One Little Lie Read online

  His blue eyes blazed with hatred. “Try not to let your dislike of me cloud your judgment in the Dawson case, Jane. Take a look at the evidence.”

  It hadn’t escaped her that he didn’t call her Chief. “What are you talking about?”

  “Your dad knows more about Dawson than you seem to realize. They’re fishing buddies. We need to bring him in for an interrogation.”

  She’d never heard her dad mention Gary’s name. “That’s ludicrous.”

  He threw up his hands. “You’re not worth my time. You’re so sure you have all the answers so you figure it out.” He stormed over to his truck and got in before he roared off with the engine revved at full blast.

  Her hands shook as she walked off and headed for her office. Parker’s toenails clicked on the hot concrete as he followed with Reid and Will.

  She was almost too angry to speak. Paul was on suspension. He didn’t get to tell her how to conduct this investigation, and he sure didn’t have the right to try to betray her. She’d known the moment Lisa told her why she’d been called in that Paul had notified her. His jealousy and spite in the department were legendary. Even the cool touch of the air conditioner inside failed to dampen the heat in her face.

  Reid closed her office door and dropped into a chair while Will sat on the floor and pulled the dog into his lap. “You were a little hard on him.”

  She whipped around and glared at him. “This is none of your business, Reid. You don’t know how Paul operates. For years he’s been behind every mean whisper and rumor. He’s ousted multiple deputies with his innuendos and lies. And he’s sneaky. He’s gotten away with it because my dad liked him, but Dad hasn’t been on the receiving end of his barbed tongue. Until now, that is. And I hate—” Her voice broke, and she cleared her throat. “I hate how much this will hurt Dad to know the man he’s stood behind all these years has quickly turned to stab him in the back.”

  Reid’s eyes filled with compassion. “He didn’t seem to assume your dad was guilty. I think you’re letting your dislike color what he said.”

  She opened her mouth, then closed it again. With every fiber of her being she wanted to deny his accusation. There had been bad blood between Paul and her ever since she came into the department as green as seaweed. It had started when Paul had gleefully pointed out an error she’d made in paperwork. He’d insinuated she was only hired because she was the chief’s daughter, and there was enough truth in the accusation that she’d been defensive.

  When she didn’t answer, Reid glanced behind him to where Will sat with Parker. The boy looked uncomfortable at the heated exchange. “Will, how about getting us some Cokes from the vending machine in the cafeteria? I’ll have a Pepsi.” He glanced at Jane. “You want something?”

  “I’ll have a sweet tea, thanks.” Her cheeks cooled a bit at his measured tone. She watched Will walk away with Parker. “You’ve raised a good kid.” Better to steer the conversation into less controversial directions. “Is his mother still alive?”

  A deep pain flickered in his eyes. “She hasn’t seen him since he was seven. He’s been in a private school in New Orleans. He likes it better here in the small public school, though. He wants to play football.”

  “Of course he does.” Why did she care? She shouldn’t find this topic as interesting as she did. She barely knew Reid and his son, but she was dying to know what happened between him and his wife. Her curious nature was hard to keep in check.

  Before she spilled out the prying questions hovering on her lips, she turned toward her desk. “I want to take a look at the Pearson autopsy results.”

  “Why are you handling this anyway? You’ve got competent detectives.”

  “That’s part of being a small-town chief. We all have to pull our weight and earn our keep.”

  Which was all true, but keeping her fingers in things went way deeper than that. She didn’t intend to ever let herself be deceived and kept out of the loop. Not like at Mount Sinai.

  * * *

  Reid watched Jane as she leaned toward her computer screen and studied the Pearson autopsy details. Will was in the corner with his video camera trained on her intent expression. This was going to make good viewing. Her passion for her job showed through, loud and clear.

  She wore her hair loose today, and she tucked the light-brown strands behind her ear as she focused on her screen. The slatted blinds at the window behind her allowed filtered sunlight to highlight her hair. Did she bring this much attention to detail to everything in her life? He suspected she did.

  When he got home, he’d take a look at the images they’d gotten so far. While the idea for this documentary had been a ruse to get close to her, he was enough of a reporter to recognize a compelling story unfolding in front of him. Viewers would eat up watching a female chief of police navigate the difficult job.

  He adopted his professional manner and voice. “Chief, what’s your next step in this investigation?”

  She looked up but didn’t glance at the camera. “According to the autopsy, Ms. Pearson died around five in the morning, and Paul has a clear alibi at that time with the ER visit. There were abrasions on her fingers where she tried to claw her way out of some kind of containment, most likely a car trunk, but the fibers haven’t been matched yet. It appears that someone overpowered her and threw her into a trunk. There are no clues to where she might have been before she was taken. When we get the fibers back, we might know the type of car.”

  “Not much to go on.”

  “No.” She leaned back in her chair. “Because of the time of death, it’s doubtful my detective was involved—at least not directly.”

  “Will you be reinstating him?”

  “I don’t really have a choice. The town council will hear that he couldn’t possibly have done it, and Paul’s advocate on the council, Victor Armstrong, will demand I reinstate him. He’s a good detective, and I’ll assign him to the other homicide.” She reached for her desk phone.

  If she was dreading the phone call, her expression didn’t show it. She punched in the number and waited several moments. “Detective, it’s Chief Hardy. I’d like you to return to work soon, today if possible. You’ve been cleared as a possible suspect in the Pearson murder, and I’m assigning you to the Dawson case. All right, thank you.” She punched the phone off. “He’s across the street at the coffee shop and will be in shortly.”

  “Was he all right with not working the Pearson case?”

  “Of course. He’s a professional and knows how things work.” She rose. “I want better coffee than this swill we have here. Let’s go to Pelican Brews.”

  Will stopped the camera, and the three of them headed outside with Parker. He squinted up at the darkening clouds. “Storm coming in soon.”

  Jane glanced up. “Yep. That’s Alabama spring for you.”

  Reid looked over her head at movement on the sidewalk across the street. His heart nearly stopped when he saw Lauren standing outside the coffee shop. Her green eyes were fixed on him. She teetered on high heels and wore tight-fitting jeans and a top that showed off her curves. False advertising. A cute figure was never a substitute for a beautiful spirit. His gaze settled on Jane as she moved across the street. Jane’s spirit was much more compelling.

  If he didn’t go Lauren’s way, she was sure to come after him. And Jane would wonder why he wasn’t following. All he could do was act like nothing was wrong and she was no more than a casual acquaintance. Would Will recognize her from pictures? She was older, and her hair was blonder. Maybe Will wouldn’t notice.

  He forced a congenial smile to his face and went across the street with Will and Parker beside him. Should he just nod and keep on walking, or should he stop? At least Jane was already inside the coffee shop.

  Lauren took the decision out of his hands. “Hello, Reid. And, Will, how big you’ve gotten. You’re going to give the girls in school a heart attack.”

  “Um, hi.” Will eyed her with an easy smile. He sidled past her with th
e dog. “I’ll order our coffees, Dad. See you inside.”

  Whew, at least Will would be out of the way. When the door shut behind his son, Reid crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you want, Lauren? I said all I intend to about the situation already. This is finished.”

  Her fake smile faded, and she glared at him. “No, it isn’t. I’ve retained an attorney. I want some alimony.”

  “And you seriously think any judge in the state would award you alimony after you abandoned us and let us think you were dead?”

  She put her hand, tipped in pink fingernails, on his arm. “Look, I’m not giving up, Reid. You owe me. I could go right inside this minute and talk to Will.”

  “I already told him you’ve come back. He doesn’t want to see you.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  He shrugged. “Go ask him yourself, but be prepared to be rejected.” He could only pray his words deterred her. He didn’t want to subject Will to this mess.

  “You’ve turned him against me.”

  “You did that all by yourself. I’m not the one who left and never contacted him.”

  “Let’s quit raking up the past and agree we want what’s best for Will. I think you would prefer he didn’t see me or talk to me. I’d rather not disrupt his life either. All I need is a little money, Reid. That’s not too much to ask.”

  “The answer is still no.” His heart hammered against his ribs as he turned and went into the coffee shop.

  He could only pray she didn’t follow him inside. If he gave her a piece, she’d take the whole pie and ruin Will’s life. Maybe he was playing this wrong, but he couldn’t stomach being blackmailed.

  Eighteen

  The aromas of ground coffee beans and carrot cake muffins teased Reid’s nose, and he dodged a couple exiting the shop before he joined Will and Jane in the line for pickup. “You ordered for me?” Parker pressed against his leg, and Reid rubbed his ears.

  Will nodded. “Who was that woman, Dad? She smiled at me like she knew me.”

  Reid stopped a moment, unsure how to answer. “She’s no one important.” And she didn’t know Will, not really.

  Will shrugged. “Hey, Chief Hardy likes stuff about the Roman empire too. We were just talking about Pompeii. I told her I wanted you to do a documentary about it someday so I could go.”

  “We’ll do that one of these days,” Reid said.

  Will’s name was called, and he stepped forward to take the cardboard tray of three coffees.

  “You might fool your son, but it’s hard to trick a detective,” Jane said under her breath. “Your body language gave you away. Old girlfriend?”

  “Maybe.” How did he allay her suspicions? He jerked his head toward Will, who was heading for an empty table by the window. “Not in front of the boy.”

  She nodded and followed Will to the table. Reid’s mind raced with how he was going to handle Will’s questions. His son wouldn’t be satisfied with that lame response earlier. Maybe changing the subject would work.

  Will handed the coffees around and leaned back in his chair. Before he could start in on the questions, Reid jumped in. “I took a look at the footage you shot, Will. Great job. I’ll be able to use most of it.”

  Will’s dark eyes gleamed. “Maybe I’ll become your full-time videographer and travel with you when you go out of the country.”

  “You need to finish school first.”

  “You could hire a tutor.”

  “What about football? You wouldn’t be able to play if you were being tutored instead of attending school.”

  “You’re moving here for sure?” Jane asked. “I thought you were just thinking about it.”

  Will nodded. “Yeah, Dad’s buying the house we’re living in. I like it here.”

  Jane’s hazel eyes went greener, and she lifted her chin. Obviously she couldn’t wait to see the back of him. Her reaction would be very different if she knew who he was.

  A movement across the café caught his eye. “I think that’s your reinstated detective coming to thank you.”

  Jane turned as the man approached. “Detective.” Her voice was cool.

  Paul had changed into his uniform, and he wore a confident smile. “Mind if I have a seat? I have something to talk to you about.”

  “Would this be better in my office?”

  Paul glanced around and shook his head. “The place is nearly empty now. No one can overhear. I assume your reporter is privy to everything you’re working on.”

  “Yes, he is. Have a seat.” Jane took a sip of her coffee and set it back on the table.

  “I’ve been poring over the information about the Dawson case. I mentioned Gary and your dad were fishing buddies. You didn’t seem to know about it. I find that a little strange. Did you talk to your dad about the murder before he was arrested?”

  “No.” Jane’s voice was clipped. “And I never heard Dad mention him.”

  “They’ve been friends about ten years, and I’ve got someone willing to testify that Dawson was selling drugs. I think it might be the same drugs your dad stole from the evidence locker.”

  “You’re assuming my dad is guilty, and I think we’re going to find out that’s not the case.”

  Paul’s mouth twisted. “Spoken like a blindly trusting daughter. The FBI usually doesn’t make mistakes like that. They have a boatload of evidence. Have you looked at it?”

  “Not yet. I’ve got two homicides to investigate and there’s been no time.”

  “All the things your dad has done will make your hair curl. I think he might have killed Dawson.” Paul grinned as he delivered his opinion.

  “And I think that’s a crazy idea,” Jane said.

  Reid wished he’d had Will recording this. The conflict would make great footage, but it would be too intrusive for Will to unpack his camera.

  Jane’s hand trembled a bit as she picked up her coffee. “There are plenty of possible killers. His wife, his coworkers, and especially his bookie. This is way too early in the case to be jumping to conclusions.”

  Paul’s grin morphed to something wolfish. “That’s where I come in. I’m going to prove I’m right.”

  “You’re to follow the evidence, Detective. If you can’t objectively look under every corner, I’ll reassign you.”

  “And I’ll go to the council and tell them you’re trying to hide your father’s involvement.”

  Whoa, open warfare. Reid snapped his sagging mouth shut. The guy had a lot of guff to come back at her like that.

  Jane stared him down. “You really hate having to report to me, don’t you? Nothing you do or say can change what’s happened. If you are insubordinate, I will put you on suspension again, and you won’t get off so easily next time.”

  Paul gave an uneasy laugh, and his gaze skittered away from her steely expression. “I just want to follow the clues, Jane. That’s not wrong.”

  “It’s Chief Hardy. See that’s what you do then. I want a daily report on my desk every evening. Interviews with everyone possibly involved. His wife, his boss, anyone who knew him. Check with Brian on leads to finding his bookie. I want this investigation to be perfect. If my father happens to be involved—which I highly doubt—I’ll be able to see the evidence myself. I won’t have him railroaded because you have a beef with me. Clear?”

  Paul stood. “Crystal. I’m going to get to work.” He stalked for the exit.

  “You’re going to have a lot of trouble with him,” Reid said.

  “I’ve had nothing but trouble with him for years.” She stared through the window at the officer crossing the street. “I wonder if the person Dad suspects is Gary Dawson? If they’re friends it would explain why he didn’t want to tell me his suspicions yet.”

  “You might be right. Maybe you should flat out ask your dad.”

  “I think I will.” Her gaze came back to him. “I doubt Baker will believe anything like that. He’s after my dad, and he’s got support on the council. It makes him feel invincible.”
She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “I probably shouldn’t have taken the job. It might be more than I can handle.”

  “It’s not. I’ve been immensely impressed by your capable handling of all this, Jane. You’ve got spunk and wisdom. Don’t let a blowhard like Baker make you doubt yourself.”

  Her eyes brightened. “Thank you for that, Reid.”

  He watched her as they finished their coffee. She intrigued him more and more.

  * * *

  Jane glanced at her watch, though the beautiful sunset out over the water confirmed it was close to six. Reid didn’t seem rattled by being out here after quitting time. In fact, he looked pretty good in his khaki shorts and red shirt.

  Parker lay at her feet on the pier and lifted his head to observe a gull tipping its head to study the pier for crumbs of bread.

  Will leaned over the rail and aimed his camera down into the water. “There’s a pelican.”

  “It’s probably Pete again,” she said without looking.

  Reid smiled. “This is a new side of Chief Hardy. I didn’t take you for someone who would name a pelican.”

  “Pete’s not just any pelican. I raised him.” She tried not to notice the way Will focused the camera back on her. It was getting easier.

  “How did that come about?” Reid asked. “You didn’t mention it earlier.”

  “A pelican had gotten caught in a fishing net and died. I heard squawking and saw her nest. There were several babies, and I tried to save them all, but only Pete survived.”

  Will’s dark eyes, so like his father’s, went wide. “How do you raise a pelican? What do they eat?”

  “Small fish. Pete is a voracious eater. Once he was old enough, I brought him here and released him. He remembers me, though, and is always nearby when I stop. Townspeople like to feed him too. He’s kind of the town mascot now. You should get a picture of him.” It would feel stupid to admit she felt a strong connection to the brown pelican, almost like a child. She often came out here in the evenings to talk to him too. Silly, really, but she could bare her soul to the bird.