Snowfall on Haven Point(27)
“There’s got to be something we’re missing,” Ruben said. “But I can’t think what it might be. Whoever did it was extremely lucky or extremely smart or both.”
Lucky, smart and vicious. It wasn’t a good combination. “For now, just keep an eye out and I’ll continue looking into the missing funds from here.”
“You got it. Nobody can be that lucky or that smart forever.”
The doorbell rang before Marshall could answer and Ruben raised an eyebrow. “You expecting somebody?”
“Not that I know about.”
The distinct sound of the door opening a moment later sent Ruben into instant protective mode, his hand sliding to his sidearm and his muscles tense and alert, ready to pounce.
“Sheriff Bailey?” a woman’s voice called out. “It’s me, Andie Montgomery.”
Ruben shot him a quick look, eyebrows raised, and Marshall gestured for him to stand down.
“In the den,” he answered her, before adding in a lower voice to his deputy, “She’s my neighbor. Wyn blackmailed her into helping me out for a few days. I can’t manage to convince her I don’t need help.”
His gaze slid to the cheery little wreath hanging in his window that filtered the morning sunlight in splotches of color. Every time he caught sight of it, he remembered the quiet, nervous little girl staying in from recess to make it for him.
Andie came into the room carrying a large wicker basket that contained something warm, at least judging by the steam curling from it. Her cheeks were pink and she looked bright and fresh in a light-blue-and-white parka and matching knit cap.
“I made cinnamon rolls this morning for a friend and thought you might like some. They’re still warm and—” She stopped short when she spotted Ruben there in his brown sheriff’s department uniform.
“I’m sorry to interrupt.”
“We were basically done,” Marshall said. Ruben’s visit had been a big waste of time anyway, since all they had was a whole lot of nothing.
“I was just leaving. It’s almost time for my shift.”
For reasons he didn’t want to identify, Marshall was strangely reluctant to introduce them. “Andrea Montgomery, this is one of my deputies, Ruben Morales,” he finally said. “He lives just on the other side of Snow Angel Cove. Ruben, this is my neighbor. Andrea Montgomery.”
The deputy smiled warmly and Marshall realized where his protectiveness came from. Ruben was a good friend and a great officer, but he was a big favorite with women, handsome and smooth, and could charm even the coolest customer.
“Mrs. Montgomery, it’s really great to see you again, and under much better circumstances,” he said.
Andie blinked, clearly trying to place when she might have met the man previously to warrant that “again.” Haven Point was a pretty small town. If a person stuck around long enough, eventually she would run into everyone.
Marsh could tell the moment she remembered meeting Ruben. Her smile slid away and she tensed almost imperceptibly.
“You were one of the deputies who responded to the incident at my house this summer,” she said flatly.
“I wasn’t far away, on my way back to Haven Point after my shift, when Chief Emmett’s call went out of an officer down. I pulled up just behind the sheriff.”
Until that moment, Marshall hadn’t even remembered Ruben had been there. He mostly remembered charging into Andie’s house and finding Wynona on the ground with Cade hovering over her, the handcuffed perp bleeding and cursing in the corner and Andie looking pale as death as she held her trembling daughter.
He’d been in law enforcement of some kind or another since he turned eighteen years old and enlisted in the military. He had seen mass shootings, bank robberies, horrific assaults. All of them impacted him in some form or another, whether he wanted to admit it or not.
But some calls stick with a guy.
That warm June night seemed burned into his brain. How could it not be, when his sister and his best friend had been involved?
It was more than that, though. He hadn’t been able to forget the sight of the lovely, fragile Andie—her features pale as death in stark contrast to the blood and bruises from Warren’s attack—pushing away the medics so she could comfort her frightened children.
“I’m sure I didn’t have the chance to say it that night,” she said now, “but thank you for responding so promptly and for all you might have done to help put Rob Warren in prison.”
“It was my pleasure, ma’am. It truly was.”
Ruben was definitely putting out the vibe now, beaming that charmer of a smile at Andie. Why wouldn’t he, especially when she looked soft and pretty and smelled like warm cinnamon rolls?