be on his way, but Nick couldn’t resist pulling his hoodie up and making a quick run to the back door to check that note. He kept a hand screening his face, in case McNaught’s paranoia extended to cameras. The note was caught in a way that hid most of it, but he could make out “—money or—” He took a picture, then got the hell out of there.
The fire was still smoldering but it looked safe enough. Cutting back to the trees, he sprinted for his car, adrenaline pumping. He waved away Brian’s questions and dialed Charlie, putting him on speaker. In a few words, he told them what Sam had done.
“He’s nuts,” Charlie said. “He’s heading home now, like usual.”
“It should shake things up for McNaught, all right.” They’d brainstormed ways to do that, but Sam had topped any idea they’d played with.
Brian asked, “Why wouldn’t McNaught play it cool? You know, not do anything and wait to see what happens?”
“He might.” But Nick remembered the intensity of McNaught’s reaction to Sam. “But I think it’s going to make him angry, and nervous. After all, Sam’s threatening him, or getting back at him for being told off. I bet he’ll go ballistic, thinking Sam’s out of control.”
Brian made a face. “I’m not crazy about control freaks.” Nick had to reach over and squeeze his leg, because yeah, after Marston and Damon, he could imagine. “And I don’t want him to kill Sam. Shouldn’t we call Gannet now?”
“Charlie’s watching Sam like a hawk. You and me’ll be on McNaught’s tail, and murder would be a hell of a big step for someone aiming to be sheriff.” McNaught might try to beat Sam up, and Nick wouldn’t be truly sorry. He hated firebugs with a passion. Catching McNaught in the act of beating the shit out of Sam would be the kind of twofer he could live with.
Charlie said, “I say it’s time to bring Gannet up to date, Nicko.”
He really wanted to hand her McNaught, all wrapped up like a defused bomb. If he was going to take down a crooked cop, the case had to be bulletproof, or it could come back on him in the worst way. Will she really thank us for this? Most sheriffs hated snitches.
The truth he’d been avoiding clawed its way into his mind. Accusing McNaught could put that deputy job out of reach forever. As soon as the vandalism case had spread into her department he should’ve handed it over and stepped back… but no, even then it’d probably been too late. Or I coulda let it drop. But that wasn’t his way.
She’d worked hard to clean up her department. All he could do was hold onto the hope of that. “I guess I can call her.”
He dialed Gannet’s phone, which went straight to voicemail. What to say? Would she play her messages around McNaught? She said she trusts him “completely.” He decided on, “I have important new info. Call me when it’s safe, and don’t trust anyone completely.” Was that clear enough? Would she take the hint?
There was nothing else he could do right now, and McNaught was still at work. There was no urgency until he came home and saw Sam’s message. They settled in to wait some more, but Nick couldn’t focus on his reading. The familiar adrenaline surge prickled along his nerves. Shit’s gonna go down. Be ready. Hell, he was more than ready.
Half an hour after Charlie texted that Sam was back home, McNaught’s SUV appeared in the distance. Nick slumped lower, watching as he turned in at his driveway. He counted off the seconds— McNaught’d be arriving at his door, see the mess, read the note… He waited for the SUV to reappear up the drive, but all was quiet. After five minutes, he relaxed. McNaught apparently wasn’t going off half-cocked. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t go off at all, though.
He texted Charlie. ~McN got home. No reaction yet. We’ll stay on him.
~I’m on Sam. Keep in touch.
Brian said, “What do we do now?”
“Can you flash Find him? Make sure he’s staying put?”
“Sure.” Brian closed his eyes and pointed. “There.”
Still McNaught’s house. Good. There’d been that four-wheeler under the carport, though. “How often could you do that? To make sure he doesn’t sneak out some other way.”
Brian thought about it. “Every ten minutes?”
“Good man.”
Nick let Charlie know and slouched down to keep an eye on the drive while Brian did his thing. After three hours, Nick’s jaw