“Suppose he’s hiding more than the fact that my brother was murdered?”
“Like what?”
Wade didn’t believe that just because the sheriff wore a badge that he was an upright citizen. But he had no quarrels with the man, either. Wilson’s deputies left the saloon alone and Wade took care not to give them reasons to hassle him or his patrons. And he’d like to keep it that way.
“I don’t know,” she said. Together they entered the Sheriff’s Department. “That’s why we’re here. To ask questions.”
“Okay.” He wondered if she had a plan or intended to play this by ear. He also wondered if those tight jeans made her hips appear to sway more than usual or if she’d deliberately changed her walk to a sexy swagger.
Kelly headed straight to the front desk, seemingly unaware of the attention several deputies gave her. “We’re here to see Sheriff Wilson.”
“You have an appointment?” asked a male receptionist who wore a headset and didn’t look up from his computer.
“No, sir. But it’s real important that I talk to him.”
“I’m sure it is.” The male officer looked up, then looked again before dismissing her. “He’s busy, but if you care to wait…”
Kelly leaned forward and whispered loudly, “You don’t understand, sir. This is personal. My brother died and I have so many unanswered questions. Sheriff Wilson would much prefer hearing what I have to say in private. However, if you insist, I could go public…”
Wade clamped his teeth together to prevent himself from grinning. Kelly had insinuated that she had crucial information about Andrew and if the desk officer knew what was good for him, he’d give them immediate access to his boss.
The officer pushed a few buttons on a speakerphone, then mumbled into his microphone before jerking his thumb down the hall. “The sheriff will see you now. Third door on your left.”
Sheriff Wilson sat in a loose gray uniform behind his desk, a burning cigar in his hand despite the No Smoking sign on the building’s front doors. In his fifties, tall and rangy, he had tough, leathery skin that bespoke a hard life-style.
His gaze wandered from Kelly’s face to her chest and stayed there until Wade cleared his throat. But that only earned Wade a scowl from Kelly before she turned a high-wattage grin on the sheriff.
“What can I do for you, Kelly?”
“Sheriff, I just wanted to thank you for all your help. It was kind of you to come to my brother’s funeral.”
“I’m truly sorry for your loss.”
Wade wondered where she was going with this conversation. He could tell Sheriff Wilson was just as curious and antsy. No doubt he had more important things on his plate.
Kelly’s tone turned weepy. “My brother…he was very special to me. Everyone loved Andrew. I just don’t understand why anyone would have wanted to murder him.” She opened her purse, removed a tissue and dabbed at her eyes that brimmed with tears.
“Murder?” The sheriff looked from Wade to Kelly, ignoring his smoking cigar. “Who said anything about murder?”
Wade didn’t say a word, but marveled at how she was manipulating the sheriff with her antics. Kelly was just full of surprises. He recalled Kelly had starred in a play during her senior year of high school, but she hadn’t displayed this kind of emotional depth back then. Obviously, her acting abilities had improved and Wade wondered if she was playing him, too. But since he’d already agreed to help her, what would be her angle?
Kelly sobbed and her chest quivered. “Wasn’t Andrew shot with an 11 mm gun?”
“No, 9 mm.” The sheriff’s gaze snapped upward from her chest as he realized what he’d just admitted. He raised the cigar to his lips and puffed, probably stalling as he considered his options. “May I ask how you learned—”
Kelly let the tissue trail over her neck. “I want to know who did it.”
“The case is under investigation.”
“Sheriff, I know you must be doing everything you can, but it’s been weeks and weeks. My parents will be devastated to learn that Andrew’s death wasn’t an accident and that his murderer is still free.”
The sheriff didn’t exactly squirm in his seat but a bead of sweat broke out on his brow. Kelly’s father was a powerful man in Mustang Valley and the sheriff needed his support to keep his job. That he’d kept a secret about Andrew’s murder from Mr. McGovern wouldn’t sit well with Kelly’s father.
The sheriff stubbed out his cigar in an ashtray, reached across his desk and patted her shoulder. “Look, there’s no point in telling your parents what really happened until I find Andrew’s killer.”
“I don’t understand. His family knew him best. Surely we can help, and you haven’t even asked us any questions.” Kelly’s eyes opened wide. “Unless you consider us suspects?”
“Of course not.” The sheriff spoke soothingly, patronizingly. Police procedure dictated that everyone would be a suspect until proven otherwise. “Sometimes it’s better to keep an investigation quiet. We don’t want to scare away the suspect. We want to catch him, right?”
Kelly sniffled. “Yes.”
“So let me do my job, okay?”
Wade figured he’d been silent long enough. “Sheriff, I believe Kelly would like you to keep her informed of your investigation.”
“Yes, please,” Kelly piped in, twisting the screws some more. “That would make me feel ever so much better in keeping a secret from Daddy.”
Sheriff Wilson shook his head. “I’m not at liberty to share the facts in this case with you. However, after we catch your brother’s killer, Kelly, I assure you that you’ll be the first to know.”
“Just how long do you expect that to take?”
“I wish I could tell you. I’d like nothing better than to solve this case and put a murderer behind bars, but I won’t make you a promise I can’t keep. I just don’t know how long our investigation will take.”
Kelly stuffed the tissue back into her purse, her eyes once again dry. “Thank you, Sheriff. I guess there’s no reason to upset Daddy. For now. But promise me…you will place your best deputies on this?”
“Absolutely.”
Wade shook hands with the sheriff and escorted Kelly from the building. “That was quite a performance.”
As soon as they strode out, she dropped the sexy walk. Her voice turned tart. “I’d hoped to learn more. A 9 mm is a real popular gun, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. And considering this is Texas, that information may not help us much.”
“Maybe I’ll learn more at Lambert & Church. I’m heading there next.”
“Uh, Kelly.”
“Yeah?”
“You changing clothes again?”
She winked at him. “Absolutely.”
Chapter Three
Kelly didn’t know if any of the partners would be in at Lambert & Church, but she assumed one of the associates would have time to talk to her—even if she and Wade arrived without an appointment. She’d changed into the conservative navy suit with gold buttons that she’d picked out that morning and added hose, shoes and a bag to match before pulling her hair back and up into a severe bun. In the rest room at the Mustang Gazette, she wiped off most of her makeup and peered at herself in the mirror. She looked like one of those clueless summer law clerks whom Andrew had always liked to tease. In