“What’s the problem?”
“I have to commit a misdemeanor to get you to see me.” Monica had clearly been drinking, likely smoking something too.
Liam was pacing the bar, barely keeping his shit together. Seeing him, Liam walked behind the bar, pulled something out and dropped it on the counter. “I don’t know what the fuck, but I’m done with this shit.”
Killian unfolded the napkin to see a gun. His focus jerked back to Liam.
“Came in here waving it around. Scared the shit out of everyone.”
He called for Johnny. The kid came through the doors. “Get statements from everyone outside,” he told him.
“Alright, Sheriff.”
“And get prints off this, run it, too, see what comes up.”
“You got it.” Johnny strolled across the room, pulled out an evidence bag from his pocket, and dropped the gun and napkin into it.
“What are you making such a big deal about? I didn’t hurt anyone,” Monica said, looking at her nails. “I was just trying to get your attention.”
They were together for a month, two years ago. He knew it was a mistake after the second date. Shaking her off had taken the additional weeks. It was only in the last six months that she started this shit. The thought that she was pining, nah, there was more going on. He’d run the gun, see who the owner was.
“Well, you did commit a misdemeanor being high, but waving a gun in a public place is a felony.” He yanked her from the stool.
“Now this is more like it.” Her salacious smile turned to a frown when he snapped the cuffs on her. “Johnny,” he called.
The kid returned.
“Read her, her rights and lock her up.”
Monica was incredulous. “You can’t be serious,” she hissed. “You can’t lock me up.”
“Yeah, I fucking can.”
“You won’t get away with this,” Monica screamed, as she was dragged from the tavern.
“Gag her if you need to, Deputy,” Liam called after them.
Ron popped his head in. “We good to let these people back in, Boss?”
“Yeah,” Killian said.
“Drinks on the house,” Liam shouted from the bar. The jukebox went back on, games were resumed, and life went back to normal.
“You want a drink?” Liam asked.
He did, but he was going back to the station to look into Monica. “I still got shit to do.” He glanced around the bar. “You going to take this off my hands?” he asked.
“Yeah. We’ve got to go through the finances, but yeah and soon.”
That was generous and curious for Cedar to make the offer when she barely knew Liam.
“I know what you’re thinking. I was thinking it, too. She hardly knows me, but she said she has the money to invest and has no source of income at the moment and…” He ran a hand through his hair. “She was really grateful for me offering her a room that first night.” Killian glanced over at his friend. “Anyone would have, but it’s like she’s not accustomed to people helping her.”
“She mention anything to you about why she moved here?” Killian asked.
“No.”
Possession moved through him again. He wanted to be the one she confided in. She was definitely getting under his skin. And for the first time, in a long time, he liked it. He knocked on the bar. “I’m going to the station.”
“Thanks for coming,” Liam said. “What were you doing anyway? Graham and the crew were here hours ago.”
Killian started for the door. “Just making dinner.”
Two hours later, Killian leaned back in his chair and ran his hands over his face. He seriously needed to shake some things loose. He never wanted to own a bar, thank fuck, Liam was taking that off his hands. He hadn’t wanted to be sheriff, but the last one was more interested in campaign contributions to pad his already obscene wealth. He played favorites, turned a blind eye. Sheriff Webster was more criminal than the ones he arrested, not that there had been many. When the town council fired Webster, they asked Killian to take over. He agreed, but it was supposed to have been temporary. Four years later, he was still wearing the badge. There was a part of the job he liked, looking for the pieces, putting shit together, but all the fucking paperwork and red tape was getting old.
Johnny and Ron were good deputies and like night and day. Johnny was by the book and missed nothing. Ron looked like a hippie at Woodstock, with his long hair and laid-back attitude, but he was fearless and reliable. Johnny would make an excellent sheriff. It was something he needed to talk to the kid about because Killian was ready to step down. He wanted a quieter life, wanted to focus more on the homestead and his animals. The image of Cedar from earlier popped into his head. That he could see her sharing his quiet surprised him.
Monica had passed out. They ran the gun; it wasn’t registered, had no unsolved crimes on it. Someone had given it to her because Monica wouldn’t know how to go about getting a gun and for no other reason than she was too lazy to look into it. She’d still carried a firearm into a crowded building. She could be brought up on charges for that. He was deciding how he wanted to handle it, and her.
He glanced at his watch. It was late; Cedar would be sleeping. She’d given him her key. He fucking felt that key in his pocket, and he was tempted to use it, but he wouldn’t. There was a pattern forming with her. Helping out Liam when she barely knew him, giving him her key. Trust, freely given, without any evidence those she was bestowing it on were worthy of it.
He could look her up. A few keystrokes and he would know everything there was to know about Cedar Walker. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but he curled them into a fist. That would be violating her trust.
He stood, grabbed his keys. “You got this, Johnny?”
“Yeah, Boss.”
“Ron will be in at six then you go home and get some sleep.” He nodded to Monica. “Going to let her sit for a while. We’ll interview her tomorrow night; by then, she should be ready to talk.”
“Where do you think she got the gun?”
He had a few thoughts. What he wanted to know was why she’d done it because wanting him had not been her motivation. “We’ll find out tomorrow. Call me if you need me.”
“Night, Boss.”
Killian drove home, almost detoured to Cedar’s, but it was two in the morning. He checked on Cisco and Lady. Their handler had already fed them. Cisco nudged his hand. “I don’t have any treats. In the morning,” he said, rubbing his head. Lady nickered when he approached her. “I know. I won’t forget you.” He scratched behind her ears in the place she loved, before he closed up the barn and strolled to his house. He checked messages, saw he had one from his mom. He’d call her in the morning. He hadn’t eaten, but he was more tired than he was hungry, and he had to be at Cedar’s in five hours. Walking to his room, he stripped down and was out minutes later.