All This Time by Melissa Tagg

Author:Melissa Tagg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Melissa Tagg
Published: 2017-09-14T04:00:00+00:00

10

“Look, Chief Roberts—”

“That’d be Ross. But like I said, you can call me Sam.”

Bear stood with flattened palms on the waist-high counter in the Maple Valley Police Department. The man on the other side looked far too laidback considering he’d just accused Jamie of vandalizing the outside of Baker’s Antiques. Something about tipped-over flower boxes and eggs thrown against the front window.

“Chief Ross.” He spoke slowly. “If Jamie says he didn’t have anything to do with the vandalism, he didn’t have anything to do with the vandalism.”

Jamie sat behind Bear on a vinyl bench edged up to the wall. A mirror on the opposite wall captured his slumped posture, his crossed arms, an expression likely meant to portray defiance.

But all Bear could see was the distress hovering in his nephew’s dark irises. It was enough to make him want to pound his fist on the counter. “You might not believe him, but I do. And I won’t stand for Jamie being falsely accused.”

Chief Ross straightened, the faint streaks of distinguished gray at his temples a contrast to the rest of his relatively youthful appearance. At least compared to the only other police officers Bear had ever known.

The ones who’d arrested him in Atlanta.

Who’d booked him that first night in jail.

Escorted him to and from the courtroom.

It was all he could do not to ball his fists now. “Jamie will not be taking the fall for something he didn’t do.”

Chief Ross folded his arms. “I’ve not accused your nephew of anything. There’s no ‘taking the fall.’ Let’s not get overly dramatic. I’ve simply questioned him.”

“Without a lawyer.”

“Actually, Beckett Walker, who happens to be a lawyer, was here the whole time. I asked Jamie all of three or four questions.”

The way the man said Beckett’s name hinted at a personal history between the two. But Bear didn’t have patience for that now.

Nor had he had patience for Beckett when he’d first arrived at the station. He’d been too intent on seeing Jamie to pay attention to Beckett’s explanation then, but it replayed in his mind now.

Apparently Beckett had needed to run into town for something at Klassen’s Hardware. He’d brought Jamie along, had gotten distracted looking for whatever it was he needed in the store, and the next thing he knew, Jamie had disappeared.

He’d found him less than five minutes later, just down the block outside Baker’s Antiques, enduring a tongue-lashing from the store’s owner. The police chief had arrived on the scene right after.

“Why didn’t you just let Beckett take him home?”

Chief Ross—Sam—rolled his eyes. “Because a very disgruntled Mr. Baker was standing there outside his store expecting me to do something. And for all I knew, Jamie was lying. Thought it best to bring him here and wait for you.”

Now Bear’s fists did ball. “He wasn’t lying.”

“I can appreciate that you believe the best of your nephew—”

“He wasn’t lying.”

“Do you know how rare vandalism is in this town? Other than the annual TP-ing of the head basketball coach’s house, we don’t get so much as a peep of trouble.

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