words spilled from her lips, she realized the futility of it. Why would Ned help her after she testified against him? Cost him his job? She looked up and met the sheriff’s even gaze and knew she didn’t stand a chance to talk her way out of this.
“Ned’s lawyer insists that you landed the final blow that cracked Elijah Lapp’s skull. Ned’s lawyer provided the video.”
“But...”
“Reich’s been with the sheriff’s department for twenty-five years.” The sheriff glanced at the closed door behind her, as if to make sure he wouldn’t be overheard. “Between you and me, he’s a hothead, but he’s never gone this far.”
“We can interview Elijah.” Becky leaned forward on the edge of her chair, feeling like all the oxygen had been sucked from the room.
“Elijah has no memory of the incident.” The sheriff’s calm, cool demeanor only served to morph her initial fear to white-hot anger. “He’s recovering at home and his family isn’t allowing anyone from the sheriff’s department to speak with him.”
“I can’t believe this.”
The sheriff held up his hand. “I don’t believe you hit the young man.”
Hope straightened Becky’s backbone, only for her to be immediately deflated with the sheriff’s next words. “Despite what I think, I can’t ignore this video. I ran for sheriff on the pledge that this office would be transparent and not allow any wrongdoing. This community has a reason to mistrust the sheriff’s department after one of our own was arrested for murder.”
Becky grew dizzy. “That was so long ago.”
“But the perception that the sheriff’s department protected him has hurt us.” The sheriff shook his head. “We must regain the trust of the community.”
“But—” Her world was sputtering out of control.
“Until we can clear you, you’re suspended.”
Becky stood to leave when the sheriff held out his hand.
“I’ll need your gun and badge.”
* * *
Deputy Harrison James climbed behind the wheel of his patrol car and turned the key in the ignition. He took a minute to adjust the AC vents, directing them toward his face. It was going to be a scorcher today. But hot in the country was never the same as hot in the city.
Fighting crime in the city was a whole new ballgame when the temperatures rose. Tempers spiked in direct proportion. And the concrete buildings held the heat. Here, the soft wind had a chance to reach a person across the large open spaces giving him time to think before he threw a punch or pulled the trigger.
Most of the time.
He thought about the deputy he had chatted with on his way into the building at the start of his shift. He wondered if her shell-shocked expression was a result of being run off the road or if the tight lines around her eyes were the aftereffects of the incident splashed all over the news. It was probably a combination of the two.
Harrison knew what it was like to have personal business laid out for public consumption. That was a big part of why he had taken a job with the sheriff’s department in Quail Hollow. He never thought the small-town sheriff’s department would be dealing with a case of excessive force. But he supposed people were people and bad decisions could happen anywhere. He had come here to get his head on straight and he hoped he could keep his distance from any interoffice drama. He wanted to do his job and go home at night with a clear conscience.
Such as it was. He carried a lot of guilt with him regardless.
As Harrison pulled out of the back lot of the sheriff’s department, he noticed Deputy Spoth standing next to her personal vehicle. The petite blonde had caught his eye more than once, and not because she had arrived in a tow truck at the end of her shift this morning. And not simply because she was a woman—he had worked with plenty of female law-enforcement officers before. He noticed her because she seemed different. Almost too meek to do this job. Too nice. Yet she had somehow broken up a fight on the side of the road that, by all accounts, could have led to the death of a young Amish man. That was how he had interpreted the reports. Mumblings suggested other deputies thought differently. Not that he was willing to get involved in a heated debate.
Didn’t concern him anyway.
Harrison didn’t envy Deputy Spoth’s position. Not all law-enforcement officers could understand how a fellow officer could testify against them. Some would silently support their fellow officer no matter what.
One side was right. One was wrong. Clear lines.
He had done that with his brother. Harrison had only seen his side of things. Had let his brother know of his disapproval under no uncertain terms. Had purposely alienated his brother in hopes that he’d realize the error of his ways. Had seemed like a good idea.
Everything had always been clearly black-and-white—until life served him up some bleak gray.
Harrison squeezed the steering wheel and shifted his focus to the female deputy standing by the open driver’s side door. She had her hands planted on her hips and a frustrated expression on her face. At first he thought she was still carrying the weight of her rough shift in her posture until he dropped his gaze to the two flat tires on her personal vehicle.
He pulled up alongside where she was parked, jammed the gear into Park and climbed out, allowing the engine and the AC to run. The deputy glanced up at him with an unreadable expression on her face.
“What’s going on here?” he asked.
The woman held out her hand toward her car. “Someone slashed all four tires.” Her cheeks filled with air, then she huffed in frustration. “Apparently, the number of people I’ve managed to irk has grown.”
Harrison crouched down and ran his finger along the clean slice in the rubber. “Man...” He angled his head toward the row of patrol cars across the parking lot. The heat was pulsing off the blacktop surface and he could feel the sweat forming under his uniform shirt. “I can put a call in to a local garage.”
“I already did. They’re on their way.” She dropped down on the curb and rested her arms on her knees, letting her hands hang limply. “Looks like bad things really do come in threes.”
He narrowed his gaze, not sure what she meant.
“Patrol car towed in. Flat tires.” She ticked the items off on her fingers. “Got suspended.”
“Suspended? Why?” He thought she had come out smelling like a rose after her testimony against the other officer.
“New video.” She didn’t need to elaborate; her participation in the most talked about case was well known. “Apparently enough to make them question my involvement.”
“Really?” He ran a hand across his chin, reminding him that he should have shaved this morning. “How so?”
“The video’s not clear-cut, but a person with something to gain could suggest I used my baton on Elijah Lapp.” She shook her head, clearly dejected. “That’s exactly what Deputy Reich’s lawyer is doing.
