hadnât 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 heâs 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. âDamn,â I muttered, then slipped on a customer service smile and waved with my free hand.
He didnât wave back.
I leaned closer. Tedâs 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.
âHey, beautiful.â Gregâs voice filled my ear, but my eyes wouldnât leave the sight in front of me.
âYou need to come out front.â
Greg chuckled. âCarrie already told me about the surprise when I called to order dinner. Just come in, the side door is unlocked, and weâll eat in the break room. I donât want to lock up the station.â
âGreg, you need to come out front.â My voice caught. âTed Hendricks is out here.â
Gregâs voice hardened. âIs he bothering you? I swear, that guy is ballsy.â
I swallowed. âHeâs not bothering me. I think heâs dead.â
CHAPTER 4
I sat in the police stationâs break room with the cooling basket of food. Greg was out front somewhere, handling the crime scene. I couldnât stop seeing the look on Tedâs 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.
âHow you doing, sweetheart?â He took my hand and sat me on the orange plastic couch, pulling me into a hug. âYou ready to talk about what you saw?â
My breath hitched. âCan you even question me? Isnât that a conflict of interest or something?â Truth was, I didnât want to talk, not to Greg or anyone, really.
Greg shook his head. âClearly itâs a suicide. The mayor said heâd 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
âMayor Baylor said that?â I didnât think the guy cared if Ted was a bully, even if the participants going through the program were vulnerable.
âWell, there was also the matter of the kickback Ted was trying to force out of the mayor. Money, itâs always about money.â Greg stood up and went to the table, opening the basket. He pulled out one of the biscuits. âIâm starving. I canât leave until Doc Ames gets here for the body. Iâve got Toby out there holding the fort for a few minutes.â
âTed was blackmailing the mayor?â I frowned. Something didnât make sense. âThen how do you know itâs suicide? Maybe Mayor Baylor killed him?â
Greg laughed and almost choked on the bite of biscuit heâd just taken. After heâd stopped coughing, he shook his head. âHoney, you always see trouble. Ted put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Iâm sure Doc Ames will find gunshot residue on his hands as well and confirm the obvious.â He pulled out a chicken leg. âYou want some?â
My stomach turned. There was no way I could eat, not now. I shook my head. âI donât think Iâll be eating anything for a few days.â
Greg put the chicken back into the box. âSorry, Iâm being insensitive. I guess after what Iâve seen on the job, you tend to compartmentalize.â
I held my hand up to