LITMIR.BIZ

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reporter,” she argued. “I have an obligation to keep the community informed.”

      “I understand that.” He raised a hand before she could interrupt his rebuttal. “But you can’t go showing up like this and crossing the perimeter—”

      “Please.” She reached into her bag and retrieved disposable gloves. “I know my way around a crime scene better than a single one of your deputies. I daresay,” she added as she met his weary gaze, “better than you.”

      Audrey started forward once more. Her destination was the porch. Once she was on the porch she would pull on protective footwear and go right on inside. The door was open. The body was in there and most likely so was the person who pulled the trigger.

      “All that research you’ve done as a big-city crime reporter is not impressing me here,” he protested, catching up to her after hesitating five or so seconds—no doubt just so he could watch her walk away. Some things never changed. “This is official police business, Rey. As much as I’d like to do you a favor, you cannot go in there.”

      She stopped at the bottom of the wooden porch steps. “Are you saying you don’t trust me, Colt?”

      The pained expression that pinched his handsome face gave her immense pleasure. It really was bad form to enjoy a little payback after all these years, but no one was perfect. When it came to Colt, she knew exactly which buttons to push. Though she’d only been back home for six months, she’d deduced very quickly where she stood with anyone important to her goal of saving the family newspaper. The sheriff was in the top five of that short list. Thankfully, their shared history made him a little easier to handle.

      “Rey, you know that’s not it. We have official procedures about this sort of thing. I let you in there, evidence could be considered contaminated and my case would be jeopardized.”

      She sighed as if the idea hadn’t once occurred to her. Rules of evidence, something else she knew very, very well. “Then tell me what’s going on and I’ll be more than happy to get out of your way.”

      He issued another of those frustrated exhales as he glanced across the yard at the deputy who was supposed to be guarding the perimeter. Audrey suspected the poor guy was in for a dressing-down. Truth was, Colt didn’t have even one deputy who would deny her entrance onto any crime scene. Of course, this was the first shooting since she’d taken over the paper.

      Not just a shooting; there was a deceased victim. Possibly a homicide.

      “Sarah Sauder—she’s Melvin Yoder’s daughter,” Colt said with just enough reluctance to remind her she had forced him to make this confession, “shot and killed a man who broke into her house.”

      “A robbery attempt?” The idea didn’t make a whole lot of sense considering the Mennonites weren’t exactly known for keeping valuable items that might be easily pawned or readily sold lying around the house.

      Colt shrugged. “We don’t know anything yet. Burt’s having a look at the body now. You understand that part takes time. It might be a while before the body can be moved, and we’re collecting evidence in there.” He gestured toward the house as if she might not be following all he’d told her. “Maybe by noon or so tomorrow we’ll have some idea what happened here tonight.”

      Burt Johnston was the county coroner and nearing eighty. Audrey seriously doubted he would take a minute longer than necessary, especially at this hour. Considering his age, getting a call at this time of night wouldn’t be something that prompted him to dally. As for the evidence, she had no intention of waiting for forensic reports. Absolutely not. Her goal was to splash this story on the front page of tomorrow morning’s edition.

      “Why the delay in moving the body?” Usually the police liked getting the body out of the way once the scene was properly photographed and drawn. No need to keep the deceased—the key piece of evidence that deteriorated every second it remained at room temperature or exposed to the elements—amid the fray of fully processing a scene.

      “We’ve got a call into Branch. We want him to have a look at the dead guy—the victim—before we do anything else.”

      And now they arrived at the meat of the situation. Branch Holloway was a US marshal. Well, well, this wasn’t just any dead guy—this was a dead guy with some connection to the Feds. Maybe an escaped prisoner from one of Tennessee’s federal prisons. Or a fugitive from the most-wanted list. Her mind ticked off the numerous possibilities that would require the involvement of the Marshals Service.

      She asked, “What’s the connection to the Sauders?”

      Colt removed his hat and plowed his fingers through his hair, the tension in the set of his shoulders warning that he was losing his patience with her. “Sarah says she’s never seen him before. She woke up from a dead sleep, heard someone downstairs and did what she had to do to protect her family.”

      Skeptical, Audrey asked, “Where’s her husband?”

      “He’s on his way home. He was out of town. One of my deputies is inside with Sarah and her kids.”

      “Did you ID the victim?”

      A truck pulled into the yard alongside the sheriff’s. Big black crew cab with four-wheel drive. Branch Holloway.

      Colt touched her arm. “I’m gonna need you to step back outside that yellow tape, Rey.”

      Now that Branch was here, Colt had to go all cocky and by the book. Colt and Branch had been rivals since high school. Showing up your high school nemesis trumped giving a tip to the girl whose heart you broke any day of the week or, in this case, night.

      “Anything else about this incident I can run in tomorrow’s edition?” She wasn’t leaving without something more—at least not willingly.

      “Colt, what’s going on?” Branch removed his black Stetson as he approached. He gave her a nod. “Rey.”

      “Marshal.” She returned his nod and smiled as if she’d been waiting all night for him to appear.

      When she’d left home headed to college, one of the few things that had stuck with Audrey was the image of Branch Holloway. Back then he’d been a star quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers. He’d graduated a couple of years before Colt and her. Like Colt, the man was the quintessential cowboy. She and her best friend Sasha had harbored secret crushes on Branch Holloway. His college football career had made him a real-life celebrity right here in Winchester.

      Why couldn’t she have fallen in love with this cowboy?

      But she hadn’t, and however much she’d lusted after Branch, her gaze shifted to Colt. Way back in eighth grade she’d promised to marry Colton Tanner as soon as they both graduated from college. They’d been boyfriend and girlfriend from seventh grade until he cheated on her with her archnemesis near the end of senior year. A blast of fury burned through her even now. She’d wasted all that time only to have her heart shattered. As if she’d telegraphed those thoughts to the man responsible for all her pain, Colt met her glare, and she could see the regret in his gray eyes.

      Colt Tanner and Branch Holloway had been the hottest, most popular guys in school. Colt had the coal-black hair and pale gray eyes. Branch was blond with gold eyes. He and Branch were both tall and athletic; still were nearly two decades later. Both had been hometown heroes. Except Colt was a cheater. Damn him.

      “Well, I’ll let you gentlemen get back to business.”

      Both tipped their hats at her and bid a good night like true Southern gentlemen.

      Audrey turned and marched to the end of the sidewalk and then back down the gravel drive, cringing with each slide of a leather heel between the crushed rocks. She would snap a few photos and hurry back to the paper to update the front page. The Future Farmers of America’s upcoming annual pig-catching contest would have to be moved to page two.

      By the time she found the perfect angle for a photo of the house and the crime scene tape, Colt and Branch had gone into the house.

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