Free A Taste of Tragedy by Kim McMahill

slacks, a matching blazer, a crisp white shirt, and a little more heel than usual. She had pulled her long blonde hair back into a tidy ponytail at the nape of her neck, and applied a little more makeup than usual. She was pleased with the result, and hoped no one thought the transformation was for any reason other than looking professional for court.
    The first person she spotted as she entered the building was Sheriff Gage Harris. The man commanded any space he occupied, whether it was a courtroom, a grocery store, or a remote rural crime scene.
    The tall, broad-shouldered, sandy-haired Wyoming sheriff leaned back against a wall with his knee bent in a casual pose that made her mouth water. He smiled down at a moderately attractive, middle-aged woman who was trying to hold his attention. She was probably just a court clerk, but Devyn had to fight the urge to go over and slug her.
    Devyn closed her eyes for a moment and tried to erase his image from her mind. He had an effect on her no other man ever had, and she didn’t particularly like it. Normally, she could be cold, aloof, and distant, but whenever he was near, she turned into a lovesick puppy.
    She opened her eyes and looked up to see Gage watching her. He waved a hand in casual greeting and smiled at her in a way that made all coherent thoughts flee from her mind. She struggled to regain her composure as he extricated himself from the disappointed woman, who gave Devyn an icy glare.
    Watching him as he closed the distance between them with his long, powerful stride made butterflies flitter in Devyn’s stomach. She cursed her vulnerability and fought to control her raging hormones.
    “Wow. I hope this isn’t all for me.” Gage winked.
    “Don’t flatter yourself, Sheriff,” she stated, feeling as if he’d seen right through her.
    “So, how was the drive?”
    “No incidents,” she replied, relieved he’d dropped the subject of her attire.
    “Good to hear. Let’s get this over with. It was a long drive for the both of us for something that’s a slam dunk.”
    Devyn nodded and fell into step alongside him. They entered the courtroom and took their seats behind the prosecutor. She listened closely until she was called to present the evidence gathered by the FBI. As each testimony was heard, she was disappointed to learn nothing new had surfaced during the local investigation that would help with the ongoing case, not that she was surprised. She felt confident Gage would have kept her in the loop of any new development on the local front.
    According to the depositions provided by the two suspects, they were simply hired by the man, still only known as Frank, to go to the ranch, release a pig in a manner that appeared accidental, look for research data and some supplements, and then hang back until they verified the pig had succumbed to the elements. They had been surprised by the rancher and things had spiraled out of control from there.
    Unfortunately for them, they had decided to torch the barn to cover their tracks, which added a few more charges against them. They were also charged with interfering with law enforcement while a deputy attempted to stop an assassin whose crime spree had begun in a neighboring state. The assassin was linked to a number of other serious crimes involving pharmaceutical and research companies across the country, which was where the FBI had entered the picture.
    In little over an hour, all the information concerning the case against the two men was heard. The grand jury determined there was sufficient evidence to warrant indictments of both defendants.
    As the courtroom cleared, Devyn spotted Gage talking to several other officers she didn’t recognize. There was no official reason to wait for him, so she gathered up her belongings and headed for the door.
    Devyn had almost reached the exit to the building when she heard Gage’s voice call out her name. She paused, not wanting to seem too eager, and then turned slowly toward