“No,” I muttered.
Something was wrong.
Bad wrong.
The Ranger office in the back of the saloon sat empty. Dark except for the dim security lights glowing down the hallway.
Good.
I wasn’t in the mood to explain anything.
I headed straight for the back office and flipped on the desk lamp. Light spilled across scattered files and old coffee cups as I dropped into Blaze’s chair and pulled the keyboard closer.
If the truth existed—
I’d find it.
I typed in her name.
Tessa Bloom.
The screen loaded slowly.
Then headlines filled the monitor.
LOCAL GIRL RESPONSIBLE FOR DEADLY CRASH
DRUNK DRIVING KILLS YOUNG WOMAN
TESSA BLOOM SENTENCED TO SIX YEARS
My jaw tightened harder with every article.
Same wording.
Same version.
Over and over again.
Too clean.
Real cases weren’t clean.
There were always contradictions. Witnesses disagreeing. Missing pieces. Somebody talking too much or not enough.
This?
Looked packaged.
Like everyone decided the story before they finished asking questions.
I opened the official report next.
Driver: Tessa Bloom.
Passenger: Cathy Reynolds.
Cause: intoxication. Hit a tree.
