Page 25 of Lawman’s Witness

“So, Mr. Marshall, you’re saying you don’t remember taking someone to the subdivision the night of the alleged murder to show them a house next to the apartments?”

Jack got to his feet. “I don’t have time for this nonsense. Unless you’re going to arrest me…” He tried to make a joke out of it, but the cop didn’t smile.

“That’s all for now,” Detective Tate said. “I think I have what I came for.” With that, he turned and walked out.

Jack swore under his breath, hating that he’d lost his temper, hating even more that he was sweating. This damned detective just wouldn’t quit. He picked up his phone to call Milt again to complain about being harassed by the cops, but found himself putting the phone down as he spotted something that stole his breath.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Amy Sue Brand was back in his showroom talking with one of his oldest and most loyal employees. They had their heads together as if George Harper was filling her in on all his boss’s secrets. Unfortunately, he suspected old George might know a few.

Jack tried to catch his breath. First walking in to find the cop waiting for him yet again. He felt as if he were stuck in a nightmare. Why wouldn’t Whitney just die? He couldn’t believe how his planning had gone so awry. But he’d covered his tracks, so how was it that the police were still asking questions? It galled him that he’d come into work to find Detective Tate waiting to see him at his office yet again. He’d thought that he’d more than satisfied the authorities’ inquiries and found himself getting testy that this one particular cop was still bothering him.

He knew he had to hold it together, but he was losing his patience. He kept telling himself that the woman couldn’t hurt him any more than she had, yet her determination had him losing his mind. Didn’t she have something better to do?

“Is everything all right?” his wife had asked him this morning as he was getting ready for work.

“I’m fine,” he’d snapped. “The commercial shoot is this morning. I always get a little nervous.”

“That’s not true at all,” Christine teased. “The camera loves you, and you love being in front of it.”

He had tried to laugh it off, but the worried look she’d given him warned him that his anxiety was starting to show. True, he had been running scared, but he thought he was holding things together well enough. He’d flashed his wife his famous smile and drew her in for a kiss.

Jack couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. He needed her by his side, and not just for her family money or their heritage. Christine ran their private as well as social lives, making it look easy. He didn’t kid himself that he wouldn’t be where he was now in life without her. That’s why he could never make a mistake like Whitney Clark again.

“Sorry, just a lot going on right now,” he’d said. “But everything’s fine.”

A lie. Nothing was fine, and that was the problem. Cops crawling all over him, a damned eyewitness he needed to deal with and now Whitney’s best friend Liz to worry about. He shook his head.

On top of that, sales were down right now, he reminded himself. It was why he had a big sale coming up and a huge advertising campaign. He needed to get his head into the game, but he found himself glancing around every morning when he walked into work, expecting to see Detective Tate, Amy Sue or Liz—or all three waiting in his office.

His phone buzzed. The film crew were waiting on him back in the media room to shoot his commercial. He looked out the glass around his office at the shine of the new cars in the showroom to where Amy Sue Brand was getting an earful from George.

As he reached for his cowboy hat, he told himself to play it cool. What was Amy Sue Brand doing back here? She was as relentless as that blamed detective.

Shoving his hat down on his head, he left his office and walked over to where she and George were standing next to a large, very expensive shiny new car on the showroom floor. It was exactly the kind of car a farm woman from Dry Gulch, Montana, wouldn’t be interested in buying.

Over the years, he’d gotten where he could tell if a prospective customer was really in the market for a car—especially one of the expensive ones that sat on the showroom floor.

This woman wasn’t here to buy a car. Nor had she ever purchased one from his dealership, which meant there was only one reason she was here.

“Looking for a car,” Jack said cheerfully as he approached and shifted his gaze to her, his smile faltering. “Once you get behind the wheel, you won’t be able to walk away from this one,” he said as he ran his hand over the smooth surface of the hood. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she? Too bad I don’t have time to take you for a test drive.”

“Nice car, but I’m not shopping for a new car, Mr. Marshall. George and I were just visiting. He said he’s your oldest employee, been here since you took over the dealership. That’s a long relationship. You can learn a lot about a man in that length of time.” She was smiling and so was George. “Bet he knows all your secrets.” She chuckled, and George joined her, unaware of who she was or how dangerous this woman was. “I wasn’t surprised to hear that you have your pilot’s license and your own private plane, but no small jet although you’ve been shopping for one. I’m shocked you have any time to use it as busy as you are.”

Jack managed to chuckle and smile even though he was fuming inside, his blood thundering in his ears. How dare George tell this woman anything about him, not that it was a secret. George was probably just making conversation, thinking she was doing the same.

But enough was enough. He had to end this right now. His gaze shifted to the older man. “George, sorry to break this up, but I need you to see to that trade-in that just arrived out back. I’ll take care of this young woman.”

George nodded and quickly hurried off, leaving him alone with Amy Sue. The moment the older man was gone, Jack turned on her. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing but—”

“Just waiting for my car to be serviced,” she said. “Your service manager seems nice and well meaning. Don’t take it out on him just because he’s been with you for a long time and is proud of your success. He still thinks you’re a nice guy.”

“I see what you’re doing,” Jack said, keeping his voice low. He looked away from her, fighting to rein in his temper. He’d built this business, this life, all of it because he could be calm, cool and collected when he needed to. He needed to right now as he stepped closer to her. “You should leave, and if you’re smart you won’t come back,” he whispered.

The front door opened on a gust of wind. Stepping back from the petite blonde, he smiled and said, “Let me call the service department. I bet your car is ready.” With that he turned and walked away before he did something he would regret. Once he had the service manager on the line, he said, “Amy Sue Brand’s car. Get it ready and get her off the lot.”

Amy Sue tried to still the way her insides quaked, her heart a pounding drumbeat of both fear and exhilaration as the man walked away. It was the first time she’d stood close to a murderer, let alone spoken to him the way she had. The man had an air about him of importance and power that she knew wasn’t just air. She didn’t have any doubt that he could crush her in all kinds of ways—not to mention kill her as he had the woman the night of the murder. It was no wonder he terrified her.