Free Hiding From Death (A Darcy Sweet Cozy Mystery #6) by K.J. Emrick Page B

yes.  I’m pretty sure I arrested Helen Nelson, future mayor of Misty Hollow, because you were positive she was a murderer.  And let’s not forget how we arrested your own brother-in-law in that same caper.  Or how about the time—”
                  “Okay, okay, I get it.”  Darcy was annoyed that he could bring up all of those different mistakes of hers by memory.  “I’m not perfect, Jon, but don’t forget that my gift has helped you solve cases before, too.  Right?”
                  He shifted from foot to foot.  “Yes it has.  I don’t understand it, not completely, but I can’t deny how it’s helped us in the past.”  He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.  “You really think she’s innocent?”
                  “I don’t know yet.  Yes.  I think so, but I need to do a few things first.  What’s more important right now, I think, is that she’s in danger.  We need to help her.”
                  “Help her how?” Jon asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
                  This was the part that she was worried about.  If Jon said no…  “We need to bring Izzy and Lilly over to our house.  Kind of protective custody for them.”
                  “Are you insane?”  The words burst out of him and he suddenly realized how loud his voice had gotten.  He shot a look back toward the kitchen, then took them a few steps further into the living room, lowering his voice back to a whisper.  “Darcy, I can’t harbor a fugitive in my home!  I’ll lose my job!”
                  “Only if someone finds out,” Darcy argued.  “Plus, if you solve the larger case here, who would say anything?”
                  “The Chief would, that’s who.”  He paced back and forth, quick and short steps that led him back to her.  “No.  We have to turn her in.”
                  “Jon, we can’t turn an innocent woman over to be arrested for something she didn’t do.”
                  He pushed his hands back through his jet black hair as he clenched his jaw.  Darcy knew she’d asked a lot of him in the past, and this was more than she’d ever asked, but she felt very strongly about this.  Helping Izzy and her daughter was the right thing to do.
                  She took his hands in his and waited for him to look at her again.  “What if I can prove her husband is still alive?”
                  His expression didn’t change, but the lines around his eyes softened.  “Then that would give me something to go to the State Police with, at least.  Darcy…I love you and I trust you.  But I can’t just ignore my duty.”
                  “Does anyone know you’re here?” Darcy asked.  “Do they know who Izzy is?”
                  “No, they don’t.  You called my cell phone when you scared that guy off and I didn’t want to tell anyone where I was going, because…well, you know why.”
                  “Okay,” she said, “then that gives us a little time.  Just let me try something, all right?”  She pushed up on her toes and kissed him gently on his forehead.  “Just keep an open mind.”
                  She could tell he was worried, both about his job and about what they were getting themselves into.  He didn’t say a word as they went back into the kitchen.  Darcy sat down across from Izzy, her tea now cold and forgotten.  “I need to try something, Izzy.  I told you that I have a gift.  I can see things, and I can communicate with people,” she hesitated, looking over at Lilly’s wide eyes.  “People who aren’t with us anymore,” she decided to say.
                  From the corner of her eye she saw Jon’s eyebrows shoot up.  She hadn’t told him about her letting Izzy in on her secret.
                  Izzy shook her