Strange Medicine (Dr. Maxwell Thornton Murder Mysteries #1)(26)

He shook his head. “Because…”

“Go on.”

He looked back toward my house. “He’s in your backyard with his skull bashed in.”

The blood drained from my head, and I felt like maybe I was going to pass out. “What the hell are you talking about?”

His eyes were emotionless. “You heard me.”

“You have to be joking.” Even as I stared at him I knew he wasn’t. His face was grim and his gaze wary.

“I wish I was.”

“There’s no fucking way. There’s just… that’s not possible.” I shoved past him and ran up the steps.

“Maxwell!” he yelled angrily. “Get back here.”

I ignored him and tore through my house and out into the backyard. Nothing looked out of the ordinary until I glanced toward the pool. With a feeling of dread and disbelief, I walked toward the water. My stomach clenched when I saw a body in the pool. A cloud of scarlet hung motionless in the water around the body. The lifeless eyes were wide and his bushy gray and black eyebrows unmistakable.

I fell to my knees on the edge of the pool, staring in disbelief at the corpse. “I don’t understand.”

Royce came up behind me. “You need to go back out front.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re contaminating the scene.”

“Who gives a fuck about that?”

“I do.”

I stumbled to my feet. “Why is he in my pool?”

“That’s what we need to figure out.” His voice was cool. Clipped.

I felt a little bit like I was dreaming. “You can’t possibly think I did this?”

His gaze was emotionless. “I have no idea what happened here. All I know is you have a dead body floating in your pool.”

“Well, I didn’t put him there.”

“You need to leave and go out front.”

“Look.” I dropped my voice. “After you left, I took a shower and I went to bed. I didn’t murder anybody.”

“I don’t know that I’m able to help you, Maxwell.” He glanced around. “Because of my involvement with you, I’m probably compromised myself.”

“Compromised how?”

He sighed. “Use your imagination.”

“You’re the sheriff. You’re not going to be cool with me murdering people just because we had sex one time.”

“My superiors may not see it as clearly as we do.”

“Why would you even tell them? That’s our personal business.”

He squinted at me. “I’m not lying about the nature of my relationship with you.”

“I don’t see how it’s relevant.”

“Everything is relevant right now. A man is dead in your pool under suspicious circumstances.”

“I didn’t kill Ned. I barely knew the man.”

He sighed. “Go out front so we can investigate the crime scene. Just because I like you doesn’t mean I can ignore that there’s a dead body in your pool.”

I was glad when he showed a glimpse of the Royce I knew from earlier. “Fine. I’ll go out front.” I pointed at the body with my flashlight. “But for the record, I didn’t kill him. I heard something, and I came downstairs. That’s all I know.”

His gaze dropped to my hands, and he seemed to recoil. “Let me see your hands.”

“What?” I scowled.

“Show me your hands.” His palm dropped to his holster.

I stared at him in disbelief. “Royce, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Your hands.” His voice was hard.

I looked down and saw something smeared on my palms. “What the hell?” I held out my hand and saw that the substance was red.

“That’s blood.”

I shook my head. “No. It can’t be.”

“It is.”

“No. That’s not possible.” Flustered, I wiped my hands on my pajama shirt like an idiot.

“Stop. Don’t do that.” His voice was harsh. “Put the flashlight down on the ground.”

In a daze I did as he said, staring at my red palms in complete bewilderment. “I don’t understand.” I knew he was correct about it being blood. I could now smell the unmistakable scent myself.

Royce looked as freaked-out as I felt. “How did you get blood on your hands?”

“I don’t know. I seriously don’t understand what’s going on.”

He pulled gloves from his pocket, and then he picked up and examined the flashlight. “I suspect this is the murder weapon. Ned’s head was caved in. I’m no forensics expert, but this looks like the right shape.”

“I didn’t kill him,” I repeated like a broken record.

He squinted at me and muttered, “If you did, why would you call the police?”

“Exactly. I… I wouldn’t. I’m not an idiot.”

He stared at the flashlight with a scowl. “Is this yours?”

“Yes. But it was in my room.” I grimaced. “Someone must have taken it and—shit—I sound like every guilty person on every cop show I’ve ever seen.”

“Damn, Maxwell. This doesn’t look good.”