A Luring Murder Read Online Free PDF Page B

his keys. The hat left a dark ring of ink around his head where the sweatband had been. “The whole department consists of my deputy and myself.”
    “That must make it difficult when you’re both out of the office.” Louise leaned on the edge of the deputy’s desk and massaged her leg. “What happens if there’s an emergency and someone needs to get in touch with you?”
    He shrugged. “It really hasn’t been an issue. I’m listed in the phonebook, and my wife can always reach me on the radio or my cell phone. It’s no problem.”
    I wonder if Mrs. Sheriff felt it wasn’t a problem. I know how Gavin would feel if I were called at home every time there were an emergency. His feelings about my job are quite clear without the added stress of being told there was a gang shooting that I needed to investigate.
    “It all seems to work out.” He dropped into his seat.
    The door rattled open and in strode every woman’s dream. A tall man, at least six foot, dark hair (cropped a little too close to the scalp for my tastes) royal blue eyes, and a body by God, melted into a pair of faded blue Levis jeans. He wore a Sheriff’s Department windbreaker. When he pulled the jacket up over his head, I caught a glimpse of his six-pack abs when his t-shirt untucked.
    “Hey, Sheriff.” He hung the jacket on a peg near the door. “There’s a big truck parked outside and some skinny guy -” He turned and locked eyes with Louise. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize we had guests.”
    She smiled appreciatively back at him. There was a pull between the two of them, like two super magnets aimed straight at one another.
    He folded his rippling arms over his chest and leaned his upper body back so his hips where the most forward thing on his body. Not a bad look on him at all.
    “Thomas.” Sheriff Anderson came around the desk and stood next to the Deputy. “These ladies are from the Saint Paul Police department. This is Deputy Thomas Watkins.”
    I stood and stuck out my hand. “Nice to meet you, Deputy. I’m Detective O’Brien.”
    The Deputy gripped my hand, a little too firm, and gave me one shake.
    “This is Detective Louise Montgomery. She’s here on vacation.”
    “Detective.” Watkins gave a wide mouthed, toothy smile. “Well, isn’t that impressive.”
    Watkins wasn’t impressed when I told him I was a detective.
    “What happened to your leg?” He asked.
    Had he looked down long enough to see her leg? Since we’d come in, the Deputy had been staring at Louise’s face.
    “I was shot.”
    He contorted his face into the poor baby expression.
    “The skinny guy outside is here with us,” Louise said.
    “We’re helping investigate your homicide,” I said.
    “A homicide?” He turned to the sheriff. “Christ, who was killed?”
    Sheriff Anderson put his arm on Watkins’s shoulder. “Warren Pease. Killed in a horrible way.”
    Made me wonder what method of being killed was a good way in his opinion.
    Deputy Watkins took several deep breaths, staggered, and dropped into a chair in front of Louise. He rested his elbows on his knees and cradled his head in his hands.
    I wasn’t sure if it was his deodorant, or his aftershave, but Deputy Thomas Watkins smelled like a man should, musky and woody. Gavin had that smell after a hard day of work. I bet he’d have the same smell after a day in a boat too. Maybe this vacation wouldn’t be a total loss.
    “I just saw Warren last night,” Watkins said to the floor. “I can’t believe he’s been murdered.”
    My ears perked up. Out the corner of my eye, I saw Louise edge forward. Finally, a good solid start. Someone who’d seen the victim before he died.
    “What time did you see him last night?” Louise asked.
    “About ten-thirty or so.” He sat up straight. “He was pulling his boat out of the water down at the public access.”
    Since Louise’s hands were engaged with her crutches, and Sheriff Anderson seemed oblivious to the significance of what was