Free COLD CASE AT CAMDEN CROSSING by Rita Herron Page B

as he rounded a curve, then passed the high school.
    “Maybe you didn’t actually see the face,” he suggested.
    “I...don’t know.” Her voice cracked. “I feel like I did, but there’s something in my way, blocking out the image.”
    “You were injured,” Chaz said softly. It was about time someone cut her some slack.
    Another tense minute passed, while he veered down the driveway to the ranch.
    She cleared her throat. “There’s something else.”
    He scrubbed a hand through his hair as the farmhouse slipped into view. “What?”
    “Today when I was at the site. I felt like someone was watching me, and when I looked over my shoulder, Barry Dothan was there, hiding in the woods, taking pictures of me.”
    Fear slammed into Chaz. “Did he hurt you?”
    “No,” Tawny-Lynn said. “But it was spooky. I tried to talk to him, but he kept shouting that he hadn’t done anything wrong.”
    “Did he say what he meant by that?”
    “No. But why would he go back there if he wasn’t there when the accident happened?”
    “Good question. I’ll have a talk with him and his mother. Maybe he did something to the girls accidentally. If not, maybe he knows something.”
    Chaz raced up beside the truck and parked, then jumped out, his gun drawn. Tawny-Lynn opened the truck door and climbed down, her face pale.
    He took one look at the bloody deer carcass and message on her porch and fury railed inside him.
    “I have to do something to stop this,” she whispered.
    “It’s not your fault,” Chaz said between gritted teeth.
    Then he did what he’d wanted to do when he saw the very first message. He pulled her up against him and wrapped his arms around her.
    * * *
    T AWNY -L YNN LEANED into Chaz, her body trembling. Ever since that awful accident, she’d felt alone.
    Persecuted, confused, terrified and guilt-ridden.
    She’d learned to deal with it and to stand on her own, but for just a moment, she allowed herself the comfort of Chaz’s arms.
    He stroked her back, rubbing slow circles between her shoulder blades. “You don’t deserve this, Tawny-Lynn, and I’m going to make sure whoever did this doesn’t hurt you.”
    Tension slowly seeped from her tightly wound muscles. She felt the warmth of his arms encircling her, the soft rise and fall of his chest against her cheek, the whisper of his breath against her ear.
    Finally she raised her gaze to his. “I’m sorry, Chaz. I guess that dead animal shook me up more than I thought.”
    His eyes darkened with concern and other emotions that made her want to reach up and touch his cheek.
    Kiss his lips.
    Foolish.
    A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I promise you I’ll put a stop to this cruelty.”
    She pulled away and struggled for bravado. “Whoever did it probably just wants to scare me off.”
    “Maybe so. But I won’t tolerate this kind of crap while I’m in office. When I find the bastard who did it, he’ll pay.”
    She folded her arms, missing his contact already. The sound of an engine rumbled, and a black pickup rolled up.
    “There’s Jimmy now.” Chaz flicked a hand up to greet the locksmith as he emerged from his truck. “We have a problem here,” he said, indicating the carcass on the front porch. “Let me check the house out first, then you can get to work.”
    Chaz gestured to Tawny-Lynn. “Stay here with her until I return.” Then he raced up the steps to the house.
    Tawny-Lynn hissed a breath, praying the person who’d threatened her wasn’t inside.
    Jimmy shuffled back and forth. “Sorry you’re having trouble, ma’am.”
    Tawny-Lynn forced a polite smile. Jimmy was probably in his thirties and wore jeans and a khaki shirt with the name James’s Locks embroidered on the pocket. His smile was flirty like it had been at the diner although a devilish gleam lit his eyes.
    But Chaz must trust him or he wouldn’t have called him.
    “You didn’t grow up in Camden Crossing, did you?” she asked.
    “No, ma’am,” Jimmy said. “I came