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hadn’t even left. Inventory days were brutal.
    Then I saw the red Mustang, next to the truck. I had to walk past the front of the building to get to the door leading to the police station on the side. An eight-foot chain link blocked my access from this side. Just walk fast , I thought. Maybe he’s still inside with the mayor.
    I sped past the truck, but when I got in front of the Mustang, I snuck a peek toward the car. Ted Hendricks sat in the front seat. “Damn,” I muttered, then slipped on a customer service smile and waved with my free hand.
    He didn’t wave back.
    I leaned closer. Ted’s head was at an odd angle and there was splatter on the windows. I set the basket down on the sidewalk and took a step closer. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed a number.
    â€œHey, beautiful.” Greg’s voice filled my ear, but my eyes wouldn’t leave the sight in front of me.
    â€œYou need to come out front.”
    Greg chuckled. “Carrie already told me about the surprise when I called to order dinner. Just come in, the side door is unlocked, and we’ll eat in the break room. I don’t want to lock up the station.”
    â€œGreg, you need to come out front.” My voice caught. “Ted Hendricks is out here.”
    Greg’s voice hardened. “Is he bothering you? I swear, that guy is ballsy.”
    I swallowed. “He’s not bothering me. I think he’s dead.”

CHAPTER 4
    I sat in the police station’s break room with the cooling basket of food. Greg was out front somewhere, handling the crime scene. I couldn’t stop seeing the look on Ted’s face, slack and almost peaceful, if not for the blood caking around his flowing blond locks. I shivered and closed my eyes, trying to block the memory.
    I had cleaned all the tables, stacked the magazines, shelved the used paperbacks in alphabetical order, and was considering reshelving by genre when Greg came into the break room.
    â€œHow you doing, sweetheart?” He took my hand and sat me on the orange plastic couch, pulling me into a hug. “You ready to talk about what you saw?”
    My breath hitched. “Can you even question me? Isn’t that a conflict of interest or something?” Truth was, I didn’t want to talk, not to Greg or anyone, really.
    Greg shook his head. “Clearly it’s a suicide. The mayor said he’d fought with Ted this afternoon. Marvin told him that he was calling the administrator of the program and getting him kicked off the job.”
    â€œMayor Baylor said that?” I didn’t think the guy cared if Ted was a bully, even if the participants going through the program were vulnerable.
    â€œWell, there was also the matter of the kickback Ted was trying to force out of the mayor. Money, it’s always about money.” Greg stood up and went to the table, opening the basket. He pulled out one of the biscuits. “I’m starving. I can’t leave until Doc Ames gets here for the body. I’ve got Toby out there holding the fort for a few minutes.”
    â€œTed was blackmailing the mayor?” I frowned. Something didn’t make sense. “Then how do you know it’s suicide? Maybe Mayor Baylor killed him?”
    Greg laughed and almost choked on the bite of biscuit he’d just taken. After he’d stopped coughing, he shook his head. “Honey, you always see trouble. Ted put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. I’m sure Doc Ames will find gunshot residue on his hands as well and confirm the obvious.” He pulled out a chicken leg. “You want some?”
    My stomach turned. There was no way I could eat, not now. I shook my head. “I don’t think I’ll be eating anything for a few days.”
    Greg put the chicken back into the box. “Sorry, I’m being insensitive. I guess after what I’ve seen on the job, you tend to compartmentalize.”
    I held my hand up to