Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments Bonus Chapters: Rose Gardner Mystery by Denise Grover Swank Page A

cheek was evidence enough that I was guilty as charged.
    Joe opened his car door and glanced back at us. “Let him go.”
    The deputy’s grip tightened on my wrist. “ But sir ! He attacked you!”
    “Let him go .”
    Grumbling, the deputy removed the cuff, then pointed a finger in my face. “You’re not the assistant district attorney anymore and you better remember that. If I had my way, you’d be in county lockup awaiting your arraignment.”
    “ Deputy ,” Joe called out. “That’s enough.”
    The deputy stomped off toward Joe’s car and climbed into the passenger side as Joe slid behind the wheel. Deputy Miller continued to stand next to me as the car pulled out toward the highway.
    “I didn’t know,” Deputy Miller said softly. “Chief Deputy Simmons told me to meet him out here. I thought it was to watch the house. I had no idea they were going to arrest her.”
    I rubbed my forehead, trying to focus on what needed to be done. “It was all for show. The more deputies, the scarier it was for her.” My voice broke as the truth hit me.
    I’d failed her.
    I’d promised to protect her and I’d failed. The thought was enough to make my knees buckle. Did she blame me for stirring up shit with J.R. Simmons? Did she hate me?
    “Mr. Deveraux, maybe you should sit down.”
    I sucked in a deep breath and shook my head. “No. I have to find her an attorney. I have to get her out of there.”
    “You’re not gonna go after Deputy Simmons, are you?”
    I wanted nothing more than to make Joe Simmons pay for what he’d done to her, but I’d regained enough control to realize that beating the crap out of him wouldn’t solve anything. He’d still be his father’s puppet, and I’d be locked up and unable to do anything to help Rose. No. I needed to stay on this side of the bars. It was the only way I could help her. “There are other ways to make him pay.”
    “I’m going to resign,” the deputy said, sounding resolute. “There’s no way Rose did this. Joe Simmons of all people should know that. I can’t work for him after this.”
    I turned to him in shock. “You’d do that? Resign because he treated her unfairly?”
    He lifted his chin, determination in his eyes. “Last fall I was told to protect her from Daniel Crocker. Since then, Deputy Simmons has had me keep tabs on her and make sure she was safe. I’ve done it long enough that it’s ingrained in me now. I’m ashamed I just stood back and let him do this.”
    I put my hand on his shoulder, studying him intently. He was still young and idealistic. I could see the devastation on his face. “There wasn’t anything you could do. You would have jeopardized your career.”
    “It wouldn’t matter because I intend to quit anyway.”
    I hesitated. What if he ran to Joe with what I was about to propose to him? I decided it was worth the risk. “How far are you willing to go to help her?”
    “Whatever it takes.”
    The look in his eyes told me he meant it. “I need you to keep your job, Deputy Miller. I need you to watch Simmons for me and tell me what he’s up to.”
    The young man’s eyes widened. “You want me to spy on Chief Deputy Simmons?”
    His questioning made me rethink my impromptu request. “Yes, and report back to me.”
    He watched me for several seconds. “And what do you want me to tell you?”
    “Anything you find suspicious.”
    He swallowed, looking nervous. “Like sneaking around your property and reporting to Deputy Simmons anything I found out of the ordinary?”
    I gasped. “You’ve been sneaking around the farmhouse?”
    “Yes.”
    “Why?”
    “Deputy Simmons didn’t say.”
    “How long has this been going on?”
    Deputy Miller cringed. “Since the fire at Gems.”
    “ He has you spying on us? What have you told him?”
    His shoulders rose close to his ears. “Nothing, Mr. Deveraux. There was nothing to report. He told me he was worried about her safety. I never suspected he was looking for evidence. He