The Sheriff's Son | Harvey #2

Chapter 5

Mason's voice woke Ashton from a dream. He'd been with Nicole on a picnic. It was a nice dream, really. He was a little upset he'd been woken up. "What," he said irritably.

"Visitor," was all Mason said before Ashton heard him walk away.

If he was leaving, then that meant . . .

"Hey, sleepyhead," Nicole said. Ashton's eyes popped open, and he sat up quickly. He'd laid down on the floor of the cell. He tried hard not to think of what all had been there before him. Now that was all he could think of as he got to his feet. "Sorry to wake you."

He smiled at her. "Don't worry about it." His hands felt grimy. He didn't reach for her like he wanted to. "Why are you so happy?"

She grinned. "I had lunch with Trisha." He wondered what they could possibly have to say to each other, but he nodded, sensing that he should listen rather than speak. "I found out she's been dating the cop for a couple of months, but she still cares for you. She said they'd had a relationship before, but it was, like, only for a week. She said they got together some time after he came back for spring break."

He nodded. "I knew something was different, but I never could figure it out. She wouldn't tell me."

She shrugged. "Well, now we know. She also told me not to tell her parents. Then she described them to me, so now I can maybe talk to them." Her eyes widened slightly. "I had no idea so many people in this town were on your side."

He frowned. "They may be on my side, but that alone can't get me anywhere. Remember Lizzie? She just killed her family one night, and no one ever thought she was capable of that, either."

"Lizzie?"

"Lizzie Borden."

"Oh." She shrugged. "There's something else. At first, I thought you'd be really happy, but then I got to thinking about it, and it kind of puts us back on square one."

"What is it?"

"I asked Trisha where she and Norman hang out since she doesn't want her parents to know. She says they would hang out in the stockroom and in the cells here-" he wrinkled his nose "-but their favorite place? The beach. Not just any beach, either."

His eyebrows rose. "The beach?" She nodded. He shook his head. "That would account for that nail, but how the heck would it have come off?" Nicole raised one eyebrow and he made a face. "I changed my mind – I don't want to know." He shivered. "Anyway, that's awesome news, but you're right: we're back where we started here." He held his hands up and let them fall back to his sides. "What are we going to do?"

"Has Norman been suspicious again?"

Ashton raised an eyebrow. "Nikki, I don't like him. Everything he does is suspicious to me. Honestly, I would lock him up for his personality, but I can't legally do that. How are things looking for the Clive front?"

She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. "Well, my next target is Mayor Gamble. It's a little intimidating. Well, more than a little."

He sighed, but he wasn't upset. He was trying to figure out how to get her to calm down over it. "You know, one thing about people like that is this: they're just like us, except they think they're better. We're all the same, but money makes them arrogant."

"Then we're not all the same."

He shrugged. Fair enough. "My point is, don't fear him. You have nothing to fear. He has to be nice, too."

"But what should I tell him? Like I told Mason, I can't just go in there and tell him I knows he's been paid off by your dad. I'd be thrown out so fast you won't see the maid move."