Chapters (50)
- COVER
- PRAISE FOR TITLES BY MIRANDA JAMES
- ALSO BY MIRANDA JAMES
- TITLE PAGE
- COPYRIGHT
- DEDICATION
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- AFTERWORD
- LETTER TO THE READER
- SPECIAL EXCERPT FROM BLESS HER DEAD LITTLE HEART
Surely the man realized he was talking to the wrong guy. “If you’re really worried that Eagleton might do something violent, you should go to the police. I don’t see what I can do about it.”
Diesel didn’t like the tension he could sense. He scrunched up against my legs again and meowed plaintively. I kept petting him, hoping he would relax and not be so worried.
Marter’s glance shifted sideways, then back again. “Well, it’s kinda like this.” He paused. “Me and the police don’t get along too good. I kinda had a little trouble with ’em now and again, and I don’t figger they’d take too kindly to me coming and bothering ’em. I got what you might call a ‘credibility gap’ when it comes to the law.” He glanced away again.
Now I could see what he was getting at, coming to me instead of going to the authorities. He must have thought I had a good working relationship with the police since I was some kind of detective. I suppressed a deep sigh as I put those thoughts into words. “So you figured if I talked to the police, they would pay more attention?”
Marter nodded, suddenly willing to face me again. “Yeah, that’s it. Can you do it and keep me out of it?”
“I could mention it to Chief Deputy Berry—she’s with the sheriff’s department—but there’s one problem.”
“What’s that?”
“I wasn’t the one who heard Eagleton threaten your grandmother.” I paused. “Even if I went to the deputy with your story, she’d still have to talk to you to confirm it. She wouldn’t accept it on my word alone.”
“Couldn’t you just say you heard him say that somewhere?” Marter gave me a weak grin.
I shook my head. “No, I can’t. I’m not going to lie to the police.”
“That ain’t much help.” Marter looked disgruntled. “Done wasted my time talking to you.” He stood.
“Sorry, but I still think you should talk to the police yourself. Call the sheriff’s department and ask for Chief Deputy Berry. Tell her your story, and you can tell her I said to call her.” That was the best I could do under the circumstances.
Marter sighed. “Well, I reckon I’ll think about it.” He bobbed his head in my direction before he turned and strode off.
He was barely out the door before Helen Louise walked up behind me and startled me by putting her hands on my shoulders. She chuckled. “Sorry, love, didn’t mean to make you jump like that.” She kissed my cheek before taking the seat vacated by Marter.