Read Slim To None (Cedar Tree #1) for Free Online

Colorado.
    "Hmm," Gus muttered. "Sorry to disappoint, even though I guess I am licensed as a bounty hunter in a few states, I can promise you, it's a pretty boring job."
    Wanting to get things back on track, Emma prompted him. "So, you were saying you are working with some task force? What does that have to do with my house being broken into, or you being there. I'm still really confused." 
    "The person I am looking for is instrumental in a big case. He made a deal with law enforcement and disappeared. We think he may be trying to clean up some loose ends before he hops a border somewhere, and we'd like to nip that in the bud"
    "Okay, and you think he's in Cedar Tree?"
    "Actually, we discovered some of his so-called loose ends, and one of them was a post office box in Cortez, where I happen to have a buddy working for the County Sheriff's Office. With his help, I found out the renter of that box lived here in Cedar Tree."
    Emma slowly felt the blood draining from her face when Gus mentioned the post office box in Cortez, and she felt Gus's eyes on her the whole time. Slowly lifting her eyes, she saw the confirmation in his face.
    "Are you saying...? Do you... Am I? Me?" She stuttered out.
    Arlene, who was slow to clue in, suddenly slammed her fist on the table, rattling the coffee cups. "Damn, Ems – that truck!"
    Gus whipped his head around to face her. "What truck is that?"
    "Ems was telling me yesterday that she was freaking out over it..."
    "I did not say I was freaking out." Emma cut in. "I said I didn't feel safe because that truck followed me into Cortez a few times, and I would feel safer going with someone, but that's not freaking out; that's being safe!" She glared at Arlene, willing her to stop bringing up the damn truck, because the next thing would be the anonymous phone call. She had no intention of discussing that with a man who made her feel all kinds of niggly little persistent things she hadn't felt in forever, no thank you.
    "What.Truck.Is.That!" Gus bit out, making both Emma and Arlene snap to attention.
    "Well then," Arlene huffed. "Ems here would drive into town to check her mail, and found this truck sitting at the intersection at the highway into Cortez. Once getting to Cortez, it would be there at the same time.”
    "Excuse me, but what does all of this have to do with me? I'm still not understanding any of this. I just moved here two months ago and all I do is bake pies and do bookkeeping online. Fine, and I also go to doctor's appointments. Other than that, I don't do a damn thing." She was getting a little impatient now, and more than a little anxious. She was not liking where this was going.
    "Alright," Gus said, "I'll tell you what I know, and then you can maybe fill in some blanks before we head over to the sheriff's office." That earned a nod from her.  
    "My guess is that the person we are after, Ernst Corbin... Is that name familiar by the way?" He looked at her with his eyebrows raised.
    Emma shook her head. "No, never heard it. However, I mostly deal with business names, or business emails. To be honest, I rarely look closely at signatures on checks."
    "Yeah, I figured that would probably be too easy, but like I said, I assume he must have called in for your bookkeeping services at some point. He may have inadvertently given you some sensitive information, and now wants to make sure that information disappears and never sees the light of day."
    "So I guess that's what he was looking for? But I never actually print off much at all. Only time I might is if there are discrepancies, because sometimes it is easier to find errors on paper than it is on a computer, but then I destroy the paper in my shredder right away when I'm done. I just can't see how there is anything incriminating that I could have. I would remember if something was off, wouldn't I? It just doesn't make any sense to me." Emma dropped her head in her hands, massaging her scalp where a nice juicy headache was forming.