something he wanted, Wallace would rubber-stamp any applications that he sent through his office. Between them they were raking in land worth millions at resale. Will got wind of their deal and threatened to blow them both out of the water.’
‘The sheriff was putting a case together?’
Aitken snorted. ‘No. He was blackmailing them.’
‘He wanted in on the deal?’
‘Just hard cash. If they paid up, Will said he’d disappear, leave them to their scam.’
‘But Huffman set him up. He sent you and the Bolans instead of the cash.’
‘Wrong, again! Huffman did the deal. He paid Will off and told him to leave. Will – pig-headed fool that he was – didn’t. He stayed on, flaunting his position as sheriff. Maybe he thought he had Huffman over a barrel. That’s when the Bolans went to speak to him.’
‘What are you getting out of this deal?’
‘My family owns land down by White Rapids; Huffman wants to pay me good money for it.’ He shrugged as best he could in his awkward position. ‘I was also promised the position of sheriff once Will was out of the way.’
‘So it all comes down to greed?’
‘It’s not just about the money,’ Aitken said barely above a whisper. ‘I have a wife and son. My boy’s only twelve years old. Huffman makes a point of asking after their health.’
He stared at me pointedly, letting the silent innuendo sink in.
‘You’re supposed to be a cop. Couldn’t you have gone through the proper channels if you were being threatened?’
‘Gone to Will? He’d have laughed in my face. He was as corrupt as any of us.’
Small town politics, I thought wryly, how’d I end up bogged down in this?
‘So,’ I offered, ‘you couldn’t go to Sheriff Devaney. Huffman’s got Judge Wallace by the balls. You could’ve still gone outside, Aitken. The state cops would have backed you up.’
‘Not before my wife and kids were paid a visit by Huffman. I don’t want to go home and find my family with their heads cut off.’
Around us the blizzard was growing stronger. Wind pushed at the shingles, setting off a clatter.
I could sympathise with Aitken. But not much. In my estimation he was a coward, and I thought his fear of retribution on his family was really an excuse. If he was so concerned about them, he’d have taken them and run away. Or he would have put a bullet in Huffman’s skull. No, he was waiting on the money that Huffman had promised for his land. He struck me as the type who’d willingly offer up his wife and son if Huffman came calling.
‘Tell me about Imogen Ballard,’ I said. ‘Why’s Huffman after her? She witnessed what happened to Sheriff Devaney, right?’
‘Yeah, she was there. But that’s not it.’
I frowned at Aitken. He must have seen my confusion as a minor victory. A way out for him. He was actually smiling as he lifted his head and stared me in the eye.
‘You thought you had it all figured out, huh? Well, sorry, but you don’t know the half of it.’
Standing stock-still, meeting his gaze, I said, ‘Tell me.’
‘You obviously know the woman, right? How she was divorced?’
I didn’t bother answering.
‘She got herself a new man.’
Not Huffman, I thought, please don’t say Huffman.
Aitken rolled his head on his shoulders like a boxer between rounds. ‘Will Devaney,’ he announced. ‘She was helping Will blackmail Huffman and the rest of us.’
Stunned, I could only stare in disbelief.
‘She still is. To the tune of two million dollars.’
Chapter 17
Twenty minutes later I was back in the driving seat of the cop car. This time I had it all to myself. Aitken’s revelation had rocked me more than I liked to admit. So I drove into Little Fork with my brain buzzing.
Imogen wasn’t the innocent I’d been led to believe. There was me thinking she was lying low for fear of violence from dangerous men, when all along she was as much a criminal as the rest. What had started out as a small claim against the new owner of
‘The sheriff was putting a case together?’
Aitken snorted. ‘No. He was blackmailing them.’
‘He wanted in on the deal?’
‘Just hard cash. If they paid up, Will said he’d disappear, leave them to their scam.’
‘But Huffman set him up. He sent you and the Bolans instead of the cash.’
‘Wrong, again! Huffman did the deal. He paid Will off and told him to leave. Will – pig-headed fool that he was – didn’t. He stayed on, flaunting his position as sheriff. Maybe he thought he had Huffman over a barrel. That’s when the Bolans went to speak to him.’
‘What are you getting out of this deal?’
‘My family owns land down by White Rapids; Huffman wants to pay me good money for it.’ He shrugged as best he could in his awkward position. ‘I was also promised the position of sheriff once Will was out of the way.’
‘So it all comes down to greed?’
‘It’s not just about the money,’ Aitken said barely above a whisper. ‘I have a wife and son. My boy’s only twelve years old. Huffman makes a point of asking after their health.’
He stared at me pointedly, letting the silent innuendo sink in.
‘You’re supposed to be a cop. Couldn’t you have gone through the proper channels if you were being threatened?’
‘Gone to Will? He’d have laughed in my face. He was as corrupt as any of us.’
Small town politics, I thought wryly, how’d I end up bogged down in this?
‘So,’ I offered, ‘you couldn’t go to Sheriff Devaney. Huffman’s got Judge Wallace by the balls. You could’ve still gone outside, Aitken. The state cops would have backed you up.’
‘Not before my wife and kids were paid a visit by Huffman. I don’t want to go home and find my family with their heads cut off.’
Around us the blizzard was growing stronger. Wind pushed at the shingles, setting off a clatter.
I could sympathise with Aitken. But not much. In my estimation he was a coward, and I thought his fear of retribution on his family was really an excuse. If he was so concerned about them, he’d have taken them and run away. Or he would have put a bullet in Huffman’s skull. No, he was waiting on the money that Huffman had promised for his land. He struck me as the type who’d willingly offer up his wife and son if Huffman came calling.
‘Tell me about Imogen Ballard,’ I said. ‘Why’s Huffman after her? She witnessed what happened to Sheriff Devaney, right?’
‘Yeah, she was there. But that’s not it.’
I frowned at Aitken. He must have seen my confusion as a minor victory. A way out for him. He was actually smiling as he lifted his head and stared me in the eye.
‘You thought you had it all figured out, huh? Well, sorry, but you don’t know the half of it.’
Standing stock-still, meeting his gaze, I said, ‘Tell me.’
‘You obviously know the woman, right? How she was divorced?’
I didn’t bother answering.
‘She got herself a new man.’
Not Huffman, I thought, please don’t say Huffman.
Aitken rolled his head on his shoulders like a boxer between rounds. ‘Will Devaney,’ he announced. ‘She was helping Will blackmail Huffman and the rest of us.’
Stunned, I could only stare in disbelief.
‘She still is. To the tune of two million dollars.’
Chapter 17
Twenty minutes later I was back in the driving seat of the cop car. This time I had it all to myself. Aitken’s revelation had rocked me more than I liked to admit. So I drove into Little Fork with my brain buzzing.
Imogen wasn’t the innocent I’d been led to believe. There was me thinking she was lying low for fear of violence from dangerous men, when all along she was as much a criminal as the rest. What had started out as a small claim against the new owner of
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