Chapter 2

Early the next morning, Sam was on a plane bound for LA where she would get a tiny commuter flight to Otis. They had left Otis in a hurry due to George's distress over drowning Dwight Parnell and due to Bailey and John's ire with Sheriff Boast. While Sam had understood the reasons their rapid departure from Otis, she couldn't help but feel maybe they had missed a piece of the puzzle. After securing time off from Bailey, she thought about the best way to pursue the matter and decided to revisit the entire Jack of all Trades case starting with Otis and working back to the beginning. If there truly was another part of the game to play, Samantha wanted to know about it and deal with it before Donald Lucas' trial.

There was barely a chance to grab her luggage between planes. It would have been nice to have a few seconds to catch her breath, but it was the small commuter flight was the only chance she had to get to Otis for the next three days. It would have been easier with the VCTF plane, but Bailey would have never agreed. As far as he was concerned, the Lucas trial was the only thing that remained in the Jack case. And Bailey had told her he would strangle Ed Boast if he ever had to spend more than five minutes in his company ever again.

Poor Ed, Samantha thought with a giggle as the commuter flight took off. He was so sweet and innocent. For all that he had annoyed Bailey and John, she found him oddly endearing. Hopefully Ed would be willing to help her investigate around Otis a little further, behind his glasses, there was a spark of intelligence in his dark eyes and she wondered if he could be of assistance. Actually, there had been a couple times when his accent seemed to waver and his speech seemed quite articulate. But perhaps she was imagining it, Samantha dismissed thoughts of Sheriff Edwin Boast, leaned against the headrest and drifted off to sleep.

Samantha roused as the pilot announced they were about to land. After landing, she took the town's one and only taxi to it's one and only motel. After checking in, Sam walked down the street towards the Sheriff's station. As she passed the diner, a small wave of disgust passed through her. Although she didn't want to lead him on, maybe Ed would allow her to cook him dinner at his place. It would be that or vending machine cuisine, because there was no way she would eat at the diner, Sam decided as she arrived at the station. She opened the door and walked in. Deputy Daniel Fuller stood behind the counter, but Ed was nowhere to be seen.

"Deputy Fuller, I don't know if you remember me, I was here a few days ago with the FBI, I'm-"

"Dr. Waters," he greeted her. "Course I remember you ma'am. What brings you back to these parts?"

"I'm here to do a little follow up on the Donald Lucas case. Is Sheriff Boast around?"

Fuller shifted uncomfortably for a moment, appearing to thoroughly mull the matter over in his mind. "He's off for the next few days; but he said to let him know if any of you folk came back. I can drive out to his place and let him know you're looking for him."

"Can't you just call him?" Samantha asked slightly irritated.

"Well ma'am I would but I don't have his number," the Deputy replied helplessly. Damn he was getting fed up with this town. He came to work here to be near his sister in the next town, but all of Otis seemed to be off it's nut and Ed he decided was no exception.

Seeing Fuller's struggle, Samantha pushed, "In that case Deputy, why don't I ride along with you and you can leave me at Ed's. I'm certain I will be perfectly safe at the Sheriff's house. Don't you?"

Unable to argue with her logic and uncertain how to proceed, he acquiesced meekly and lead her out the patrol car. Ed was an enigma to him. The man lived on a diet of cheetos, gum, candy, and coffee. Although he was unfailingly polite, there seemed to be a contempt and hautiness behind the manners. As if that weren't odd enough, Sheriff Boast would disappear for days and weeks at a time with no explanation and the city council told him to forget about it or seek another position when Fuller told them of the Sheriff's absences. He pushed his concerns from his mind, this lady was from the FBI and was a shrink of some sort so he hardly had to worry about her. Ed might be odd, but he would never harm anyone, worst thing that he would do is take Dr. Waters bowling.

Sam remained quiet as they drove outside the Otis city limits. Deputy Fuller may have been able to help her, but Ed seemed to be her best bet. Trees sped by as the patrol car turned from one winding road to another, finally he turned down a long drive that was shadowed by trees. A dilapidated Victorian house with arched gothic windows sat sleepily amid the trees. Not quite where she'd envisioned Ed living, but then Sam hadn't given the matter much thought. His patrol car sat beside the house, indicating he was home.

"Shall we go in ma'am?" he asked her as he stopped the car.

"There's no need, Deputy," Samantha dismissed his offer politely and got out. "I can manage on my own. Sheriff Boast is here and I'm sure he can give me a ride into town later."

"All right," he shrugged and started his car up.

As the car turned around and headed back to the road, Sam walked towards the front door. There were four gleaming locks on it. Bit excessive, she thought, but in light of the recent murders in Otis, she could hardly fault the small town sheriff. Standing on the doormat, she pressed to doorbell. She was slightly surprised when she heard a male voice cursing loudly and telling her to wait a minute. A tiny smile curved her lips at the thought of Ed Boast cursing. As she heard the locks being opened, she expected to see Ed's plump middle encased in a flannel shirt.

The door swung open and Samantha was stunned. Ed stood before her wearing nothing but a pair of black button fly jeans with the top two buttons open. His chest and stomach were taut and lean, a leather cord with a tiny copper rose hung around his neck. Ed's glasses were absent and a lit cigarette dangled from his lips. Smoke curled around his perfectly sculpted torso and Sam took a step back in shock. Perfect body, cigarette, rose! Suddenly she realized who she was really looking at!

"Samantha" he purred sensually and smiled as recognition flashed across her face.

"Jack!" Sam exclaimed and collapsed as her mind spun and the world turned dark.