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“Noah Oliver, how the hell are ya?”
“I’m good Julie, you?”
“Fine as I can be, sitting here and waiting for something in this berg to happen.”
She was maybe thirty-five, dark hair and light eyed, a rash of freckles across her nose. They shook hands and then Noah introduced me. “This is Eli James. Eli, meet Julie Capple. I tease her that her family was called crab apple and shortened it.”
I smiled and nodded to her. “Nice to meet you.”
“What are you doing with this bum here?” She asked me with a smile, then looked at Noah and flirted a little. “Noah, you taking in strays now? Could’ve taken me in a long time ago if I had the right parts, anyhow.”
“He’s a good worker, so if that’s a stray, I’ll take a few more of ‘em. Is your boss around?”
“He’s back in his office. I’m guessing he’s napping, but I’m not supposed to say that.”
They had a laugh over that, and Noah tipped his hat to her. “You might let him know we’re coming.”
As she got on the landline, Noah sauntered easily to the door to the right, knocking once before they heard the sheriff call for them to enter.
The desk took up little space, but the file cabinets lined the walls behind it, and the sheriff sat just in front of the cabinets in an enormous leather chair that seemed out of place. I’d find out later the sheriff had it placed there because of his constant complaints of sciatica, but Noah doubted that was the reason.
The sheriff rose and he couldn’t be taller than 5’5” and had all the smaller features associated with his size.
Noah’s hand engulfed his. Then mine did too. “Sit, gentlemen,” and I recognized the cracking in his voice, then saw the outline of the cigarette pack in his shirt pocket.
“Sheriff,” Noah started before they took seats in the wood chairs before the desk. “This is Eli James, the one you were asking about.”
“You didn’t tell me you’d bring him in,” the sheriff said, accusing in a well-mannered way. “Young man, did you steal the things your… what do you all call each other now?”
Noah answered as I sat, flustered as to how to answer myself. “They were partners, so to speak. Though the partnership was pretty one-sided.”
“And my wife would accuse me of the same, and me her, so let’s get on with this. Did you, Mr. James?”
“I took a watch when I left. That’s it, and here it is,” I said as I took the thing from my pocket and handed it to the sheriff like it was a piece of filth I couldn’t get rid of fast enough.
He stared at it, whistling through his teeth. “This here is worth that much?”
“Fifty thousand is what Harvey told me he bought it for, yeah.”
“Well, from what the report said, he’s valuing it much higher, or maybe it’s the other things missing that make up for nearly a million dollars.”
I moved forward on the chair, shocked, but I shouldn’t have been. “Other things? I didn’t take anything else.”
“I didn’t get details more than some jewelry. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a civil matter, but that’s not how they want it approached. They want you in jail.”
I thought for sure he’d pull out the cuffs, but Noah wouldn’t allow that. “Now, sheriff, we don’t have to get up in arms, here.”
“Like I said, as far as I’m concerned, it’s civil. If you all can get married now, you can get divorced, and that’s the way to settle things. It’s the same as anyone, and I’ve seen plenty of accusations when folks are in the middle of breaking up.”
I calmed some, but my heart was racing still, and I gripped the arms of the chairs like they were holding me to life.
“Thank you, sheriff. That’s what I thought too. There’re grounds for it, though they never walked down the aisle. I know for a fact he had no more money than a couple hundred, and he was on a motorcycle. Nowhere to put a big stash of diamonds and jewels or whatever that asshole said.”
“Good. Get one of them fancy lawyer friends of your late man, if he pushes things.”
“Already called one,” Noah said, surprising me all over again.
“You did?”
