Claudia’s voice softened. “I’m sorry.”
“Send it to me.”
He hung up, but he didn’t actually need to see the footage. If Claudia said it was him, it was him. The air in his lungs moved too quickly, and his chest felt too fucking tight.
Someone else had killed Margot. Who? And why? He’d just assumed it had been Dylan making a play for Aspen, and Margot had gotten in his way. But if that wasn’t true…had Margot been the target all along? And all this time, her killer had been out there…
And he hadn’t even been looking.
Was this person the same one connected to Dylan? They couldn’t be, because Margot and Aspen weren’t connected. Were they?
There were too many unanswered questions.
The night Margot had been shot, the killer had known exactly which switch turned off the cameras and the lights. They’d also known how to enter the building and find Margot.
Shit. He’d been so focused on it being Dylan, he hadn’t put it all together…
It was someone on the inside.
The same person who’d made the formal complaint about him? That had to have been an inside job too. Who else would have known about what Jesse was prioritizing in his work life?
Was this about him rather than Aspen?
A knock at the door pulled him out of his thoughts. “Come in.”
Bea stepped inside. “Hi. I have the files you requested.” She crossed the room and set them on his desk.
“Thanks.” He barely looked up. His head was a damn mess. He was the sheriff, a former fucking Ghost Ops soldier. He should be among the best of the best. But he’d missed something, and that something was huge.
“You’re welcome. How’s Aspen doing after everything?”
He looked at the receptionist, trying to give her his attention when his mind was firmly everywhere else. “Better now that Dylan’s gone.”
“Good. He deserved to die after he killed Margot. Now we don’t have to worry about some psychopath shooting unarmed deputies.”
Jesse nodded…only to stop and frown. “How do you know she wasn’t armed?”
“Oh, um. Luke told me.” She cringed. “Sorry. He probably shouldn’t have.”
No, he shouldn’t have. Bea wasn’t a deputy, so she wasn’t privy to all the details of crime reports.
Something started to tick in his brain. Bea was close to Luke. He’d seen them together more than once. But Margot had been close to Luke too. They were connected.
Bea cocked her head. “Aspen still can’t recall who led her to Dylan?”
“No, unfortunately not.”
“Hopefully soon.” She turned.
The door opened wider and Aspen entered the office, but Jesse was focused on something else. He stared at Bea’s shoes as she stepped past Aspen. Shoes she didn’t usually wear.
Red sneakers.
Aspen sipped her coffee,only to cringe.
Hot.Reallyhot.
But at least it was good coffee.
