Page 37 of The Fragile Truth

“All I had to go on were Brent’s notes. I started at the top of the list, which is why I arranged our introduction.”

“How did you do it? You had no way of knowing that I was going to that bar.”

“No, but when you did, I scouted around and found a guy who wanted to make a couple hundred dollars.”

He scowled. “Do you really expect me to believe that you have real feelings for me? How am I supposed to trust anything you say?”

She looked wounded. “I do have feelings for you,” she said quietly. “After Danny died, I went into a dark place.”

“Yeah, you went to prison.” He could’ve added the wordliterally, but no sense in adding salt to her wound.

“I never thought I could care about anyone else again.” Her eyes shimmered as a small smile tilted her lips. “I guess I was wrong.” She gave him a searching look.

Warmth and hope pinged through him. He squashed them both flat. Oh, how he wanted to believe her, but he couldn’t go there. Not yet. “What was prison like?” It was a dumb question, but he couldn’t help but ask.

She harrumphed. “It wasn’t wine and roses. But I got by. The guards looked after me. They respected me for what I had done. Most of the inmates did also. I got into a few scrapes here and there, but I can handle myself.”

He felt a grudging admiration for her, but then the irritation crowded in. “What about your aspirations to become a personal chef? Was that a bunch of malarky?”

“No,” she blurted. “I do want to become a chef.” She grimaced. “I may have fibbed a bit about the article on Honeysuckle Island, but the rest is true. I have no interest in going back into law enforcement. As soon as I find out who killed Brent, I’m starting a new life as Sadie Thomas.”

“Just like that?”

She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“You can’t just shed off your former life like it’s an old set of skin.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Watch me.”

“How am I supposed to believe a word you’re saying?” he asked, mostly to himself.

She lifted her chin in defiance. “You don’t have to take my word for any of this. You can look me up. Better yet, I’ll show you.” She stood, went into the adjoining kitchen, and grabbed her laptop off the table. She sat back down and opened it. After typing on several keys, she turned the screen around to him. There it was—an article about Detective Danny Pope’s death and the conviction of his partner Robyn Allen. There was a picture of both Danny and Robyn, along with Vince Romano. Somehow, seeing the pictures and reading the words made the situation worse.

Her eyes sparked. “See, now you know the truth. If you need more proof, you can look me up in the NCIC.”

“Oh, you’d better believe I will,” Ian fired back. He was done being duped. “I wanna see what’s on the flash drive,” he said stubbornly.

“Sure.” She got up and got it and then sat back down beside him.

Ian took the laptop, skimming over the information. It was exactly as Sadie had described. He felt a little better thinking of her as Sadie since she was determined to go by that name. When he got to the list of suspects, his stomach clenched. There he was—front and center.

He read through the list:

Sheriff Ian Russell (His climbing skills and knowledge of the law make him the prime suspect. Ian hasn’t been the same since Lina broke up with him. He’s bitter and disillusioned. It’s possible that Ian is desperate to obtain wealth to win Lina back.)

“What?”he barked. “I’m not bitter or disillusioned. I certainly wouldn’t stoop to stealing to get wealth. I chose my profession because I wanted to help people. I’m not motivated by money.”

“I know that.” Sadie placed a hand on his arm. This time, he didn’t pull away. “You’re a good man.” She offered him an encouraging smile. “Brent was wrong. We can take you off the list.”

He took in a deep, calming breath before he continued reading:

Talon Chasing

Banks and Madeline Chasing (They have an extensive art collection.)

Carter and Lizette Laramie (They have an extensive art collection and are close to the Chasings, which would therefore put them in close contact with Lina.)

Douglas and Katrina Fielding (Douglas is heavily into gambling and has been losing at the betting tables. This would make him desperate for money.)