Harlequin Romantic Suspense April 2021 by Karen Whiddon (good e books to read txt) 📗

Without a word, Julia brushed past the newspaperman. On her way to the table, Thomas Irwin—manager of the local bank—waved her over and introduced Julia to his wife and kids. He told her about the Halloween party the bank would be hosting—letting kids trick-or-treat at the teller’s windows—and invited Julia to stop by. “There’ll be cider and donuts,” Thomas promised.

“I’ll put it on my calendar,” she said, knowing that Luis would insist she attend. At the same time, she wondered if he’d come with her.

The town dentist was also having a late dinner, and he said hello.

Several ranchers, all sitting in a row at the counter, had complaints about a mountain lion that was killing their livestock. The elementary-school principal came to Julia’s table and invited her to speak at career day the second week in November. When she finally made it back to the table, she barely had time to eat.

After they paid for the meal, Luis and Julia stepped onto the sidewalk. Streetlights glowed and a mist hung in the air, accentuating the strong tang of pine from the nearby woods. Walking to the county office building, Luis asked, “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Julia gave him a sidelong glance. “Bad? I shook more hands this evening than I have my entire life.” He laughed and Julia’s insides tightened—and not in a bad way. “Well, I better get back to work.” She gestured toward the steps that led to the front door.

“You need any more help?”

Julia shook her head. “I’m going to follow up with Bethany Edwards’s boyfriend and the names that Candace Johnson gave me.” There was something else she wanted to do, but Julia kept those plans to herself.

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Also, the offer from before still stands. You can crash at my place.”

“Thanks, but really, I’m good. I’ve lived with the fear of Darcy Owens for too long. I’m not going to let someone else make me afraid.” Julia almost believed her own bravado. Yet, flashbacks to the person hiding in her bathroom and the breathless chase through the woods came to mind. She pushed them all away. “I’m good, really.”

“All right, then. G’night.”

“G’night,” said Julia. She climbed the steps to the front door of the county office building. She paused. There was something she wanted to tell Luis, but she couldn’t quite find the right words. Finally, she glanced over her shoulder, but Luis was already gone.

* * *

Peter sat at the counter and scraped his fork across the plate. He’d been eating at Sally’s since he was a kid and, hand to God, he never got tired of the food. But there was more than just burgers and cakes on the menu. Sally’s was the best place to pick up on town gossip, which often led to bona fide news stories.

And as far as Peter could tell, one of the biggest stories was sitting in a booth near the door. Peter left money on the counter for both his meal and a tip, then walked toward the table. Four men looked up as he approached.

Peter already had a business card in his hand. “I’m sorry to bother you,” he said, handing over his card to the guy named Sean. “But from the sheriff, I understand that you’re the brother-in-law of the man discovered at the park on Sunday.” It wasn’t a lie at all. Peter had overheard what Julia said, thus making her his source. Turning his attention to the table and the four men, he added, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks,” said Sean. “Tom was a good guy.”

“Mind if I ask you all a few questions? I’m writing a story about Tom—” thank goodness he now had a name “—and what happened. I can talk to the sheriff, but always feel that speaking to folks firsthand is best.”

Sean glanced around the table. Everyone gave a quick nod. “Sure.”

Peter took an empty chair from a nearby table and placed it at the end of the booth. He removed a pad of paper and pen from his blazer pocket and sat. “So,” he began, “what can you tell me about Tom?”

For the next thirty minutes, Peter took notes. Because as luck would have it, all four men had a lot to say.

* * *

Julia placed the phone back onto the receiver. She’d spent the last hour making calls and verifying alibis. So far, she’d spoken to Bethany Edwards’s new boyfriend, who’d corroborated her story of a quiet night at home. Likewise, Candace Johnson’s friends also claimed to have ridden in Bethany’s loaned car.

It wasn’t a surprise that Bethany’s alibi checked out. Still, it gave her nothing to follow up. Julia stretched and checked the time—8:30 p.m.

Nobody would think her weak if she left work now, would they?

Then again, Tom Dolan deserved justice.

More than that, Julia wanted to know who in the hell was using Darcy’s MO to kill again.

Both were noble causes and worthy of her time, but how much more would she accomplish tonight?

Not much, she knew, and that was the problem.

Then again, there was something she could get done. Turning in her chair, Julia powered up her computer and opened the law-enforcement database. True, she wasn’t supposed to access this information for personal reasons, but Luis was a professional colleague as well as a friend.

That made finding his sister’s phone number part of the job, right?

With the information on the screen, Julia reached for her phone and dialed the number.

A woman answered. “Hello?”

“Hi, Francesca. This is Julia McCloud. I’m the sheriff in Pleasant Pines, Wyoming. I’m calling because of your brother, Luis.”

She exhaled loudly. “Whatever he did, I can’t help him...or you. I haven’t spoken to Luis in years.”

“Your brother isn’t in any kind of trouble. In fact, I’ve been working with him for the better part of a year and, well, I think he’s changed.”

Francesca snorted. “Doubt it.”

Julia could feel the other woman’s resistance, even over the phone line, but pressed ahead. “I met Luis in Denver, right after he started going