Carol Ericson

Single Father Sheriff


Скачать книгу

sit in the living room where it’s warmer.”

      He took the mug from her. “Thanks.”

      They sat in chairs across from each other, and he used the box next to his chair as an end table.

      “Do you like Timberline?” She watched him over the rim of her cup and he got the sense that she had the same look in her eye when she was sitting across from a patient or a client or whatever term they used.

      “I like it. I’m an outdoorsy kind of guy, so I like the fishing, hiking, rafting.”

      “You’ve come to the right place for that.” She ran the tip of her finger around the rim of her mug. “Looks like Evergreen Software is making an impact on the area. Young and Sons Lumber had gone out of business before I left for college, and Timberline was in danger of becoming a ghost town.”

      “Evergreen had already planted stakes by the time I got here, so I don’t have the before and after picture, except from the locals’ stories of the old days, and Mayor Young is always crowing about how much he’s done for development in Timberline.”

      “Ah, so Jordan Young is mayor now.”

      “Actually, he stepped down recently, but he’s a one-man cheerleading squad.”

      “Timberline does have a storied history—from silver mining to lumber to high tech. It’s nice to see some life in the old place—maybe a little too much life.” She wrapped both hands around her mug. “What do you really think about that mannequin?”

      He blew the steam from the surface of the coffee in his cup and took a sip. “I don’t think it was a coincidence that it was left for you, even if it was a joke. Everyone in town knows your connection to the old kidnappings.”

      “I wonder if Wyatt got any surprises tonight.” She tapped her fingernail against her mug. “I’m not the only one in town connected to the Timberline Trio, although it’s just the two of us after Heather Brice’s family left the area. I don’t suppose her older brother, wherever he is, has been getting these little reminders”

      “Good idea. I’ll check with Wyatt tomorrow. He’s still working on a job at the station for us.”

      “I have a hard time believing it’s the kidnapper who left it. What’s the point?”

      “He’s a kidnapper. Who knows? There could be a million reasons in his deranged mind—if he has a deranged mind.”

      Her eyes widened. “It’s like you just said—he’s a kidnapper. Why wouldn’t he have a deranged mind? Anyone who kidnaps a child for whatever reason has to be sick.”

      “These two kidnappings could be for a purpose.”

      “You mean like some kind of ring?” She laced her fingers around her cup as if trying to draw warmth from the liquid inside. “I can’t bear to think about that possibility.”

      “I know. Believe me, as the father of a young daughter, I can’t, either.”

      “Someone like that wouldn’t hang around to plant mannequins in trucks.”

      “Exactly, so we don’t know what we’re looking at yet, but I’m sure that mannequin is connected to the kidnappings, even if it is just a cruel joke on you.”

      She yawned and covered her mouth. “Sorry. Not even coffee can keep me awake after the day I’ve had.”

      “I’ll get going. Didn’t mean to keep you up all night.”

      His mind flashed on keeping her up all night another way and as her brows lifted slightly, he had an uneasy feeling the therapist could not only read his face but his mind, too—unless it was all an act. A therapist didn’t know much more than a layman or a cop, for that matter.

      “I was glad for the company. Having you here in this empty house made my jitters go away.” She rose from the chair and held out her hand for his cup.

      “Good.” He handed her the mug. “Is it okay if I use your restroom before heading out?”

      “First door on your right.”

      After he washed his hands and stepped into the short hallway, he heard clinking glass in the kitchen. He glanced at the cabinet again.

      Something had spooked her this afternoon, and then the mannequin had spooked her tonight. Was this a pattern? And didn’t he have an obligation to find out if it was?

      He crept toward the cabinet and eased open the drawer, his gaze tracking through the contents.

      “Shouldn’t you get a search warrant before you go snooping through my stuff?”

      Her cold voice stopped him in his tracks. Then he plucked the pink ribbon from the drawer and turned, dangling it in front of him.

      “Funny-looking spider.”

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QQBaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bWxuczpkYz0iaHR0cDovL3B1cmwub3Jn L2RjL2VsZW1lbnRzLzEuMS8iIHhtcE1NOk9yaWdpbmFsRG9jdW1lbnRJRD0ieG1wLmRpZDoxREJB MUI4OTgyMjA2ODExODIyQTlFNzYyNUZGM0VFOCIgeG1wTU06RG9jdW1lbnRJRD0ieG1wLmRpZDo0 QkUyNjEzODk0NTYxMUU2QjE2M0QyRkMzNTI2MjJBOCIgeG1wTU06SW5zdGFuY2VJRD0ieG1wLmlp ZDo0QkUyNjEzNzk0NTYxMUU2QjE2M0QyRkMzNTI2MjJBOCIgeG1wOkNyZWF0b3JUb29sPSJBZG9i ZSBQaG90b3Nob3AgQ1M1LjEgTWFjaW50b3NoIj4gPHhtcE1NOkRlcml2ZWRGcm9tIHN0UmVmOmlu c3RhbmNlSUQ9InhtcC5paWQ6RkVGMzQxRTgwQjIwNjgxMUE3MkNCOTJCNkFCMDlCMDAiIHN0UmVm OmRvY3VtZW50SUQ9InhtcC5kaWQ6RkRGMzQxRTgwQjIwNjgxMUE3MkNCOTJCNkFCMDlCMDAiLz4g PGRjOnRpdGxlPiA8cmRmOkFsdD4gPHJkZjpsaSB4bWw6bGFuZz0ieC1kZWZhdWx0Ij5TaGVyaWZm XzA4MTYuaW5kZDwvcmRmOmxpPiA8L3JkZjpBbHQ+IDwvZGM6dGl0bGU+IDwvcmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0 aW9uPiA8L3JkZjpSREY+IDwveDp4bXBtZXRhPiA8P3hwYWNrZXQgZW5kPSJyIj8+/+0ASFBob3Rv c2hvcCAzLjAAOEJJTQQEAAAAAAAPHAFaAAMbJUccAgAAAgACADhCSU0EJQAAAAAAEPzhH4nIt8l4 LzRiNAdYd+v/4ggkSUNDX1BST0ZJTEUAAQEAAAgUQURCRQJAAABtbnRyUkdCIFhZWiAH1wADAAIA CgAHAClhY3NwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAA9tYAAQAAAADTLWJJQ0OcbTSl raRF9hRtmLBRDBJtAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAljcHJ0AAAGxAAAAMlk ZXNjAAAHkAAAAIN3dHB0AAAA8AAAABRyVFJDAAABBAAABYRnVFJDAAABBAAABYRiVFJDAAABBAAA BYRyWFlaAAAGiAAAABRnWFlaAAAGnAAAABRiWFlaAAAGsAAAABRYWVogAAAAAAAA9tYAAQAAAADT LWN1cnYAAAAAAAACvAAAAAoAFQAfACoANAA+AEkAUwBdAGgAcgB9AIcAkQCcAKYAsAC7AMUA0ADa AOQA7wD5AQMBDgEYASMBLQE3AUIBTAFXAWEBawF2AYABigGVAZ8BqgG0Ab4ByQHTAd0B6AHyAf0C BwIRAhwCJgIwAjsCRQJQAloCZQJwAnsChgKRApwCqAKzAr8CywLXAuMC7wL8AwgDFQMiAy8DPANJ A1YDZANyA38DjQObA6oDuAPGA9UD5APzBAIEEQQhBDAEQARQBGAEcASABJEEoQSyBMME1ATlBPcF CAUaBSwFPgVQBWMFdQWIBZsFrgXBBdUF6AX8BhAGJAY4Bk0GYQZ2BosGoAa1BssG4Ab2BwwHIwc5 B08HZgd9B5QHrAfDB9sH8wgLCCMIOwhUCG0IhgifCLgI0gjsCQYJIAk6CVUJbwmKCaUJwQncCfgK FAowCk0KaQqGCqMKwAreCvsLGQs3C1ULdAuSC7EL0AvwDA8MLwxPDG8MjwywDNE