Read Online Thank You For Not Shifting (Peculiar Mysteries Book 2) by Renee George - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Renee George
Tags: General Fiction
Ads: Link
took care of calling Jo Jo to tell him to take the day off. Even still, I’d made good time getting to the sheriff’s station.
Sheriff Taylor pinched the bridge of his nose. “Chavvah, it hurts nothing to go over what happened last night. Or yesterday in the restaurant for that matter. So Mike said he’d see Ed rot? Did you feel like it was a genuine threat?” I’d told him all about Mike and his threats in the restaurant now that I knew the victim might be Ed, and we’d rehashed it a gazillion million times.
“I don’t know. Mike’s a hot head. We all know that. I’d be surprised if Ed were the only person he fought with yesterday.” Even so, I found it hard to believe the bear shifter had skinned someone alive and sliced his throat. That wasn’t a skill you learned by accident. “Have you ever heard of Mike being cruel to animals?
Sheriff Taylor shook his head, but out loud, he said, “Did anyone else suspicious come in? Did you notice anything else wrong before you tripped over…” He paused. I could see the weariness and grief in his downturned mouth and heavy-lidded eyes. “It’s okay,” he finally said. “I just hoped…”
I patted his hand when he put it on his desk. “I’ll keep trying to remember something. I promise.” I steeled my courage to say the next part. “I’m assuming you sent someone over to Ruth and Ed’s last night.”
He nodded his head.
“And?”
“And Ed was called to tow a broken-down truck in from Lake Ozark last night. He got the call around five-thirty, left near six, and Ruth hasn’t had contact with him since. He left his cell phone in the garage. Ruth says he does that sometimes.”
“Did you tell her about…?”
“Yes,” Sheriff Taylor said. “She’s a hard lady to keep secrets from.”
He wasn’t kidding. Ruth could get me to spill just about anything. Twenty years as a parent to seven kids had taught her a trick or two. “You should tell Tyler. It isn’t right for him to accidentally overhear his father might be, you know, through cop gossip.”
“Ruth has asked that I keep it under wraps until we’re certain the body is Ed’s. I’m going to take her to Dr. Smith’s this afternoon. She insisted on going for a viewing, even though I’m not sure there’s anything left of him that’s identifiable other than his teeth.”
“I’ll go with you. She’ll need support during this, and I’ve already seen more than anyone else should. Still, however, this works out, Deputy Thompson is not going to thank you for keeping him in the dark.”
“I know.” He shook his head, the dark circles around his eyes more prominent than I’d ever seen. “But it’s my call. Right now, the only people who know it might be Ed is Doc Smith, Mark Smart, you…though the doc shouldn’t have told you…and me. I didn’t even tell Farraday, so there will be no talking about it.”
I kept it to myself that Babe and Sunny also knew. “Things like this don’t stay secret for long, Sheriff.” I stood up. “I’m going to Ruth’s house. I’ll see you in a little bit.”
He hadn’t told me I could go, but he hadn’t told me I couldn’t either. In a way, I think he was grateful to share the burden of Ruth with someone else. I opened the door to his office and quickly found Tyler in the bullpen talking to the handsome man from the diner, Dominic Tartan. The one I’d made a lunch date with. I tensed when the man noticed me and smiled. The joy zinged right to his eyes, and I’ll admit that I was charmed. Behind him were the other two men who’d ordered lunch with him. Hans Something-Or-Another and Randy Lowry. Randy smiled as well. However, Hans didn’t seem to notice me.
“Chavvah,” he said as he and Tyler approached. “How are you?” He asked it in a congenial, I have no idea you tripped over a dead body and had to spend the night locked down with a man that constantly raised your ire , way.
“Fine.” I nodded. “Dominic,
Sheriff Taylor pinched the bridge of his nose. “Chavvah, it hurts nothing to go over what happened last night. Or yesterday in the restaurant for that matter. So Mike said he’d see Ed rot? Did you feel like it was a genuine threat?” I’d told him all about Mike and his threats in the restaurant now that I knew the victim might be Ed, and we’d rehashed it a gazillion million times.
“I don’t know. Mike’s a hot head. We all know that. I’d be surprised if Ed were the only person he fought with yesterday.” Even so, I found it hard to believe the bear shifter had skinned someone alive and sliced his throat. That wasn’t a skill you learned by accident. “Have you ever heard of Mike being cruel to animals?
Sheriff Taylor shook his head, but out loud, he said, “Did anyone else suspicious come in? Did you notice anything else wrong before you tripped over…” He paused. I could see the weariness and grief in his downturned mouth and heavy-lidded eyes. “It’s okay,” he finally said. “I just hoped…”
I patted his hand when he put it on his desk. “I’ll keep trying to remember something. I promise.” I steeled my courage to say the next part. “I’m assuming you sent someone over to Ruth and Ed’s last night.”
He nodded his head.
“And?”
“And Ed was called to tow a broken-down truck in from Lake Ozark last night. He got the call around five-thirty, left near six, and Ruth hasn’t had contact with him since. He left his cell phone in the garage. Ruth says he does that sometimes.”
“Did you tell her about…?”
“Yes,” Sheriff Taylor said. “She’s a hard lady to keep secrets from.”
He wasn’t kidding. Ruth could get me to spill just about anything. Twenty years as a parent to seven kids had taught her a trick or two. “You should tell Tyler. It isn’t right for him to accidentally overhear his father might be, you know, through cop gossip.”
“Ruth has asked that I keep it under wraps until we’re certain the body is Ed’s. I’m going to take her to Dr. Smith’s this afternoon. She insisted on going for a viewing, even though I’m not sure there’s anything left of him that’s identifiable other than his teeth.”
“I’ll go with you. She’ll need support during this, and I’ve already seen more than anyone else should. Still, however, this works out, Deputy Thompson is not going to thank you for keeping him in the dark.”
“I know.” He shook his head, the dark circles around his eyes more prominent than I’d ever seen. “But it’s my call. Right now, the only people who know it might be Ed is Doc Smith, Mark Smart, you…though the doc shouldn’t have told you…and me. I didn’t even tell Farraday, so there will be no talking about it.”
I kept it to myself that Babe and Sunny also knew. “Things like this don’t stay secret for long, Sheriff.” I stood up. “I’m going to Ruth’s house. I’ll see you in a little bit.”
He hadn’t told me I could go, but he hadn’t told me I couldn’t either. In a way, I think he was grateful to share the burden of Ruth with someone else. I opened the door to his office and quickly found Tyler in the bullpen talking to the handsome man from the diner, Dominic Tartan. The one I’d made a lunch date with. I tensed when the man noticed me and smiled. The joy zinged right to his eyes, and I’ll admit that I was charmed. Behind him were the other two men who’d ordered lunch with him. Hans Something-Or-Another and Randy Lowry. Randy smiled as well. However, Hans didn’t seem to notice me.
“Chavvah,” he said as he and Tyler approached. “How are you?” He asked it in a congenial, I have no idea you tripped over a dead body and had to spend the night locked down with a man that constantly raised your ire , way.
“Fine.” I nodded. “Dominic,
Similar Books
