Free Dangerous Inheritance by Barbara Warren

had played in the investigation. And he had to find a way to keep her safe. A tall order and one he couldn’t accomplish without God’s help.
    Nick knew his own limits. Some things he might be able to pull off, some he couldn’t, but God didn’t have limits. A phrase from last week’s church sermon flickered through his mind. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He had a feeling the time had come to put his faith to work.
    A few minutes later a truck pulled into the driveway and locksmith Joe Tipton got out. Nick introduced him to Macy, wondering whether he’d be friendly or resentful because she was Steve Douglas’s daughter. The town was so divided that it was impossible to anticipate anyone’s behavior. But if Joe had reservations about Macy, or visiting the Douglas house, he probably would have come up with an excuse to stay away. Nick watched, ready to step in if necessary.
    Joe wiped a hand on the seat of his pants and held it out. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Macy. I was a friend of your dad’s. He was a good man. Didn’t deserve what happened to him.”
    Macy gripped his hand, smiling. “It’s good to hear you say that. Not many people I’ve met in Walnut Grove speak of him that way.”
    Joe nodded his head. “You just pay them no never mind. Some people don’t have a lick of sense where politics are concerned. Your mom and dad were good people and someone in this town knows more about what happened that night than they’ve bothered to tell. There was some dirty work going on, you can be sure on that.”
    Nick decided he’d talk to Joe later. Maybe he knew something that could help them. Or if not, he might know someone who did. At least it would be a place to start. He decided not to dwell on what Joe had implied—that something hadn’t been on the level with Steve’s arrest. That was another thing he’d ask when Macy wasn’t around. Regardless of how he felt personally, he had to at least check into the possibility.
    He didn’t really have a choice. It was his job as a police officer and his duty as his father’s son. Do the best you can and do it right. He’d heard his father say it too many times to ignore it now. That was the way he’d been brought up.
    He’d never heard anything against the police in all his years of living here. Now the accusations seemed to be coming from all directions. Somehow he would get to the bottom of this, and he suspected when he found the truth it would confirm that Steve Douglas was guilty of murder. He’d do all he could to help Macy because he felt sorry for her, but he’d also do all he could to clear his father’s name, too. That had to be his main focus.
    Nick hovered over Joe, wanting to help, but not knowing where to start. He wasn’t all that good at mechanical work. All he’d ever wanted was to be a policeman like his dad. Now it was all he really knew how to do. Maybe he should make an effort to learn to do practical stuff. It might come in handy someday. Right now he felt sort of useless, particularly in front of Macy Douglas. But since he didn’t have a clue how to help, maybe he should just get out of the way and let Joe work.
    It took a while to change the locks and install a new alarm, but Nick felt better when it was finished. Knowing the house was secure made him feel more comfortable about leaving Macy here alone. What had happened today had upset him more than he wanted to let on. If someone could get in a locked house in broad daylight, nothing could stop a person from getting in at night.
    Something else occurred to him. They didn’t know whether this was the burglar who had been trying to get in, or someone else. And how did whoever it was get hold of a key? Maybe more than one person was after Macy. This was getting complicated.
    Joe was a good man who knew what he was doing. Nick didn’t have any doubts about that. His work would hold up. No one would get in this house now without setting off the