It was too late to chase the shooter.
The morning haltedthe freezing snowstorm for a least a little while. Heather used her crutches to make her way out of the brick building housing the Silverville City Police Department to find Anna Albertini leaning against her red Touareg, her nose red from the cold. “Anna? What’s up?” She moved closer.
Anna straightened, today wearing jeans and a heavy green parka. “I saw your car. What’s going on?” Her eyes were more gray than green today, and her brunette hair was up in a casual ponytail. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Heather paused and stood on her good foot, straightening so the crutches didn’t bite into her armpits.
Anna looked closer. “All right. How about breakfast? Sunshine Eats is just down the street.”
On cue, Heather’s stomach growled. “Sounds good. What are you doing in Silverville? I thought you were headed over the pass last night for work.”
Anna rolled her eyes and fell into step beside her. “I got called in and questioned because of the shooting at Quint’s house last night. Can you believe that?”
Heather stumbled, and the ground fell out beneath her. “What? Quint was shot?” Panic grabbed her around the throat.
Anna stopped. “No. He’s fine.” She moved for the door to Sunshine’s and opened it. “The sheriff is pretty sure the shooter was after Jolene, and Quint just happened to be there. Jolene has a few investigative stories in the hopper, and she thought she recognized the truck after she’d calmed down. Something to do with bank fraud.” She gestured Heather inside the quiet family restaurant that had winter designs on all of the windows.
Heather’s head spun and she hitched inside, moving for the nearest green booth to slide along the smooth leather. Christmas music tinkled in the background. Once Anna had seated herself, Heather stared at her. “Are you telling me that Jolene was at Quint’s house.Last night?” After he’d kissed her?
Anna blinked and a slow smile tipped her lips. “Well, yeah. Apparently he got home and she was waiting for him. Then somebody shot at them from a truck that no longer had a license plate. You can’t believe Quint is interested in Jolene any longer.”
Couldn’t she? Heather reached for a menu. It didn’t matter to her. Even if Quint wasn’t interested in Jolene, Heather had been smart to put him in the friend zone. Life was crazy right now, and it appeared that Quint’s life included women who waited all night for him to show up. “What’s good here?”
“Everything,” Anna said.
Figured. They ordered from a cute waitress with purple hair before sipping happily on flavored coffee.
The door opened behind Heather with a tinkle of the bell above it, but she didn’t turn around. Until the sheriff strode up to the table. “Miss Davis?”
She set her cup down and looked up at the grizzly older man. “Hi, Sheriff. Was there a problem with my report?” She’d placed a report about Jack and the flowers and phone calls with a younger deputy before meeting Anna on the street.
“No. We’ve had a report against you.” He pushed back his cowboy hat to reveal thick white hair. “Sorry about that, but I need to take you in.” He had a gun and badge at his belt, and even though he had to be in his late sixties, the man looked like he could take on a grizzly bear.
She blinked, and her stomach dropped. “A report against me? For what?”
“Vandalism and malicious mischief,” the sheriff said. “You’re on video destroying a couple of cars at Molly’s Motel last night.”
Anna burst out laughing. “She’s on crutches, Sheriff.”
He nodded, his faded eyes sober. “I know. She’s on crutches in the video.”
Anna lost the smile. “Heather?”
Heather’s mouth gaped open, and she could only shake her head.
Anna’s eyes sharpened. “All right. Let’s see this video.” She stood and handed Heather the crutches. “There’s no way my client committed any of those crimes last night, Sheriff.” She waited until Heather had bundled back into her coat before drawing on her own parka. “This is ridiculous.”
Heather used the crutches to head out of the restaurant and down the salted and shoveled sidewalk to go back into the sheriff’s building, her mind reeling. “Whose cars did I supposedly destroy?” Then her gaze caught sight of Jack sitting in the same chair she’d sat in earlier at the deputy’s desk. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” she muttered, the hair on the back of her neck rising. “Have you lost your mind?” she snapped.
Jack’s light brown hair was wet from melting snow, and his eyes gleamed. “You can’t do things like that, Heather. I know you’re grieving from your grandmother’s death, and I know you’re not in your right mind, but you have to let me help you.” He stood, earnestness spreading across a face she’d once considered handsome. He was tall and thin, and for the weather today he wore a brown coat, tan pants, and dark boots.
Anna cocked her head to the side. “Who are you?”
“Oh, sorry.” He hurried forward and held out a hand. “I’m Jack Allen, Heather’s boyfriend.”
Anna shook his hand, her gaze appraising.
“Ex-boyfriend,” Heather corrected, her armpits aching from the stupid crutches. “I have no idea what you’re up to, Jack, but you need to stop it right now.”
