Page 52 of Out to Get Her
“Innocent until proven guilty, Mom,” Melanie said, proving she actually did have Samantha’s back after all. Better late than never.
“You know as well as I do she burned down that shed,” their mother said with contempt dripping from every word. “Conviction or not, everyone here knows it.”
Her mother wasn’t entirely wrong. Everyone knew that Erin had burned down Timmy Girard’s parents’ shed one hot August night much like this one. He’d gone around town telling everyone that he’d had his way with her in that shed. He said she’d come sneaking up to his house one night that summer, begging him to be her first, and he told everyone that he’d granted her wish.
Therealrumor Samantha’s mother hadn’t heard or didn’t want to believe was that when he’d asked her out, she’d told him she liked him well enough, but not like that. She’d confessed to him she was only into girls.
After a week of him spreading that story around school at the beginning of his and Erin’s sophomore year, someone stole his LSU hat from his locker, nailed it to the front of that shed, and set the whole thing on fire.
Samantha never heard another rumor about Erin from that day on, and Chief Vidrine never found any evidence to file charges. All the town knew for sure was that Erin came into school the day after the fire with a spring in her step and her head held high.
Come to think of it, that might have been the exact day that Samantha fell for her. Pouring the foundation for her feelings. And the previous night’s kiss had been that cement firming up for good.
Cement or not, she was too tired to defend Erin to her mother, especially knowing she’d never convince her, anyway.
Besides, a different route was called for here. Distraction. And a hell of a lead she hadn’t explored yet.
“Actually, I still need to talk to Randy.”
Her cousin’s name instantly turned her mother’s ears red as she glared across the table.
“Samantha Renee.”
That tone. Samantha was more than familiar with it and what it meant, but she didn’t care. Not tonight. Not anymore.
She was no longer interested in playing the role of dutiful Keller daughter. She’dneverbeen interested in playing that role, but now she didn’t care if her mother knew the full extent of her disinterest. It was past time, Samantha decided, that she got to play the starring role in her own life.
“I have to follow every lead. And hewasworking the day of Addie’s fire. With those incidents back to back, we have to make sure there isn’t a connection.” She picked up her own wineglass. “Especially withhiscriminal past and all. He was at the restaurant the day of the fire, and he knew Paul. Weren’t you suggesting I arrest Erin based solely on reputation and opportunity?”
She waited for her mother’s own words to sink in.
It felt good having the upper hand for once. Even if only for a brief moment.
“That’s different,” her mother argued calmly.
“Why? Because he has our last name?”
“Frankly, yes.”
Samantha hadn’t expected her to be this honest about her nepotism.
“My job is to investigate a crime. Not look the other way when someone shares my last name.”
Either of her last names.
Samantha straightened her back, and Melanie gave her a curious look.
She couldn’t right now, but Samantha would explain to Melanie about Nathan backing Jordan. Later, when it was just the two of them, or over the phone when their mother wasn’t around. Only because it indirectly concerned her campaign.
But after a crappy night’s sleep, she was beginning to wonder if there was more at stake here than bragging rights to this election.
She’d been looking into Nathan because of his family’s history with Paul, but what if he had an additional motive? After all, he thought this investigation was too big for her. He’d said so himself. What if he’d had a part in creating the crime in the first place? That would get PaulandSamantha out of his way and Jordan Fonseca in charge of the police force and in his pocket.
It sounded outrageous, even to her. But she couldn’t ignore the possibility any more than she could ignore her delinquent cousin as a potential suspect.
Her phone buzzed on silent, and she felt a little rush seeing Erin’s name flashing on the screen.
She pushed back her chair and stood.
