Ashton wasn't worried like he knew he probably should have been about Nicole. It wasn't time for her to leave yet. He paced the cell. But then, how would he know when she was supposed to leave? He kept trying to tell himself it wasn't time yet, and that kept him from worrying.
The door opened and footsteps came down to his cell. The door closed. Ashton went over to the bars. Nicole, eyes wide and excited, stood there, grinning at him like a madman. "What's up?" he asked.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a wad of tightly folded paper. "You need to read this."
He took the paper from her and unfolded it. His father's handwriting dominated the pages.
Ashton keeps saying that it's not the tourists but the local people. His reports no longer reflect this, but he doesn't understand. I need to make sure he does, before this gets out of hand. He could use a day or two in a cell to see how it feels. Since things haven't been working so far, he needs a push. He needs to see how it feels to lose everything so he can understand how his plans would affect the people here.
Ashton rubbed his forehead. He already knew this. What was the big deal? He looked up and Nicole was still looking at him with excitement. "Other page," she said.
He nodded and slid the one he'd read behind the other and his eyes grew wider as he read down the page.
Taylor Hebert fought. Took a burn to my left bicep. Hydrochloric acid burns are one of the worst.
Taylor was found on the beach. I wonder if I really did kill her. It makes sense. No autopsy should be done. It's obvious how she died.
Nicole Downs offered to help me. Too good to be true. Ashton's girlfriend offered to put him away. She is suspect in her reasons, but I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. If she's truthful, she'll be a greater asset to me than she may think.
Ashton has been up to something. Nicole has broken into my house. I haven't determined where loyalty lies within her, but I'm sure he convinced her to do this. How remains to be determined.
Ashton was put in holding. Tried to force information out of him. He refused to budge. Somehow, I'll have to break him down to get what I need. I think the key lies within Nicole.
Nicole was locked in his cell, also holding.
Tried to break her but she bit my tongue. Benson keeps secrets well, so I had him take a look. I should be fine, but now Nicole is suspicious. Mason may be as well. Ashton has long realized.
Nicole told me she knows I killed Taylor. She has no way to prove this, a hope I'm holding on to.
Ashton has been arrested. I managed to frame him. Norman Bishop gave me the items to plant in his home. Items were then found and delivered by Nicole.
Ashton is set to be sent to Columbia for trial in one week. My plan has worked beyond my hopes. With him out of my way, I can now train Norman to replace me. He shares my goals and values. He would make a perfect replacement. He flew through college, the Academy, and the hiring process. He should be able to handle anything this job throws at him.
Ashton felt anger first. How could his father do this to him? How could his father hurt that child? He couldn't believe this. Then the anger turned his veins to ice. But his father didn't kill her. Someone else did. He looked up at Nicole. She was watching him closely. "What is it?" she asked, concerned.
He shook his head and paced the cell. He reread the paper. Someone else killed her. She was killed by drowning in stagnant water. There was only salt water here. Not even a lake nearby. Just ocean. She'd been held underwater until there was no more life in her. After a complete circuit around the tiny room, he came as close to her as the bars allowed. "He didn't kill her."
Nicole's eyebrows rose. "I know. I don't know where to start trying to find out who did, but things are really falling into place to arrest Clive and get him out of the way. Mason has the official autopsy on file and he can show it to the state police. I need to speak to him and show him this. When I do, I know he'll call them and then things will begin falling into place."
"But what about the killer?" His voice was small. He kept seeing handcuffs on Trisha. She wasn't the killer. She couldn't be. He refused to believe it. Because of her one nail, she could be placed there at the crime scene and then her life could be over. Just like his was going to be.
Nicole placed a hand on his face, and he snapped out of his thoughts. "Ashton, I'll look into it. At best, I can delay you leaving. Maybe provide enough doubt they can release you. I took a picture of your things when I took your laptop and everything. I can prove that everything they have was taken out of Clive's house. I took a picture there, too. I can cast enough doubt to get you out. Right?"
He had to admit, that was enough to cast suspicion on his dad. However, he had been arrested for the murder, which was a little harder to get released for than other, smaller crimes. He finally sighed. "You know, it's worth a try. Have Mason call the state police and get them out here. If he calls them today, I might be able to get out tomorrow. First, you need to collect evidence for them. They're not lazy, they're just a little less motivated when it comes to these small towns. Did you get anything else?"
She nodded as she lowered her hand. "I got copies of files on a few people here. I'm going to go poking around when I leave."
He nodded. "Good. Oh, and before you go, I need to tell you something before I forget. You know the cop that put the handcuffs on me? Norman?" She nodded. "Well, he's in love with Trisha. He stalked her. He admitted it to me. Also, he seemed concerned about you and me, how we got hurt and who hurt us, but I don't know how much of that's put on and how much is real. I don't really know him. We grew up here, but he's about three years older than me. We never spent time together. I never knew he wanted to be a cop or anything. Now he's Deputy Sheriff. Which means that when Clive is gone, he takes over. Temporarily, but still. He'll only take over until the next election can be held, which, if Clive is sent to prison, will be fairly quick."
She nodded. "I'll be careful, and I'll look into him."
Ashton nodded. "Good." He sighed as he gazed at her. His gaze fell to the healing bruise on her neck where Clive had tried to choke her. The bruise on her face where he'd hit her was barely there. Ashton reached through the bars and touched the bruise on her face. "How are you?"
She smiled. "I'll be better when you're out of there. But in the meantime, I'm . . . okay. How about you?"
He gave her a sad smile. "The same. Also? I can't wait to take a shower." They both laughed. "In here there's no shower, but there is one at my place." He chewed his lip, ignoring the pain from the split. "If I get out and we get all of this straightened out, do you think I'll become the Sheriff?"
She shrugged. "I don't know."
He had a feeling he had enough support in town. Or would, once everything came out. The thought had been nagging him in the back of his mind. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be or not. "You know, if I do, that'll mean you'll have to live here. Is that okay with you?"
She gave him a small smile. "Ash, I love it here. I'd move here in a heartbeat if you stay. You're worth it."
He watched her for a long moment. "What about college? You're skipping a year, but what about next year?"
She raised an eyebrow. "There are online classes. I don't need to go to a campus to learn. I can stay here and also go to college."
He smiled back. "True." He held her hand and looked at them. Her hand was soft, and she didn't hold his hand too tight. He lifted it to his mouth to kiss it. She was all he wanted, everything he needed. She didn't know how much it hurt him to be so close to her and not able to hug her or kiss her or cuddle on a sofa while watching TV. This was the closest he could get to any of that, and he'd take what he could get. He gave her hand a few kisses before lowering it. "I love you."
"I love you." She looked at him. He saw love in her eyes, and he smiled. It filled his heart.
"Let me see the ring again." She smiled and pulled the end of the chain out of her shirt and dangled it in front of him. "I meant on your hand," he said with a smile.
She smiled and pulled her hand away from him. The ring fit on her finger, even with the chain in the way. He smiled. That was the best thing he'd ever seen. She was his. He knew it. He swallowed. After a moment she slipped it off and slipped it back down her shirt. "I don't want your dad to see it. Or the rest of the officers. Except Mason."
"I know. Me neither." He rested his forehead against the bars. This was one of those times he wished he could be like Superman. He'd bend the bars, hold Nicole for a minute, and then fix them back with his strength and heat vision. No one would know except the two of them. He sighed.
"Penny for your thoughts."
He smiled. It was too childish to tell her. "Just thinking about you."
"What about me?"
He laughed softly. "Don't worry about it. Good thoughts, I promise." He looked at her. She was super close. He knew the bars were spaced wide enough that he could kiss her through them, but that's not the way he wanted his first kiss to go. He wasn't going to do that while he was in a jail cell. "You need to go show those to Mason. The sooner you do it, the sooner I can get out," he reminded her.
"Right." She sighed. Her breath was light on his face. "Do you want me to come back before we find out if you can come home?"
"No." He didn't know if he could take that. Besides, it was only maybe 24 hours. "You've got to do too much before then," he improvised.
She nodded with a sigh. She backed away and turned to leave. "If I need something else, I guess I'll get Mason to come." He nodded and she walked away.
---
Mason was as shocked as she and Ashton had been by the paper. He agreed to try to get the state police in to investigate as soon as he could. But, he told her, it would take some convincing. Not only them, but Norman, too. He was the one that would have to make the call, not Mason. She just needed to go collect the evidence she needed.
That was why she and Mason found themselves sitting at the bar in the local restaurant. Two of the people she found in the files were sitting there. She sidled up to them. Mason was a seat away, in case she needed him. Tim Gorges was the closest to her. He turned to her, drawing her into the loud debate between him and her other target, Nathan Holloway.
"Don't you think so?"
She shrugged. "I think Mayor Gamble is doing a good job, but what do I know? I'm only visiting."
The man shook his head and the two started off on a rant against the mayor, citing many things he did or was going to do that they didn't agree with.
After a few minutes she was tired of it, but she didn't stop them. Once most of the lunch crowd was gone, they quieted down. Nicole tapped Tim's arm. "Hey, I need to ask you something."
He turned to her. "What?" He looked her over.
She noticed he wasn't but maybe thirty. "I was wondering what you honestly think of Sheriff Dodd. I won't repeat it and you won't influence my vote."
He eyed her and turned to Nathan. When Nathan shrugged, Tim turned back to her. "I think he's low and dirty. I wouldn't want him to be sheriff again. I mean, if I were to pick our next one myself, I'd get his son. I didn't think for a moment Ash did that to the girl. I've talked to him several times since I came here ten years ago. He's one of the best people here." The bartender came over and sat a drink in front of Tim. "Thanks." He grinned at Nicole. "Ginger ale, don't worry." She smiled when she realized she'd made a face at the glass. "It's okay."
"If you don't like him, why are you letting him pay you?" she asked in a low voice, barely above a whisper.
His spine straightened. "Man's gotta eat," was all he said. He turned away.
"He's not the only one, is he?"
Tim glanced at her, annoyed. "What does it matter? Are you gonna turn me in or something? Clive ain't gonna do me anything."
She smiled at the bartender when he came over. "I'll have what he has." She pointed her thumb at the man next to her. A minute later a glass was sat in front of her. She took a sip and looked around Tim at Nathan. "He being paid, too?"
Tim glanced over. "Yep." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why are you asking so many dadgum things? No one else ever does."
She took a long drink, weighing her response to that. "I saw things. I have things." Best to keep it all a little vague, she figured.
He watched her another moment. "Then why are you coming to me?"
"That's how I found out your game." She gave him a sidelong glance. "Why else would I be here?"
He stared. "I don't know if you're trying to confuse me, or if you're also confused."
She turned to him. "I know you get paid to rant about people. It's all in my sources. You want what's paid to you."
"Right," he said, nodding slowly. "What of it?"
She took another long drink. It was going better than she expected. Finally, she sat the glass down. "I want you to help Ashton."
He crossed his arms. "There's no way I can help him. He's in jail, or haven't you noticed?"
She frowned. Her hand went to the lump under her shirt. "Oh, I've noticed. Trust me." She smiled. "I'm afraid you're wrong, though. You can help Ashton." She gestured to Mason. "If you give him your statement about Clive paying you, you'll be testifying against him. As long as he's deemed unfit, Ash can be released. He really didn't do it, Tim."
He watched her fiddling with the necklace. His silence stretched on for a long minute. Finally, he gave her a nod. "I'll do it. I'll try to get Nathan to do the same."
She released a breath. "Thank you." She turned around. "Mason? He agreed."
With a nod, he slid a piece of paper and a pen down the counter. While he watched Tim write, he gave Nicole a smile and nod. "Good job," he mouthed to her. She felt herself glow a little.