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Jane swallowed and examined the rest of him. He lay on his back, one arm outstretched, the other propped on his stomach. His legs were bent at the knees, as if he’d attempted to curl into a fetal ball but lacked the strength. A shattered mug lay at his side, the liquid contents wetting his buzz cut. He wore a white T-shirt, worn jeans and socks. She’d seen him around town, but he looked much older than his fifty-something years, as if he’d aged a decade in a matter of weeks.
Her gaze zoomed back to his chest. No sign of life.
No, he wasn’t dazed.
“What?” Tiffany said, bumping into her. She gasped and pressed a trembling hand over her mouth. “Is that a…?”
“Yes, that’s a dead body,” Jane confirmed. “We need to call 911.”
CHAPTER TWO
Thou shall always be prepared to use a fake British accent and pretend to be a strategist if the situation calls for it.
–Jane Ladling’s Campaign Companion Code
Jane sat in a conference room at the police station. Alone. Upon Sheriff Moore’s directive, an officer had escorted her in here. Fiona, Beau and Tiffany had joined her at some point, only to be questioned individually and released. When two of the trio demanded to remain with her—guess who asked for an escort home—an order to vacate followed.
What was going on? Why was Jane being singled out? She’d been here five hours, possibly an entire year. And yes, she’d scoped out several locations to hang new campaign posters. Agents from the Georgia Bureau of Homicide had flown in and out of the room, armed with questions:
How long have you known Mr. Gunn?
Have you ever mailed or delivered letters to him?
Did you speak with the deputy during one of your unofficial investigations?
They suspected her of committing the crime, didn’t they? Jane bit the inside of her lip. This wasn’t her first interrogation, so she knew the drill. She should absolutely call an attorney. But goodness gracious, she preferred Conrad. He made everything better. Plus, her last lawyer had been murdered, so why risk hiring another?
If Conrad were here, he’d use his unwavering determination and unmistakable authority to remind her that no one with any sort of intelligence would consider her a murder suspect. Sure, she had motive, flimsy though it may be. Some could even say she had killed to take out her boyfriend’s only competition. But she also had a rock solid alibi, thank you. She’d spent the entire morning with Fiona, Beau and Trick, driving to neighborhoods to hang those flyers. No doubt a hundred home security systems could verify this.
But what if the agents thought she’d hired a hitman?
Her stomach churned. Political scandals always involved hitmen, right? And what was the time of death anyway? Maybe they believed she’d killed the deputy earlier to “conveniently” find him later. Though, as a woman who’d stumbled across not one, but four corpses in less than a year, there was nothing convenient about the experience.
The door handle twisted, and Conrad burst into the conference room, a tower of strength. His black hair was a mess, as if he’d plowed his fingers through the strands repeatedly. Tension etched his features, his electric baby blues bright with concern. “Another body, Jane? Really?”
Oh, thank goodness! She shot to her feet. He opened his arms, and she nearly leaped over the table to fall into his embrace. As she nuzzled against his cashmere sweater, getting as close as humanly possible, his warmth enfolded her, bringing the scent of dry cedar and exotic spices.
“The good news is, the body wasn’t on my property this time,” she said. “That’s progress.”
He pulled back just enough to cup her cheeks and peer into her eyes. “Are you okay?”
Was she? As the owner of a cemetery, she wasn’t unaccustomed to death. But discovering the body of Deputy Joshua Gunn was different. More personal because he’d been in his own home, where he must have felt safest. “I am,” she decided. Now. “Do you know what’s going on?”
“Sheriff Moore briefed me as much as he was able.” Conrad’s mouth flattened into a grim line. “He has questions for us. Apparently, Deputy Gunn received a series of death threats and compiled folders on possible culprits. You and I are among the list of six.”
Her back shot ramrod straight. “But that’s preposterous!”
“Don’t worry. We’ll establish our innocence.” He lowered his head and gave her a sweet kiss. “If necessary, we’ll launch our own investigation.”
Okay, maybe she shouldn’t admit this, considering someone had tragically died, but excitement infiltrated her cells. Finally! She’d get to officially unofficially team up with the incomparable Conrad Ryan and show him how to properly solve a case: suspect everyone. He’d gain his first taste of Team Truth, a group of top-notch expert sleuths she spearheaded. Members included her found family.
