He headed directly for the sheriff ’s office, barely noticing the young deputy who was seated at the front desk.

  “Can I help you?” The deputy shoved himself to his feet as Kaden stormed his way toward the inner office. The poor man was wearing a uniform, but he was painfully young, with a nervous expression on his face. He probably hadn’t been on the job more than a few months. “Wait. You can’t just go in there.”

  “Watch me,” Kaden muttered, never slowing as he reached the door and shoved it open.

  He was inside the office and had the door closed behind him before the mayor realized he was no longer alone. Jerking up his head, Tate Erickson glared at Kaden with obvious annoyance.

  “What the hell? Get out of here.”

  Kaden moved toward the desk. “I have a few questions.”

  “I don’t give a shit.” The man continued to glare. “Leave or I’ll have you shot.”

  Kaden held up the stack of papers in his hand. “When I leave here, I’m handing these over to the FBI.”

  Tate rolled his eyes, tossing aside his pen. “Yeah, I’ve heard that threat before,” he taunted Kaden. “If you had any actual evidence, you would have gone there in the first place.”

  Kaden shrugged, pretending it hadn’t been a direct hit. “These aren’t my brother’s files.”

  “I don’t care if they’re the Ten Commandments sent by God.” Tate reached up to shove his fingers through his dark hair. The older man might not be worried about the papers Kaden was holding, but something obviously was bothering him.

  Kaden laid the stack on the desk in front of Tate. “They’re from Ryan Burke.”

  Tate made a sound of disbelief. “Burke wouldn’t give you shit.”

  “He didn’t give them to anyone.” Kaden reached to pull the envelope from beneath the bottom of the stack. “They were ripped from his dead hand.” He nodded toward the torn corner. “See?”

  Tate lost several shades of color, his eyes widening as he studied the envelope. “You,” he breathed. “You killed him.”

  Kaden narrowed his gaze. It had to be an act. Tate Erickson was the only one who had a reason to murder the businessman.

  “You claimed his death was an accident,” Kaden taunted. “Now it’s murder?”

  Tate licked his lips. “It’s still under investigation.”

  “Good.” Kaden tapped his fingers on the stack of papers. “I’m sure this evidence will be vital in revealing the killer.”

  Tate leaned back in his chair, as if trying to put distance between himself and the papers.

  “You have the envelope,” he muttered. “You knew Burke had it in his hand when he died. Obviously, you’re guilty.”

  A hard smile curved Kaden’s lips. “I had no reason to want the man dead. You, however, would no doubt do anything to keep his mouth shut.”

  “Burke was my friend.”

  “Friend? More like your reluctant partner in crime,” Kaden said.

  Tate’s jaw clenched. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Let me refresh your memory.” Kaden grabbed the papers from the desk, intending to go through them one by one.

  Tate muttered a curse, abruptly rising to his feet. “I don’t have time for this.”

  Kaden shrugged. For the first time since arriving in Pike, he didn’t have to bluff.

  “Okay. Like I said, I’m sure the FBI will be interested.”

  Kaden turned away. He didn’t know exactly how a private citizen went about contacting the federal agency, but it couldn’t be that tough.

  “Stop!” Tate called out.

  Kaden slowly turned back to meet the mayor’s worried gaze. “You know what’s in here, don’t you?”

  “Not . . . exactly,” he hedged.

  Kaden walked back to the desk. “I’m happy to share.”

  Tate looked as if he’d swallowed a lemon. “Just get this over with.”

  Kaden peeled off the papers that were stapled together. They had an EPA crest at the top to indicate they were official reports.

  “Maybe you’ll recognize these.” He held them toward Tate.

  The mayor shook his head, pretending to be confused as he glanced at the various charts and graphs.

  “Nope.”

  “They’re EPA reports.”

  Tate shoved them back at Kaden. “These are fifteen years old. Who cares?”

  Kaden pulled out the next forms. Unlike the complicated graphs, these were a straightforward listing of the various violations. Even he could understand them.

  “I’m certain the citizens of Pike would be very interested in the fact that the meatpacking plant was allowing their wastewater to be dumped into the city reservoir,” he said. “Probably from the day it was built. And that you turned a blind eye to the health risks.”

  “Wastewater?” Tate tried and failed to sound shocked by the accusation. “I don’t know anything about that.”

  Kaden rolled his eyes. The mayor made a habit of knowing nothing. Was it a politician thing?

  “Really? It’s right here in black and white.” He waved a form in front of Tate’s face. “And here.” He waved another form. “And here. And here.” He pointed toward the bottom of the page. “Plus, that’s your signature at the bottom.”

  Tate’s expression hardened. “You can wave those around all you want. I can promise you, there was never an official report.”

  Kaden pulled out another paper. When he’d first glanced through the forms, he’d been puzzled by the technical terms, but the actual citation had been simple and straightforward. The Pike Meatpacking Plant had been caught dumping its wastewater into the nearby reservoir. The mere thought was enough to make his stomach churn in protest.

  “Only because you paid Vanna Zimmerman not to file the violations.”

  “You don’t have any proof of that.”

  “I didn’t. Until this.” Kaden pulled out the bottom page and turned it toward Tate.

  The man paled even as he tried to act indifferent. “A bunch of numbers and letters.”

  “That’s what I thought too. Until a very clever friend revealed they’re international bank routing numbers attached to shell corporations.”

  “So?” Tate shrugged. “I’m sure Burke had lots of accounts spread around. He was always trying to avoid paying taxes.”

  “Vanna had matching account numbers.”

  Tate took a step away from the desk, his expression tight. “Look, if Burke was paying bribes it was none of my business.”

  Kaden narrowed his gaze. The forms might have been in Burke’s possession when he died, but it was Tate’s signature on the dotted line. He’d known all about the nasty water being dumped illegally.

  Right now, however, he was more interested in the one photo that was in the envelope, which revealed a familiar, dark-haired woman in a leather jacket with an EPA badge on the shoulder. Vanna Zimmerman. She was facing a man who was only an inch taller than her, with dark hair and a narrow face. He was wearing an expensive cashmere coat despite the fact it was snowing, along with leather shoes. There was no mistaking it was Tate Erickson. In the background, Kaden could make out the extension office, although it looked considerably different in the past. There was a fresh coat of paint on the wooden slates and a large wooden sign in the front yard directed visitors to the front door. And in the driveway was a pickup truck that looked vaguely familiar.

  Kaden was assuming the photo was taken by Burke, and the businessman had kept it as insurance to maintain a grip on the mayor.

  Turning the photo around, he held it toward the mayor. “What about this?”

  Tate cast an impatient glance at the picture, no doubt intending to dismiss it with another claim of ignorance. Instead, his mouth fell open with unmistakable shock, as if he’d seen a ghost.

  Kaden arched his brows at the intense reaction. When he showed Tate the proof he’ d been paying bribes to Vanna and allowing potentially dangerous wastewater into the city reservoir, he’d been defensive but confident he could somehow argue his way out of being blamed. As if he’d been preparing to be caught for years.

  Now he snatched the photo from Kaden’s hand, gazing down at Vanna with a strange expression.

  “This . . . this isn’t what you think.”

  Kaden frowned. Why did the photo bother him? Because it was visible proof he’ d known Vanna? And that he’ d spent time in her company?

  It had to be more than that.

  “It’s fairly obvious to me,” Kaden said slowly. “You’re handing a wad of money to Vanna Zimmerman. Sloppy.”

  Tate’s expression was wary. “Sloppy?”

  Kaden pointed to where Vanna was awkwardly cradling a large stack of cash in her arms in the picture.

  “You’re making the exchange in broad daylight. This is undeniable proof you were paying bribes to a government official.”

  Tate made a strange sound. Not anger. Not even outrage. It was more like a grunt of relief. A strange ball of unease settled in the pit of Kaden’s stomach.

  “It never happened.” The mayor dropped the photo on the desk. “This must be a fake.”

  Kaden frowned, ignoring the predictable claim. There was something about the picture he was missing. But he didn’t have a clue what it was.

  With a shake of his head, Kaden forced himself to concentrate on the obvious facts.

  “When I first saw the picture, I was curious. Why hand over so much cash instead of using the overseas bank accounts? Those are a lot tougher to trace,” he said, reaching to grab the photo from the desk. “I couldn’t figure it out until I saw the date at the top.”

  Tate glanced away as Kaden held the photo toward him. “I told you, that’s a fake.”

  “December 14, 2007.” Kaden helpfully read the date out loud. “The day she disappeared.”

  “So?”

  “You wanted to be able to take back the money after you killed her,” Kaden suggested. “Something that would have been a lot more difficult if you’d transferred it to an offshore bank account. This way, you could lure her into a false sense of complacency before you bashed her on the head and grabbed the cash.”

  Tate’s lips parted, as if he was about to laugh. Then, catching sight of Kaden’s grim expression, he stiffened in outrage. “What?”

  “You murdered Vanna Zimmerman.”

  Chapter 22

  Kaden watched the emotion drain from Tate’s face. He’d seen professional actors create an image of astonishment. They widened their eyes and gasped in shock. Some could make their pulses race. But not one of them had been capable of creating the image of being sucker punched.

  Which meant the mayor either possessed amazing acting skills or he was genuinely stunned by the accusation.

  “You think I killed Vanna?”

  Kaden shrugged. “It’s obvious.”

  With an effort, the older man gathered his rattled composure. “The only thing that’s obvious is that you’re trying to find some schmuck to pin the murder on.” He pointed his finger in Kaden’s direction. “And the only reason you would be doing that is if you were guilty.”

  “Don’t be an idiot. I was very publicly doing a live stunt for my show on the day Vanna disappeared,” Kaden shut down any possibility of the mayor trying to pin the blame on him. “Besides, I had no reason to want her dead. While you and your pals have several thousand.”

  Frustrated by his inability to divert the blame from himself, Tate clenched his hands into tight fists.

  “You have no proof.”

  “For Christ’s sake, cut the bullshit,” Kaden ground out. He was done with the petty games this man had spent a lifetime playing. “We both know I have more than enough proof to send you away for a very long time. If nothing else, your position as mayor of Pike will be over. A crushing blow to a man with your ego.”

  Tate tried to look defiant. He was accustomed to using a combination of charm and ruthless bullying to manipulate people. But meeting Kaden’s unwavering gaze, he allowed his breath to hiss between clenched teeth. The world the mayor had carefully crafted was starting to crumble around him.

  “What do you want from me? Money?”

  Kaden resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He had the sort of money Tate could only dream about.

  “What I want is the truth.”

  “The truth.” Tate released a sharp laugh. “Who even remembers what that is?”

  Kaden glanced toward the stack of files on the desk. “I’m sure there’s someone in law enforcement who can jog those reluctant memories if you don’t want to talk to me.”

  Tate pinched his lips. As if he wanted to tell Kaden to go to hell. But he wasn’t stupid. He knew Kaden had the upper hand. At least for now.

  “Okay. Fine,” he muttered. “I met Officer Zimmerman.”

  “And you paid her bribes?”

  “Not me.”

  “Ryan Burke?”

  “Yes.”

  Kaden considered his next question. He wasn’t a professional cop, with experience in interviewing a suspect. He was a stuntman and a mechanic who was completely out of his comfort zone.

  “And Armstrong?” he at last demanded. There had to be a reason the three men were reluctant friends. “Why would he be involved?”

  Tate looked disgusted at the mention of the judge. “Burke paid off the bitch to get rid of the violations, but she also insisted that the meatpacking plant build its own lagoon.”

  Kaden arched his brows, genuinely surprised. He had no idea Vanna possessed morals when it came to her job.

  “Thank God someone was concerned about the health of the citizens of Pike,” he said dryly.

  “Only after she bled us dry,” Tate rasped

  Kaden refused to be distracted. “That still doesn’t explain the judge’s involvement.”

  “Burke refused to pay for the new lagoon.” There was an ancient bitterness in the older man’s voice. “He threatened to move the plant to another town that would offer him better incentives if we didn’t finance the changes. We couldn’t allow that to happen. The plant is the biggest employer in town.”

  “And you were afraid you would lose your position as mayor?”

  Tate sniffed. “I was thinking of my constituents.”

  Kaden glared at the slimeball in disbelief. “You were allowing them to be poisoned.”

  The mayor waved aside the inconvenient reminder. “We had to keep the plant in Pike, so the judge used the funds from the Chamber of Commerce to finance the building of the lagoon and the new parking lot.”

  Kaden’s lips twisted at the memory of the men in the diner complaining about paying for a new pool for Ryan Burke. It was possible they weren’t exaggerating.

  “So why go to all that effort and then kill her?” he abruptly demanded. “Did she keep pressing for more money?”

  “No one killed her.”

  “Obviously, someone did,” Kaden snapped. “Her body was found in your town.”

  “Well, it wasn’t any of us.” Tate spread his hands in frustration. “Why would we kill her after we invested thousands of dollars to keep her mouth shut?”

  It was a legitimate question. They’d gone to a lot of trouble to satisfy Vanna and her demands. There could be only one reason for them to snap.

  “Like I said, maybe she wanted more.”

  “No.” Tate sliced his hand through the air. “Officer Zimmerman made her demands. We gave her exactly what she wanted. End of story.”

  Kaden hesitated. Tate had reached the limit of what he was willing to admit. And in truth, Kaden wasn’t nearly as convinced the man was responsible for the crime wave in Pike as he had been when he first arrived at the courthouse.

  Frustration blasted through him. For once, he truly thought he had the answers he needed. Now he felt as if he was once again stumbling through the dark.

  “Who else might want Vanna dead?”

  “Everyone,” Tate muttered. “She was a greedy bitch who took advantage of her position. There were lots of people who would want her out of the way.”

  “In Pike?”

  Tate hunched his shoulders. “Who knows?”

  Kaden clenched and unclenched his hands. Why was the truth so damned elusive? Was Vanna cursing him from her grave? She knew he didn’t approve of her. Maybe her revenge was to ensure he never had the answers he needed to put the memory of his brother to rest.

  He shook away his gruesome thoughts. “What happened to Burke and the judge?” he abruptly demanded.

  Tate blinked. “I was about to ask you that.”

  “Me?”

  “It’s apparent you decided we were somehow guilty of the death of your brother’s fiancée.” Tate leaped on the chance to turn the blame on Kaden. He was nothing if not predictable. “Did you come here to punish us?”

  “I loved my brother, but I barely knew Vanna,” Kaden growled. “Certainly not well enough to seek revenge for her death.”

  “Why should I believe you?”

  “I’m not the professional liar,” Kaden reminded the slimy toad.

  Tate flushed, but he couldn’t argue. The man had made a career of lies, secrets, and empty promises. He wouldn’t know the truth if it bit him on the ass.

  “Fine. If you didn’t hurt the judge or Burke, I don’t know who did,” Tate muttered. “Or why. My job was always to try to clean up Pike’s messes and that’s what I did.”

  Kaden stared at him in disbelief. If the man was telling the truth, surely he realized he was in danger?

  “You should consider turning the investigation over to the professionals, Erickson,” Kaden warned. “As much as you might want to cling to your position as mayor, it will be a wasted effort if you end up dead.”

  Tate stumbled backward. “Is that a threat?”

  “Just a suggestion.” With a shake of his head at the man’s inability to accept his lies were about to be exposed, Kaden stepped toward the desk and scooped the papers into his arms before heading toward the door.

  “Where are you going?” Tate called out.

  “There’s a killer out there who tried to hurt Lia,” Kaden said. “I’m not waiting around for him to try again.”

  “What about those files?”