Page 12 of Hidden Ties

Sal went for the trunk but found his fingers fiddling with the release button. “You know, I, uh … could take a look at that for you and let you know what I find.”

Quickly, Officer Daniels transferred the heavy thing to one arm, going for the trunk button himself to pop it open. “Oh, that’s okay.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” he assured him as he watched Daniels continue to set it in the trunk despite his best efforts for him to hand the fucking thing over.

“I’m sure you’re busy—”

When Daniels went to swiftly close the lid, Sal stopped it before he could.

“Really, it would be no problem at all,” he tried again morepersuasivelyas Sal’s eyes narrowed on the officer.

What in the hell is his deal?Usually, Daniels was their easy-going cop for things the family needed, but he seemed anything but pleasant today.

“Listen, if she really did what they say, then no one in your precinct is going to even be able to break into her computer, and she definitely wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave a trail.” Sal tried to level with him as he continued, “Well, not any thattheycould track.”

“The sheriff will have my ass if I don’t bring this in. He personally asked me to.”

Officer Daniels had finished with a smile that Sal could see right through, considering his hand still stayed on the trunk.

“Oh, don’t worry; Sheriff Calloway owes me a favor.” Sal laughed, going to pick up the computer from the trunk. “Bigtime.”

A hand placed on top the computer, Daniels kept him from taking it. “Let me just give him a call.”

“Sure.” Sal deviously smirked and let the computer go to place his hands in his slacks’ pockets. “Please do.”

Officer Daniels reached for the walkie on his shoulder. “Sheriff Calloway?”

They both waited for the sheriff to patch in with a staring contest until a rather hostile voice finally came through. “What is it, Daniels?”

Clearing his throat, Daniels asked his question while his eyes never left Sal’s. “Sheriff, I got Salvatore Lastra here, asking to take a look at the girl’s computer.”

The sheriff’s voice returned in a more mellow tone. “Let him have it.”

Sal smiled confidently, rocking on his heels, having figured that would be the outcome on the account that he’d found out the sheriff was banging every woman under his jurisdiction with a badge. How none had caught on yet defied his imagination, but he assumed if one of his groupies finally did, he’d have a herd of women after him who carried a gun and knew how to use it.

When he went to pick up the computer this time, he wasn’t thwarted by Officer Daniels as he placed it in his arms. There was nothing Daniels could do now, and he knew it.

They both did.

’Cause like the sheriff … Sal knew Officer Daniels’ dirty little secret, too.

“Have a lovely day, Harvey.”

Valerie pacedthe cell’s floors as she nervously bit each nail down to the quick. The ink still on her thumb pads had tasted rather bitter when she went for a hangnail and instead got a mouthful of leftover ink.

Never once in her life had she run into the law, and yet, here she was, a wanted woman for something she didn’t even do but certainly could.

How was she going to prove she didn’t do it when, to be fair, she would put her own name the highest on the suspect list?

She had motive …

Recently fired.

And whoever did it had to be good enough to cover their tracks; not unless she herself got out would she be able to possibly trace who had done it.

Looking around her cell, she had to admit the chances of that weren’t likely.

I’m fucked.