Griffin was shaking his head but Tony and Gordon had already stood to leave as if they didn’t want to hear any more objections.
“Don’t say no yet. Just mull it over. We’ll talk later.” Tony said as he and his assistant scurried out of the office. Griffin was left sitting at his desk feeling frustrated and a tiny bit pissed off. He’d known something like this would happen but nobody was fucking listening to him these days. It was enough to make a man head for the nearest fishing hole and drown some worms.
Now there was an idea. A morning on the lake at the back of the house. A couple of beers and peace and quiet. Sheer heaven.
He sighed pulling his thoughts back to the present. Might as well just cowboy up and get his work done. Griffin stood and strode to the office door, sticking his head out.
“Wayne, you’re up!” he bellowed into the quiet hall. He had no doubt they could hear him in Interrogation since the door was open. “Bring the case you’ve selected and let’s discuss it.”
No fishing, no fun. Only work.
Well, at least he’d put the kibosh on pretending to fall in love with Jazz. She really was the perfect woman to get involved with though. She wasn’t sticking around so the relationship would have a definite expiration date. There would be no messy endings, just a mutual so long, it was fun when things were done. Two people having some fun for as long as it lasted or until the woman started wanting to smother him.
Perfect, except for the cameras.
That was something Griffin simply couldn’t get past.
* * * *
“So what case have you chosen?” Griffin asked Jazz.
They were sitting in his office and he’d called in the contestants one by one. She was last and she was pretty sure she knew why. Tony and Gordon had pulled her aside earlier to talk. Sure they’d discussed it with the sheriff as well, Jazz wanted to dig a hole and jump in. Embarrassed was too weak a word for how she felt.
Mortified.
That fit better. She could only hope Griffin didn’t think the whole illusion of them pretending something was going on between them was her idea.
She would admit – to herself at least – that she’d barely slept last night. Her head had been full of images of Sheriff Griffin Sawyer and that was the least of her problems. Vividly remembering how good he smelled and how his body emanated a comforting warmth had given those pictures true life. They’d tortured her until the wee hours of the morning when she’d finally dozed off exhausted and confused.
There was something about Griffin that got to her. Maybe it was the aura of command that surrounded him or the calm and controlled way he dealt with issues. Maybe it was the way he filled out his blue jeans and t-shirt. Either way she was in deep shit and she’d only been in town for less than forty-eight hours.
Crap.
“This one.” Jazz watched Griffin’s expression closely but he gave away nothing. If he was upset it didn’t show. “It sounds interesting. The victim especially.”
When Jazz had read the file about Casey Charlock, she’d known this was the case she had to have. Her fingers had gripped the file tighter and tighter as Jazz had read about the neglected daughter that had gone missing. The mother hadn’t bothered to report Casey gone. It had been a friend who had eventually alerted the sheriff. Fast forward a few weeks later and her body was found in a ravine. She’d been beaten and strangled. They’d questioned her boyfriend but he had an alibi and others lacked motive. The case had grown cold and no new leads had been turned up for ages.
Griffin perused the file and his brows pulled together. “Are you sure, Jazz? This is one hell of a case to take on. I pull this file down when I have time and try to make some headway. So far there’s nothing. I’d hate to see you bang your head against a wall.
Jazz wasn’t sure she was ready to talk about her own childhood, but the expression on Griffin’s face made it clear he was unsure about letting her work on this. She needed to make him understand.
“Let’s just say I feel a kinship with Casey, okay? I’d like to work on it.” He was still frowning but more from concern than anything. “Please?”
He rubbed his chin but finally nodded and sighed. “If this is what you really want. I’ll help you all I can. There’s not much here, honestly.”
“I saw that they didn’t have much for forensics although they managed to get DNA from under her fingernails. There were no footprints at the scene, no fingerprints.”
“That was just for starters. It was a cluster from day one. You haven’t learned this yet but the longer a case goes unsolved the less the chances are that it ever will be. The first forty-eight hours after Casey disappeared were of utmost importance and we missed those due to her mother not reporting her missing. It didn’t get any better from there.”
Griffin laid out the grisly crime scene photos on his desk alongside each other. “Did you look at these? Are you sure you can take something like this? It’s not a pretty sight, Jazz. What this monster did to Casey was an ugly thing. She fought to live and it showed.”
Jazz swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat. She had looked at the pictures and they’d made her sick to her stomach to see what one human could do to another. It had only made her more determined to find Casey’s killer. The girl deserved some closure.
“I have a pretty strong stomach. I didn’t read the autopsy report though. Just the police notes.”
The corners of Griffin’s mouth turned up slightly. “Mine and Dare’s notes. We tried to do right by Casey but in the end it wasn’t enough.”
“I’m sure you did all you could,” she replied, trying to erase the lines in his forehead and the unutterably sad expression on his face. It was clear that this case had made an impression on Griffin, that it still affected him even now.
His lips flattened into a line and his gray eyes were a cold, flinty black. “It wasn’t enough.” He scooped the photos back into the folder and closed it. “I’ll schedule some time for us to go through each piece of evidence. You can also re-interview some of her friends and family. Well, her mother anyway. She didn’t have any other family.”
“Thank you.” She cleared her tight throat knowing she needed to discuss the other subject hanging over their heads. “Um, did Tony and Gordon talk to you today?”
Griffin instantly turned guarded, his shoulders tense. “Yes. Did they talk to you too?”
Jazz chewed on her lip and nodded. “They did. I just wanted you to know it wasn’t my idea.”
Her words came out all at once and she rubbed her damp palms on her blue jeans. She didn’t want this man thinking she was, well, interested in him…that way. Even though she was. Sort of. She just didn’t want him to know that. A little old-fashioned, Jazz preferred the male to make the initial moves. Of course that explained why she didn’t date much.
“I never thought it was.” Griffin was relaxed and smiling now. “Tony doesn’t seem like the type who is looking for a lot of input from others. I’m guessing he likes the ideas to be his own.”
This sheriff could read people well.
“If it isn’t his, he’ll find a way to take credit for it.” Jazz laughed and felt the tension drain away. Griffin Sawyer was a really down to earth guy. “I make it sound bad but he actually is a pretty nice man. He’s just ambitious, that’s all. He’s dating my roommate.”
Griffin’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Is that how you got on the show?”
“It is,” she nodded. “I was having a bad day. A very bad day. I got fired from my crappy waitress job and lost out on the part of a lifetime. I was in debt due to major car repairs and behind on my bills. This opportunity was a godsend, honestly. Tony said it might lead to some job offers, but I know I have to stay on the show long enough to be noticed. Getting kicked off early won’t help my career although I will be debt free. That is a relief.”
Griffin seemed to study her for a long time before speaking. “You need to get noticed to get acting jobs then?”
“It’s really the only way.” Jazz shrugged. “I haven’t had much luck the regular route. I’m starting to get pretty discouraged.”
“And more camera time would help you?” he persisted, his gaze pinning her to the chair. The answer seemed damn important to him. She felt her heart start to pound in her chest at the mere suggestion that he might be willing to pretend to be involved with her.
“Yes, why do you ask?”
Was he really thinking about saying yes to Tony’s proposal? An image of Griffin and herself locked in a passionate, naked embrace flashed in front of her eyes and she had to take a few breaths to keep her pulse under control.
“I told Tony and Gordon no.” His lips twisted into a wry smile. “Not that they listened. I hope you can understand why I can’t do it. It just wouldn’t be—well, ethical. Not to mention it’s not a good idea to get involved with someone that kind of works for me. In a way.”
Jazz exhaled slowly, trying not to show her disappointment. He was right of course, and if she’d learned anything about him in the last thirty six hours or so was that he was as solid and honest as a summer day. Pretending anything wasn’t his style.
“It’s okay. I understand. It wouldn’t be right.”
“I hope you’re not upset.” Griffin had leaned forward in his chair and wore an earnest expression. She wasn’t upset because she’d never really truly believed he would do it. But deep down she was kind of disappointed that she wouldn’t be spending any extra time with him. She was attracted to the sheriff.
A whole hell of a lot.
“I’m fine. Honest. It never occurred to me that you would do it. I was shocked when Tony and Gordon brought it up. Tony will do anything for ratings.”
“It wouldn’t be the right thing to do,” Griffin replied. “What kind of man would I be if I pretended something that wasn’t true?”
Normal? Like everyone else?
“Most people wouldn’t have been as honest as you are. They would have done it.” It was all she could think of to say and it sounded pretty awful. Maybe she needed to re-think the people she surrounded herself with.
“Hell of a way to live,” he said briskly, picking up the file and holding it out for her. Apparently their conversation was at an end. “I’ll talk to Tony and Gordon again and make it clear. Will you be around later this evening? We can go through the evidence if you have time.”
It seemed sort of surreal. She’d just had an honest conversation with a man and he didn’t get all bent out of shape or anything. Griffin Sawyer had acted like a bona fide adult. A real man. She could get used to this. Apparently she’d dated way too many baby-men in Hollywood. Griffin was setting a brand new standard and he wasn’t even her boyfriend.
“Th–Thank you, that would be great,” she stuttered, still overcome by his straight shooting honest attitude.
She took the file and stood ready to make her getaway. She didn’t need him to see how much he affected her. It would only make them both uncomfortable. “I’ll be at the hotel studying my handbook later. Do you want to call me there and I can come here? Wait. They took the phone out of my room.”
“I know the manager of the hotel. I’ll call the office and they’ll knock on your door. How does that sound?”
“Sounds perfect. I’ll see you then.”
Griffin nodded, his attention already moved from her to the paperwork on his desk. She slipped out of the door and headed back to the interrogation room.
She would look through the evidence with Griffin tonight and get a feel for this new case. And it wasn’t a date. He wasn’t interested in the least.
All she had to do was keep telling herself that over and over again.
Chapter Eight
Griffin was almost out of the door to head to his meeting with the other nearby sheriffs when Dare flagged him down.
“Got a minute?”
Griffin took a quick look at his watch and nodded. “If it doesn’t go much longer. I’ve got a meeting with the guys at the roadhouse. What’s up?”
For the first time since he’d known Dare the deputy didn’t look pissed off. Instead he looked lost, as if he didn’t know where to go or what to do. He had Griffin’s full attention. He’d never seen Dare look that way and honestly it worried him.
“It’s…well…shit, Griffin. It’s a family thing. I got a call this morning and my dad had a heart attack. He remarried after he and my mom divorced and she passed away from cancer a few years ago. He doesn’t have much family.”
Dare paused as if he’d run out of words. Griffin remembered when Dare’s stepmother had died. He also remembered that Dare had some tension with his father which might explain why Dare wasn’t at the man’s bedside. Either way it was none of Griffin’s business how his deputy dealt with his family and Dare sure as hell wasn’t coming to Griffin for advice. He probably needed time off and was afraid to ask for it with everything going on.
“Of course you can have some time off–” Griffin began.
“That’s just it,” Dare cut him off. “It’s not just time off. I need to resign.”
Griffin inwardly reeled as if he’d been slugged with a two by four. “Resign? What the hell for?”
Dare scraped his hand through his hair, his lips a grim line. “Dad’s not doing well and my stepsister doesn’t have anyone to watch over her. She’s a teenager, and according to the social worker that called me, if family doesn’t take over they’ll put her in foster care until she’s eighteen. That’s months away.”
“Then take a leave of absence until your dad is better. Shit, don’t resign,” Griffin argued. Dare was one of the best deputies in Montana. Griffin would hold the job open as long as it took. “I don’t want to lose you. I’ll wait, man.”
Dare’s shoulders lifted. “Sheriff Barkley wants to retire, Griffin.”
Sheriff Lionel Barkley had been the head lawman in Dare’s hometown for at least the past thirty-five years. Rumor was that Barkley was planning to die with his boots on so to speak and it looked to be true. The man had to be at least seventy years old, hunchbacked and mean as a snake.
“Retire, huh? Didn’t see that one coming.”
Griffin was helpless to stop this train from flattening him. There was no way he would get in the way of Dare getting his own town. Shit, he deserved it and then some.
“No one did. He’s been talking about it for months. Called me last fall but I was happy here. But with dad and everything…”
Dare’s voice trailed off as if in apology but he didn’t have anything to be sorry for. Griffin appreciated that the deputy had stayed on as long as he had, especially if he’d been courted by his own town.
“Aw, fuck. I understand. You’ve got some pay coming for unused vacation time. Let’s sit down and talk about this when I get back. How long do you think you can give me? A week?”
Dare nodded. “I’m sorry about this. I know it’s the absolute worst time this could happen.”
“There would never have been a good time so it might as well be now.” Griffin shrugged as if it didn’t matter but his mind was already whirring as to how they were going to cover shifts. “I’m happy for you although I’m sorry about the circumstances. I hope your dad pulls through.”
“I’m hopeful. As soon as I’m off the clock for today I’m going to go visit him, but I’ll be back in tomorrow. The doctor said he’s stable but unconscious so my sitting by his bed wouldn’t change anything.”
Griffin never doubted Dare’s dedication to the job, but his words underlined that there were indeed issues in the Turner family. “If you need more flexibility let me know. Family comes first.”
As close to a smile as Dare ever allowed himself crossed the deputy’s face. “You’ll just be covering those shifts yourself, boss. We’re stretched as thin as ice in April.”
Griffin slapped Dare on the back and grinned. “My dad always used to say that idle hands do the devil’s work. He always respected a man who put in an honest day’s work and then
some.”
“Your dad would know. How many brothers and sisters you got again?”
“Nine. Four brothers and five sisters.” Saying it out loud never ceased to amaze Griffin. They should have put his family on a reality show but thank god they never did. “And we grew up in a three bedroom house with one bathroom.”
Dare pushed the brim of his hat up and chuckled. “Holy shit. That explains a whole bunch about you.”
“It explains why I don’t mind taking a piss outside. Now I need to get on the road. I’ll be back by dinnertime. Can you pull the evidence for the Casey Charlock case, by the way? Jazz chose it as her cold case and I want to review the evidence with her.”
“Will do. And thanks for not blowing a gasket.”
“Wouldn’t have made any difference now, would it?” Griffin turned on the heel of his well-worn cowboy boots and made straight for his truck. His day was turning out to be a real doozy. He couldn’t help but long for a quiet lazy afternoon on the lake.
But he sure as shit wasn’t going to get it.
* * * *
The smell of stale beer and sweat coiled around Griffin as he walked through the now quiet roadhouse. In just a few hours the place would be filled with people stopping in for a cold one after working all day. The jukebox in the corner would be rocking and the air would be filled with cigarette smoke but at the moment the only sounds were the other men laughing and popping open a soda can. The roadhouse wasn’t allowed to serve alcohol outside of business hours, not that the men would have drunk it anyway. They were on duty.
Griffin pulled out a chair, sank into it with a sigh, and caught the cold can that Seth slid down to him.
“What did I miss?” Griffin asked with a smile. Just being around his friends made him feel better. He trusted these men more than anyone else in the world, and he knew they trusted him. They’d seen some rough times but they’d always pulled together.
“I was just giving Logan some shit.” Reed laughed and took a swig of his soda. “He’s too fucking happy. It gives me the creeps.”
Cowboy Famous: Book 4 (Cowboy Justice Association) Page 6