Free Oblivion by Karolyn Cairns [paranormal/YA]

two get along?”
    Lindsay knew Sheriff Wilson was responsible for all the heat put on Cameron and was defensive of him immediately.
    “They were best friends, Sheriff Wilson. He loved Jace. Everybody did. What is this all about?”
    Gary sighed and lit a cigarette, exhaling slowly, his steely eyes trained on her face. “Lindsay, his story doesn’t jive. Marnie refuses to talk to us. That’s why I called you in.”
    “If you think Cam had anything to do with Jace’s death you’re wrong.”
    “Am I? Lindsay, we both know he was the last one to see Jace that day. His story doesn’t add up. What’s more; he just got offered the LHS scholarship. Tell me it doesn’t sound like he had a motive?”
    The Little Bend High School scholarship for football passed to Cameron when Jace died. The enviable free ride scholarship was funded by all the business owners in town. It was hardly a secret Cameron was second choice for it. That hardly gave him a motive to murder Jace.
    “I think you’re reaching here.”
    “I think if you stop seeing what you want to see; you can see where I’m going with this, Lindsay. Nobody saw Cam on Marnie’s porch until after one that day. Where was he for over three hours?”
    Lindsay refused to think Cam could do something so awful. “So, because nobody saw him; that means he killed Jace?”
    “You tell me? You are a smart girl Lindsay. You knew Jace. Do you really think he would pick up some drifter off Route 4 like they think?”
    “No, he wouldn’t have.”
    “Alrighty then. Trust me, the last thing I want to do is arrest a seventeen-year old kid for this, but it all points to Cam.”
    “I can’t believe he could do that, Sheriff. I’ve known him all my life!”
    “That’s why none of you see it,” he said sagely and stubbed out his cigarette. “We have no leads in this case, Lindsay.”
    “What does this have to do with me?” she asked finally.
    “You’re close with Cam too, right?”
    “If you think he would admit something like this to me, think again!” she cried. “I can’t believe you would even accuse him!”
    “I’m asking you to hang out with him, look for things with fresh eyes. Can you do that?”
    “You are asking me to spy on him?” she queried in disgust. “You don’t have any proof of anything against him; just a feeling?”
    “Lindsay, I’ve been a cop over thirty years,” Gary snapped harshly suddenly and sat forward, his eyes intense. “I’ve seen stone cold killers show more emotion than that kid did over his best friend getting killed! Did you know he never showed a bit of remorse when we told him how Jace died? Not a flicker or even a twinge of pain. I know you don’t want to think him capable of it, but he and the Slade girl are hiding something.”
    “You’re dragging Marnie into this too?” Lindsay asked in annoyance.
    “Marnie had no idea Cam was even at her house until she got there, Lindsay. Don’t you think that’s a little odd considering they broke up over a month ago? She covered for him by saying she must have forgotten when she invited him over, but I could tell she was lying.”
    Lindsay felt a sense of icy dread, recalling how Cam had invited her to a party tonight, chiding her over mourning her boyfriend who’d been dead less than a week. She questioned how he could act as if Jace’s murder was no big deal.  
    “That doesn’t mean he killed him.”
    “It doesn’t mean he didn’t either. The day Jace died he took six hundred dollars out of his account from the ATM machine. He bought you a ring that day. It’s an antique gold, diamond, and ruby ring. It was missing. We found the receipt in his pocket. He had half the money on him and it was gone too. We think Cam stole the ring and the money.”
    Lindsay flinched at knowing Jace intended to give her a ring, recalling her ultimatum the night before. It prompted him to leave his brother and find some means to get her to not break up with him. Fresh guilt assailed