One Chance: A Thrilling Christian Fiction Mystery Romance by Daniel Patterson Page B

have to know that the ex looks good to us for this murder, right?" Penelope could hear the apologetic tone in Donny's voice.
    "Yeah, I know that. We're holding him here on our own attempted murder charges. He's not going anywhere."
    "Okay." There was a long pause. "Good luck with this, Penelope."
    "No such thing as luck, Donny."
    "Only faith." The two laughed at their old joke. For Penelope, it wasn't just a joke. It was the truth.
    *
    When Penelope finished going over with the Sheriff what she had found out so far, she left the Sheriff's office with the intention of going to check on Doug. She knew how lonely the holding area was when it was just you back there, being watched over a monitor by the person at the front desk.
    Officer Anthony Marks had returned to the police station to write his preliminary report and she found him now sitting at her desk, using her computer. He smiled at her when he saw her coming out. He held up the freshly printed report to her. "Deputy, I didn't find anything other than an unlocked window to the spare bedroom. No signs of forced entry, so I'm guessing the window was our perp's way in."
    "Did you check for footprints or fingerprints?" she asked him, accepting the report and reading it over.
    "Of course," he replied, leaning back in a way that accentuated his muscular physique, "and there's a good one on the side of her house. Looks like he braced himself to climb in. Came back for a fingerprint kit. Know where they are?"
    "In the back of the cruisers," she told him. "We keep one in each. Why do you think the person who did this is a guy?"
    "Big bootprint. Most likely a guy. Plus the only things taken were those photos. Why would a woman steal photos from him?"
    "Why would a guy?"
    He pursed his lips and kind of rolled his eyes. "Because they meant something to him, most likely."
    That idea hadn't occurred to Penelope. Jacob had said the photos were of him, her, Doug and Camille. Who would want to take those?
    Someone who knew one of those people, obviously. Her? Jacob?
    No. More likely, with everything else going on, Doug or Camille.
    "Good job, Officer," Penelope said, coming back to herself. "Uh, see if Saunders or Petersen can help you out with that angle. I'm in the middle of this attempted murder case with Doug and have a lot of work to do yet."
    "Aw," he said, actually sounding disappointed. "I was hoping you and me maybe could get a chance to work together."
    And Penelope took his meaning, clear as day. She needed to nip that in the bud. "Did you meet with Jacob out to his house?"
    Anthony nodded. "Nice guy. Good head on his shoulders. He a friend of yours?"
    "He's my fiance." Penelope didn't say anything else. She hoped that would be enough.
    The light came on in Anthony's eyes. "But hey, y'all ain't married yet."
    He smiled in a way that Penelope knew was supposed to be suggestive.
    "We're married in our hearts," she told him. "And that means something to me."
    Anthony frowned, feeling insulted. "Well. Fine, then. I can take a hint."
    "Can you? Can you really?" Penelope asked him. "Because this is pretty important. If you're going to cross those kinds of lines, I'd like to know up front."
    His frown turned into a scowl. "Maybe I shoulda just stayed in Tampa."
    Penelope sat down at the next desk over and leaned toward him with her elbows on her knees. "That decision is yours to make. From what I've seen so far, you're a very capable officer. But there's more to being a good police officer than just good investigation techniques. You have to be able to respect people, too."
    "That why you're sticking your neck out for Doug Foster?"
    Penelope took the change in subject in stride. "That's one of the reasons. Plus, I owe him a lot."
    "Doc Gordon, oh excuse me, I mean your fiance," he twisted the word a little, but Penelope didn't rise to the bait, "he was telling me a little about that. I hope you figure it out. I don't know what I would do if my brother ever got into that kind of