1 Depth of Field by Audrey Claire

abrupt halt and fell silent. Spencer had been feeling me out. As he said, he could tell when I was lying, and it occurred to me that he was laying aside the last of his reservations when it came to me. While I came to this conclusion, it didn’t lessen my annoyance. I knew I was innocent.
    “Do you have a forensics photographer?” I inquired.
    He didn’t appear startled by my question, which meant he had done a thorough background check on me. “One of the deputies took a class.”
    I laughed. “I’m sure you know I worked with the police in New York for about three years in that role. I’ve seen it all. That’s part of the reason I came here, so I wouldn’t keep seeing it all. Anyway, I can help you, Spencer.”
    “I’m sure you can.” Was there a slight pause after this assertion? “However, we’ve taken all the photos of the scene, and there are no new cases requiring detailed photography at this time.”
    I grumbled beneath my breath. “It’s obvious someone went through my pictures.”
    “Is it?”
    I clenched my hands in my lap. “Yes, they were everywhere, even on top of the body, and just like you said, Alvin was clutching my photo when he died. You need someone with an eye for detail going through the pictures with you.”
    He started to speak, but I rushed on, selling my case.
    “Someone who knows what she’s looking for.”
    This time he narrowed his eyes at me. “Go on.”
    “I know those pictures because I took them, and I was there with every model. I will know if pictures are missing too.” My claims were lofty. Sure I had an eye for details. I had to in my line of work, but in a single shoot, I might take three hundred to seven hundred pictures. I didn’t keep them all, of course, and many were duplicates with minute changes in lighting and positioning. However, since we were dealing with the citizens of Briney Creek, things should be easy enough.
    “You present a convincing case,” Spencer said, amused.
    I raised my hands, palms facing up. “I’m determined. The sooner this mess is dealt with the sooner I can get back to normal. I don’t like feeling helpless in a situation such as this, and I won’t ever allow…”
    I clamped my lips together, not wanting to bring up the past or refer to it. Spencer noticed, but I blew out a breath of relief that he didn’t comment. He probably wanted to know more about what happened between Colin and me but I wasn’t ready to discuss it with him.
    “All right.”
    I blinked. “Huh?”
    He stood up. “I said I agree. Stay put. I’ll pull what we took from the scene from evidence.”
    I couldn’t believe it had been that easy, and when Spencer left the office, I fidgeted. To think any second, I might review photos and find a murderer among them. Heck, I might have chitchatted with one earlier that morning. Having spoken to half the town in the Hole, it wasn’t unlikely. Yet, the thought produced goose bumps on my arms and made it impossible to stay seated.
    I paced the tiny office, hugging myself. Sure, I had taken crime scene photos for years. I had seen dead bodies, but at some point along the way, I had detached myself as the policemen must do. I had seen them as subjects, dismissed the meaning of the gore and violence. I had no need back then to interpret what I saw or give it an artistic spin. Just point and click, my unconscious eye for detail kicked in and helped me to include what needed to be in the photos.
    Then came the day my brother-in-law betrayed my precious sister and me. Everything changed. I couldn’t look at murder scenes the same, and even if I could, the police had no desire to work with me. My name was cleared, but I had associated with a criminal. I had loved a killer. When I found Alvin Aston, all the betrayal and fear came flooding back, sending me into shock. I didn’t relish my new little world being destroyed, so I had to help fix it.
    The door opened, and Spencer reappeared carrying a portable file box. He