Tainted Mind Read Free Page A

intensity, his commanding confidence, and, not to mention, the fact that he didn't seem all that upset about the thought of a dead body made her think he had seen his fair share too. Her eyes swept him in a study. Military of some sort, she would guess. But whatever his background, there was no doubt in her mind he was more than a small-town cop.
    “I'll stick around tomorrow, but if I don't hear from you either way, I'll be out of here the day after,” she conceded.
    They both knew she wasn't a suspect and he was getting more than what she was obligated to give, so he gave her a curt nod then turned to leave. She watched the door close behind him then signaled Rob for that whiskey.
    After she'd downed the shot, Vivi relaxed for a moment as the warmth traveled through her body. Nice , she thought with no small dose of sarcasm. Everyone was always telling her to take a vacation, take a break, take some time to herself. Go figure that when she'd finally gotten in a car and just started driving—with no plan other than not to work —she'd landed right back in the thick of it.

    *   *   *

    Nice , just what I need , he thought to himself. Ian fingered the piece of paper in his jacket pocket as he made his way to the station. A dead body buried under one of his roads. No doubt Vic Ballard, the Chief of Police, would find some way to blame him for it. Not for the actual murder, but for letting it happen in the first place. For some reason Ian had yet to grasp, the older man was convinced that Ian was out to take his job. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hell, Ian hardly wanted the job he had. But it was a job—something the therapist at Walter Reed recommended.
    Of course, from what it sounded like from Vivienne DeMarco, the body had been there a good long while. He had only been back stateside for a year, and only back in town for six months. But even that wouldn't stop Vic from trying to blame him for something. At least the chief was away on vacation, Ian could be thankful for that. Maybe, he thought as he pulled up to the station, he could get everything wrapped up by the time Vic came back.
    He slid the key into the station door and entered the main room. Hanging his jacket up on the rack to dry, he moved toward his desk and the map of the county that lay spread across it. Based on the map and the GPS coordinates, he corroborated what she'd told himabout the location. Not that he doubted Vivienne DeMarco. No, she looked like a woman who knew a thing or two about this sort of thing.
    Since she hadn't seen a full skeleton and he wasn't sure what to expect when he got out there, Ian began to gather a variety of supplies. As he went through the motions, on impulse he pulled out his cell and dialed a familiar number.
    “Ten o'clock on a Saturday night. What makes you think I'm not out doing something—or someone—fun?” came the voice at the other end of the line.
    “Because our idea of fun is completely fucked. So, for the safety of our good citizens, we're better off working late,” Ian replied with a smile.
    “I'd say you have no idea, but that would be a lie,” Special Agent Damian Rodriguez, and Ian's former brother-in-arms, answered. “What can your friendly FBI help you with this evening, Deputy Chief MacAllister?”
    “One of yours rode into town tonight,” Ian answered. “Found a body, reported it to me. Seems a bit too coincidental so I thought I might check her out.” He gave Damian her name and waited, packing more supplies, while listening to computer keys click away.
    “Huh, that's interesting,” Damian said.
    Ian paused. “That's interesting, as in, I've been snowed? Or that's interesting in a good way?”
    Damian took a moment to respond. “Definitely in a good way if you can get her to help you. She's done a lot of work for my assistant director.” Damian paused again then let out a low whistle and continued. “She's a medical examiner who somehow also holds the rank of detective