25. The Talk with the Sheriff – Everett
Chapter twenty-five
The Talk with the Sheriff – Everett
It was interesting waking up next to Cameron.
Some time in the night, we shifted our bodies over, getting our feet under the covers and our heads at the pillows, but I didn’t remember doing it, or moving at all.
After that amazing blow job, my body shut down.
I’d been more exhausted than I’d thought.
But come morning, and I was wide awake, and so was Cameron.
In fact, he was watching me sleep. “Good morning.”
I smiled with a closed mouth—morning breath. “It is. Seeing you still here.”
He did have to go back to work though, not really able to miss another day, and I understood that all too well, even if I didn’t get that kind of paycheck. But he called the sheriff, asking him to come over to talk to me before he got up, got coffee, and got dressed. In that order.
He was out the door too soon with nothing more than a kiss and a promise to call. I could have gone for round two, but Cameron didn’t have time. So I was left to wait for Sheriff Clay with my own coffee in hand.
Clay West was a big guy, hardy, and very nice but with a no-nonsense air about him. “Come on in, Sheriff.”
“Thank you. I understand you want to talk about some trouble going on at your brewery?”
“Uh, yeah. Yes, sir, I mean, but I don’t know if I’d call it trouble exactly.”
“What would you call it?”
“Hmm. Please sit.” I gestured to the couch, and he sat on the edge rather than getting comfortable. “Well, seems like someone is fu—uh, messing with me. At first, I thought it was Cameron gaslighting me.”
“That ain’t Cameron. I’ve known him since he was a boy. Let’s look at someone else.”
“I actually agree with you. Now, I mean, and I like Cameron a lot, but I have nothing else. And frankly, he’s been the only other person in the center of all this.
I met him when he was messing with my tap at Pints.
” I went on to explain how Cameron had proximity to every event, including the fire.
He’d uncannily appeared out of nowhere to save me.
He still shook his head. “That’s all very circumstantial. Let’s explore who else might want your business to fail. Who has a grudge?”
“No one.” I held my hands up. “I’ve been racking my brain to figure it out, but I’m coming up empty. And not just that. Who would have access to the brewery? Slashed tires and fake orders are one thing, but someone had to have been inside to ruin that beer and set the fire.”
“What about Lukas Rodbell?” He looked at his notepad as he spoke.
“No. No way. I’ve known him a long time and he has invested a lot in the brewery as well.”
“The fire is definitely arson.”
Wasn’t that shitty news? “So much for insurance.” I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes.
“What about security footage?”
“I’ve been over it with Alfred, and we didn’t see anything. The camera in the back was disabled without catching anyone.”
“Alfred? Alfred Burke?”
“Yes. He works for Queen Gaming as their head of IT. He helped set it up as a favor since Jackie’s his partner and they’re friends with Cameron.”
“Right. I know the connections. They’re all good people. What about more personal ties? Ex-boyfriends or lovers? Even family?”
“Only child. Small family and no. Only ex is Donny, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t him.”
“How so?”
“He broke up with me. He’s kind of a party boy, and I was bringing him down.” I literally felt the corners of my lips pull at my cheeks when I thought about him. I hadn’t given him a single second of brain space in a while and didn’t intend to start.
“Give me his full name anyway. Just in case.” I recited the name and spelled it along with Donny’s address, and Clay wrote it all down. “So, this is what I’m thinking…”
“Yes?”
“As you start getting your brewery back together, we install some hidden cameras. Gotta be stealthy about it because whoever is doing this will probably be watching. But then maybe we can get something.”
“I’m sure Alfred can do it quietly, so we don’t bring attention to it. Like you said, during the reconstruction. If I can get that far,” I huffed. This entire situation was frustrating me. And the thought that I was being watched was getting under my skin and making it prickle.