Read Online Army Ranger Redemption by Carol Ericson - Free Book Online
Authors: Carol Ericson
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alibi.”
“Alibi?”
“I was with Scarlett Easton when she found the body.”
“Kelly was stabbed before you arrived at Ms. Easton’s.”
“How much earlier before we discovered his body? I have an alibi for that, too.”
“What’s your timeline?”
“I ate dinner in town at the Miner’s Inn and left around eight o’clock. Used a credit card. I had trouble starting my bike, and I talked to a man named Terry while I was trying to get it to work. That was right outside the Miner’s Inn, right in front of the window, so plenty of people saw me. I didn’t leave until about eight forty-five or eight fifty. When I got to my place, I thought I heard some noises so I parked my bike and went for a walk in the woods. I got to Scarlett’s place around nine fifteen or nine twenty. She can vouch for that.”
Collins had been eyeing Jim’s face and hands during his narrative without one interruption. Even now, he just nodded.
Jim dragged in a breath. “So, if I stabbed Rusty, I would’ve had to do it in a short time span, getting the knife, locating him, stabbing him without getting a drop of his blood on my clothes since I wouldn’t have had time to change before going to Scarlett’s.”
“And all this is going to check out?” Collins folded his hands on the table between them.
“It’ll all check out.” Jim sat up in his chair and faced the camera. “Now if you want to ask me any more questions, you’ll have to wait for my attorney.”
Jim knew he had a rock-solid alibi. That didn’t concern him. What did was the fact that someone had tried to frame him for murder—and he had a feeling it was all related to what happened to him twenty-five years ago.
* * *
W HEN THE PHONE RANG , Scarlett pounced on it before the call could drop off, grabbed her purse and ran outside.
She reached the end of her drive and answered, out of breath. “Is Jim going to have to spend the night in jail? What do they have? What can I do to help?”
Wade Lewiston, the attorney Jim’s friend had recommended, clicked his tongue. “They haven’t even booked him, Scarlett. He’s waiting in an interview room while they check out his alibi.”
“If they ask me, I can tell them straight out, no way could he have stabbed someone and then appeared on my doorstep without a smidgen of blood on him.”
“From what I understand, his timeline is pretty tight. They’re not going to be able to pin this on him. He even phoned in about the garage break-in. He’s covered.”
“D-do you need to come out?”
“I don’t think so. He’s not answering any more questions for now. He wanted me to ask you if you can pick him up at the station when they release him.”
“Of course I can. I’m on my way right now.”
“You might want to wait, Scarlett. The deputies are still looking into his alibi.”
“I’m not waiting any longer. This is ridiculous.”
“Up to you. If Jim needs anything else, have him give me a call.”
“How about a lawsuit? Can he sue the sheriff’s department?”
“’Fraid not. His fingerprints were on the murder weapon, and that weapon belonged to him. The deputies had just cause to bring him in.”
“Okay, okay.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I’m going there now, anyway.”
“Good night and good luck. Call me if there’s a hitch.”
Scarlett hit the key fob and the lights of her car blinked once. “Will do.”
“One more thing, Scarlett.”
“What?”
“Just be careful.”
“Careful?” She slid behind the wheel of her car, glancing in her rearview mirror. “Of what? Jim didn’t do it.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“What did you mean?”
“There’s a murderer loose in Timberline, and for whatever reason he dumped the man near your cabin and tried to frame Jim. Be careful.”
The hair on the back of her neck quivered. Like she needed reminding. “I’ll be careful. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly tonight.”
“Anything for a fellow
“Alibi?”
“I was with Scarlett Easton when she found the body.”
“Kelly was stabbed before you arrived at Ms. Easton’s.”
“How much earlier before we discovered his body? I have an alibi for that, too.”
“What’s your timeline?”
“I ate dinner in town at the Miner’s Inn and left around eight o’clock. Used a credit card. I had trouble starting my bike, and I talked to a man named Terry while I was trying to get it to work. That was right outside the Miner’s Inn, right in front of the window, so plenty of people saw me. I didn’t leave until about eight forty-five or eight fifty. When I got to my place, I thought I heard some noises so I parked my bike and went for a walk in the woods. I got to Scarlett’s place around nine fifteen or nine twenty. She can vouch for that.”
Collins had been eyeing Jim’s face and hands during his narrative without one interruption. Even now, he just nodded.
Jim dragged in a breath. “So, if I stabbed Rusty, I would’ve had to do it in a short time span, getting the knife, locating him, stabbing him without getting a drop of his blood on my clothes since I wouldn’t have had time to change before going to Scarlett’s.”
“And all this is going to check out?” Collins folded his hands on the table between them.
“It’ll all check out.” Jim sat up in his chair and faced the camera. “Now if you want to ask me any more questions, you’ll have to wait for my attorney.”
Jim knew he had a rock-solid alibi. That didn’t concern him. What did was the fact that someone had tried to frame him for murder—and he had a feeling it was all related to what happened to him twenty-five years ago.
* * *
W HEN THE PHONE RANG , Scarlett pounced on it before the call could drop off, grabbed her purse and ran outside.
She reached the end of her drive and answered, out of breath. “Is Jim going to have to spend the night in jail? What do they have? What can I do to help?”
Wade Lewiston, the attorney Jim’s friend had recommended, clicked his tongue. “They haven’t even booked him, Scarlett. He’s waiting in an interview room while they check out his alibi.”
“If they ask me, I can tell them straight out, no way could he have stabbed someone and then appeared on my doorstep without a smidgen of blood on him.”
“From what I understand, his timeline is pretty tight. They’re not going to be able to pin this on him. He even phoned in about the garage break-in. He’s covered.”
“D-do you need to come out?”
“I don’t think so. He’s not answering any more questions for now. He wanted me to ask you if you can pick him up at the station when they release him.”
“Of course I can. I’m on my way right now.”
“You might want to wait, Scarlett. The deputies are still looking into his alibi.”
“I’m not waiting any longer. This is ridiculous.”
“Up to you. If Jim needs anything else, have him give me a call.”
“How about a lawsuit? Can he sue the sheriff’s department?”
“’Fraid not. His fingerprints were on the murder weapon, and that weapon belonged to him. The deputies had just cause to bring him in.”
“Okay, okay.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I’m going there now, anyway.”
“Good night and good luck. Call me if there’s a hitch.”
Scarlett hit the key fob and the lights of her car blinked once. “Will do.”
“One more thing, Scarlett.”
“What?”
“Just be careful.”
“Careful?” She slid behind the wheel of her car, glancing in her rearview mirror. “Of what? Jim didn’t do it.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“What did you mean?”
“There’s a murderer loose in Timberline, and for whatever reason he dumped the man near your cabin and tried to frame Jim. Be careful.”
The hair on the back of her neck quivered. Like she needed reminding. “I’ll be careful. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly tonight.”
“Anything for a fellow
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