“I’m going to have to arrest you, Michael. Hope you don’t mind.” Royce had a tight smile. “Nothing personal. I’m just doing my job as sheriff of Rainy Dale.”
“What are you arresting me for?” Michael lifted his brows. “Is this more baseless harassment?”
“Hardly. You murdered three people in cold blood.”
“Did I?” Michael shrugged. “Says who?”
Ignoring Michael’s snide remark, Royce’s voice was almost conversational as he asked, “Why’d you do it?”
Michael just stared at Royce for the longest time, and then he smirked. “Why should I tell you? You think you’re so smart, figure it out for yourself.”
“Aww, come on,” Royce coaxed. “Don’t you want to brag a little? Guys like you always love to brag.”
“Not at the moment,” Michael said.
“Really?” Royce arched one brow. “You don’t wanna show how much smarter you are than everyone else? Than me? You aren’t, of course. You made a lot of mistakes, and I caught them.”
Michael hissed, “Fuck you. I ain’t telling you squat.”
“I’ll tell you why he did it.” Angela’s strident voice cut through the room.
Michael gave her a glare. “Don’t you dare, bitch.”
She laughed, although it ended on a sort of sob. “What are you going to do to me? You’ve already taken Liam away.”
“Shut up, Angela,” rumbled Michael.
She scowled. “He’s a power-hungry monster—that’s why he did all those things. You dared to question him, Sheriff. Nobody questions Michael.” Her voice was sneering. “He always has to be right.”
Royce looked uneasy. “You’re telling me the murders were because Iquestionedhim?”
Angela shook her head. “No. That was the catalyst for the recall. But the recall is what started all the rest.”
“She’s a lush, Sheriff. You know that. You can’t trust anything she says.” Michael scowled.
“Nice try. But I’m not drinking lately. Liam helped me. You just ignored me and made me feel even smaller. Liam, he helped me. He loved me.” She started crying. “You aren’t half the man he was.”
Michael seemed to bare his teeth. “He’s not a man anymore. I took care of that.”
I felt sick to my stomach at his words.
“If I could kill you,” she said, her voice shaking, “I would.”
He actually winced ever so slightly.
I didn’t understand their relationship at all. When she’d stepped in front of me earlier, he’d hesitated. He could have knocked her out of the way easily, but he’d paused. Did they love each other? Hate each other? Maybe it was a mixture of both?
“Angela, why did he kill Kyle?” Royce asked quietly.
She dragged her gaze from Michael. “Kyle was unlucky. He discovered I was having an affair with Liam.”
“Did he?” Royce frowned.
“Yes. Then he was foolish enough to try and blackmail me.” Her mouth drooped. “Only instead of money, he wanted Michael to let him win the recall election. He wanted Michael to give him all of Liam’s votes.”
“How would that even work?” I asked.
She sighed. “It wouldn’t have. He was just a dumb kid who wanted to be somebody. But it cost him his life because he was dealing with amonster. When I told Michael about Kyle, he went nuts. Said he wouldn’t be blackmailed by a little nobody weasel.”
