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“You... ehm...” He completely took the wind out of her sails with his unexpected and colloquial response. “Y-You are?” No doubt with her lips pursed as she gasped in surprise made her look like a fish out of water.
“Indeed.”
Daphne wanted to yell in frustration when he didn’t elaborate but instead opened the door. One eyebrow inched higher.
“Well? Are you comin’?”
Chapter Nine
Daphne was a good girl—she truly was—for the first fifteen minutes of the interrogation.
“C’mon, Baker, you’ve given us nothing.” Her resolve to do as Carter had instructed before entering the room to keep quiet cracked. She finally couldn’t curb her irritation any longer. Ignoring Carter’s warning look, she sallied forth. “You’ve been playing Ring Around the Rosie with Sheriff Scott. I, for one, am getting bored.”
Baker Cowell cast a lazy eye her way, looked her up and down, and then back at Carter.
“So, is this good cop, bad cop time? She doesn’t look like a copper.” He snorted as his eyes roamed over the stained sweater. “If anything, I’d say she’s a little ditsy. Definitely not the kind of woman with steel in her veins that would make me shiver in my boots.”
“I don’t need steel in my veins, you decrepit criminal. You have no idea what—”
“That’s quite enough, Ms. Fowler,” Carter warned darkly.
“Oh, I am only getting started, Sheriff Scott. If this little pipsqueak thinks he can insult me and—”
“I believe it’s time you and I have a private talk, Ms. Fowler,” Carter’s gravelly voice resonated through the room. Daphne had no choice but to follow him as he summarily got up and walked out.
“Okay,” she immediately began as the door closed behind her. “I know I overstepped, but that man is being a—”
“This isn’t your interrogation. I warned you to keep quiet,” he growled angrily.
“But I—” Daphne swallowed the protest under the icy warning in his eyes.
“It’s done. I refuse to have your eagerness to assist interfere with the success of this investigation. You will wait for me in the observation room.” He narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Be there, Ms. Fowler, nowhere else. I won’t be pleased if I have to come looking for you.”
“Yes, sir. Of course, sir. Ten bags of salt, sir!”
“Go. Now!” He pointed to a closed door.
With a cheeky salute, she pivoted and with a “Gmphf!” stomped in the direction he pointed. “But let it be known, Sheriff Scott, I’m not happy about this. Not one little bit.”
“Believe me, neither am I.”
Daphne had a sneaky suspicion they weren’t in agreement about the same topic. Head held high, she walked into the observation room, only to be startled by the presence of a female deputy.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was in here.”
“It’s a requirement that someone always oversee an interrogation.” The dark blonde woman smiled. “Yes, even if it’s the sheriff. I’m Deputy Sheriff Tanya Cooper of the Provo precinct,” she introduced herself.
“Daphne Fowler,” she responded as she shook the proffered hand.
“Ah, the infamous investigative reporter.”
“Hardly infamous.” Daphne laughed as she took the chair next to Tanya. “So, I’ve been sequestered here for the time being.” She looked around the dark and dreary room, devoid of anything but the two chairs. “Not as exciting as being on the other side of the glass panel, though.”
“True, but at least we get to watch a master at work.” Tanya looked at her sideways. “You might think he’s not pushing hard enough, but he’s already obtained a couple of leads during the time you were there.”
Daphne looked at her in surprise. “I must’ve been too focused on the obvious information to notice. What leads, if I may ask?”
“You may, but I prefer that you ask Sheriff Scott himself. It’s up to him whether he feels it appropriate to share information with you.”
