There had been a smash and grab at the liquor store on Main Street. The culprit had gotten away with several bottles of booze and three cartons of cigarettes. The owner had called a glass company to replace the broken front window and the security camera had captured old man Clyde Dorfman in the act. Unfortunately, James and the night crew had been unable to locate Clyde to make an arrest.
Daniel picked up the report and carried it to Ray McClure’s desk. Ray sat sipping coffee and reading a sports magazine. “Take care of this,” Daniel said. “I’ve got interviews to conduct with the sheriff.”
Ray read over the report and then frowned. “How in the hell am I supposed to find Clyde if the night crew couldn’t find him? They say right here he wasn’t at home when they checked.”
“My guess would be that he’s probably drunk as a skunk and hiding out in one of the abandoned shanties. Eventually he’ll sober up and head home, but in the meantime you might catch him in one of the shanties.”
“How could he be so stupid? He had to have known there was a security camera.”
“Clyde has never been the brightest bulb in the pack and he was probably already half-drunk when he committed the crime,” Daniel replied.
Ray pulled himself out of his chair. “That man spends more time in jail sobering up than he does in that dive where he lives.”
“This time if charges are pressed, he’ll spend a lot more time in jail,” Daniel replied. “This isn’t going to be a simple drunk-and-disorderly charge.”
He waited until Ray had disappeared out of the back door before he returned to his desk. Although he knew he should be thinking about the interview they would soon be conducting with Bo, his thoughts wandered back to Olivia and how much fun it had been sharing ice cream with her family the night before, how much he enjoyed eating dinner with them and how easily he’d fit into her personal life.
She was no longer simply Lily, the striking woman he’d picked up in a bar and had shared a fantasy night of lovemaking. She was Olivia, intelligent and strong and a loving mother and daughter.
It was just before nine when she stuck her head out the door and told him she’d set up to meet Bo and Claire at their house at ten.
Personally, Daniel thought the whole thing was just a wild-goose chase. The idea of Jimmy Tambor being a murderer seemed as far-fetched as alcoholic Clyde ever putting down the bottle.
At nine forty-five he and Olivia left the station to head to Bo and Claire’s place. Olivia was quiet as they got into his car.
“Are you still going to be my friend?” he asked only half-seriously as he started the car.
She turned and looked at him first in surprise, and then smiled when she realized he was teasing her. “I have to keep you as a friend. You’re the only one I have in town. I just can’t be your friend with benefits.”
“And I’ll respect that,” he replied. He didn’t want to respect it. He didn’t have to like it. He wanted her again...and again. But he knew, in the depths of his heart, she was right in her decision.
She was a woman looking for something different in her life. Having a short affair with him wouldn’t give her what she wanted...what she needed. She had told him she wanted to marry again and give Lily a father to love. He just wasn’t that man.
When they reached Bo and Claire’s place, Bo greeted them at the front door and ushered them inside where the four of them sat at the table.
“I’ve heard through the grapevine that you’re rebuilding on your mother’s property where the house burned down,” Daniel said. Bo’s childhood home had been burned down by Claire’s stalker, who was now in jail.
“The contractor is just getting started, but we’re hoping that within about three months or so we’ll have a new home to move into,” Bo said. He glanced at Claire and the love in his eyes was unmistakable. “This house has been great, but it’s way too little for a family and we’re both ready to start having children.”
Claire smiled. “And we both want at least a couple of kids.”
“You won’t regret it,” Olivia said. “Having my daughter was the best thing I ever did in my life.”
“But I’m sure you aren’t here to talk about new houses and parenthood,” Bo said.
“We want to ask you some questions about Jimmy Tambor,” Olivia said.
“Jimmy?” Bo looked at her in surprise. “What about him?”
“I understand you two have been friends for a long time,” Olivia said.
“Jimmy and I have been like brothers since we were in grade school. He had a brutal, abusive father and an absent mother and we sort of took him in. Most nights Jimmy ate dinner with us, and during the summers he spent most of his time at our house. He was always a bit smaller than me so my mother gave him my hand-me-down clothes and treated him like a son.”
“And your friendship remained strong as you grew older?” Olivia asked.
Bo nodded. “Definitely. When I opened Bo’s Place, I gave Jimmy a job there and he moved into an upstairs apartment with me.”
“How did he get along with Shelly?” Daniel asked.
Bo’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Where are you going with this? Surely you don’t believe Jimmy had anything to do with Shelly’s death? He cared about Shelly. The three of us got along great. Besides, from what I heard you had a suspect ready to arrest.”
“We’re just tying up some loose ends, and we realized Jimmy hadn’t really been investigated at the time of the murder.”
Bo released a dry, slightly irritated laugh. “That’s because there was no real investigation at the time of the murder. Trey Walker pointed a finger of blame squarely on me and never did anything to find anyone else who might have been responsible.”
“And we’re trying to rectify that,” Olivia said.
“If you’re seriously looking at Jimmy as a suspect, then you’re dredging the bottom of the swamp. When I left town under the weight of all the suspicion, Jimmy moved in with my mother to help take care of her. He took over my business to keep it running. He’s always been there when I needed him. He would never do anything to hurt me, and he knew more than anyone how much I loved Shelly.”
Bo paused and released a ragged sigh as he looked first at Daniel and then at Olivia. “You’re no closer to finding out who killed Shelly than Trey Walker was.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement that shot a new pang of guilt through Daniel.
Olivia’s features reflected not only the guilt Daniel felt, but also the painful knowledge that Bo was right.
“Surely, if there was something strange going on between Jimmy and Shelly, Bo would have sensed it,” Olivia said a few minutes later when they were back in Daniel’s car.
“He seemed adamant that Jimmy didn’t have anything to do with Shelly’s death,” Daniel replied. “Bo knows Jimmy better than anyone in town.”
* * *
“DOES JIMMY HAVE a girlfriend? Did he have one when Shelly was murdered?”
Daniel cast her a quick glance and frowned as he focused back on the road. “You know, now that I think about it, I can’t remember any woman that Jimmy has ever dated, although that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had girlfriends. I never paid much attention to him, except to meet and greet when I go to Jimmy’s Place for a meal.”
Olivia frowned and stared out the passenger window. Who had killed Shelly Sinclair? They had no concrete evidence to point to anyone specifically. Their ruse of putting out the word that an arrest was about to happen hadn’t done anything.
She didn’t know what else to do to solve the crime. Bo was right, they were no closer to catching the killer than Trey Walker had been when he’d been sheriff.
“Your frustration is alive and well and filling the car,” Daniel said, breaking into her troubled thoughts.
“Sorry, I can’t help it. I really hoped to clear t
his case.”
“We still have some time,” he replied.
“Some time, but we don’t have any more leads.”
“Something will pop,” he said confidently as he pulled into a parking space behind the sheriff’s building. He shut off the car and turned to look at her. “We have to stay positive, Olivia. That’s what makes us good lawmen—we don’t stop. We don’t give up.”
She gazed at his handsome countenance and almost regretted her decision to halt all physical contact between them. She didn’t just lust after him. Being in his arms had made her feel safe and completely feminine. He’d tapped into the woman inside her, beyond the tough cloak she wore as a strong and competent sheriff.
“Are you planning on running for sheriff when they hold the special election?” she asked, trying to forget that she’d ever experienced the wonder of being held in his arms, of being kissed so passionately.
He laughed and shook his head. “No way. In fact, I’ve been offered another job that I’m seriously considering. Rod Nixon called me a couple of days ago and asked if I’d be interested in heading up the security team for the amusement park.”
She looked at him in surprise. “You could just walk away from your badge?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “That’s why I told Rod I’d need some time to consider it. To be honest, working with a man like Trey kind of soured me for the job.”
“You’re good at what you do,” she replied, still stunned by what he’d said about walking away from law enforcement.
“I’d be just as good at running security at the park,” he countered. “Come on, let’s get inside. I feel like I’m baking out here.”
A few minutes later, Olivia was back in her office and Daniel was at his desk. Her blinds were open so she could see into the squad room.
Again and again her gaze was drawn to Daniel, who was on his laptop probably working up a report of their conversation with Bo.
She loved him. She was in love with him and there was nothing she could do about it. She would leave Lost Lagoon with a wounded heart that would eventually scar, but she’d never be able to forget Deputy Daniel Carson.
Each time she looked into Lily’s green eyes, she would remember the man who was the girl’s father. She would mourn the fact that he had no desire to have a wife or children. He simply wasn’t a family man.
It was particularly cruel of fate to bring her here with him, knowing that he could never be the man in her life. It had been particularly stupid of her to allow him so far into her heart, to allow him to be a part of her family for even a brief moment.
It was noon when Daniel opened her door and asked her if she wanted to go someplace for lunch. She declined and told him she would just order in something from Jimmy’s Place.
A half an hour later, a teenager delivered a chicken Caesar salad to her and as she ate she tried to keep her mind empty.
She needed a little mental break from the Sinclair case and from thoughts of Daniel. Instead she allowed her mind to dwell on Lily and her mother. Despite the fact that Lily had been unplanned, she’d been a gift from God, completing Olivia’s life in a way she’d never dreamed possible.
Rose’s support had also been a godsend. Only she knew that Lily hadn’t been Phil’s child, but rather the result of a one-night stand. Of course Rose had no idea that the one-night stand had been with Daniel.
Even though Rose hadn’t approved of her daughter’s risky behavior that night so long ago, she’d stood by Olivia throughout her pregnancy and after.
Sooner than later, the three of them would return to their apartment in Natchez and resume the life they had led before coming to Lost Lagoon.
They had been fine without Daniel before and they would continue to be fine when they got back home. Nothing had really changed.
After lunch she called Ray McClure into her office. He updated her on the liquor store break-in, reporting that Clyde still hadn’t made an appearance anywhere to make an arrest.
“Then what are you doing sitting in the squad room?” Olivia asked. “Why aren’t you out on the streets still looking for him?”
“I got hot and decided to come in for a little while,” Ray replied, his voice half-whiny.
“We sometimes have to work in uncomfortable situations. It’s part of your job.” Olivia straightened in her chair and stared hard at Ray, who finally broke the gaze and looked down at the floor.
“Ray, I’ve finished up my internal investigation here,” she continued. He looked at her again, appearing to hold his breath. “Don’t worry. I don’t believe you had anything to do with the corruption that took place here with the drug operation. But I do believe that you’re lazy and a weak link in the department. I’m recommending that you be placed on probation for six months, and if you don’t step up by then you won’t have a job here any longer. If you do step up, then the probation will be washed clean from your record.”
She expected a protest. She fully anticipated a fit of anger from Ray. Instead he released a deep sigh and frowned thoughtfully. “It was easy to be lazy when Trey was in charge. I followed him around and laughed at his stupid jokes and told him how great he was. That was all he expected from me.”
“Trey is in jail and things have changed,” Olivia replied.
Ray nodded. There was no surly expression, no hint of insubordination as he straightened in his chair. “All of my life I wanted to work in law enforcement. I lost my drive, gave up my ambition to Trey. It is time for a change. I need to get back to the man I was before Trey was boss, and I promise you’ll see a different man from now on.”
Olivia nodded and noticed that as Ray left the office there was a new confidence in his gait, a determination in the set of his shoulders.
She was pleased with the way things had gone with the deputy. Her instinct was that he’d just been waiting for somebody to call him on the rug, to give him a reason to step up. He’d been allowed to fall into bad habits, but she believed he’d taken her words to heart.
She spent most of the rest of the afternoon rereading the report she intended to email to the attorney general. It had been ready to go for a couple of days, but she’d put off actually sending it, knowing that it would signal the beginning of the end of her time here.
By four o’clock she realized dark clouds had moved in, portending another storm brought on by the heat and humidity of the day and hurricane Dennis that was spinning its strength along the coast.
She’d called a meeting of the task force at four thirty and by the time she made it to the small conference room, all of the lights in the building had been turned on to ward off the darkness outside.
She was disappointed, but not surprised, that none of the task force team members had anything new to add on the Sinclair case.
She was about to dismiss them all when her cell phone rang and she saw from the caller ID that it was Bo McBride. “Bo?”
“It’s Jimmy,” he said, his voice frantic. “He killed Shelly. After our talk this morning, I decided to go to the bar and I searched his apartment. I found Shelly’s ring stuffed in a sock in his drawer.” The words tumbled over themselves, fast and furious. “He walked in and I confronted him.”
“Where is he now?” Olivia asked urgently.
“He ran down the stairs and just took off in his car, a blue Camry.”
“We’ll take it from here,” Olivia said and disconnected the call. “Jimmy Tambor is Shelly’s killer and he just left Jimmy’s Place in a blue Camry. Josh, get men and roadblocks set up on every road coming in and out of town. Get everyone out there looking for him. I don’t want him getting out of Lost Lagoon.”
The men jumped to their feet and left the room. Daniel looked at Olivia. “Come on, you can ride with me,” he said.
“If he had Shelly’s ring, he has to be the killer,”
she said. “I wonder why he’d kill her?”
“We don’t need to know the why right now. We just have to find him before he gets out of town,” Daniel replied as they hurried toward the exit to the parking lot.
They had just gotten into Daniel’s car when Olivia’s cell phone rang again. It was Deputy Wes Stiller. She punched it on speaker to answer.
“Sheriff Bradford, I found Jimmy’s car,” he said.
“Where?” Olivia asked, her heart pounding with adrenaline.
“It’s parked in front of your house. Luckily, I spotted it while out on patrol in your area. The car is vacant. I think he’s inside.”
Olivia’s breath whooshed out of her as if she’d been sucker punched. Terror ripped through her as Daniel tore out of the parking lot and headed for her house where a killer was now holed up inside with her mother and her daughter.
Chapter Twelve
Daniel drove like a bat out of hell, his heart beating a thousand miles an hour. Still, he knew his heartbeat couldn’t be as fast, as frantic as Olivia’s.
She sat straight in the seat, her lovely features taut and ashen with the fear he knew must be tearing through her. There was nothing more dangerous than a trapped killer, especially one who had two hostages in his grasp.
“Why would my mother let him inside? She’s never met Jimmy before. Why would she unarm the alarm to let him in?” Her voice was soft, and he knew she didn’t expect him to have the answers. He wasn’t even sure she was aware that she was talking out loud.
They didn’t know if he’d gone in armed. Did he have a gun? Or had he left the restaurant with one of his wickedly sharp steak knives? Even if he hadn’t, there were plenty of knives inside the house that he could use to hurt either Rose or Lily.
Daniel’s heart clenched tight as he thought of the little girl with the bright green eyes and loving nature. And what about sweet, naïve Rose? She certainly had no tools to know how to deal with a desperate man. Jimmy couldn’t have chosen better if he wanted vulnerable hostages.
Scene of the Crime: Who Killed Shelly Sinclair? Page 14