My Anti-hero Fairy System-Chapter 64. The Sheriff’s Office

Hader’s stare hardened as he leaned forward. "So, what are you saying exactly? You want me to release him?"

Cara didn’t flinch under his scrutiny. "Yes. I have a gut feeling that he’s innocent."

"A gut feeling?" Hader repeated, his tone incredulous. "You’re asking me to release a murder suspect because of your gut? Do you have any idea how reckless that sounds? He could use the opportunity to escape."

"Have you even investigated the women?" Cara countered, her voice calm but probing. "Have you ruled out the possibility of other suspects?"

"No, we haven’t. But even if we did, he’s still our main suspect," Hader shot back, his frustration beginning to seep through.

"Well, this might shock you, but I think you need to hear it," Cara said, sitting forward. "Two of the murdered women had sextapes that went viral—videos of them sleeping with a vampire."

Hader’s expression faltered, his surprise evident. "What?"

Cara arched an eyebrow. "Wait, you don’t know about the sextapes? Or the hate comments and death threats they got because of them?"

The sheriff avoided her gaze, choosing instead to shuffle some papers on his desk. "Are you implying someone acted on those threats and killed them?"

"It’s a strong possibility," Cara replied evenly. "Apparently, a lot of humans have a serious problem with humans sleeping with vampires."

"That’s not exactly breaking news," Hader muttered. "There’s been a growing rift between humans and supernaturals for years, especially vampires."

"Exactly," Cara said, pressing her point. "So, do you still think it’s right to keep Travis locked up when you haven’t explored these leads? And don’t forget—you’re up for re-election."

Hader stiffened, his jaw clenching. "What does my re-election have to do with this?"

Cara smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "It has everything to do with this. You arrested the mayor’s son, who might be innocent of the crimes he’s accused of. If you don’t have solid evidence, people in this town are going to see you as an aggressor. And Rudy—well, you know what he’s capable of. He’ll destroy you in the court of public opinion."

Hader frowned, but Cara continued, her voice unwavering. "The only reason Rudy hasn’t gone after you yet is because he doesn’t have anything substantial. But if you keep his innocent son locked up, then go to trial and come up short? You’ll lose the election. Rudy will put his stooge in your place, and Hemridge will be his playground. You know I’m right."

Hader leaned back in his chair, the weight of Cara’s words clearly pressing on him. He ran a hand over his face, as if trying to collect his thoughts. Finally, he muttered, "You might be right, but I still have to do my due diligence."

"I have to ask," Cara said, her tone sharp, "are you doing this because of my mother?"

The question visibly shook Hader for a moment. He shifted in his chair before replying, his voice steady but edged with tension. "It’s not about your mother. Why would it be? She made her choice. I’m doing this because I can’t just let him walk without proof. There has to be something to show he’s even remotely innocent."

"Well, for starters, he doesn’t have a history of violence or abusing women," Cara pointed out. "Check his social media accounts. Look for threats, for anything that ties him to those women beyond the obvious."

Hader didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he reached for the intercom on his desk. "Angela, have you completed the full search of Travis Wesley’s phone?"

Cara waited, straining to catch any trace of the response, but since the call wasn’t on speaker, she couldn’t hear Angela’s reply.

After a moment, Hader hung up. "Angela’s on it," he said gruffly. "If there’s nothing incriminating in his phone or his social media accounts, then maybe I’ll let him go. But before we get to that, I have another question for you."

"What is it, Sheriff?" Cara asked, careful to keep her expression neutral.

"It’s been over 24 hours," Hader said, leaning forward, "and no one has seen the Scott brothers. It’s like they’ve disappeared off the face of the earth."

"Okay," Cara replied, shrugging. "I’m not sure where this is going. What’s the question?"

Hader’s eyes narrowed. "Have you seen them? Anywhere?"

Cara’s stomach tightened, but she didn’t let it show. "No, I haven’t," she said smoothly. "And honestly, I pray I never do. They’re horrible people."

For a moment, Hader didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on her as if trying to read between the lines. Cara felt her pulse quicken but kept her composure.

The tension broke when a petite woman in casual clothes walked into the office, her thick glasses making her appear every bit the tech specialist. She carried a laptop, placing it on Hader’s desk with a confident efficiency.

"Sir," Angela said, her voice brisk, "he’s clean. Well, aside from the, uh, mountains of pornography on his phone. But as far as anything criminal? Nothing."

Hader nodded, his expression still tight. "Thank you, Angela. That’ll be all."

Angela finally noticed Cara sitting in the room and gave her a quick, awkward wave before retreating from the office. Cara offered a faint smile in return, amused by the woman’s geeky demeanor.

"Well," Hader said, exhaling sharply as he turned back to Cara. "It looks like you’re getting your wish. I’ll release him. You can leave now."

Cara stood, a victorious smile tugging at her lips. "Thank you, Sheriff." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Just as her hand reached for the door, Hader’s voice stopped her cold. "Just keep in mind," he said, his tone low and displeased, "you’re the one vouching for him. If this goes sideways, it’s on you."

Cara turned her head slightly, acknowledging the veiled warning with a faint smirk before stepping out into the bullpen. As she passed through, she spotted an officer unlocking Travis’s cell.

Approaching him, Cara grinned. "Looks like we’re both heading home."

Travis stepped out of the cell, a cautious but grateful smile on his face. "How did you pull this off?"