Ned dialed the number. He had finally tracked down the former Sheriff, Steve Hastings, to his retirement home in Florida. Hastings had been the one in charge when Chloe was convicted, and Ned hoped he could shed some light on the case.
As the phone rang, Ned paced back and forth in his office, his eyes fixed on the old file lying on his desk. Finally, a gruff voice answered.
"Hastings."
"This is Sheriff Ned Barker from Ruby Pointe County, Colorado. I understand you used to be the Sheriff here. I hope you're doing well."
There was a pause, and then Hastings replied, "Barker? What can I do for you, boy?"
Ned took a deep breath. "I'm reopening the Chloe Harper case from ten years ago, she went in for homicide. I need to know what happened back then."
There was a long silence, and for a moment, Ned wondered if the connection had been lost. But then Hastings spoke, his voice low and cautious.
