Malice by Robert Cote Read Free Book Online Page B

station. He had seen Sam coming out of the hospital and convinced her it was in her best interest to come with him.
    He poked a finger in the air. “First, I want you to swear you’ll never tell your father what happened when I…when Derek was resisting arrest. Second, I don’t want you to think of me as your enemy. I’m not all that much older than you. If you tried, we could become friends ... and who knows what else?” Alex swallowed. His mouth was dry.
    Samantha’s arms folded over her chest. She had felt his gaze dropping to her breasts more than once in the last few minutes. “And—”
    “Consider it and I’ll call off the dogs. I stop actively looking for Derek. If he leaves town then so be it. Just as long as he doesn’t show his face around here anymore.”
    “So he’s exiled?”
    “For his own good, yes. Look, I know he’s a friend of yours, but the kid’s bad news. He’s a troublemaker. He’s gotten you into trouble more than once already. You’re just lucky your dad’s the sheriff or you’d be wanted too.”
    She sighed heavily and rubbed her temples with the pads of her fingers. “Can you take me home please? I’m gonna be late for school.”
    “Not till your dad gets here.”
    How long would that be? She wanted to know. His deputy was creeping her out. Sam fiddled with a pencil on Alex’s desk.
    “Want something?” he asked, his hands sliding into his pockets.
    She looked up at him. “Uh, sure. Got any Coke?”
    Alex stiffened.
    “Coca-Cola, Alex,” she said, not hiding her irritation. “Wouldn’t mind something to eat.” She was suddenly aware of the empty feeling in her belly.
    “Granola bar?” He was being nice to her now, but she knew his whole speech had been a ploy. Alex hated Derek so much, she knew he’d never stop looking for him. The satisfaction of slamming his ass behind bars would be too great.
    She nodded.
    “Be right back.”
    She watched him leave the room. Finally she was alone and the idea that struck her then was nothing short of brilliant.
    If Alex had a file on Derek, maybe there was a way she could look inside and adjust the evidence against him. Like the time the receptionist had gone for lunch and Samantha had changed all of Derek’s grades from Ds to B+s. It wouldn’t be that hard, would it? His desk was so organized and what was the danger with him downstairs busily making her sandwich? She giggled with excitement. This might just work. The file folders on his desk were arranged alphabetically. She fingered through the tabs and found lots of names, but no Derek Thomas.
    Next she would try his desk drawers. He had three of them. One that pulled out over her lap and two deep bucket drawers by her left leg. She tried the shallow one and found it locked. Damn! Then she tried the one by her knee. It slid open easily enough. Inside was an Eldon filing unit. Could this guy get any more anal? If her heart wasn’t beating so fast she might have let out a squeal of laughter. She began leafing through the files, but still she found nothing.
    She went to the second drawer and found more of the same. For a moment she was dumbfounded. Alex must have a file somewhere around here. At last, her focus came to rest on the shallow drawer by her thighs. Centering the drawer was a gold keyhole. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead. There had to be some way of getting it open. She lifted a corner of his desk calendar, but there was no key. She scanned Alex’s desk and noticed a coffee cup filled with dozens of elastic bands and paper clips. She reached her fingers inside and wiggled them around. She heard a clinking sound. Her eyes lit up. She fumbled a tiny key out of the cup and slid it past the lips of the keyhole. She turned it clockwise and heard the tumblers release.
    Sam jumped when she heard Alex’s footsteps thumping noisily up the stairs. Alex appeared with a granola bar and an apple juice. His brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?”
    Think fast, dammit!
    “I