Page 7 of Engaging the Deputy (Silver Stars of Montana #3)

Jenny Lee finally opened the door after the deputy had pounded on it, repeatedly calling out, “Sheriff’s Department.” He knew she was inside, curtains drawn, car in the drive. When she did finally answer, she only opened the door a crack, so she could peer out.

“I need to speak with you, Mrs. Lee,” Jaden said.

He could see only one of her eyes from where she hid behind the open door.

It was red and swollen. He’d waited until her husband had left for work, needing to speak with her alone.

“We can talk here or I can take you down to the sheriff’s office, if you prefer, as part of my murder and assault investigation. ”

“I don’t know anything,” she cried. “Can’t you just leave me alone?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

She didn’t move for a moment, then finally pushed open the door to let him in as she turned and retreated into the house.

As soon as he entered, he saw that there had been a struggle.

A coffee table was splintered in one corner, broken glass from what appeared to be a lamp glittered on the worn wood floor, and he could see a shattered mirror over the fireplace.

He swore under his breath as he closed the door behind him and followed her to the rear of the house.

It wasn’t until she turned that he saw her black eye.

She was a petite young woman with shoulder-length dark hair and a cowed expression, as if she’d had a rough life.

“If you’d like to file charges against your husband—”

“No,” she said with an adamant shake of her head. “I’m fine.”

He could have argued that, given the painful way she was moving. He’d seen enough women like her to know her situation would only get worse if she stayed. But he knew she wouldn’t want to hear it.

“Let’s go out on the back porch,” Jenny said. “I haven’t felt like cleaning up yet. Watch where you step.”

Gingerly he worked his way through the broken glass. Once on what was a closed-in sun porch, she sat down, pulling her legs up under her. She wore a sweat-suit set, the long-sleeved top smeared with blood.

Jaden still hadn’t learned how to deal with domestic disputes. It was obvious that Tom Lee had physically abused his spouse. Jaden’s first instinct was to go to Tom Lee’s work and drag him outside. But unless Jenny filed charges…

“I need to get a statement from you about what happened last night in Starling,” he said, pulling out his notebook. “You were there with Dean Marsh?” She nodded. “How long have the two of you been seeing each other?”

“For a while,” she said.

“Weeks? Months?”

“I don’t see what that has to do with—”

“Dean is missing, presumed dead. With one man murdered and another assaulted and in a coma, I need to know what was going on last night in Starling besides a tornado.”

“You think Dean’s dead?” There was a catch in her voice. Her eyes filled with tears for a moment before she bit her lip and made a swipe at them. “We’d been meeting secretly for a few months.”

“Were you with him when the tornado hit?” Jaden asked.

She shook her head. “We’d had an argument. I left and walked up the road. When I saw the storm coming, I called my husband to come get me.”

“What did you argue about?” he asked.

Jenny gave him an impatient look. “Dean wanted me to leave my husband so we could be together. He was going to tell his wife.”

“You refused?”

“I realized we’d both been kidding ourselves. Neither of us could leave our spouses. It’s financial suicide and that’s if they didn’t kill us. I’d realized that it had to stop or it might cost me my marriage.”

“You told him you were going to tell your husband?”

She nodded. “He got really angry, accusing me of leading him on, and bringing up things from our past. He said I would destroy both of our marriages, and for what? We wouldn’t be together and our spouses would put us through hell.

I told him I didn’t care—that it was over.

I got out of the truck and walked away to call my husband to come get me. ”

“What did Dean do?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t look back. All I could think about was getting home.” She looked down at her hands, picking at something under her fingernail.

“Are you regretting that now?” He’d had to ask.

She slowly lifted her head, determination a brittle gleam in her gaze. “I love my husband. This is all my fault.”

He wanted to tell her that most abused wives blamed themselves—even those who hadn’t had an affair with another man.

That her husband had no right to beat her, no matter how upset he was.

But Jaden saved his breath. He’d send over a rep from a local counseling agency.

Hopefully, someone would be able to give Jenny some perspective.

“Where was your husband last night after the storm, after you came home?” he asked.

“Here with me.”

“All night?”

She nodded, almost daring him to argue differently.

“You’ll testify under oath to that, knowing what happens if you perjure yourself?” he asked.

“Yes.”

The deputy put his notebook and pen away and rose. “If you change your mind about filing charges against your husband—”

“I won’t.”

“If you think of anything else that can help us find Dean Marsh, or if you hear from him, please give me a call at the Fortune Creek sheriff’s office.”

With that, he tipped his Stetson and made his way to his patrol SUV, telling himself all he could do was his job, but sometimes it was very difficult when he couldn’t save those most vulnerable who needed saving.

* * *

Olivia had tried to sleep but couldn’t. She kept thinking of Cody and wishing she’d never agreed to go with him to Starling.

Now he might die. She’d never forgive herself for leaving him alone down in that hole.

She had no idea who might have attacked him after she’d gone for help.

The whole night had been a nightmare. She couldn’t believe that Rob was dead, murdered, Cody unconscious in the hospital and Dean missing. How was that possible?

At a tap on her bedroom door, she looked up from where she’d been trying to sleep to see her mother in the doorway.

“The deputy is here to see you.” The deputy. Jaden.

Her pulse kicked up a beat at the thought of seeing him again.

He’d been just doing his job last night, but he’d been so distant.

It had hurt her heart. She took a breath and let it out.

“Tell him I’ll be right out.” As her mother closed the door, Olivia rose.

She had showered and changed clothes after returning home earlier.

Still, she went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and at least run a comb through her hair.

She stared at her face in the mirror for a few moments, surprised by the dark circles under her eyes, the paleness of her skin. Her injuries were all minor, including the cuts and bruises on her face and hands, but she felt weak from the shock of everything that had happened.

How could she not feel lucky to be alive? But the thought brought her no comfort. Cody was in the hospital, possibly fighting for his life, Rob was dead, and who knew what had happened to Dean.

And now she was being forced to confront her past. The decisions she’d made, the pain she’d caused.

What choice did she have with Jaden being the deputy in charge of the investigation?

There was too much history between them.

Last night, he’d asked if she and Cody were together.

How could she explain that she’d felt comfortable with him because he was familiar?

That he’d felt safe. That she’d missed that closeness they’d once shared.

He’d been a friend from a less confusing time.

What she hadn’t considered was that Cody might have a different memory of their time together, especially of how it had ended. What if he never regained consciousness? Or what if, she realized with a start, he did wake up and he thought she was the one who’d attacked him?

But the real question was why she hadn’t contacted Jaden when she’d returned home, knowing he was close by in Fortune Creek and a deputy sheriff now.

Because she hadn’t thought he’d want to hear from her.

Still, wasn’t he the real reason she’d come home?

It was more complicated than that, she thought. Much more complicated.

Olivia found him waiting for her in the living room. Her mother had made coffee and poured him a cup. Both seemed nervous. “Is this about Cody? Is he…?” She couldn’t bring herself to say the words.

“He hasn’t regained consciousness yet, but he’s still alive,” the deputy said. “I just needed to ask you a few more questions about last night. If you have a minute?” He glanced past her. “If you don’t mind, Mrs. Brooks…”

Her mother seemed a little surprised but acquiesced. “Then I’ll leave you two to it,” she said, then looked to Olivia. “If at any point you feel the need, you can call our family lawyer.”

She waved her away with “I’m fine.” Once her mother was gone, she stayed standing, unsure where to sit or what to say. “I don’t need a lawyer, do I?”

“That would be up to you.”

She shook her head. “You know I didn’t harm anyone last night.” When he said nothing, she felt as if she might cry. “You know me.”

* * *

Earlier, Jaden had been sitting across from Sharon Brooks, turning the brim of his Stetson nervously in his fingers, when Olivia had finally come out of her bedroom.

He’d risen to his feet, his gaze taking in the lack of color in her face, the cuts and bruises, the dark circles around her eyes. She’d appeared exhausted, hurt and scared. He’d been struck by how vulnerable she looked. His heart had gone out to her.

For a moment, she was his Livie, the woman he’d fallen head over heels in love with. He wanted to pull her into his arms and assure her that everything was going to be all right. But he couldn’t promise that since he wasn’t sure he knew this woman as well as he’d once thought.