CASTLE DANGER by Chris Norbury

Author:Chris Norbury [Norbury, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FICTION / Thrillers / Psychological
ISBN: 9781634910507
Publisher: BookLocker.com, Inc.
Published: 2016-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 32

A confused Matt stepped outside to get some air and clear his mind. His thinking was as chaotic and discordant as music by Arnold Schoenberg or Ornette Coleman. Allyson had said Vossler was a crook. Vossler should have been worried about Allyson complaining to the cops—unless he was so powerful he had the police bought and paid for. But why buy off a county sheriff’s office two thousand miles from Los Angeles?

Then again, if Allyson feared the police more than Vossler feared them, perhaps sabotaging her business was a calculated gamble to force her hand. What terrible crime had she committed that put her custody of Josh at risk?

Matt went inside. A blast of heat enveloped him. A second later, another blast hit him, this one of revelation. Vossler’s voice had sounded different at the coffee shop because he was lying. Matt raced past Hannah and Brent, who loitered by the bar. Matt knocked on the office door, paused, and entered.

Allyson sat in her chair, staring out the window into the black night.

“Allyson, I’m convinced Josh belongs with you. I want to help.”

She turned enough for him to see one eye. Her expression indicated she didn’t care what he wanted. After a long moment, she said in a lifeless tone, “Oh goodie. Everything will be peachy keen from now on.” She turned back to the window.

“Vossler’s been lying to me from the start. I’m not looking to get mixed up in a dispute that might get the law on my ass. If I’m going to help you, I need to understand your relationship with him.”

Swiveling to face him full on, her jaw firmed, and her eyes caught fire. “Don’t you dare patronize me. Believing my side of the story is an ocean away from doing anything about it.” Her voice became quiet and bitter. “I survived all sorts of shit long before you showed up. I’ll fix this myself.”

Matt’s temper began to warm. “I wouldn’t call what you’ve done so far fixing the problem.” He thrust his arm toward the outside in the general direction of Vossler. “Unless you’ve got some secret battle plan you’re not sharing, Vossler will win. He’s turning the entire town against you with all the lies he’s spewing and the mini dramas he’s staged here since he showed up. I suggest you take help from anyone who offers.”

The fire in her eyes subsided. Her head drooped and she sunk into her chair. “If I confide in you, I want to know one thing in return.”

“What?”

She looked up. “Why are you using a fake name?” Her eyes were alert for his reaction.

Matt blanched with panic and stiffened to keep from bolting out the door. She had found his wallet that first night. He forced himself to meet her gaze. “It’s complicated.”

“Are you hiding from the cops?”

A wave of exhaustion hit him. He hadn’t realized how stressed out he’d been from living a lie since returning to civilization. Maybe confiding in someone would reduce that stress.

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