Tempting the Devil Read Online Free PDF

eighty but she suspected he was a decade older than that. The joke around the courthouse was that the only way he would leave was in a hearse. He was also a lecher who had, more than once, tried to grope her.
    But he knew more than anyone about the county and the people in it.
    â€œAh, Miss Stuart,” he said with a leer when she entered the open door of his office. He pushed over a candy dish full of peppermints as his gaze undressed her. “Have one.”
    â€œThank you.”
    â€œBeen to the news conference?”
    â€œYep. It wasn’t very helpful.”
    â€œDidn’t think it would be.”
    â€œWhat do you think happened?” she said.
    â€œCrime is coming to our peaceful little county,” he said mournfully.
    â€œDid you know the police officers?”
    â€œKnew two of them. Their families, too. Third came from somewhere else.”
    â€œFamilies always lived here?”
    â€œAs long as I have.” He chuckled. “Damn long time. Went to school with Jesse’s grandfather.” He leaned over. “Now I know that would surprise you but …”
    His hand touched hers. She fought not to snatch it back.
    â€œGood cop?”
    He nodded.
    â€œWhy did he join the police department? Why not the sheriff’s department?”
    He drew his hand away and leaned back in his swivel chair. “Sheriff’s department was closed.”
    â€œHow closed?”
    â€œJust … closed. Friends of the sheriff’s.” His eyes gleamed as he waited for the next question. It was obvious he enjoyed her attention, and he didn’t have the fear that she’d sensed in Sandy.
    â€œI hadn’t heard that before.”
    â€œNot exactly something we talk about.”
    â€œYou are.”
    â€œSammons can’t fire me. I have as many friends as he does. I also know where all the bodies are buried.”
    She sat up in her chair. “Now that’s a provocative statement. Would you like to tell me about a few of them?”
    He chuckled. “Thought that might get your attention. Maybe sometime …” He let the likelihood drift in the room.
    She returned to something more substantial. “The sheriff’s not your friend?”
    His face didn’t change, nor did he answer. He merely rocked again in his chair.
    â€œHe’s not?”
    Godwin only smiled at her. A Cheshire cat smile.
    She tried again. “Do you think it has something to do with drugs?”
    â€œWhy would you think that?”
    â€œI can’t think of anything else that would be so valuable that someone would risk killing three police officers.”
    â€œI can think of several things,” he said. “A love nest discovered that someone wanted to keep private.” He leered again.
    â€œWouldn’t killing cops to protect a love affair be rather extreme?”
    He shrugged. “To some people, life is cheap.”
    â€œWhat people?”
    â€œNow that’s for the sheriff and police chief to discover.”
    He was playing games with her. He had done it before but she’d usually gleaned some kernel of truth from him. Otherwise he knew she wouldn’t come back, and his game would end.
    She took another candy and stood. “Thanks for the peppermints.”
    â€œCome back and see me.”
    â€œI’ll do that.”
    She left, turning over his words in her mind. She stopped in the hallway and jotted down notes.
    She glanced at her watch. It was nearly noon. Time to phone in her first story for the early editions. She would write the final in her office for the morning delivery. Hopefully.
    She didn’t really have anything new, certainly nothing that the other news media didn’t have. But she did have some hunches.
    Now if only she could get anyone—several anyones—to speculate …
    She just had to find the right people.

chapter four
    Ben knew he shouldn’t have gone to the press conference, but it was