uncomfortable?"
"Oh hush. No one asked you," she says, punching him in the shoulder, which only makes him laugh harder.
"But what about work?" Kim says to me, ignoring the interaction between the two people across the table.
"Honey, I'm sorry, but with your boss dead, there is no job, right?" I suggest gently, watching her face as she swallows hard before lifting her chin in defiance.
"That may well be, but I can't just leave our clients hanging. I at least have to notify them."
"Shouldn't be a problem to haul whatever you need, computer and files, over to Beth's. We'll clear it with the Sheriff's Office first. We can't just walk in there, it's a crime scene. Which reminds me, we have to head down there to sign your statement. We should get going."
I slide out of the booth and grab hold of her hand, pulling her with me. When she starts rooting through her purse and pulls out a wallet, I take the wallet from her hand and stuff it back in the bag.
"But I need to pay for breakfast."
"No you don't. Here, put on your coat and grab that take out container."
"I pay my own way," she says stubbornly.
"Fine. Then how about this, this one goes on my tab and the next one you can cook for me. Now say goodbye."
K im
"Yes hi, Ms. Lowe, the sheriff is waiting in his office."
Smiling at the older lady at the front desk, I see a door open on the other side of the barrier.
"Thanks Carol," Mal mutters as he opens the gate to let me through.
The moment I walk into Sheriff Carmel's office, he is out of his chair, coming around the desk.
"Kimeo. Hope you slept okay after last night's events? Come sit down."
"It's Kim," I say, uncomfortable when he puts his hand on my shoulder to guide me to the single chair in front of his desk. “I believe I mentioned that a few times already.” I sit down hoping to dislodge his hand, but his grip stays firm.
"Right. I keep forgetting. We won't be long, you can wait outside, Mal," he directs behind me.
"Not a chance. And Drew? You may wanna take your hands off her. I don’t recall her inviting you to do so." Mal's voice sounds even deeper than normal and there is no mistaking the underlying bite to it. The sheriff does immediately pull his hand back and takes a step back.
"I want him to stay."
His eyes flick from Mal to me and back before he nods his head once and retreats behind his desk.
After that, it's a pretty straightforward procedure. The statement I gave last night is read to me, I'm asked if there's anything I'd like to add and then I sign. Mal asks when we can get my files and computer from the office, and the sheriff arranges to meet with us there on Monday. The whole thing lasts about thirty minutes.
The sweet lady at the front desk, Carol, waves as we pass her, the phone at her ear.
"So what now?" I ask, as soon as we're back on the road.
"Now we go grab the dog and anything else you need from your house, pick up some groceries and head back to Cedar Tree to get you settled in."
Settled in , that's a joke. There's no way I'll be able to settle with this man around. I'm far too aware of him and too self-conscious to be able to relax. I really don't want to be cooped up with Mal, but I get what everyone was saying at the diner this morning. The knowledge that they were all there in support says a lot about the kind of people they are, and I really don't want to cause anyone trouble.
I'm just going over a checklist of things I need to pack, when Mal disrupts the surprisingly comfortable silence in the car.
"Expecting visitors?"
My eyes search out my driveway where Kerry is standing beside her car. Shit. Her angry eyes spot me through the windshield and don't let go until Mal pulls in beside her and turns off the engine.
"My friend," I say by way of explanation. "We go to yoga every Saturday morning and for coffee after. I totally forgot about it." I jump down from the truck before Mal has a chance to come around and lift me down, and quickly move to Kerry whose mouth is
"Oh hush. No one asked you," she says, punching him in the shoulder, which only makes him laugh harder.
"But what about work?" Kim says to me, ignoring the interaction between the two people across the table.
"Honey, I'm sorry, but with your boss dead, there is no job, right?" I suggest gently, watching her face as she swallows hard before lifting her chin in defiance.
"That may well be, but I can't just leave our clients hanging. I at least have to notify them."
"Shouldn't be a problem to haul whatever you need, computer and files, over to Beth's. We'll clear it with the Sheriff's Office first. We can't just walk in there, it's a crime scene. Which reminds me, we have to head down there to sign your statement. We should get going."
I slide out of the booth and grab hold of her hand, pulling her with me. When she starts rooting through her purse and pulls out a wallet, I take the wallet from her hand and stuff it back in the bag.
"But I need to pay for breakfast."
"No you don't. Here, put on your coat and grab that take out container."
"I pay my own way," she says stubbornly.
"Fine. Then how about this, this one goes on my tab and the next one you can cook for me. Now say goodbye."
K im
"Yes hi, Ms. Lowe, the sheriff is waiting in his office."
Smiling at the older lady at the front desk, I see a door open on the other side of the barrier.
"Thanks Carol," Mal mutters as he opens the gate to let me through.
The moment I walk into Sheriff Carmel's office, he is out of his chair, coming around the desk.
"Kimeo. Hope you slept okay after last night's events? Come sit down."
"It's Kim," I say, uncomfortable when he puts his hand on my shoulder to guide me to the single chair in front of his desk. “I believe I mentioned that a few times already.” I sit down hoping to dislodge his hand, but his grip stays firm.
"Right. I keep forgetting. We won't be long, you can wait outside, Mal," he directs behind me.
"Not a chance. And Drew? You may wanna take your hands off her. I don’t recall her inviting you to do so." Mal's voice sounds even deeper than normal and there is no mistaking the underlying bite to it. The sheriff does immediately pull his hand back and takes a step back.
"I want him to stay."
His eyes flick from Mal to me and back before he nods his head once and retreats behind his desk.
After that, it's a pretty straightforward procedure. The statement I gave last night is read to me, I'm asked if there's anything I'd like to add and then I sign. Mal asks when we can get my files and computer from the office, and the sheriff arranges to meet with us there on Monday. The whole thing lasts about thirty minutes.
The sweet lady at the front desk, Carol, waves as we pass her, the phone at her ear.
"So what now?" I ask, as soon as we're back on the road.
"Now we go grab the dog and anything else you need from your house, pick up some groceries and head back to Cedar Tree to get you settled in."
Settled in , that's a joke. There's no way I'll be able to settle with this man around. I'm far too aware of him and too self-conscious to be able to relax. I really don't want to be cooped up with Mal, but I get what everyone was saying at the diner this morning. The knowledge that they were all there in support says a lot about the kind of people they are, and I really don't want to cause anyone trouble.
I'm just going over a checklist of things I need to pack, when Mal disrupts the surprisingly comfortable silence in the car.
"Expecting visitors?"
My eyes search out my driveway where Kerry is standing beside her car. Shit. Her angry eyes spot me through the windshield and don't let go until Mal pulls in beside her and turns off the engine.
"My friend," I say by way of explanation. "We go to yoga every Saturday morning and for coffee after. I totally forgot about it." I jump down from the truck before Mal has a chance to come around and lift me down, and quickly move to Kerry whose mouth is
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