Love Inspired Suspense April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Laura Scott (free e reader .TXT) 📕

pants and a royal blue button-down that brought out his eyes. He’d rolled the sleeves and held a dollar in his hand as he approached the vending machine. He was not helping her remain strong.

“Farm equipment.”

He smirked as the machine ate his money and coughed out an oat and honey granola bar. “What have you been in here thinking? I know your mind’s been turning something over.”

The kiss. The one neither of them had mentioned had built a thin wall of tension between them, but not enough to keep them from working together or discussing the case. But it needed to be talked about—as in talking about it not happening again. It would only end in more heartbreak.

She’d lead with other thoughts. “Chance’s secret.”

“Me too.” He opened the green package and offered her one of the crunchy bars.

She accepted, and her stomach growled in an anticipation. “A phone call to Jared doesn’t make him a murderer. But what he did after the call was obviously worth ten grand each to Ryan Sedgwick and Joey March. Still might not make him a murderer, but he’s guilty of something he doesn’t want discovered. Not then and not now.”

Colt smiled and broke off a piece of granola bar. Crumbs fell to the floor. “Go on, Detective.”

Heat ballooned in her cheeks, but she was on a roll. “It’s possible he didn’t do anything criminal the night of Jared’s death, but because of his threats, he needed a solid alibi to prevent him from becoming a suspect. His college career was about to take off, and that kind of heat could have kept him from being accepted to Ole Magnolia. And with Jared out of the picture, Chance was good enough to play QB. So maybe twenty grand was a logical idea to a shady criminal attorney.”

Colt’s amusement showed in the quirk of his right eyebrow and the flicker in his eyes. “Done?”

“For now.”

He chuckled. “You present a solid idea. How about we go see for ourselves? Have us a little chat with him. Shake him up on his own turf.”

Georgia broke off another bite. “Yes, because here’s the deal. If the money was given in exchange for a solid alibi so the police wouldn’t look hard at Chance, then why didn’t he come clean to his friends about what he was actually doing the night Jared died? If it wasn’t criminal, why continue to keep it a secret?”

Colt cocked his head. “You have something there, Detective. Definitely onto something.”

His faith in her and the fact he truly listened didn’t help her in the feelings department. “Thanks. But I know we have to cover all our bases. Chance is only one. The recruiting ring is another. Third base—any other enemies of Jared’s?”

“Everyone loved him, Georgia. You know that.”

“Do I? Jared kept secrets before he died. The money. The concert tickets. Not to mention he’d been extra irritated at Amber, and they usually got along famously.”

“Siblings fight.”

“Yeah, but once she said she wished they hadn’t been fighting. That things might have been different. I thought she meant their relationship, but what if she meant something else, Colt? I’m only bringing it up now because nothing has been as it seems. Fifteen years ago, no one thought for a second it would revolve around illegal football recruiting, but here we are.”

Colt ran his tongue across his upper teeth. “Well, let’s talk to her again, then we’ll talk to Chance.”

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Amber’s.

Amber opened up, serious-faced, but then she beamed at Colt and hugged him. “I’m glad it’s you investigating, Colton.”

“Thanks. I’m doing everything I can.”

She invited them inside her cozy living room. Colt and Georgia perched on the love seat.

“Karen and Dad said you’d reopened the case and had new evidence. I’m guessing that’s why you’re here and to get my story from that night.”

They made a few minutes of small talk then got down to business.

“Where were you that night that he died?” Colt asked.

“Grounded. At home.” She shrugged and half laughed.

Georgia hated to bring up uncomfortable memories, but... “Amber, I told Colt what you said. About how if you and Jared hadn’t been fighting, things might have been different. What exactly did you mean?”

Amber ran her hand across her face and slumped on the couch, shaking her head. “Seventeen-year-old girls do dumb things. You know that, Georgia.”

Did she ever.

“Go on,” Colt encouraged.

“Remember Scott Hazer?” Amber asked.

“The drug dealer who hung around the high school?” He’d only been about three years older than them, but he was trouble with a capital T. “What about him?”

“Well, back then he was just a good-looking bad boy and...” She tossed her hands up. “I thought underneath that tough exterior he was a sweet guy who needed some self-esteem.”

Colt raised his eyebrows.

“In my defense, I was seventeen and stupid, and he was great-looking.” Amber’s cheeks turned pink. Seemed like she still had fond memories of him. Scott had been handsome—still was. Occasionally, Georgia spotted him around town. Back then, he’d given her the creeps lurking around school dances and football games.

“Connect the dots, please,” Colt insisted.

“I went out with him a few times, and Jared caught us together. He warned me to stay away, and he had words with Scott to leave me alone. But the Friday night before he died, he caught us talking after the football game. Jared made me leave and wait in his car, but I saw them arguing, and Scott pushed him. Jared didn’t tell me what they said, but told me Scott wasn’t going to bother me again, and if he found out I was initiating contact, he’d tell Dad.”

Georgia’s gut clenched, and she caught Colt’s eye. “Did Jared threaten Scott concerning the drugs he peddled?”

Amber’s eyes grew wide, and her face blanched. “I didn’t hear him say that.”

“But you must have thought so if you felt like y’all’s arguing over Scott might have been the difference between him living and dying. You think Scott killed him, don’t you?” Georgia asked.

“I