Ginny Aiken - Suspicion

While Loganton was relatively clean by comparison to larger cities, in the past couple of years the town had experienced a scattering of drug overdoses, and last spring Ethan Rodgers and his fiancée, Tess Graver, had nearly died at the hands of a meth dealer.

Under the worsening rain, Steph unfurled her right hand. In her damp palm, within four half-moon indentations etched by her nails, lay the key to the door. “Thank you, Jesus,” she whispered.

She’d kept the drugs where they belonged.

At six o’clock, Hal Benson slid into his usual booth at Granny Annie’s Diner, the only eatery in Loganton. Even Pepper, his rescued greyhound, turned up her elegant nose at the cooking.

As he settled back against the puffy red vinyl seat, Karla, Granny Annie’s youngest niece, skidded to a stop by his booth, glass of water, order pad and red ink pen in hand.

Hal grabbed for the water in self-defense.

“Hey, Sheriff Hal!” Karla’s cheeks glowed pink, her brown eyes sparkled and her riot of black curls fought the restraints of the hairnet her part-time job forced her to wear. “You want the same as always?”

He took a drink as he thought for a minute. His frequent meat loaf, mashed potatoes and whatever vegetable Granny Annie offered that day didn’t really appeal to him tonight. “What’s the special?”

“Granny’s got two. Spaghetti, salad and garlic bread’s one, and the other’s chicken potpie, biscuits or corn bread and spiced apples on the side.”

“Hmm…the chicken sure sounds good. Why don’t you bring me some of that?”

“Iced tea?”

“Is there anything else a man would want with his meal?”

Karla laughed. “Not this sheriff, I guess.”

Hal took another sip of water then glanced out the window. The sky was ripe with the incoming thunderstorm. He hoped it would pass quickly; otherwise he was in for a drenching by the time he left the diner. Then he chuckled. If that was the worst thing he had to face that evening, he’d get off lightly.

Karla zipped off to the kitchen.

A flock of customers sailed in. The flurry of greetings inspired by their arrival filled the diner with the comfort of familiarity. Out of the corner of his eye, Hal saw Karla tear back out from behind the counter with her tray perched on a slender shoulder.

“Beep-beep!” She smiled at the newcomers in the aisle. “Beep-beep!”

Before the lively young waitress reached his booth, Hal’s cell phone rang. “Sheriff Benson here.”

“Hey, sir?” Patsy Anderson, his newest deputy, had a little-girl voice and the tenacity of a bulldog. “I’m not sure about this, but since you’re already out there for supper, I thought you might want to know.”

Hal held out a hand to slow Karla. “I want to know. What’s up?”

“Well, sir, it seems when the pharmacist, Miss Scott, went to close up tonight, she got mugged—”

“I’ll be right there. And thanks, Patsy.” He turned to Karla. “Can you have Granny hold my supper for me? I’ve got to go on a call.”

Karla rolled her eyes. “As if this was new.”

He sighed. Having Granny Annie hold his meal until after he’d taken care of whatever latest problem had erupted was not new. What was new this time was the victim.

Steph Scott had been mugged.

Hal hurried out, hopped into the cruiser, drove down Main Street, cut across River Run Road, then turned into the alley behind the pharmacy. He parked by the white Loganton PD car already there.

Veteran officer Wayne Donnelly and his rookie partner Maggie Lowe stood on one side of the back steps to the pharmacy, while Mr. Cooper, the postmaster, stood on the other. Steph sat on the top step, visibly shaken. All three were drenched by the now steady rain and blowing wind.

While Maggie smiled a greeting, Wayne frowned. Steph looked scared.

Hal tapped the brim of his hat, working to hold his concern at bay. “I was about to eat supper at Granny Annie’s when my deputy called. She figured since I was close by, I might be interested in what happened. I know you guys have jurisdiction, so I’m not here officially, unless you want my help, that is. Just came to offer, since Granny Annie’s is so close.”

Steph glanced up at him, her gray eyes huge. “All help is welcome,” she said, her voice low.

Hal shoved his hands in his pockets. That was that. It would now take an act of congress to budge him. “What happened?”

Maggie turned. “It sounds pretty typical. Steph was closing up shop when the mugger attacked. She fought him and was able to keep him from getting the key to the store.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Hal saw Steph shiver. “Hang on.”

He ran to his cruiser. There was no reason for her to be cold as well as hurt when he had an unused jacket in the car. The abrasions on her face were bad enough.

“Here.” He held out the navy waterproof coat seconds later. “You need it more than my trunk does.”

For a moment, he thought she’d argue. It wouldn’t surprise him if she did. He’d watched Steph put everyone else’s needs before hers for years now, even back when they’d both been in school. She’d always been the one to help rather than the one who received the help. This time, however, she was in need.

Hal was about to insist when she surprised him by reaching out and taking the jacket. Their fingers grazed in the exchange, and the electric shock of awareness that hit him took his breath away. From the startled look on Steph’s face, it seemed she’d felt it, too.

For a moment, Hal wanted nothing more than to reach out, wrap his arms around her and promise her everything would be fine. But he couldn’t do that, so he did the next best thing. He held out the coat for her.

As she slipped her arms into the sleeves, he said, “We’re going to make sure we get the guy who did this to you.”

Her silvery-gray gaze met his. “Thanks.”

“Of course we will,” Maggie added, giving Hal a curious look.

He blushed.

With a shrug, she turned back to Steph. “Don’t suppose you have surveillance out here?”

Steph shook her head.

“Wouldn’t be a bad idea. We might have caught the guy on film.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“You do that,” Maggie said. “Let’s get back to what happened here. You’re going to have to tell us everything you remember, every last detail. We never know what might be important in an investigation.”

“I understand,” Steph said. “I made sure everything inside was locked up as it should be before I walked out the back door. I took care of the dead bolt first, then the regular door lock. I was about to put my key chain into my purse, when…”

Her words faded off into the rush of the wind, and shudders shook her. This time, Hal couldn’t hold back. He reached an arm around her shoulders, offering the only thing he had to give right then: his comfort and support.

She met his gaze again, and he had the strongest urge to smooth the silky-blond bangs away from her eyes. But again, he couldn’t do that. For right now, his arm around her shoulders had to be enough.

Then Steph took a deep breath. “I’m pretty sure he was after the key to the store. He didn’t touch my purse. That wasn’t a regular thief. I think he was after drugs.”

Hal nodded. “Loganton’s drug problem seems to be growing. But I’m determined to clean up the mess in my county.”

Maggie chuckled. “Is that another one of those famous campaign promises, Sheriff Benson?”

Heat rushed into his cheeks. “Okay. So I am running for reelection. And, sure, I’ve made drugs a major plank in my campaign. But I hate the damage substance abuse brings down. And it’s not just the abuser it hurts, but it’s also the whole community that suffers. It’s a real issue.” He shook his head. “It’s not just a campaign promise, Maggie. It’s my personal commitment to shut down the drug trade that’s wormed its way into my jurisdiction.”