More Than Great Riches by Jan Washburn

This excerpt comes from the book More than Great Riches by Jan Washburn, presented as a work of fiction and published in 2008. The narrative centers on Tracy Dixon, who is initially interrogated by Detective C. Diaz of the NYPD concerning a jewelry theft involving a man named Rick Timmons, though Tracy maintains her innocence. Tracy leaves New York for Allerton to see her seriously injured brother, Jeff, and upon arrival at his home, she has a tense encounter with local police chief Leif Ericson, who is investigating her house for intruders. The storyline progresses with Tracy dealing with Jeff’s critical condition, the loss of her car, the return of her manipulative ex-fiancé Keith Bradford, and her growing, complicated relationship with Leif, who must balance his duty to investigate her as a suspect with his developing feelings and belief in her innocence. The text culminates with the discovery that Jeff is alive in a rehabilitation program, not the victim of the accident, and Tracy helps Leif capture Rick Timmons, clearing her name, after which she and Leif become engaged.