CHAPTER TWELVE #3
Gage scrubbed a hand over his chin. He hadn’t shaved and his stubble made a raspy sound. “I admit I called the men together, and I know that sounds bad. I want a deeper investigation than what you can do on your own. Keeley figured out what we were doing and busted my chops.”
“You should’ve talked with me first, Gage.”
“Look, the guys have expertise the women in our group don’t have. Sawyer, Owen, myself, we all have years of law enforcement experience, and even if Walker doesn’t, he could take on the rest of us together and still come out on top.”
“It sounds like a tidy boys’ club.”
He sighed. “I know it looks that way, but I wanted their skillset, not their Y chromosomes. I fully intended to talk with you today, but Sawyer beat me to it.”
“Glad to help you out,” Sawyer grumbled. “Mel, tell me about Bradford. Gage says you asked him about the night of the bootlegger.”
She held on to her temper. Being upset over Gage’s methods didn’t mean she’d dismiss the help that might come of them.
“I didn’t tell Chase about my plan to find who assaulted me and expose them.
I simply asked what he remembered about the night I was attacked.
My goal is to talk with every person I remember being at the bootlegger that night.
I only started with Chase because I ran into him at the bank and he asked me out. It made it easy.”
“His response?” Sawyer asked.
She shrugged. “He acted upset and didn’t want to talk about it.”
“What exactly did he say?”
She tipped her head to the side, remembering. “He’d been relaxed up to that point but then tensed up. He said it was a long time ago and I should move past it and not let it bother me.”
Gage muttered an oath under his breath.
As she spoke, she rubbed at a blue streak on the table from a crayon.
“Chase sat up straight, and his jaw was clenched so tightly I could see a muscle ticking. He said innocent people could get hurt if I stirred things up.” Her voice sounded tight to her own ears.
“He used Walker as an example. He all but said that me reporting the assault is what got Walker wrongfully convicted.” She lifted her gaze.
“That was hard because I already carry guilt over that.”
“Asshole,” Gage growled.
“Agreed,” she said. “Anyway, he said he had nothing to tell me about that night. Then he threw some money on the table and stalked out.”
“You don’t have any guilt where Walker’s concerned,” Sawyer said.
She didn’t say anything. Her feelings were her own.
“Gage has already done a preliminary background search on the people you listed on your spreadsheet. Why don’t you hold off talking to folks until we can do more digging?
I’m with the department’s Special Investigations Bureau and have access to the files surrounding your case.
Let me do that and then we can all meet and discuss our findings. ”
She considered his comment but shook her head.
“Honestly, Sawyer? While I trust you, I don’t have confidence in the sheriff’s department.
When Sheriff Grafton was found guilty of framing Walker, they reopened my case.
Nothing came of it then and I’m not expecting anything different now.
We need to find new evidence. You can go through the files again, but I’m doing my own investigating. ”
Gage and Sawyer shared a look that had her scowling.
“I saw that.” She pointed between them. “It means you’ll talk later and decide what to do between you.
You don’t get to do that. I’m not a little lady to be placated and pushed to the side.
I won’t sit back and let bad things happen to me and my daughter.
I don’t know who called in the child neglect claim, but they’re trying to mess with me.
You can help me, but you’re not standing in my way. ”
“You’re right, Mel,” Gage said. “But let us help out. We’re in this together.”
“Okay. But no holding back information. I want to know what you know.”
Sawyer rose. “Agreed.” He handed Melanie his phone. “Put in your number, then I’ll text you mine.”
Numbers exchanged, Melanie and Gage walked out with Sawyer.
After he drove off, Gage stood with Melanie in the driveway, his hair tossed by fitful gusts of wind.
He laced their fingers together and moved to stand facing her.
The corners of his eyes crinkled when he spoke. “You’re badass, you know that?”
She shook her head. “I don’t feel badass. I want to find the man who hurt me, and I want him in prison. Then I’ll be happy to live a quiet life with my daughter, writing my books.”
“That’s what makes you badass. You stand up when someone is trying to intimidate you.
Same thing Addy’s doing with that punk kid at school.
” He brought her closer until their lips were a breath apart.
“You’re also beautiful and I can’t get you out of my head.
” Then he closed the gap and his mouth was on hers, his tongue seeking, hers savoring.
His hands slid under her sweater to move in firm strokes over her back.
Her skin tingled wherever he touched. Warm, sure, and when she pressed her body to his and felt the growing ridge of his erection, a growl rumbled low in his throat. They broke apart, and she thought she probably looked as dazed as he did.
A shaky breath blew through her lips. “We can’t make out in the driveway. I don’t want to give the neighbors a show.”
He sighed and stepped back.
There was a rumble followed by the sound of air brakes. “That’s the bus. I need to get Addy. I hope being questioned by Deputy Guerrero didn’t traumatize her.”
“Addy’s tough like her mom. She’ll be fine.”
They started to walk down the driveway when a howl carried from his house.
“I need to let Pancake out before she loses her mind.”
“Let her come to the house with us. Addy and I are carving her pumpkin this afternoon and Pancake can keep us company.”
“Okay. And Mel? There’s something between us. We’ll have to decide what to do about it.”