Chapter 8 #3
“Calling my mother a drunk causes her great mental anguish and soils her reputation,” the mayor snapped.
“For that, we’ll see you in court, Ms. Green.
” Anderson adjusted his tie. “I don’t know how they do things in whatever city you’re from, but here, you let your mouth run unchecked, and you’ll get more than a rest period in jail.
You’ll pay for your disrespect financially. ”
“Oh, I’m not paying for shit.” She smiled. “But that’s the real reason for this visit, isn’t it?” she asked, taking off her glasses.
Santiago took a step into the room to de-escalate the rising tension, but from her hiding spot against the wall, his aunt made a spitting sound and dragged her finger across her neck, threatening to cut Santiago’s throat if he interfered.
He shifted back to where he’d stood. His aunt cooked 80 percent of his meals, and one did not willing get into the bad graces of Carolina Bertrand. Plus, he was curious to hear why Ms. Green assumed the mayor needed money.
“This situation must have felt like a godsend for you, Mayor Archer, Anderson, because I’ve looked into your finances, and because you’re as patently unqualified to manage this town as you are in managing your financial portfolio.
You’ll likely be broke within the next year if things don’t turn around… or you sue a woman with actual wealth.”
Santiago frowned at his aunt whose eyes widened, and she raised her hands, shrugging in confusion.
“Your mother’s a festering drunk—”
“Oh dear,” Ms. Audrey whispered, pressing her hand against her throat.
“—and everyone in this room, including you, knows it.”
Lina slammed her hand over her mouth, eyes wide with shock.
How anyone could be shocked by anything Ms. Green said was a mystery to him.
“I have heard at least five variations of the word drunk when hearing about your mother, and the most accurate is that ya mama is a basic-ass drunk. Acknowledgment is the first step of healing,” Ms. Green said with false empathy.
“As for you, Mr. Sullivan, I hope you’ve secured a healthy retainer because if we take this to court, they won’t be able to pay your fees after the first few months of litigation. ”
Santiago shook his head, believing all that needed to be said was said, but oh no, Ms. Green was like a tick on a hound.
“I can’t figure out how you got elected to run this town when your only qualification seems to be your ability to run an ancestral fortune into the ground; dressing your mother in vintage designs to keep up appearances while investing in a number of terrible ventures.”
Aunt Lina crept closer and peeked into the room.
“And let’s not forget your trips to Nashville to meet with Ms. Cindy, who charges over five hundred a night, which really, wouldn’t be an issue except you charged it to your business accounts, under mayoral duties.
If I’m not mistaken, Mayor Archer, misappropriation of funds is an actual crime that could land your ass in—”
The mayor lunged across Aunt Lina’s antique table, pushing Ms. Green back and reaching for her throat. Ms. Green lifted her knee and connected with his manhood.
Between the furniture and Sullivan, it took Santiago less than a second to reach the pair. The mayor began to convulse on top of Ms. Green, who shifted from beneath him and stood, holding an oddly shaped device with thin wires that extended from Anderson’s crotch.
Santiago pried the Taser from Ms. Green’s hand.
Unfortunately for Anderson, she used it to grip the man’s jaw and turn his head toward her. “Where I’m from you put your hands on a woman, you better be ready to fight for your motherfuckin’ life.”
“Gather your belongings Ms. Green,” Santiago said firmly.
“He must’ve been out of his rabid-assed mind if he thought I was just gonna let him jump on me and I not fight back.” She turned back to Anderson. “Your useless ass is probably the reason ya mama is so stoned she can barely keep her eyes open.”
Swinging her large bag onto her shoulder, she clipped the mayor’s head, and Santiago couldn’t tell if it was accidental or intentional.
Moving her braids off her shoulder, she walked to the side of the room near where Audrey sat and picked her phone off the upright charger sitting on the table.
She did something on the screen, then placed the phone in her pocket before turning to Santiago, the wild anger no longer present on her face.
“I’ll be waiting in the car, Sheriff Stillwater,” she said as she sashayed out of the room and past Deputy Roan who’d stopped at the entrance, eyes wide, as she took in the scene.
“Damn, I missed it,” he heard Roan say with disappointment
“Don’t worry, I got it all on video and stored in the cloud, Deputy,” Ms. Green called back before he heard the door slam shut.
Santiago turned back to the mayor; certain Roan had clocked the way his eyes followed Ms. Green’s backside out the room.
The mayor groaned.
“You want me to call the ambulance, Sheriff?” Roan asked solemnly, but the way she looked over on the other side of the wall he knew she and Aunt Lina were laughing on the inside. They’d be laughing out loud later.
“Have Deputy Travis come handle this, you’ve already had a busy morning.”
“Appreciated, Sheriff.”
“Mrs. Veronica?” he called out.
“Yes, dear,” she nodded wistfully, as if he’d asked if she’d like a gin and tonic.
He stooped down and peered into her dilated pulpits.
“Have the EMTs check her out as well,” he told Roan. “Sullivan, is there a reason you’re still here?”
“No, Sheriff. I...I’ll just check on Mayor Archer later,” he said scuttling out of the room.
“You’d better be on your way too, mijo. Our guest may grow tired of waiting and drive herself to the station.”
At least then he’d be able to charge her.
Outside, Ms. Green was sitting in his front passenger seat with the door open and Andy Archer standing over her, his arm on the roof of the cruiser as they spoke.
Seeing his two least favorite people talking to each other companionably almost moved him to a level of violence commiserate to Ms. Green’s.
“Andy, son, if you’re standing that close to my vehicle, I’m gonna assume you’re looking for an indefinite visit at the station.”
“I was just talking to our new friend, trying not to be impressed with her ability to humble the old man.”
Santiago arched his brow.
“I know, it’s bordering on disloyalty, but we both know that if he could’ve gotten away with it, Anderson would’ve sold me to the highest bidder a long time ago.”
From what Audrey and Aunt Lina said, it was on account of Anderson questioning Andy’s legitimacy because Andy’s mother had a string of affairs before Andy was born.
A paternity test would’ve cleared things up long ago, but Anderson hadn’t wanted any evidence that confirmed his wife’s infidelities, and Andy didn’t want confirmation that would’ve given his father a reason to cut him from the will and family legacy, which if Ms. Green was right, wouldn’t amount to much of anything now.
Getting inside his cruiser he waited silently for Ms. Green to get in the back seat. Instead, she closed the passenger door and buckled her seat belt. Eventually she turned to glare at him.
“For someone in a rush to leave, you’re really being the poster boy for going nowhere fast, Sheriff.”
Santiago took off his glasses, allowing her to see the wildfire he kept tethered inside; controlled, unlike hers, which was chaotic, trying to burn down everything within her reach.
He let her see that it was within him, the violence, but unlike her, he chose to keep it under wraps.
Even in this moment when his fingers itched to grab her up and pin her down…
“It’s just you and me, Stillwater,” she said, leaning toward him. “You wanna go, we can go.”
He continued to stare at her, then put his glasses back on and started the engine.
“There is something wrong with you, Ms. Green,” he stated as he put the cruiser in drive and pulled off.
“Folks may not see it, but I see it. Your antics have descended to a realm of fucking unhealthy and unhinged. But you can be enchanting, a novel distraction from folks’ day-to-day.
And I’ll admit, you have a way about you that demands attention.
But that combination…that makes you dangerous, Ms. Green, and I don’t want that danger to cause harm to people I care about. ”
She remained quiet. He continued with a gentler tone.
“I’ll give you the rest of the weekend because a few folks would be sad for you to leave abruptly, but come Monday, I need you out of Lina’s bed and breakfast.”
“So, I’m not under arrest,” she asked as he pulled to a stop outside the sheriff’s department. “I just need to hear you say it?”
“Ms. Green, there’re a lot of things you need that take precedence over me telling you something you already know…things like therapy or anger management; they should be at the top of your list of needs. But yes, you’re free to go.”
She rested her head against the headrest and smiled at him.
“I just like being around you, Sheriff. Your granite-faced stoicism has a kind of calming effect on me.”
She did seem calmer, more serene.
“Bullshit,” he said, appreciating her ability to tactically turn on a dime. “What do you want?”
“I need a ride to Saige’s shop, and I don’t feel like walking in these heals. I don’t want to get my car because it’s full and I don’t want anybody stealing my shit.”
“This ain’t Oakland, Ms. Green. Nobody wants to deal with you or your shit.”
“Touché, Sheriff, but the mayor of Oakland never lunged over a table to try and choke me out. I don’t think you fully grasp the level of criminality here in Shrouded Lake; makes me feel like I can’t trust you to do your job with competence.”
That felt like a direct hit, because for the third time in as many days, none of the Archers had seen as much jail time as her.
“Anyway, how about that ride?”
“Do you want to press charges against the mayor?” he asked, heading to Saige’s shop.
“I think I’ve made him pay enough for now.”
“Ms. Green—”
“Don’t worry, Stillwater. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior until I leave the bed and breakfast.”
Later that night, Santiago was tired and irritable, yet he found himself driving toward Aunt Lina’s instead of home once work was over. He wasn’t going inside; he just wanted to make sure the house was still standing.
Color him unsurprised when he saw Lauren walking toward the house carrying her carry-on sized purse.
The woman was always moving, always in motion, as if she was allergic to stillness.
He hung back hoping she didn’t notice the headlights of his cruiser.
He didn’t want a confrontation, yet the rise of his irritation told him there would be one.
Ms. Green was entirely too reckless walking out here by herself.
If not for the dim streetlights, the night would’ve devoured her whole.
The fog was already moving toward the center of town, and she didn’t know this land well enough to fear it.
The circumstances around Mrs. Willoby’s death weren’t sitting right with him; and the fact that Lauren made enemies at a rate equal to that of making allies made him more concerned for her safety than she had the good sense to be.
“She’s cute enough to cuddle until she unsheathes her claws,” he observed. The cloak of darkness allowed him to safely appreciate her red dress was like a flame burning around her.
Against his better judgment he pulled up alongside her and rolled down the window.
“Bad things roam the night, Ms. Green,” he called out.
“And I’m fully confident they’re out here because they know you will never catch them.” She smirked.
He laughed.
God love her, the woman had a mouth built for verbal combat.
“Like I said, bad things roam here at night, but given you’re one of them, little hellion, I won’t worry about you. Now, pull that dress out your ass, get in the house, and lock the door behind you.”
He didn’t know what he said, but her face contorted as if she was transforming into the devil incarnate; she looked like she wanted to jump through the window and drag his ass to hell.
It filled him with the most peculiar pleasure.
It was beneath him how much he liked to rile this woman, yet he found himself willing to descend to the depths of the deepest ocean to get a rise out of her.
Standing straight, Ms. Green reached back and released the material that had sunken into the seam of her ass.
He realized that again, she didn’t have on a stitch of underwear.
He thought back to her sitting across from Anderson and Sullivan, recalled the way the wrap dress rose up to the juncture of her thighs. Knowing that with a wayward breeze she would’ve exposed her assets to the two men and it was his turn to control his anger.
Woman needed a goddamn keeper.
“Thank you for your chivalry, Sheriff. You have a good night because in your line of work, you just never know if it’ll be your last.”
“Keep on with the veiled threats, Ms. Green, and I’ll run your ass out of town quicker than whoever ran you out of California.”
She looked around for something to throw at him, and he peeled off down the street. Looking through the rearview mirror, he saw her in the middle of the street shouting all kinds of unseemly things.
He never should’ve driven by here. But he was glad that he did.