Page 24 of Final Inning

He was staring at her again now. The sheriff despised her and had it out for her, and had from day one on the job. But mostly, it was the way he stared at her that freaked her out all the time.

That was his favorite pastime when she was around. Like he had the right. The way he looked at her, the things he said to her, the way he would brush against her whenever he could—it made her want to puke.

It was…well, a woman knew when a man was looking at her with lust. Hagan had learned that lesson when she’d been no more than thirteen and older boys had cornered her outside the school. The principal’s wife had come around the corner just in time—and rescued her. Hagan had never forgotten.

The good old boys of Helery County. Those disgusting pigs ruled the world here. Nothing she did was going to change how anything in this department was run.

It just wouldn’t.

But…Harper’s family deserved answers.

Once Hagan had those answers, then she’d figure out answers for her own life. And what she wanted to do next. She just had to get through. Like…in softball—when it would get hard. She’d tell herself to just get through.

Like…her coach had said before: Make it to the final inning. Then you can make it through anything.

Well, now…she barely felt she was going to survive this game Johnson was playing with her now.

Johnson wasn’t going to forgive her for the FBI. She’d probably pay the price for the next ten years. Surely by then either she’d have moved on—or he would have.

Probably her. He was entrenched. Of course he was; Helery County was a strange little world of his own making. He was protected there. Safe. Everything he did—the people around here somehow forgave and justified because he was the sheriff. He had worked for the department for over twenty-five years.

No one else had that kind of history.

And that meant he just had to be a good man. Anyone who questioned that was questioning the establishment. They didn’t want people who thought for themselves here. They wanted people who toed the line. And never questioned.

There really wasn’t room for someone in Helery County who challenged that view of the world. She was starting to realize that more and more. Each and every day.

She’d leave this place, build a life somewhere else. Maybe…find a better place she could fit or something. Sometimes, that was her dream. To find some place with people who…she could fit with. She hadn’t had that in a long, long time.

Maybe she should apply to the Texas State Police. She wasn’t that far from the border now, and she could find a small place, if she got hired. Hagan had some savings. She could handle a few months until she got settled. She’d have to check the requirements. She’d checked once before, but at the time, the thought of leaving Oklahoma had made her very hesitant. She’d had her aunt still…and she hadn’t wanted to be too far away in case Susan had needed her.

But her aunt was gone. She’d left Hagan a little money, and a note to do what made her happy.

Hagan really had no one left in Oklahoma. Her closest friend had moved to Texas over a year ago. Other friends had scattered thanks to different careers. That kind of thing. Very few stayed. Hagan understood why.

Helery County could choke the breath out of someone before they even realized it was happening. And then there was just nothing left.

Sometimes, it was like she couldn’t breathe here. Like every day she suffocated a little bit more. Until one day—she wouldn’t have any breath left.

But she wasn’t about to let Johnson push her out of her home. He would just have to get over it.

Once the FBI were gone, then she’d make a real plan. Fix her life. Move on.

Find something else besides Helery County. There had to be more than Helery County out there. There just had to be.

Most everyone left Helery County eventually. Sheriff Johnson could just be pissed at her. Harper deserved answers.

It was like Sheriff Johnson didn’t care about Harper at all. Almost…deliberately so. She couldn’t put her finger on what it was, but…

He had acted weird from the moment they’d found Harper’s body. Like…almost evasive, too.

There was a reason behind that. Hagan was going to find out what it was.

“You shouldn’t have brought them in.” A harsh voice came from behind her. Hagan turned—Damien was there. She tensed. The man was usually slithering along behind Sheriff Johnson. Hagan fought stepping back—Damien liked it if he thought he was making her nervous. Hagan wouldn’t play his game. “Now the sheriff is pissed. They are just going to screw everything up. I don’t know what you were thinking.”

“I was thinking that a woman was dead—a woman we both grew up with, Damien—and the FBI has more resources than we do. We weren’t getting anywhere; I thought maybe they could.”

“You went over his head. You know that was stupid.” Damien shifted more into her personal bubble. He liked to do that. Just because he knew she didn’t like it.