaliation.”
