Page 37 of Final Inning

Knight had noticed the same thing. It was one of the reasons he believed they were talking about the same killer. “Once he began—he was determined to finish.”

“My thought exactly. Maybe he didn’t arrive with the intent to kill? Maybe there were arguments that devolved? Just…devolved?” Ian was very methodical in how he interpreted crime scenes. He was also very good at interpreting motivation based on forensic information. Analytical, Miranda had said. Ian’s mind went step-by-step when in the POV of a killer. He was probably their best at putting together exactly what had happened from a technical standpoint, but preferred to let someone else factor in the motivation. He was a damned invaluable part of the Cold Case team, no denying that.

“There is someone in a sheriff’s vehicle,” Ian said. “Friend of Deputy Lindhour’s?”

“Hardly.” Knight recognized the sheriff stepping out of the SUV that had just parked. “The exact opposite. Sheriff Johnson. And one of his lackeys.”

Johnson came right up to them. “Agent Knight.”

“Doctor Knight,” Ian said. He was a bit of a stickler for details. “He is Dr. Knight, she is Dr. Talley—inside, tall redhead—and I am Dr. Ian Ward. It is nice to meet you.”

Ian handed the sheriff his card. Knight had the feeling Miranda had filled him in on her opinion about Johnson. Ian liked to needle people at times. And he was fiercely loyal to Miranda. And always championed underdogs—which Lindhour most certainly was.

“Whatever,” Johnson barely looked at him. “I need to speak to my deputy. Where the hell is that girl now?”

Well, something had pissed off the sheriff. Knight could only imagine what.

Chapter 27

Johnson was angry. Great. Probably because of Valeria. Every time Hagan and Valeria crossed paths—Johnson would come after Hagan. Even with the FBI here, he was going to have his say. And whether she liked it or not—he was her boss. And she had to be alone with him.

But…she wasn’t truly alone with him. Not this time. Sometimes, he just wasn’t reasonable where Valeria Braun was concerned. She had never quite understood why. Valeria’s mom wasn’t much of a mother. She had spent most of Valeria’s childhood drunk—Hagan remembered her own father fooling around with Valeria’s mother when Valeria had been around five and Hagan nine or so. Then, Sheriff Johnson had been in the picture. He hadn’t been the sheriff then. He and Valeria had always been close after that.

Valeria’s brother worked as the desk clerk at the station for the night shift. He was smarmy and disgusting and Johnson treated him like he was a little prince.

Now, she’d made a mistake. She’d thought slipping behind her desk would protect her a bit. But…he had followed her this time.

He was really angry.

Johnson couldn’t do anything to her here. Not now. Not with…Dr. Talley and her two teammates right there. Johnson wouldn’t go against two young, strong-armed men like Dr. Ward and Dr. Knight. He just wouldn’t. They were too much of a direct threat.

Hagan was going to get out there where the agents were. She was going to finish this case, break her lease at her complex, and she was going to quit. No notice to this son-of-a-bitch. She was just going to pack up her cat and go. Get out of this town forever.

She had one place she could go; she could stay there for a little while, if she had to. If not…she had some money. She’d buy a van or something—live out of it, until she could get settled somewhere else.

All she knew was that she couldn’t handle Helery County any longer.

She just couldn’t.

Hagan started for the door.

She couldn’t get around him. Hagan had been in this position before. Johnson liked trapping her in the hallway. He liked having control. And he liked making her afraid.

Well, Hagan wasn’t about to show the sheriff how good he was at that. It would just feed into his perversions. “Let me through.”

His hand wrapped around her arm, and he almost yanked her closer. He was a lot bigger than she was. No denying that. But she had come up against big men who hated her before. And it was always going to be a part of the job. Her small size was a disadvantage.

And the sheriff liked to use it against her. “Get your hands off me, Johnson.”

“And if I don’t? Forget who the boss is around here? Too big for your britches, Lindhour. You always have been.” He still had her wrist trapped. And he was caressing it again. “But they sure do fit you well through the ass. I have noticed.”

Hagan fought the urge to puke. Like she did every time he put his filthy hands on her. He liked to do that, too. And she hadn’t found a way yet to make him stop it. Her stomach tightened. “Hands off.”

She tried to twist away. It didn’t happen. She fought the urge to cry out. Dr. Talley was in the other room. And she didn’t want the trouble Johnson would cause. Not…yet.

“Remember something, Lindhour. I am the one in charge here, no matter how many favors you call in. You screw with me again—and you won’t like what happens next. You leave Valeria alone. I know you have it out for that girl, and she doesn’t deserve it.”

“I don’t have anything for Valeria. She just has a bad attitude and always has. Get your hands off me.”