How many times had he ventured into this desolate tomb?
The emptiness had never felt so threatening. The air was hot and rank with mold and dust. Hollow sounds of water echoed all around him. The darkness pressed in on Cash. It felt thick and alive.
He crept slowly forward.
Dixie Ashlon's office was to his left. The flashlight's beam bounced here and there, but there were so many places to hide. And he knew he was not alone. Flipping off the flashlight, Cash hesitated in front of the door. He took a couple of calming breaths.
What if someone was in there?
He felt his knees turn to jelly. His quivering hand reached for the doorknob. The touch of the cold metal felt like fire to his skin. Every muscle in his body was poised to flee. A drop of sweat stung his eye. He brushed it away.
"Nothing but a spineless pussy," Clifford's voice echoed in his head.
He gritted his teeth. His trembling fingers delicately turned the knob. The door opened, and he crossed the threshold.
Cash jumped.
Someone was sitting behind the desk in Dixie's chair. The chair was facing the wall but the weak light that filtered in from the windows was enough to illuminate the outline of a man's head. He tiptoed forward. He was almost half-way across the room. The chair whipped around. Cash screamed.
He flicked on his flashlight.
Noble Brand squinted in the light's bright beam. The Sheriff was pasty white. His eyes were wide and bulging. His arms were tied to the chair. His feet were roped together. A thick gag was twisted over his mouth. Cash leaned forward to release the gag. Noble grunted, turning his eyes to something across the room.
"Calm down, Sheriff," Cash whispered. "You'll give yourself a stroke. I'll get you out of this."
Noble squealed. His eyes blinked rapidly, looking madly across the room. Cash paid no heed. He pulled at the end of the gag's knot. The deafening sound and lightening flash of a shot filled the enclosed space.
Noble's head slumped forward in the chair.
YOU ARE READING
In Hell: When Love Kills A Small Town Mystery
Mystery / ThrillerWhen love kills, it leaves more questions than answers. Cash Matstock's mother was murdered when he was a small child. When his drunken uncle is found beaten to death in the home they share, suspicion falls on Cash. Maybe murder really does run in...
