Chapter 3
Chapter Three
I’m still staring after her fading tail lights when I spot a man walking toward me. You can tell when someone is coming to you and not merely intending to pass by. And this guy is bee-lining.
Unsure what to expect, I frown at him as he approaches.
He’s almost vibrating with his eagerness. “You’re the man from the bank?”
Uh. How do I answer that?
“You tried to stop the robbery?” he clarifies.
Something about him doesn’t sit right. The sweat beading on his brow is one clue. The distended veins in his neck are another red flag. The color of his face is a little too red. His hands are clenched next to his thighs.
Body language 101 covers everything I’m seeing.
Choosing my words, I say, “I did. I need to file a police report, those gunshots were mine as I tried to disable the getaway car.”
If this guy had a magnifying glass, he’d be eyeballing me with it. “Yes, someone called me and told me about that. I knew right away that it must be the new tourist.”
Small town living. Of course a bank robbery and gunfire in town should be noteworthy.
“That’s me.”
He smiles, or attempts to smile, but it’s wooden and confined to his upper lip only. I’ve seen cats with better fake smiles. After that he just stares.
Okay. Weird. “I see you’re in the know about the happenings in Karma. Nice little town you’ve got here.”
“It is. We are very proud. It’s a regional hub, you know. All of the surrounding areas do their banking and shopping here. Our natural resources are renowned. The people are vibrant. Anyway, I’m going on and on. The hotel told me when you arrived.”
Odd. Now I’m even more interested in this guy. “I see, and who are you?”
“Mayor Marcus Flora.” His hand shoots out but he’s still wearing that half-angry, half-alarmed expression.
“Nice to meet ya.”
We shake. His grip is as unimpressive as plain macaroni noodles.
“Mr. Goodlove, what exactly brings you to Karma?”
He knows my name too. Interesting. Call it gut instinct, but I’m not going to reveal my purpose for being in his town. Not yet.
“Just some sightseeing, I heard you got great archeology sites. Besides that, I’ll be kicking around, vacationing. Maybe meeting some friends later who are down by the coast.”
I’m just rambling and he’s soaking in every word. Or looking for something between every line.
I take a step back. “Nice meeting ya. I’m going to try out one of your fine restaurants for brunch now.”
“Mr. Goodlove,” he stops me. “I’d like to provide a tour guide courtesy of Karma.”
“That’s not necessary. You know, GPS is remarkable these days.”
“No, I insist.”
My phone vibrates in my pocket, I reach in and grab it. The boss’s number is on the screen. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to take this.”
“Of course. I’m also sending an invitation to a party at my home as well. It’s tonight and I think you’ll find it most interesting. Everyone will be there.”
I tip my chin as I hit accept on the phone. “Hey, give me a second.”
As I hold the phone against my chest, I offer a wave. “Nice meeting you, Mayor.”
When I turn and walk away, I can feel his untrusting gaze boring into my back.
“I’m here.” I keep my voice low as I stroll down the block.
“You didn’t call back.”
Shit. I didn’t. “Sorry, got a little tied up.”
I’m going to refrain from telling him I got my brain scrambled by a stunner in a sundress the color of poppies with eyes the color of amber.
“Everything good?”
Oh yeah. For multiple reasons. “Better than. I just got an invite to a party from the mayor of Karma and he promises that everyone will be there. Golden opportunity, baby.”
“Damn right,” Marshall says with a laugh. “So, I’ve been on pins and needles over here. Was the car you shot at the same car that you and Scout chased in Carollia?”
“Same make and model, same color. I’ve got the tag.”
He whistles. “Damn impressive, sir.”
“The plate starts with the same three letters. Chances are good, but I don’t know what to make about that correlation. When we had that sighting of her, it wasn’t clear if she was with the driver and passenger willingly. This only makes me question that more.”
He speculates the same thing I have. “So if we find this car, we might find her being held against her will.”
“That’s what I’m thinking. My priority is to report the tag to the police and see if I can get any information.”
“Smart. Send it to me as well, I’ll get someone back at Agile working on it. Are you going to loop the police department in?”
I pause in the shade of an overhang as I try to place the sensation I’ve got in my stomach. “I know we’d usually want to include local law enforcement, but something I heard after the robbery doesn’t sit right.”
“Oh?” Marshall stops doing whatever he was doing in the background.
“A woman told me the police wouldn’t be responding to the crime and that I might not be able to find them at the station.”
“What the fuck?”
I nod even though he can’t see me. “My thought exactly. On top of that the mayor was…unsavory.”
“Fancy word.”
“You know me, I got the big vocabulary.” Which is total bullshit, I’m not fancy and never will be. “Anyway, he knew all about me. My name, where I’m staying. He seemed a little too interested.”
“No shit,” Marshall grunts. A car door closes and his engine revs in the background on his end of the call. “Watch your six, man.”
“Roger that.”
He sounds concerned now. “Do you think you should get Beast to send one of the guys up to Karma?”
Marshall’s an excellent boss. Beast is our Team Lead. Also an excellent leader.
“Not yet. I’m fine. We’re spread thin right now with Truck and Levi being stateside. Scout is in El Dorado with Nyx checking out some leads there. I’m gonna go check out this shindig tonight and I’ll keep you posted. What could go wrong at a party?”