Thirty-One and a Half Regrets
Page 68

“Are you going to be with us all day, Deputy Gyer, or are you just here with the chief deputy?” I asked, leaning against the support post.
Deputy Gyer looked up at me and smiled, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ll be here all day, ma’am. You just let me know if you need something.”
A chill ran down my back. “Thank you.”
After Muffy finished her business, we went inside. I could see that Mason and Jeff were still in the office through the glass panes of the closed doors. Mason was sitting in the desk chair and Jeff had pulled up a seat beside him. The chief deputy looked up and smiled, motioning for me to join them.
I opened the door and stood in the entrance. “Good morning, Jeff.” I still felt shaky from my experience with Deputy Gyer. “I don’t want to interrupt your discussion.”
“No, we were just wrapping up. Mason told me that he’d shared with you some of what we’ve been doing.”
I glanced from Jeff to Mason, worried he’d be in trouble. “He didn’t tell me much.”
Jeff saw my concern. “Not to worry, Rose. No one’s in trouble here. Mason said you helped him look at things in a new light. That spark helped him make some startling connections that neither of us had seen before.”
“So you’ve figured out the leak?”
He grinned and clapped a hand on Mason’s shoulder. “No, but Mason’s very close.”
Mason rubbed his forehead. “But not close enough.” He looked up. “Still, I’ve determined the leak is from the sheriff’s department.”
Jeff nodded. “I’m leaving Deputy Gyer with Miller today.”
Mason looked up, surprised.
I motioned toward the front door. “I just met Deputy Gyer when I let Muffy out.”
Jeff grimaced. “Ah… Well, I hope he was polite and professional. Deputy Gyer is not happy to be out here. He thinks he’d be much more effective on the Crocker manhunt, but he’s one of my most trusted men. While he’s unaware of the internal leak, he’ll react quickly if something happens. I’ll feel better knowing he’s out here with you two.”
“Do you have any leads on Daniel Crocker?” I asked.
Frowning, Jeff patted Mason’s shoulder. “That leads me the second reason I’m leaving Gyer here. There’s something I need to tell you, Mason. I just wanted to get through this business first and wait for Rose.”
Jeff’s tone caught Mason’s attention.
“Why don’t we go sit in the living room?”
“Okay.” Mason stood, giving me a worried look.
I waited in the doorway and took Mason’s hand in mine, squeezing it before we sat down on the sofa.
Jeff sat on the coffee table in front of us, his fingertips pressed together. He suddenly looked exhausted. He closed his eyes and sighed, then looked at Mason. “There’s no easy way to tell you this.”
Mason tensed and I put my other hand over our clasped ones.
“Crocker burned down your condo.”
I gasped.
Mason’s jaw clenched but his face remained expressionless. “How do you know it was him?”
Jeff sat up straighter and ran a hand through his short graying hair, releasing a sigh. “He—or more likely one of his buddies—wrote you a note on your driveway in spray paint.”
Mason’s hand tightened around mine. “What did it say?”
Jeff pulled out his cell phone and drew up a picture before passing it to Mason.
Mason stared at it and started to hand it back, but I grabbed it from him. The image made me gasp.
You’ve taken what’s mine and now you’ll pay was scrawled in red spray paint on the concrete.
I dropped the phone onto the table next to Jeff and jumped to my feet, releasing Mason’s hand.
“Don’t you dare,” Mason growled, turning toward me. “Don’t try to accept responsibility for what he’s done.”
“He’s going to hurt you.” My voice broke as terror washed over me.
“Rose.” Jeff stood and moved in front of me. “Crocker has no idea where you or Mason are hidden. We have a lead we’re following. A neighbor saw two cars at the scene and got some partial license plate numbers. We’re running those now. Crocker’s been out of jail for a few days and is no closer to getting what he wants. He’s getting desperate, which means he’s going to get sloppy. But that’s why I have Deputy Gyer here. While he may not have much personality, he’s sharp and he’ll protect you.” He picked up one of my hands and squeezed. “It’s my job to take care of you, and I promise you that I’ll do everything in my power to do that. What’s more, I have a personal investment in this case now.” He released my hand and gestured to Mason. “Mason’s not only my friend; he’s exactly what Fenton County needs in the DA office. For the first time in a long time I feel like we can break free of the good ole boy mentality and corruption. But Mason needs to be a part of that.” He steeled his back. “Don’t worry. We’ll catch him.”
I nodded even though I wasn’t so sure.
“How bad is it?” Mason asked.
“It’s a total loss. The fire marshal says they doused everything in some type of accelerant.”
Mason sat back on the sofa, his face paling. “What about my neighbors? Was anyone hurt?”
“No. Your neighbors got out in time. But they lost everything too.”