Rip Tide (A Ripple Effect Cozy Mystery, Book 2) by Jeanne Glidewell Page B

Clyde. Anything but sir. And of course I'll go with you. Mind you, there's not much I can do to help you other than be there for moral support. My former position as the sheriff here won't influence the investigating team to turn a blind eye to any involvement you might have had in this crime. In this case, it's not who I know, but what you know."
    Suddenly, I wished we'd never returned to our south Texas hometown of Rockport. Home may truly be where the heart is, but my heart was doing flip-flops as it raced toward what felt like an impending cardiac arrest. However, a few minutes later my heart melted when my daughter walked over and stepped into my open arms for a long and loving embrace. She laid her head on my shoulder and wept softly.
    This mess might turn into a disaster. It doesn't sound promising for Milo. I don't know what Regina will do if Milo goes to jail for assaulting Cooper with a deadly weapon, I thought. It appears to me Reggie is worried about it, too . What can I possibly say to alleviate her fears ?
    It sounded lame and unconvincing, but it was all I could come up with, when I said, "It will all work out okay, sweetheart. I promise."
    I had never reneged on a promise to my only child in the past, and I prayed this wouldn't be the first time I'd be unable to deliver on my word.

Chapter 5

    "Your son-in-law is a blooming idiot," wasn't the first thing I'd hoped to hear when Rip walked in the door a couple of hours later. "It's all taken care of and Milo's off the hook for killing Cooper Claypool," or, "They've arrested the real killer," would have been preferable. His next comment was even more disconcerting.
    "He'll be lucky if he doesn't get the needle."
    Reggie walked into the room just in time to catch Rip's last words. In unison, she and I gasped. Then I asked, "The needle? Oh, good Lord. What's going on?"
    "I'm not entirely sure. He was still in the interrogation room when I left. On the way to the station I stressed to him how important transparency was. I told Milo he needed to tell the detectives everything he knew and exactly what happened at Crabby Joe's on Saturday, even though the truth wouldn't compliment his character any. He needed to give them no reason to doubt his word or believe he had anything to hide."
    "And?" I asked when Rip stopped talking.
    "First thing the knucklehead said when Detective Reeves walked in the room to question him was, 'I want to see my attorney.'"
    "He did?" Reggie asked. "Why does he think he needs an attorney when he's innocent? Dad, do you think there's a chance Milo really did have something to do with the murder? He never mentioned a word to me about the fight with Cooper before today. Could he be lying to all of us? As you already know, he'd never have mentioned the fight if not for being outed by the restaurant's security tape."
    "I really don't know, honey. I honestly believed he had nothing to do with killing Cooper. At least until he immediately lawyered up in the interrogation room. I guess all we can do now is wait and see what happens," Rip replied with a long sigh as he plopped down into the closest recliner.
    The wait took less than two minutes. Rip had gone out to the back deck to take a call on his cell phone. He walked back into the house after a very brief conversation with the caller and, with no preamble, said, "They've booked him on aggravated assault charges, as I was afraid they might. The judge granted a bond order. Judge Martin's a friend of mine, or it might have cost me even more to bail the fool out."
    I knew my daughter was a nervous wreck. She sat on the sofa sniffling, and her trembling hands continuously messed with the fine tufts of hair hanging down on her forehead like wispy bangs. That had always been a tell-tale sign she was troubled about something she had no control over.
    "Sweetheart, don't worry. I promised you this would turn out all right, and I meant it," I said to comfort her. When Rip turned to stare at me, I shrugged