Page 36 of Temptation
“A man and a woman almost died last night. Let’s not forget that I was trapped in that dark hole with him.”
Debra’s jaw tightened.
“Bring in Preston.” The words just slipped out from Sloane. “Let me talk to him. Alone. For five minutes.” Because she did not want him to receive the next bit of news from someone else. “Let me talk to him, and, after we’re done, I’ll answer your questions.” That was a fair deal, wasn’t it?
“You aren’t calling the shots.” Debra’s glare probably could have melted glass.
“Then I’m not saying another word.” She would not.
“Yes, you will. You’ll talk. They always talk. They always break.”
Sloane merely arched a brow. You don’t know me.
“You will talk,” Debra assured her.
Sure, I will. To Preston. Not to you.
A soft rap sounded at the door.
“What?” Debra barked.
The door squeaked open. A young deputy with a wide forehead a sharp chin poked his head inside. “Sheriff Tooni?
“What is it, Eugene? I’m busy.”
“I-I got something you’ll want to see…”
Debra glared at Sloane once more. Then she smiled. The smile was pretty jarring because it was—somehow—as angry as her glare had been. “Don’t go anywhere.” With that, the sheriff sauntered for the door.
Oh, cute. Funny. She couldn’t go anywhere because she was still cuffed. No wonder the sheriff had flashed her snarky grin.
The sheriff slammed the door on her way out.
Sloane’s shoulders sagged.
“I want to see Sloane. Now.” Preston had seen the sheriff exiting the conference room, and he moved to confront her. Immediately. He’d already answered all of her questions. Told her everything that he remembered about the attack. Damn little, unfortunately. Now he wanted Sloane.
But a young deputy was in his way. Eugene Calvin. Tall, thin. Nervous hands. Sweaty forehead.
“She wants to see you, too,” Debra muttered. “But that’s not happening.”
The hell it wasn’t.
“What did you get?” Debra asked Eugene. “A hit on her prints?”
Preston wanted in that conference room. He wanted Sloane. “You don’t want to fuck with me right now.”
“I don’t want to fuck with you anytime,” Debra returned without missing a beat. “You are not my type.”
“She…doesn’t have a criminal record. But…” Eugene’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I did locate information on her. She, um, she was pretty famous when she was a teen.”
What?
“What?” Debra blasted, echoing his own thoughts.
But Eugene was hustling toward his computer. Most of the staff members were missing from the sheriff’s station. Probably out at the crime scene in the woods, and Preston wanted to be out there, too. No, correction, he would be out there. After he talked to Sloane.
She didn’t try to kill me.
