“The Chief’s dead,” Johhny reported, not bothering to sugarcoat it. “We didn’t do it.” He jerked his thumb at the door. “He’s in there.”
Noah released me, his expression stunned, as he walked slowly to the door. He disappeared inside and I whacked Johnny. “You couldn’t have said it a little nicer?”
“What the hell for?” He growled. “No matter how you say it, dead is dead.”
“Tactful as always, Johnny,” Leroy drawled, stopping next to me. “Did I hear you right? The Chief is dead?”
“Than a doornail,” Dwayne quipped. “The big question is who dun it?”
“That list is longer than my arm,” Leroy acknowledged, looking to the door Noah had disappeared through, and shaking his head. “Sorry way to get promoted that’s for sure.”
“You think he’ll be the next Chief?” Dwayne questioned, glancing at the door interestedly. “I got the impression he didn’t want the job.”
“He’ll take it,” Johnny said brusquely. “It’s in his blood. Like it or not, he’s a lawman.”
“Seriously, his uncle just died,” I reminded them. “Politics can wait.” They all looked at me like I’d just fallen off the turnip truck and I crossed my arms defensively. “I’m just saying you could wait until the man is cold.”
Sirens wailed in the distance as Noah came out of the building. “Alright, let’s go over what happened,” he commanded, looking at Johnny specifically. “You found the body?”
“I did,” Johnny confirmed. “I went to kill him but he was already dead.”
Noah’s eyes closed for second. “Don’t tell me that,” he griped. “I already have a long enough list of suspects.”
“Just saying I didn’t get the opportunity.”
“I am the officer responsible for investigating this crime until someone else gets assigned,” Noah reminded them. “Let’s stick to the facts and not muddy the water.” He pinched his nose. “Did anyone hear anything, see anything?” We all shook our heads and he sighed. “What brought you here? How did you know he was in there?”
Johnny spared me a swift glance before his expression went cagey. “Dwayne heard the Chief had been poking around these buildings. We decided to do some investigating.”
“Uh huh,” Noah murmured doubtfully. “Dwayne, you can collaborate this?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. One of my guys spotted him before the race hanging around,” Dwayne agreed, jerking a thumb toward me. “I figure he was looking for a way to get to her.”
Noah nodded, his lips pressed together. “And you didn’t think to mention it to me or any of the other officers I had stationed here tonight for that very reason?”
Dwayne shrugged. “I told Johnny.”
My gaze darted between them, wondering why none of them were telling the truth. Johnny glared at me warningly and Leroy nudged my arm, shaking his head ever so slightly when I looked up at him.
“Telling Johnny is not the same as telling me,” Noah informed Dwayne, his expression frustrated. “This is how people wind up dead.” He shook his head. “I’m tempted to bring all of y’all in for obstruction.”
“Don’t do that,” I exclaimed. “They’re all liars.” Noah’s gaze shot to me as Johnny’s head fell back. “The only reason they knew your uncle was here is because I told them.”
Dwayne shook his head, a tiny smile playing at the corners of his mouth, and Leroy groaned. “And how did you know?” Noah asked gently, much kinder to me than he’d been with Johnny.
“He was in the garage when I parked the car,” I explained.
“Dead?” Noah asked, his forehead drawing in.
“Oh no, he was alive,” I rushed to correct. “I hit him with a pipe and then he shot at me.” I pointed to the door helpfully and Noah’s head turned. “Then I ran down the street looking for you but I ran into Johnny instead.”
“Are you okay?” Noah confirmed, his gaze assessing me carefully.
“I’m fine,” I chirped. “But I swear your uncle was alive when I left him.”
“Okay, so you were the last person to see him alive?” Noah confirmed and I nodded in agreement much to Johnny’s irritation.
“Other than the person who killed him,” I tacked on, wanting to make sure I was specific.
“Yes, other than the person who killed him,” Noah repeated with a sigh. “I’ll need to take you down to the station and get your statement.” He looked at Johnny and Dwayne. “I don’t need to tell you two not to leave town, do I?” They shook their heads in unison as a police van pulled up. Noah nodded to the van. “Let me get them up to date and then we’ll head to the station,” he told me and I nodded.
They disappeared into the building and Johnny turned to me. “What the hell did you do that for?”
“Tell the truth?” I questioned rhetorically. “I don’t know, maybe because I respect Noah and don’t think lying to him about something as important as his uncle’s death is the right way to start a relationship,” I countered, crossing my arms. “Are you allergic to the truth?”