The Mountain Man's Badge by Gary Corbin

Author:Gary Corbin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: murder mystery, politics, oregon cascades, small town, dogs, crime, Oregon, pacific northwest, amateur sleuth
Publisher: Double Diamond Productions
Published: 2018-06-20T00:00:00+00:00

PHIL REARDON HID BEHIND his newspaper, waiting for the two men to leave the diner. They’d groused about the coffee, the food, the service, the grease—everything except the diner’s most important flaw: its complete and utter lack of privacy.

He’d heard every word of their conversation, and it disturbed him.

It also surprised him. Jackson, though well-known as a liar and scoundrel, had always struck him as being more careful than this. Speaking in public about a plot to unseat one of his political enemies seemed reckless, even wearing that awful disguise. He’d survived in local politics by bullying most opponents and cutting deals with the rest, usually at taxpayer expense, but he also held a job few others even wanted. Phil, like most people, remained willing to let him do it if it meant they didn’t have to.

The Assistant District Attorney’s complicity shocked him more. Ferguson had a reputation for intelligence, hard work, adhering to Christian values, and a passionate zeal for enforcing the law. But if he’d heard this right—and he had no doubts about it—Ferguson was conspiring to break the law. Commit perjury, even, or at least convince someone else to do so.

He understood, even if he didn’t agree, why they’d want to go after the strip clubs. As a father, he’d always despised the clubs and harbored secret fears of finding his daughters’ friends (never his daughters!) on stage someday. That alone kept him out of the clubs, despite the loneliness he’d suffered since his divorce. But their zeal for going after Lehigh Carter he didn’t understand. Lehigh went rogue at times, but he was honest to a fault. The independent streak they loathed was what most people liked about him. He couldn’t be corrupted like Buck Summers—or, for that matter, Jackson.

“More coffee?” Dot refilled his cup without waiting for an answer. Phil lowered his sports page and noticed that the two conspirators had left. “Thanks, Dot. Busy morning, huh?”

“About the usual. Some new faces, though.” She turned her head toward the now-empty table in the corner. “Normally I’d welcome a new customer, but...”

“Lousy tippers?”

Dot made a sour face, then nodded. “Two bucks on a twenty-five dollar tab. How’s a gal supposed to earn a living?”

Phil shook his head. “Can’t say I’m surprised. They’re not the nicest of guys.”

Dot cocked her head and rearranged the sugar bowl, creamers, and salt and pepper shakers on the table. “How d’you mean?”

“I shouldn’t say anything. It’s none of my business.” He went back to reading the newspaper.

Dot swatted at him with her towel. “Those are public officials. Everything they say is our business. Come on, what’d they talk about?”

Phil grimaced. He’d always been taught to keep his mouth shut, his nose clean, and his powder dry. He hated wading in to someone else’s business uninvited. But Dot kind of had a point about them being public employees, and Lehigh, a good guy, needed help against these goons.

“They seem to have it in for Sheriff Carter,” he said. “Talking about trying to get him out of office.

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