Page 42 of Lawman’s Witness

With that, Russ straightened and walked out. Behind him, he heard Milt wipe everything off his desk onto the floor. He heard a loud crash, then swearing.

Hanson gave him a questioning look as he walked to his desk. “Should I start looking for a new partner?”

“Sure, why not. I’m suspended, but I’m sure he’ll fire me soon.”

“Picked a great day for it. The chief just dumped another murder on my desk. A man was stabbed to death up on the rimrocks.”

“I already told him who did it,” Russ said. “Marshall’s girlfriend Whitney Clark was also stabbed. Seems to be a pattern.”

“Too bad we don’t have her body so we could compare stab wounds,” Hanson said facetiously. “Guess I’ll start looking for a new partner since it sounds like your days here are numbered.”

“I wouldn’t bother if I were you. Once it comes out that this department tried to keep me from investigating the murders Jack Marshall committed, you and the chief might both be looking for new jobs,” Russ said. At least he could only hope. But unfortunately, he no longer had much faith in the system, he thought as he headed for the door. He thought of Amy Sue and Liz and everyone else he was letting down if he quit trying to find the truth.

But he also reminded himself that he was suspended. No service weapon and no authority to carry a gun. No badge. No right to investigate anyone. He didn’t doubt for a moment that he could end up in jail if he didn’t stop.

Maybe Milt was right. Maybe it was time to go back to the ranch.

Jack should have known that he wasn’t finished with Whitney’s good friend. It was bad enough that he had to contend with Liz’s ex-husband. As he walked into the bank, he tried to calm down. Fifty grand was a small price to pay for her to go away. Unlike her ex, he believed she wouldn’t be back for more.

He walked to the bank manager’s office door and tapped. Harold Wright looked up, smiled and waved him in. The entire transaction didn’t take long, and he was walking out of the bank with the money in his briefcase. He’d have to make Harold one devil of a deal the next time he came in for a new car, but he hadn’t minded.

If there was a way to put all of this behind him, Jack would have given the woman five times this much.

When he reached the car, he saw that Liz was on the phone. With Christine? He doubted that, but wouldn’t put anything past her. Liz disconnected as he climbed in, taking his briefcase from him as she asked, “Any problems?”

He shook his head. He didn’t think she was recording them, but he wasn’t taking any chances. He’d done enough of that last night. “You can see for yourself,” he said, nodding toward the briefcase.

She flipped the lock and opened it to find the large bills bound together in stacks. It took only a moment to see that the money was all there. She took it out and shoved it into her large purse. “Thanks. You should probably get to work. Christine might be on her way over there.” He shot her a look. “I didn’t tell her anything, if that’s what you’re worried about. We talked about her charity work for an interview I’m working on.”

He told himself that Christine was too smart to fall for this woman wanting to interview her. Was that why his wife was headed to the dealership—if she was? Jack thought of how they’d left things this morning and grew more anxious. He could keep the fifty grand from her because he had a separate account he used for the business.

But Christine couldn’t see him with this redhead.

“I’ll drop you at your car,” he said. “I hope this ends our business.”

“It does,” Liz said, sounding tired as she leaned back and closed her eyes. He saw that she had her purse on her lap, both hands on top of it. He wondered if she planned to use the money to bury her ex. Or if she had another plan for it. The money wouldn’t go far. He wondered why she hadn’t asked for more.

He really hoped she didn’t come back for more as he pulled into the lot and drove up next to her car. “We’re here.”

Liz opened her eyes, clutched her purse to her and got out. Without a word, she slammed his car door and walked over to her vehicle.

He quickly drove to his parking spot. He didn’t see Christine’s car. As he got out and headed for his office, he wondered if he’d made a huge mistake by paying Liz off. He’d certainly made one by killing her best friend and now her ex-husband.

She was right about one thing. He couldn’t lose his temper and do anything rash again.

At least not for a while.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Amy Sue heard something in Russ’s voice when he called. “What’s happened?” She braced herself for the worst.

“I talked to the chief this morning, told him everything we’d learned. He doesn’t think it’s enough to open an investigation.”

“How is that possible?” she demanded. “He still doesn’t believe Jack Marshall is guilty?”

“He doesn’t want to. I do think he’s having doubts, though. But right now all we have is a missing woman who Marshall has denied having an affair with and an eyewitness to a murder, but no body, no evidence, and Marshall still with a pretty good alibi and a reputation as an upstanding local citizen.”

Still she heard something in his voice. “But there’s more, isn’t there?”