Trinity Harbor 3 - Along Came Trouble by Sherryl Woods Page A

motivated that they’l want to wrap up the case by arresting the first decent suspect that comes along?”
    To Tucker’s everlasting regret, she had a point. Even if he stayed on Walker’s back, it was possible that the quickest solution would be the one people would grab onto. “If it comes to that…”
    “It’l be too late. Don’t they say trails go cold very quickly?”
    “Mary Elizabeth, I already have a job. If you want someone besides the police looking into this on your behalf, hire an investigator. I’m sure Powel can recommend a good one.”
    “He could, but I trust you.”
    He sighed heavily. “I thought you regretted drawing me into this. And I am absolutely certain I heard Powel tel you not to trust me.”
    She regarded him solemnly. “He did. And I do regret getting you involved, but you’re in it now. And it was your choice to keep me underfoot where I can pester you. I might as wel take advantage of that fact.”
    “And my job? What do you propose I do about that?”
    “You said yourself you haven’t taken any time off in forever. Since you need to avoid this case and I doubt there’s much else going on in Trinity Harbor, take a vacation or a leave of absence, whatever makes you comfortable. I’l pay you the going rate to work for me as an investigator.”
    “Liz—”
    “Two weeks,” she pleaded. “If nothing turns up in two weeks, you can turn it over to another investigator.”
    Tucker had weeks of vacation time coming to him, but talk about a busman’s holiday. This was hardly the kind of relaxing break he needed. A couple of weeks doing nothing but fishing, that was a vacation. This…this was a disaster waiting to happen. Add in Walker’s reaction to having him poking around in his investigation, to say nothing of the personal complications from working closely with Mary Elizabeth, and it was asking for the kind of trouble any sensible man shunned.
    “Please,” she coaxed. “I need you, and you know I would never say that unless I was desperate.”
    That was certainly true. Mary Elizabeth had always prided herself on needing no one. The fact that she’d been shedding tears al day like Niagara Fal s was testimony to her level of stress and panic.
    “Two weeks,” he agreed final y. “And not a minute longer.”
    “Thank you.”
    “Don’t thank me,” he said, shifting to meet her gaze. “Just figure out how we’re going to keep my father from finding out about this and kil ing us both.”
    6
    I t was two hours after his encounter with Daisy by the time King tore into the sheriff’s office. He’d missed Tucker by minutes everywhere he looked…and he had pretty much covered the whole blasted county.
    Walker had been downright evasive when King had demanded to know where his son had gone when he’d left Swan Ridge.
    “You just tel me one thing,” King had demanded when he arrived at the neighboring estate. “Is he with that woman?”
    “Can’t say,” Walker said, annoyingly poker-faced.
    “Can’t or won’t?”
    “Why are you here?” Walker countered. “Or do I even need to ask? Daisy’s behind it, right? Tucker said you two were going to get al worked up over him having any contact with Mrs. Chandler.”
    “Wel , do you blame us?” King had retorted indignantly. “Not five minutes after her husband dies, she’s sniffing around Tucker again.”
    “I don’t think it’s like that,” Walker said, defending Tucker with brotherly loyalty. “She turned to a friend for a little help.”
    King snorted. “Then you’re as blind as my son where that she-devil is concerned.”
    Walker didn’t take the bait. “You got any other questions? I have a whole lot of things I could be doing around here, like helping the forensics guys gather hard evidence.”
    “You ought to start with locking up the prime suspect,” King had groused.
    “I would if I had one,” Walker countered. “Anything else?”
    “Where’s she staying?”
    Walker looked him directly in