by K. M. Scott
“Hey, you. How goes the case?”
He turned to look at me and for a moment seemed like he couldn’t figure out why on earth I’d be leaning against the doorframe to his office. Then, as if a light was switched on in his brain, he smiled and shook his head.
“It doesn’t. You wouldn’t be here to tell me you know who did it, would you?”
I stepped into his beige painted office and took a seat in one of the two black plastic chairs he kept in front of his desk. For a moment, I studied the plain walls with not even a plaque or a picture on them and shook my head.
“No. I was just curious to know if you had made any headway.”
Derek sighed and tossed a file folder off to the side. “Nope. We found dozens of fingerprints in that room, but none of them are…” He stopped talking and blew the air out of his lungs slowly.
“I’ve never seen you so frustrated, Derek. What’s going on here?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed again. “My fellow officers loped through my crime scene without even thinking of wearing gloves. I swear to God they live to make my life harder.”
“You know they mean no harm. It’s just that they’re used to rescuing cats from trees and writing tickets for parking violations.”
“I know. It’s just that I have no suspects and I’m not even sure where to begin. Geneva made plenty of enemies in Sunset Ridge, but none of them really appear capable of murder.”
I couldn’t help but smile at Derek’s naiveté. “Of course they’re capable of murder. Anyone is. How is it you’re a policeman again?”
“Asks the social events reporter for the local newspaper,” he teased back. “You seem to forget that Sunset Ridge hasn’t had a murder committed since before I came onto the force. Murders don’t happen here, Poppy.”
“It looks like they do now, and this one is personal.”
Derek narrowed his eyes skeptically. “Why would you think that?”
“It’s simple. To kill someone like this, the murderer had to be close to her. Whoever killed Geneva was let into her house since you said there was no forcible entry, and she let them close enough to her that they could tighten that scarf around her neck and choke the life out of her. Look who we’re talking about here, Derek. Geneva was icy on her best days. Most of the time she looked at those of us who lived in the same town as her like we were underlings or peons. Like we were beneath her. That tells me this was personal.”
“You’ve been watching too many Lifetime movies, Poppy. With all the stuff in Geneva’s house, I think it’s just as likely this was a robbery gone bad. Probably somebody passing through who cased out her house and saw a gold mine.”
I wasn’t surprised to hear this come from him. Derek was never the sharpest tool in the shed, and I could understand him not wanting to deal with a murder if it could be a robbery that had gone wrong just as easily.
But that didn’t mean I had to agree with him.
“I’ll tell you what. Since we clearly aren’t going to agree, what do you say we both investigate Geneva’s murder? You guys only have a handful of full time guys to use on this case, and you know it. This isn’t exactly the DC police department, so you can use all the help you can get.”
Sunset Ridge had gotten some special dispensation from someone important when the town was founded to have its own police department, unlike other towns in the state, but it had the ability to bring in the State Police, if it needed to. I knew Dominick wouldn’t want that kind of help taking over a case so important to the town, even if his brother would gladly welcome the support, which meant Derek was going to remain shorthanded.
“I’ll poke around and see what I can find from the potential pool of local murderers while you guys check out your idea that it was someone from outside of town who only wanted to rob her.”
“And I would let you do this why?” he asked with a mischievous smile.
“Because I can help. I promise whatever I find out I’ll tell you so it won’t be like I’m conducting my own investigation. I’ll just be asking some questions. That’s all. Think of me like someone you’ve deputized to help you since a police force this size isn’t exactly set up to deal with crimes like murder on top of the dozens of other calls you get every day, and you know those aren’t going to stop just because Geneva Woodward was found dead.”
Threading his fingers behind his head, he asked, “And you think people are going to talk to you about this?”
“Of course they will. I’m well-known in town and I work for the newspaper. People love talking to me, Derek. Even you do. I just got you to agree to let me help on this case.”
He shook his head as his face grew serious. “Not so fast. Even if I wanted to agree to this crazy idea, and I’m not sure I do, the chief of police would lose his mind if he heard about it. You know how he gets when you stop in to just see crime scenes. He’d have my head if he found out I was letting you do this.”
Leaning across his desk, I extended my hand to shake his. “Then we don’t let him find out. Agreed?”
“I’m not sure, Poppy. This isn’t an ordinary case. Everything’s got to be done by the book, and I’m pretty sure that doesn’t involve letting you snoop around.”
For one of the few times in all the years I’d known Derek, I sensed a real reluctance in him to give me what I wanted. I’d have to lay it on thick. “Come on. I can help and you know it. Just take a chance this one time. Who knows? I might find the one clue you need to crack this case wide open. Imagine how happy the chief would be if you were the one to solve the murder of one of Sunset Ridge’s most important citizens. Sounds like bragging rights in the Hampton family to me. Maybe even a commendation from the town council.”
Derek looked down at my hand and took a deep breath in. Blowing it out slowly, he shook it. “Don’t make me regret this, Poppy.”
“We just crossed the Rubicon, Derek. No regrets.”
“I don’t know what that means, but just don’t make this come back to haunt me, okay?”
I winked and flashed him a smile as inside I bubbled with excitement. “Not to worry. By the time this case is solved, you’re going to wonder what you ever did without me.”
Turning to leave, I saw the police chief standing in the doorway. Nearly his brother’s twin, except for his hair that was a slightly lighter shade of brown, he stared at me with a curious look in his eyes. “Good morning, Poppy. What are you doing here?”
“Just came by to tell your brother about the streetlight outside my house. It burnt out the other night, so I figured I’d get him on the case,” I lied as I brushed past him before he could ask any more questions. “Thanks for getting that fixed, Derek!”
And with that, I left to begin my investigation of who killed Geneva Woodward.
Visit Anina Collins website for info and buy links for The Eleventh Hour and all the books in the Poppy McGuire series!
About the Author
K.M. Scott writes contemporary romance stories of sexy, intense, and unforgettable love. A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, she’s been in love with romance since reading her first romance novel in junior high (she was a very curious girl!). She lives in Pennsylvania with her teenage son and a herd of animals and when she’s not writing can be found reading or feeding her TV addiction.
Be sure to visit K.M.’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kmscottauthor for all the latest on her books, along with giveaways and other goodies! And to hear all the news on K.M. Scott books first, sign up for her newsletter today and be sure to visit her website at www.kmscottbooks.com.
Visit Gabrielle’s Facebook page and her website at www.gabriellebisset.com to find out about her books too!
Books by K.M. Scott:
The Heart of Stone Series
Crash Into Me (Heart of Stone #1)
Fall Into Me (Heart of Stone #2)
Give In To Me (Heart of Stone #3)
The Heart of Stone Trilogy Box Set
Ever Aft
er (Heart of Stone #4)
A Heart of Stone Christmas (Heart of Stone #5)
Unforgettable (Heart of Stone #6)
Unbreakable (Heart of Stone #7)
The Club X Series
Temptation (Club X #1)
Surrender (Club X #2)
Possession (Club X #3)
Satisfaction (Club X #4)
The Silk Series
Silk (Volume One)
Silk (Volume Two)
Silk (Volume Three)
Silk (Volume Four)
SILK Box Set
K.M.’S BOOKS ARE IN AUDIOBOOK TOO!
Books by Gabrielle Bisset:
The Sons of Navarus Series
Vampire Dreams Revamped (A Sons of Navarus Prequel)
Blood Avenged (Sons of Navarus #1)
Blood Betrayed (Sons of Navarus #2)
Longing (A Sons of Navarus Short Story)
Blood Spirit (Sons of Navarus #3)
The Deepest Cut (A Sons of Navarus Short Story)
Blood Prophecy (Sons of Navarus #4)
Blood Craving (Sons of Navarus #5)
The Sons of Navarus Box Set #1
The Sons of Navarus Box Set #2
The Victorian Erotic Romances
Love’s Master
Masquerade
The Victorian Erotic Romance Trilogy
The Destined Ones Duology
Stolen Destiny (Destined Ones Duology #1)
Destiny Redeemed (Destined Ones Duology #2)
