Page 456 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

Claire didn’t care a fig about the election. Her goal was to obtain justice for Faye and protect the citizens of her county. If she didn’t do that, then she didn’t deserve to be sheriff. “You have my word, sir. I will do everything in my power to catch the criminal behind this and put him behind bars.”

She hung up. The pounding in her head was increasing exponentially. Claire turned the corner and nearly ran into Gavin standing outside her office. He’d shed his sports jacket and the ranger badge pinned to the front pocket of his shirt shone in the fluorescent lighting. For a moment, the feeling of his arms wrapped around her as they rolled behind the dumpster flashed in Claire’s mind. His touch had been gentle and tender, despite the dangerous circumstances.

She shoved the errant thought from her mind. Her focus needed to be on the case. “Ready to talk to Mary Ellen?”

“Yep. She’s waiting for us inside the interview room.” He lifted his hand. A small packet of over-the-counter painkillers rested in his palm. “I took some already. Figured you might need them too.”

The gesture was thoughtful and kind. It caught Claire off-guard. She wasn’t used to being taken care of by anyone other than her parents. Her gaze narrowed as she plucked the pills from his palm. “You aren’t going to ask if I want to go home, are you?”

His mouth quirked. “I wouldn't dream of it. I already know you’d refuse.”

Claire accepted the bottle of water Gavin offered and downed the pills. “Thank you. And thanks for having my back this morning.”

The mirth fled from his expression. He pointed to the cross discreetly pinned to her uniform shirt. “You’re a believer?”

“I am.”

“Then you’ll understand this when I say, God brought me here. He used me as an instrument to protect you. I’m glad He did, Claire, and I promise to do everything in my power to solve this case.”

The man kept surprising her. His insightful words clicked open something inside her heart. She might not want to pursue this attraction to Gavin, but she would be fortunate to have his friendship.

Before she could say anything, Gavin continued, “I’d like your permission to have state troopers increase patrols near your family’s home. As a precautionary measure. Just until we know what we’re dealing with.”

He was worried the shooter might use Claire’s family as a means to get to her. She’d already considered that. It didn’t seem likely, but she wouldn’t take any chances. Not when it came to the people she loved most in the world. “Do it. I’ve already asked my own deputies to increase patrols, but every set of extra eyes helps. I’ve also spoken with my father and explained the situation. Dad has a home security system. He’s also an expert marksman.”

Gavin nodded. “I’ve met your father. Took a Sports and Wilderness First Aid training course from him. He’s good at what he does.”

“He is.” Pride swelled in her chest. Her parents had worked hard to build their wilderness and cabin rental business from scratch. Claire’s younger sister, Bea, would take over next year.She was currently attending a seminar in Denver. “Come on. Let’s not leave Mary Ellen waiting any longer.”

Claire and Gavin walked to the interview room. Mary Ellen stood when they entered. Late-thirties, she was older than Faye by five years. Her dark hair was tucked into a messy bun and she’d dressed in sweats. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen from crying. Several crumpled tissues lay on the table.

A deputy—one of Claire’s best—had been assigned to wait with Mary Ellen and comfort her. He nodded in Claire’s direction before leaving the room, closing the door gently behind him.

Mary Ellen rushed forward. “Claire, thank God. Are you okay? I overheard them saying you’d been shot. The deputy wouldn’t tell me anything, no matter how many times I asked.”

Claire embraced the other woman. “He’s not allowed to speak about an ongoing case. Don’t be angry with him.” She pulled back, holding on to Mary Ellen’s arm. Her complexion was paler than the ice crystals hanging outside the window. “Thank you for driving straight here. Can I get you anything? Coffee or water?”

“No. Nothing.”

“Did the deputy offer to call your husband for you?”

She nodded. “Pete’s in Alaska on a business trip, and my kids are staying with their grandparents. I’ve already spoken to my aunt. She’s driving up to stay with me until they get here.”

Mary Ellen’s gaze shot to Gavin. Claire made introductions and explained his role in the investigation. Then they all sat at the conference table. Mary Ellen grabbed a new tissue and swiped at the tears leaking from her eyes. “I’m sorry. I can’t stop crying. After you called and told me about Faye, I focused on getting here. But once I got into this room… it gave me time to think.”

Her grief was palpable, and it took everything inside Claire to keep her own under control. She reached across the table and squeezed the other woman’s hand. “Cry as much as you want, Mary Ellen. We’ll take this one step at a time.”

“No. I can do this.” She took a shaky breath. “There’s something you need to know, Claire. Faye was looking into a missing person’s case from two years ago. Stephanie Madden. She worked for us at the bakery.”

Shock reverberated through Claire. Two years ago, she hadn’t been sheriff. Her predecessor—Randy King—had been in charge then. Dread circled her insides. Sheriff King, as the townspeople still called him, had often made mistakes while investigating cases. Faye had mentioned Stephanie in passing to Claire, but never said the woman was missing. “I thought Stephanie left town.”

“That’s what Sheriff King told us. But Faye never believed it. She had a fondness for Stephanie, had mentored her through high school and after graduation. She even rented my grandmother’s cottage to her at a discounted rate. When she supposedly left town, Stephanie was working for us and attending community college. She was responsible and hardworking. Faye found it difficult to believe Stephanie would simply pack up and leave town without saying something first.”

“Why didn’t Faye come to me about it?”

Mary Ellen sighed. “She intended to, but Stephanie’s family claims she’s living in Houston. Faye didn’t want to bother you if that was true. She hired a private investigator and asked him to search for Stephanie.”

Beside her, Gavin scribbled notes on his pad. “Do you know the name of the private investigator?”