Page 61 of Loving Justice

He pushed his mini notebook and pen back into his pocket. “She’s free to go but I might have some more questions after I speak to Kent. I need to get over to the ranch anyway.”

“Let’s go. Let’s get you home,” Jinx told her.

Once they were outside, she breathed in the fresh air into her parched lungs. “I need to grab a few things from my car and then I’d like you to take me home.” She grabbed the items she’d taken from Kent’s house and covered them with a jacket so no one would see.

In time she would have all the answers she needed.

Chapter Twenty

The next morning Justice woke up early, her body sore from the events the day before.

After she’d come home, showered, and had a moment to herself, she had gone through all the documentation Kent had gathered for her. As she sat in her bed, sifting through each revelation, some harder than others to grasp, she had become numb and angrier.

Sheriff Dussan called that morning and asked to speak to Justice, and she asked that Jinx and her daddy join them. Last night, she’d been too tired to speak to either of them about what Kent had told her. She’d been satisfied enough at the moment to know that Freedom was okay. Jinx had held her while she slept, and although her mind was spinning, she appreciated the comfort he gave her, although she knew it wouldn’t last.

By the time she stepped into her daddy’s office, Sheriff Dussan, Sam, and Jinx were already there. All three stood and greeted her as if she were about to collapse under any new information. She couldn’t look at Sam or Jinx. She kept her focus on the sheriff and held tightly to the paperwork she had in her hand.

“Thanks for allowing me to speak to you again, ma’am.” Sheriff Dussan shifted his weight uncomfortably. He looked like he hadn’t slept all night—all month.

“How’s Kent?” she asked.

“He’ll recover,” the sheriff answered.

“He’s one lucky bastard,” Sam said from where he sat on the corner of his desk.

“Have a seat, Justice. I won’t keep you long.” Sheriff Dussan motioned for her to sit on the couch.

Although she didn’t want to sit, she did and Jinx sat next to her. She would have found his presence comforting had she not known about the photographs.

“I was able to get a statement from Kent this morning. He said he’d asked you to come to his home under the pretense of business, but he’d learned some news about one of the ranch’s employees, and he wanted to warn you. Pok Malikan was employed here under the alias Rigs Fletcher.”

“I don’t know how in the hell we missed that one,” Sam growled.

“Mr. Malikan is quite the scammer,” Sheriff Dussan said. “He served prison time and during his sentence he honed all the tricks of the trade. He’d become fascinated—obsessed—over Freedom and he had this fantasy belief that the two of them would run away together. As his belief grew, so did his maliciousness. That’s how Lanah found herself involved in the scheme. She trusted him but he used her as a pawn in his own delusional revenge plot.” He went on to describe how he’d kidnapped her, brought her to the ranch and lured Freedom to the lake.

Justice listened intently and absorbed all the information. Disbelief kept her quiet.

Until finally Sheriff Dussan excused himself.

Justice halfheartedly bid him farewell but stayed seated.

She vaguely heard Jinx and Sam discussing the case and when they both had their attention on her, it was then that she said in a level tone, “Kent had informed me of many things before he was shot.”

“Can you believe an ounce of what that man says?” Sam bit out.

Jinx remained quiet.

“I do. He showed me proof. I’m just confused on the reasons and the timeline why you and Jinx would band together to deceive me.” She felt her heart ache for the dishonesty.

Sam was seasoned in keeping a poker face. Jinx, on the other hand, closed his eyes and ran his palms down his face.

“You took pictures for Daddy. And then you lied to me,” she said pointedly to Jinx.

“I asked him to,” Sam said.

“Yes, of course you did. I expect that from you, but Jinx, how could you?” Her voice held all her disappointment.

Crinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes and his mouth was a thin line, but he remained quiet as if he had nothing he wanted to say in his defense.