Epiphany by Gemma James

Author:Gemma James [James, Gemma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gemma James

27. Headlines

“I suppose you’re here about the PI?” Sheriff McFayden didn’t bother to look up from the file in his hand.

“Gee, you think?” Aidan closed the door behind us, and we settled into the chairs facing his desk.

The sheriff snapped the folder shut. “I already got an earful from your father, so let me have it—give me your best shot.” He folded his hands and waited with the air of a patient man.

“First off, I’m not my father.” Aidan’s expression turned sour, as if the thought of Hamilton Payne left a bad taste in his mouth. “I didn’t come here to argue with you. I came here to find out why you hired a private investigator to tail me.”

“How do you know I didn’t put the tail on Ms. Hill?”

“If you had, my father wouldn’t have jumped your shit.”

“Fair enough.” He leaned back and crossed his arms. “Is this off the record?”

Aidan rolled his eyes, and I had to smile. The gesture seemed so un-Aidan-like. “I’m not a journalist anymore.”

“And this won’t get back to your father?”

He straightened at the sheriff’s words. I did too. “No, we don’t talk, if I can help it.”

McFayden didn’t seem surprised by his reply. “I’m only telling you this because I figure you’ll find out on your own anyway, and I need to keep this between us.”

“Okay, I’m listening.”

The sheriff sat forward and refolded his hands, and I was struck with how nervous he suddenly appeared. “Your mother and I went to high school together. She contacted me.”

Aidan looked stunned. “You knew my mom?”

“It was a long time ago.” McFayden shrugged. “She only contacted me because I’m the sheriff, and she’s worried about you.” His mouth twisted into a scowl. “You might try staying in touch with her once in a while. Couldn’t hurt.”

Aidan didn’t say anything, and they seemed to come to an impasse.

“Can I help you with anything else?”

“Maybe.” Aidan didn’t elaborate, and I wondered if he was being purposefully vague in order to goad the sheriff.

“Well, let’s have it.”

“Mackenzie’s had some tough nights lately.”

“More dreams?”

“Mostly vague,” I said, “but I did see a white van.”

The sheriff propped his chin on his knuckles. “No shit?”

I blinked at his reaction. Was he making fun of me, or was he genuinely surprised?

“Someone else mention a white van?” Aidan asked.

The sheriff hesitated. “A witness reported seeing a van outside Ms. Hunsaker’s apartment on the night she was murdered. Didn’t see anyone in it though, so no description of a suspect.”

“Who’s the witness?”

“You know better than to ask that.”

“It was Brad, wasn’t it? I mean, we know he was there.”

“He has an alibi.” He grabbed a notepad. “Anything else you can tell me, Ms. Hill?”

Aidan let out a sigh. Clearly, the sheriff wasn’t going to give an inch.

“It was a utility type of van with no windows. I saw it on Highway 101 heading toward a tunnel. There was a full moon.”

He took a few more notes.

“In case you’re wondering,” Aidan said, shifting in his seat, “there’s a full moon Sunday night.

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