“I don’t have the killer in custody. I’m still searching for Archie’s murderer, Mrs. Raiden.”
She widened her eyes. “But you arrested Kobe.”
“I detained him. He was released this morning.”
“Excuse me? You didwhat?” she screeched.
Keeping my tone even, I said, “I didn’t have enough to hold him and certainly not enough to charge him.”
“Are you insane? He said horrible things about Archie right before Archie was murdered. Of course he’s the one who killed Archie.” Her voice shook. “I can’t believe you let him go.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Kobe had no more of a problem with Archie than you and your husband. In fact, I might go so far as to say your husband is higher on my list of suspects than Kobe.”
Her mouth fell open. “Are youinsane?”
“Your husband actually hit the victim shortly before his death. I think that’s far more serious than Kobe saying mean things about Archie while he was drunk.”
“But he tried to run. That shows he’s guilty.”
“Not necessarily. I found no evidence whatsoever that Kobe touched Archie. There’s no DNA evidence. Kobe’s fingerprints weren’t on the victim or the murder weapon.”
“But… but…”
“I can’t hold a man unless I charge him within a certain time frame. And I’m not convinced Kobe killed Archie, therefore I had to release him. Don’t worry, I’ve instructed him not to leave town. He’s still a person of interest.”
She stood, practically shaking. “If someone else gets murdered, their blood is on your hands, Sheriff.”
“I’m fully aware the responsibility rests on my shoulders. If I thought Kobe was a danger to the community, I wouldn’t have let him go free.”
“You’re a fool.”
“Actually, I’m not. I need evidence to convict someone.”
She slipped her sunglasses on. “You’re incompetent. You’re not fit for this job.”
“Obviously, I disagree.”
Her mouth was a hard line. “This was the last straw, Sheriff.”
“Is that right?”
“I’ve had my doubts about you from the beginning. But now, well, you’ve gone too far. My husband and I are going to see to it that you don’t get reelected. After the way you’ve treated our family during this entire investigation, you deserve to lose your badge.”
I clenched my jaw, trying to contain my anger. “I’m sorry you see it that way. I’m doing my job to the best of my ability.”
She sneered. “Well, I guess that’s the problem, isn’t it? Your ability isn’t good enough.”
“That’ll be up to the citizens of Rainy Dale when the election comes around next year. To be honest, I care more about what they think of me than what you and your husband do.”
Her lip curled. “Are we done here?”
I’d had about as much as I could handle of Angela Raiden. I gave a slow nod. “A word of warning, ma’am. Don’t leave town.”
Her laugh was brittle as she marched unsteadily to the door. “Fear not, Sheriff. You’re the one who is going to be leaving town soon.” And with that, she yanked open the door and slammed it closed behind her.
I blew out a rough breath. When the door opened again, I glanced over warily. Thankfully, it was Deputy Juan peeking in and not Angela Raiden.
His brows raised, and he let out a low whistle. “Holy hell, Sheriff, what did you say to her? She looked fit to be tied.”
