Free Something About Sophie by Mary Kay McComas Page A

Sorry.”
    When the sheriff was close enough, they stood, heads together, over the view screen—the sheriff’s brow lowering a bit more with each new picture. When he looked up, his gaze went straight to Sophie.
    â€œAre you sure you’ve never met Cliff Palmeroy?”
    â€œOh, for the love of heaven!” Jesse plopped down in a chair, shaking her head, but she said no more.
    â€œYes. To my knowledge, I’ve never met the man.”
    â€œOkay. Can you explain these pictures to me, then?”
    He motioned with his head for his deputy to hand her the camera—he also demonstrated how to slide through the pictures . . .
    Of her.
    â€œLook.” She swung the camera in Drew’s direction; she needed someone else to see what she was seeing. “It’s me. Coming out of the dress shop this morning.” Jesse joined them on the couch, straining her upper body to look, too. Mike stood behind the sofa, silent, peering down over their shoulders. Her head began to throb at the temples. “And walking back to my car. This one, too. Oh. Jesse. You and I on the porch this afternoon. And . . . is this . . . that’s my car, my license plate.” Fear and frustration made her eyes water as she looked back at the sheriff. “I can’t. Explain these pictures. I don’t understand any of this.”
    Deputy Martin took back the camera and the air in the room became brittle and still, all eyes focused on the sheriff. In time, he provided a loud, baffled sigh and they all relaxed—sort of.
    â€œTruth be told, there aren’t that many murders committed here in Turchin County, Ms. Shepard. An accident now and again, naturally, but murder? Not so much. It’s hard to hide little things, like a murder, in a town this size. Somebody will have seen something and then we’ll get to the bottom of this.”
    â€œStop looking at her as if she’s the something. Fred .” Jesse squished Sophie tighter between her and Drew. “Go out and find the somebody who witnessed this. No one here did anything to Cliff Palmeroy.”
    â€œJesus, Jesse, I’m not saying any of you did!”
    â€œWe know, Fred.” Drew’s voice was clear and calming. “We, all of us, are shook up and,” a quick glance at Jesse, “not quite ourselves right now. I know you have a lot to do tonight, so if you’re done with us, maybe we can call it a night and let you get back to work. I’m sure if Sophie remembers anything else she’ll let you know.”
    â€œI will. I promise. I don’t . . . Those pictures, I have no idea why he’d be taking pictures of me but I’ll call you—if I think of anything else. Or remember. Or if I can do . . . Well, maybe you should call me if there’s anything I can do. I—”
    Jesse curved an arm over Sophie’s chest, saying, “shhh, shhh,” as if to comfort her. And pulling her into a hug, she whispered in her ear. “Don’t be too helpful, honey. The most cooperative person is almost always the bad guy on TV—especially when it’s the special guest star.”
    Leaning back between Jesse and Drew, she watched them exchange a scowl of supreme disbelief and a wide-eyed, silently emphatic dare to say different. But neither of them said another word.
    â€œFair enough.” Sheriff Murphy flipped his notepad closed and took two steps toward the door before turning back. He gave Jesse a droll eye. “Is this the part where the unbiased and remarkably tolerant sheriff warns everyone not to leave town without checking with him first?” She huffed and rolled her eyes as he grew sober. “Consider it said, people.”
    He left but he didn’t take any of the stress with him.
    Oddly, she became keenly aware of the breathing on both sides of her. Her mind filled with the anticipation of every rise and fall of her companions’