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She bea with a pretty s”

He nodded and walked through the clean, open-plan station There were a couple of officers who gave hi the corner down the hall toward Jeff’s office He’d introduce himself to the deputies and patrol officers later Michael was the only detective in the sheriff’s depart it was a detective’s job to follow up on criations, this information perturbed Michael However, Hartas a quiet city in a sh the years, but the sheriff’s department had usually joined forces with the FBI in many of those cases, as far as Michael could see from his research

The last time Hartwell had detectives in its department was in the 1990s Jeff had told him Jaclyn Rose, the mayor, and some of the wealthier businesspeople who er to meet “the mysterious Bostonian detective” he’d hired to lead the Criations Division

Michael looked forward to that Not

He knocked on Jeff’s door

“Come in”

He strode inside Michael liked to think he had good instincts about people, and he had war He’d asked Michael why he wanted to work in Hartwell, and he’d been honest that he was rilled him about it or asked who she was, and Michael respected a man who respected another man’s privacy

Jeff stood from behind his desk as Michael walked in Michael had done his research on Jeff King He kneas froton, had met his wife in Hartwell, moved here in his early twenties when they married, and taken a job as a deputy Only a few years into their nosed with cancer, and she passed away Michael knew he hadn’t remarried but other than that, he knew little about the man’s personal life

Michael knew Jeff had first been elected to sheriff five years ago and had won another election since He was up for reelection next year

At six foot six, Jeff towered over Michael’s five eleven as he rounded the desk to shake his hand While the deputies and patrol officers wore tan shirts with the enia on either sleeve, along with khaki pants, Sheriff King’s uniform was different He wore a black shirt and black pants with his sheriff’s badge clipped above the left shirt pocket on his chest

Although Michael outweighed hiy physique He possessed an aura of strength that Michael assu way to assure the people of Hartwell of his capability

And Michael was a guy, but he wasn’t a duuy

Jeff King was a good-looking fucker, and Michael had no doubt that helped a little when it came to election time

“Welcoreeted him

He didn’t coht Jeff had brought the subject up and, thankfully, decided Michael wouldn’t wear one