Crimson Lies

Chapter Ten

Roseanne

Me and Frazer got to Greenville just after lunch. Viewing the bodies hadn't upset my stomach as much as Frazer's earlier insensitivity. Given who he was and what he did, I had a hard time thinking he hadn't planned that attack to judge my reaction and put me off my game.

Not that I had much game.

The town was familiar to me. When I'd been a little girl, coming to Greenville had been a major adventure. We'd come for Fourth of July parades and ice cream sodas. The local sheriff's office was situated on Main Street opposite an old-fashioned cinema that me and Payton had occasionally visited. The smell of popcorn wafting across the street brought with it vivid memories, and I could almost hear my sister's unrestrained giggles. Sadness filtered through me but I ignored the onslaught. I was here to work, not reminisce. I followed Frazer into the atrium of the sheriff's office, aware of several pairs of eyes watching me closely.

"I'm Supervisory Special Agent Frazer and this is Special Agent Park, we're here to see Sheriff Williams," Frazer told the deputy at the desk.

"You with the FBI?" The accent was pure sweet West Virginia and sent a little quiver of home right down to my toes.

"Yes, ma'am." Frazer used his charm on the deputy.

It sure as hell would be lost on me from now on. I figured out over the last few hours that the reason he'd asked me to accompany him was so he'd be able to interrogate me in private for the duration of the journey. His suspicion of me had raised my suspicions of him, although it would take more than a few hours in a car to trip up a man as intelligent as Frazer.

Heck, I didn't even know his first name.

Sheriff Williams came out of his office and sized them up before coming over to meet them. A deputy interrupted just as we were shaking hands. "Road Traffic Accident out on Highway 3 involving a school bus, Sheriff. No passengers at the time. Both drivers have minor injuries."

The sheriff's mustache bristled over a full top lip. "Ray James the bus driver?"

"Yeah." The deputy was tall with almost military bearing. His glance kept sliding toward me like I was some kind of curiosity. It was natural that people here recognized me, from both the recent article in The Post and my mother's yearly TV campaign. I feigned ignorance and stared at the wanted posters on the wall.

"Make sure you get a blood sample from them both, Deputy Chance. If that son-of-a-gun James has been drinking on the job I want to know it. The safety of the children in this county are my priority, I don't care who the man's uncle is."

"Yes, sir." The deputy strode away.

I jerked my gaze back to the sheriff who was watching me carefully. He nodded stiffly and then led them to a conference room at the back of the building.

My phone rang. I checked the number and saw Lucas Randall was calling me. I let it go to voice mail.

The sheriff planted himself at the head of the table and indicated we take a seat. "If you don't mind me saying, Agent Park, it's good to see you again after all these years. I remember you as a little girl."

Apparently it was going to be a day of reminiscence after all. I nodded, conscious of Frazer staring at me with that dissecting gaze of his, waiting for me to screw up.

"The law enforcement community in Greenville was always very good to me and my family, Sheriff. I appreciate everything you did." My mother still harbored a great deal of resentment toward law enforcement for not solving the case but I wasn't about to bring that up.

He blinked back a tear. "Well, we were all shaken up by what happened to your sister. Nothing like that ever happened since that we know of. Closest we've come is this poor girl, Lindsey Keeble. The cases aren't even remotely similar, but we're seeing the same kind of panic within the community. Not that I blame folks."