Sudden Second Chance by Carol Ericson Page B

Binder was in recovery, hadn’t touched drugs in over a year.”
    “Once a junkie, always a junkie.” Musgrove sliced his big hands through the air. “Is that the course you’re going to follow on this case, Harper? Are you going to dig up Timberline’s sordid past?”
    “No town, big or small, is exempt from drugs, Sheriff.” Duke narrowed his eyes. “Are you one of the contingents that would rather not have the spotlight on Timberline?”
    “Is it a contingent? I’ll be damned. I know the town has worked hard to come back from its failures, and we’re on the cusp of something great. I plan to work with the mayor and the town fathers to get it there.”
    Duke’s gaze tracked over the sheriff’s head to the awards and commendations on the wall, illustrating a career bouncing from agency to agency. He knew law-enforcement types like this guy, scrambling to secure the highest pension with the least amount of work, kissing ass along the way.
    He’d have to report back to Mick that Sheriff Musgrove would be more of a hindrance than a help for this cold case.
    His eyes dropped to the sheriff’s face. “You weren’t here during the Carson copycat kidnappings, were you?”
    “No, I was over in Spokane. I read about it, though. Crazy SOB. I was hired in after Sheriff Sloane left for Phoenix—took off with that sister of one of the Timberline Trio. Talk about getting wrapped up in the job.” He shook his head.
    Musgrove would never be one to get too wrapped up in the work. Put in the hours and go home. Duke never understood guys like that.
    For him, the work was a calling, a duty. It had been like that for his partner, Tony DeLuca, too. Guys on the other side never got it.
    “I understand Sheriff Sloane’s daughter was the final kidnap victim.”
    “Yeah, yeah. Tough break. I guess he couldn’t handle it.” Musgrove puffed out his chest as if he could handle anything. “Deputy Unger was here for the copycat kidnappings and sat in on the interview with Binder. He’s out front if you want to talk to him. Otherwise, you have free rein here, Agent Harper. Our files are your files, and we’ll get you that accident report on Binder if you’re interested.”
    “I am. Thanks, Sheriff Musgrove.”
    They shook hands again and Musgrove sank heavily behind his desk and returned to his computer. Duke didn’t have a clue what the man was looking at, but he could guarantee it wasn’t work related.
    Duke sauntered up front and stopped at Unger’s desk. “Can I ask you a few questions about Gary Binder and the whole Wyatt Carson case?”
    “Sure.” Unger glanced over his shoulder. “Maybe we can do this over coffee.”
    Duke got the hint.
    “Sheriff Musgrove, Agent Harper and I are going out for coffee to discuss the Binder interview.”
    The sheriff called from his office. “Did you get those reports done yet?”
    “Been on your desk for two hours, sir.” Unger rolled his eyes at Duke.
    The sound of shuffling papers came from the office. “Got ’em. Keep me posted, Deputy.”
    “I’ll do that, sir.”
    When they stepped out of the station, Unger tilted his head from side to side, as if cracking his neck.
    “The guy’s a pain, huh?”
    “I’m not gonna bad-mouth my superior, but he’s no Coop Sloane.”
    “I heard good things about Sloane from Agent Maxfield.”
    “That just proves how good he was, since he and Maxfield didn’t always see eye to eye.”
    “That happens a lot between the FBI and local law enforcement. It’s a testament to both of them that they were able to work together and nail Carson.”
    They’d walked half a block and Unger pointed ahead. “Buy you a coffee?”
    “Sure.”
    A couple of people on laptops huddled at tables and an older gentleman looked up from his paperback when they walked in.
    Duke and Unger ordered their coffee and sat across from each other at a table by the window.
    Duke stretched out his legs and popped the lid off his cup. “What do you think about