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“And all this is going to check out?” Collins folded his hands on the table between them.
“It’ll all check out.” Jim sat up in his chair and faced the camera. “Now if you want to ask me any more questions, you’ll have to wait for my attorney.”
Jim knew he had a rock-solid alibi. That didn’t concern him. What did was the fact that someone had tried to frame him for murder—and he had a feeling it was all related to what happened to him twenty-five years ago.
* * *
WHEN THE PHONE RANG, Scarlett pounced on it before the call could drop off, grabbed her purse and ran outside.
She reached the end of her drive and answered, out of breath. “Is Jim going to have to spend the night in jail? What do they have? What can I do to help?”
Wade Lewiston, the attorney Jim’s friend had recommended, clicked his tongue. “They haven’t even booked him, Scarlett. He’s waiting in an interview room while they check out his alibi.”
“If they ask me, I can tell them straight out, no way could he have stabbed someone and then appeared on my doorstep without a smidgen of blood on him.”
“From what I understand, his timeline is pretty tight. They’re not going to be able to pin this on him. He even phoned in about the garage break-in. He’s covered.”
“D-do you need to come out?”
“I don’t think so. He’s not answering any more questions for now. He wanted me to ask you if you can pick him up at the station when they release him.”
“Of course I can. I’m on my way right now.”
“You might want to wait, Scarlett. The deputies are still looking into his alibi.”
“I’m not waiting any longer. This is ridiculous.”
“Up to you. If Jim needs anything else, have him give me a call.”
“How about a lawsuit? Can he sue the sheriff’s department?”
“’Fraid not. His fingerprints were on the murder weapon, and that weapon belonged to him. The deputies had just cause to bring him in.”
“Okay, okay.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I’m going there now, anyway.”
“Good night and good luck. Call me if there’s a hitch.”
Scarlett hit the key fob and the lights of her car blinked once. “Will do.”
“One more thing, Scarlett.”
“What?”
“Just be careful.”
“Careful?” She slid behind the wheel of her car, glancing in her rearview mirror. “Of what? Jim didn’t do it.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“What did you mean?”
“There’s a murderer loose in Timberline, and for whatever reason he dumped the man near your cabin and tried to frame Jim. Be careful.”
The hair on the back of her neck quivered. Like she needed reminding. “I’ll be careful. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly tonight.”
“Anything for a fellow vet—especially one like Jim Kennedy.”
Before she had a chance to ask him why Jim was so special, he ended the call.
By the time she pulled into the parking lot of the sheriff’s station, her aching muscles were screaming at her. She’d made the drive clutching the steering wheel and sitting on the edge of her seat.
She felt a particular urgency biting at her heels—something telling her that if she didn’t get Jim out tonight, he would never get out.
She scrambled from the car and jogged to the station entrance. Deputy Stevens looked up from behind the front desk.
“I’m here to pick up Jim Kennedy. Are you done harassing him?”
Stevens’s mouth dropped open. “H-his fingerprints were on the murder weapon, which belonged to his father.”
“And he had alibis about a mile long.”
Stevens held up his hands. “This was county’s arrest. Don’t jump on me.”
“Well, is he done?” She wedged a hand on her hip and tapped the toe of her boot.
“I think so. They’ll bring him up when they’re ready. Deputy Collins didn’t even book him, so there’s no paperwork to process.”
Scarlett wheeled around and paced to the other side of the room. After about fifteen minutes of handwringing and peppering Stevens with questions, she froze when she heard a door open down the hall.
