back. And lost. “You know, I’m sure I didn’t leave that note from Jason lying open on my bureau. Did you deliberately seduce me so you could search my place without a warrant?” I asked snottily.
Actually, this had bothered me a lot since yesterday. I had left the note on the bureau, but I was certain it had been closed, and addressed to me. Of course, I no longer had access to the note, since the sheriff had confiscated it as evidence. Just before he’d walked through the rest of my apartment looking for proof of my involvement in Jason’s murder. He’d claimed he’d found evidence of a crime while in my home on unrelated business. It was hard to say which of us had been more pissed at the time.
I watched the flush creep up his neck. Seemed I’d just yanked the tiger’s tail.
“Are you accusing me of abusing my office?” he asked, his voice very soft. “Need I remind you Miss Carmichael that it was you who seduced me? You who thought to distract me from my investigation?”
With a deep breath, I fought to control my temper. After all, he had a point. I had kissed him first. Besides, arguing wouldn’t help. Time to change strategies. Growing up with con artists makes a girl light on her feet. I rapidly shuffled through my repertoire of characters. I immediately discarded the helpless female. Quinn would never buy it. He might, however, go for contrite.
“Look, Sheriff— Quinn,” I tried again. “I didn’t mean to pick a fight. It’s been a very long couple of days. I’m sorry. I really am. I just need to know what happened.
“Please…please, can you tell me if you have any news of Jason’s murder?”
Quinn looked at me for a long time, his amazing eyes absolutely unreadable. I forced myself to endure his scrutiny without fidgeting.
When his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, I figured he’d decided not to tell me anything. Then with a deep sigh, he started. “Jason returned to Juniper Springs early in the afternoon of the day you saw him. I know this because he stopped in at Cozy’s and had a piece of apple pie and waited for a call. As far as I can tell, he spent the rest of the afternoon in an interview with one or more unknown people at a private location.
“I retrieved his cell phone records and he called half a dozen businesses in the local area, plus a number I can’t trace. It goes to a disposable phone. Assuming he brought them, his computer and cell phone were both missing from his room, but everything else seems to be accounted for. His brother is coming to claim his personal effects and take the body to back to Ohio.
“I’m still waiting to hear from his editor to see if the paper will grant me access to the unpublished articles. There seems to be some question about whether or not they received the full articles or just the proposed outlines, and if it’s just notes and outlines, who actually owns the rights to the content, the family or the paper.
“The medical examiner in Phoenix said that Jason died from exsanguination. In other words, he bled to death after massive wounds of unknown origin to his torso. Do you need more gory details than that Miss Carmichael? Because there are more.”
It was a very long speech for Quinn and surprisingly detailed. I didn’t think I liked the idea that the notes or articles could still be floating around out there somewhere. Still, informative or not, I couldn’t let him get away with talking to me that way. I must have forgotten I was supposed to be contrite.
I hardened my face. “You don’t know me very well if you think a little blood and gore would deter me. Maybe you should look a little deeper into my past. What else did they find, Sheriff?” I asked coldly.
His left eyebrow rose, and he looked at me speculatively. With a nearly imperceptible shrug, he continued, “The forensic unit suspects that more than one weapon was used. He had numerous broken bones and they believe something hard and heavy was used to take him
Actually, this had bothered me a lot since yesterday. I had left the note on the bureau, but I was certain it had been closed, and addressed to me. Of course, I no longer had access to the note, since the sheriff had confiscated it as evidence. Just before he’d walked through the rest of my apartment looking for proof of my involvement in Jason’s murder. He’d claimed he’d found evidence of a crime while in my home on unrelated business. It was hard to say which of us had been more pissed at the time.
I watched the flush creep up his neck. Seemed I’d just yanked the tiger’s tail.
“Are you accusing me of abusing my office?” he asked, his voice very soft. “Need I remind you Miss Carmichael that it was you who seduced me? You who thought to distract me from my investigation?”
With a deep breath, I fought to control my temper. After all, he had a point. I had kissed him first. Besides, arguing wouldn’t help. Time to change strategies. Growing up with con artists makes a girl light on her feet. I rapidly shuffled through my repertoire of characters. I immediately discarded the helpless female. Quinn would never buy it. He might, however, go for contrite.
“Look, Sheriff— Quinn,” I tried again. “I didn’t mean to pick a fight. It’s been a very long couple of days. I’m sorry. I really am. I just need to know what happened.
“Please…please, can you tell me if you have any news of Jason’s murder?”
Quinn looked at me for a long time, his amazing eyes absolutely unreadable. I forced myself to endure his scrutiny without fidgeting.
When his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, I figured he’d decided not to tell me anything. Then with a deep sigh, he started. “Jason returned to Juniper Springs early in the afternoon of the day you saw him. I know this because he stopped in at Cozy’s and had a piece of apple pie and waited for a call. As far as I can tell, he spent the rest of the afternoon in an interview with one or more unknown people at a private location.
“I retrieved his cell phone records and he called half a dozen businesses in the local area, plus a number I can’t trace. It goes to a disposable phone. Assuming he brought them, his computer and cell phone were both missing from his room, but everything else seems to be accounted for. His brother is coming to claim his personal effects and take the body to back to Ohio.
“I’m still waiting to hear from his editor to see if the paper will grant me access to the unpublished articles. There seems to be some question about whether or not they received the full articles or just the proposed outlines, and if it’s just notes and outlines, who actually owns the rights to the content, the family or the paper.
“The medical examiner in Phoenix said that Jason died from exsanguination. In other words, he bled to death after massive wounds of unknown origin to his torso. Do you need more gory details than that Miss Carmichael? Because there are more.”
It was a very long speech for Quinn and surprisingly detailed. I didn’t think I liked the idea that the notes or articles could still be floating around out there somewhere. Still, informative or not, I couldn’t let him get away with talking to me that way. I must have forgotten I was supposed to be contrite.
I hardened my face. “You don’t know me very well if you think a little blood and gore would deter me. Maybe you should look a little deeper into my past. What else did they find, Sheriff?” I asked coldly.
His left eyebrow rose, and he looked at me speculatively. With a nearly imperceptible shrug, he continued, “The forensic unit suspects that more than one weapon was used. He had numerous broken bones and they believe something hard and heavy was used to take him
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