The Code of the Hills by Nancy Allen

Author:Nancy Allen
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2014-03-06T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-­Four

A UNIFORMED OFFICER reported to the interrogation room to escort JoLee back home. Elsie waited for Ashlock to return; when he didn’t appear, she left the room in search of him. She felt a little put out with him for deserting her. When she spied him at the end of a corridor, in deep discussion with another detective, she called, “Hey, Ashlock!”

He swung around, a shocked expression on his face. Elsie jerked both palms up. “Where the hell did you go?” she hollered, in a tone of voice that she had not picked up at charm school.

“Quit shouting and come on over here,” he said. “I’ve got someone I want to introduce you to.”

She approached the men, still perturbed. “Sorry,” she said. “But it was no picnic in there alone with Lady Macbeth.”

Ashlock shook his head, struggling to suppress a smile. When his companion gave him a quizzical look, Ashlock explained that they had just concluded an unsuccessful witness interview.

“The witness called Ash ‘cheesedick,’ ” Elsie added.

“Thank you, Miss Arnold, for sharing that information with the lieutenant here. Elsie, do you know Lieutenant Tomlin? He works a lot of the property offenses.”

She extended a hand. “We haven’t met. Nice to know you. Any friend of Ashlock’s is a friend of mine; those are the words I live by.”

“Oh, I’ve seen you around,” Tomlin said.

“Around the courthouse, I expect. Ash, when you’re done, I need to talk with you.”

“Yeah,” Tomlin said with a look on his face that she could not mistake. “And I’ve seen you on the town, too. Weren’t you getting drunk over at Noah Strong’s place?”

Taken aback, Elsie said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Tomlin insisted, “I know it was you—­you and Strong. Getting drunk as a skunk, slopping liquor all over the place.”

She could feel the color suffusing her face. Maybe she’d met Tomlin on New Year’s Eve. Noah had a rowdy party at his place, and she’d celebrated with tequila shots. The night was pretty much a blank. Elsie answered, “Goodness sakes, I remember now. We were just acting silly.” Ashlock was watching her with a keen eye, and it made her nervous.

Grinning, Tomlin went on, “You’re a party girl. I heard you were knee walking at Baldknobbers.”

Pulling herself to her full height, Elsie gave the lieutenant a cool stare, though she could feel her cheeks flush. Then she reached out and tapped Ashlock on the arm with her file. “I’ll wait for you in the lobby,” she said, turning on her heel and walking away.

Damn it to hell, she thought, wishing that the floor would open up and swallow her. It was too much to hope for, in a town the size of Barton, that her indiscretions would go unnoticed. She dodged into the first floor restroom to see if her blush was very obvious. A glimpse in the mirror confirmed her fears; she was positively scarlet. Fervently wishing she’d made time that morning to cover her complexion with makeup, she doused a paper towel with cold water and patted her face.

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