Over the Edge by Patricia H. Rushford

Author:Patricia H. Rushford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Published: 2014-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

11

“How many times do I have to tell you I wasn’t stealing the money?” Jennie sat in back of the limousine next to the chauffeur with the gun and across from Mayor Ames.

“Then why did you run?” the mayor asked.

“Are you kidding? Have you taken a good look at your bodyguard lately?”

Mayor Ames rubbed his nearly bald head. He looked like a man with a lot of worries. Jennie could understand why. “Hawk, for heaven’s sake, put the gun away. She’s just a kid.”

Hawk did as he was told. “Do you want me to call the sheriff?”

“Not yet. Let’s try the judge again.” When Hawk picked up the cellular phone, the mayor turned back to Jennie. “I find it hard to believe Judge Crookston would hand over his business to you. Especially since he told me he’d have to meet me here because he couldn’t leave the store.”

“Charlie hired me so he could take care of some other business. Someone stole the campaign money they’d collected to oppose Initiative 39. I happened to be in the store when he needed someone to take over, that’s all.”

Hawk set the phone back in its holder. “He isn’t answering.”

“Call Mindy—his daughter. I just talked to her. She told me to take the money to the bank. She’ll verify my story.”

Jennie handed him the keys and told them where to find the number. She watched the long-legged Hawk extricate himself from the car. The fear Jennie had felt a few minutes before now settled in an annoying ache in the pit of her stomach. Or maybe it was hunger.

Jennie couldn’t remember if she’d eaten since breakfast.

She took a deep breath. It would be over soon. They’d hear the truth and let her go. She’d make the deposit at the bank and go back to Gram’s. Then she’d call the judge and tell him what he could do with his job.

When she glanced at Mayor Ames, a feeling of sadness mingled with her anger. She opened her mouth to tell him she was sorry about Jessica when Hawk swung open the car door.

“You’d better come inside.” Hawk scowled. “I found Charlie.”

The dark look on his face told Jennie the news wasn’t good. Hawk gripped her arm and pulled her out. Jennie’s heart slammed against her chest wall like a sledgehammer.

“What’s wrong?” Mayor Ames climbed out of the car behind her, then hurried to catch up.

Hawk was lean, but he had the strength of a weight lifter.

He hauled Jennie into the store and pushed her toward the office.

“Take it easy.” Jennie plunged in, grabbing the desk to keep from falling flat on her face. Further protests lodged in her throat when she saw the cause of Hawk’s fury. Judge Crookston was lying face down on the floor just inside the back door.

“What the …” Mayor Ames shoved past her and knelt down at Charlie’s side. He turned him over, revealing a bloodstained white shirt.

Ames stood and turned his horror-glazed face toward her. “What have you done?”

“N-nothing, I didn’t—” Jennie clutched at the desk’s edge, willing her knees not to buckle.

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