Free All Through the Night (Liar's Web) by Sandra Calhoune

year,” she added with a conspiratorial wink, “I'll make deputy of the year.”
    Bodine walked past and rolled his eyes heavily upon hearing Ella's comment. It was all she could do not to burst out laughing at his beleaguered expression.
    Darcel watched the way Ella followed Bodine with her eyes. Her gaze was filled with pure worship. She was a goner, Darcel thought with a measure of pity. Although Bo barely spared her a glance, she was all goo-goo eyes and lingering looks. Clearly, she was crazy about the man, despite the fact he didn't seem to know she existed on any level other than his co-worker.
    “ I'm sorry about all the trouble with you being a witness to a murder and all,” Ella said in a rambling voice. “But I promise you the Liberty Creek Sheriff's office will serve and protect you till we take the shooter into custody.”
    Trueblood had walked up behind Ella and, unbeknownst to her, was standing in back of her, listening to her every word.
    “ I'd trust Sheriff Trueblood to keep me safe if I had a killer on my trail,” she continued in a chirpy voice. “But just between you and me,” she added with a goofy grin. “I'd be over the moon if Deputy Bodine was my twenty-four seven bodyguard, if you know what I mean.”
    “ Ella, isn't there some paperwork you need to catch up on?” Trueblood asked with a frown.
    Ella made a face, acknowledging she'd been busted by her boss. “Yes, Sheriff,” she answered with flushed cheeks. “I'll get right on that.”
    As he ushered Darcel into his office, Trueblood left instructions to show the sketch artist into his office as soon as she arrived. The phone was ringing off the hook, and with a few angry curses, he reached for it and began talking in procedural jargon. A huge, gaily wrapped basket filled with treats sat on his desk, courtesy of the Ladies Guild of Liberty Creek. Darcel could see their signature stationary from a mile away since it was dotted with hearts and contained the tagline “From our heart to yours.”
    The smell of baked goods hovered in the air mixed with the crisp scent of apples and cinnamon. Darcel wanted to gag. Half the women in the Ladies Guild were desperate old biddies and the other half were married women looking for some loving on the side. She smirked at the thought of Trueblood being chased by the lonely senior citizens in town. Old Widow Jenkins popped into her mind, and for a brief moment, she found herself wondering about their relationship.
    The gossip about the Sheriff and the widow had raced through town like wildfire, fueled by first-hand accounts and scandalous scenarios. One woman in town had sworn she'd seen them making out through the widow's large bay window. Although she'd eagerly passed the gossip on to some of her clients, she had to admit she'd never paused to question its accuracy.
    And, in doing so, she'd earned a spot in Trueblood's hall of shame. Despite the fact he was giving her round-the-clock protection, she knew he still thought she was a malicious, reckless gossip.
    A soft knocking at the door announced the presence of the sketch artist. As soon as Darcel saw the woman, she recognized her as the owner of the Desert Moon Cafe. Cherry Adams. She was a beautiful, exotic-looking woman with eggshell-colored skin, long, wavy black hair and slanted, dark eyes that hinted of her Asian heritage. Darcel had always thought of her as gentle-natured and earthy. Her long, flowing skirt and jade jewelry lent her a natural, laid-back air. Trueblood quickly hung up the phone and strode across the room to greet Cherry with a warm kiss on the cheek.
    After introductions were made, Cherry sat down next to Darcel on a comfortable sofa and began to explain her process of making the sketch. In a kind and gentle manner, she described the low-key way in which she worked with a witness.
    “ At no point do I ever want you to feel pressured or stressed. I try to put your images on paper so the sheriff here can make an arrest. Pure