Free Every Witch Way But Wicked (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery) by Amanda M. Lee Page B

autopsy is being performed in about an hour. We’ll know more then.”
    “Why are you telling her that?” Landon looked perplexed.
    “Why not?”
    “She’s a reporter,” Landon pointed out.
    “She’s a reporter for a weekly,” Chief Terry shot back. “Even if she wanted to print something about the murder, the paper doesn’t come out for days. Calm down.”
    Landon looked flabbergasted. “So you just tell her whatever she wants to know?”
    Chief Terry shrugged. “I guess so.”
    “Well, now that I’m the lead on this case, I’m going to have to ask you not to share information with the press,” Landon said smartly.
    “You’re the lead on the case?”
    “That surprises you?” Landon raised his eyebrows in my direction. I was starting to rethink his ability to separate me from my panties on the spot. His dismissive attitude didn’t exactly endear him to me.
    “I don’t understand why you’re even involved,” I countered.
    “I’m an FBI agent.”
    “And this is a local issue. And, as you can see, we have a local police chief that is perfectly capable of conducting an investigation all by himself,” I said, gesturing to Chief Terry. “You don’t need help, do you?”
    “I . . . “
    “Who are you to tell him he doesn’t need help?” Landon charged back. “When did you become an expert in crime solving?”
    “I’m not an expert,” I replied. “But Chief Terry is. We don’t need you.”
    “Obviously you do. Besides, I was the first one on the scene, and that’s always an edge when it comes to solving a crime.”
    “You were on the scene for like thirty seconds before Chief Terry,” I argued.
    “Hey! Before is before.”
    “If you two are done verbally copulating, we have a dead man to investigate,” Chief Terry interjected irritably.
    I glared in Chief Terry’s direction. “Oh, now you’re on his side?”
    “I’m not on anyone’s side, especially not his,” Chief Terry said. “I don’t have a lot of choice in the matter. “
    I opened my mouth to argue further but Chief Terry held up his hand to stop me. “We have twice the number of people in this town than we usually have, and I’m going to need help. I’m not ashamed to admit it.”
    I couldn’t hide my frown, even though I could see where Chief Terry was coming from. This was going to make my job so much harder than usual. I didn’t want to have to go to Landon for information. That would give him leverage – and I wasn’t sure I wanted him having leverage over me at this point in time.
    “It was obviously someone with ties to the town,” I offered.
    “How do you figure?” Landon asked blithely.
    “Why would a stranger want to kill the town drunk?”
    “Why would someone from the town want to kill him?” Landon countered.
    “At least he has ties to the people in the town,” I argued. “The town works overtime to keep him away from the tourists.”
    “You know a lot about Myron Grisham. Maybe we should consider you a suspect?” Landon’s suggestion was biting.
    “Maybe we should. Or maybe we should consider you a suspect?”
    “Excuse me?”
    “The last time we had a dead body you were knee deep in it. The minute you come back to town we have another dead body. Coincidence? I don’t think so.”
    “Hey, you were knee deep in the last dead body, too,” Landon pointed out. “And you brought your entire family to a cornfield in the middle of the night, for some reason. You still haven’t explained that, by the way.”
    I turned to Chief Terry for help, but his head was buried in his hands and he was rubbing his scalp like he had a killer migraine. I didn’t blame him. Landon and I were taking immaturity to a whole new level. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
    “I’m not really interested in playing psychologist for the two of you right now,” Chief Terry replied. “I don’t think I’m qualified.”
    I rolled my eyes in Chief Terry’s direction. “I can’t believe you’re not