Those somethings all stemmed from only one source.
Determination.
I let the anger take control for a minute. No, I wouldn’t hide any longer. Wouldn’t shield myself from life because I’d been too freaking scared to live it. Not anymore.
It was time to make changes in my little world. The first one would start with Clifton Simpson. His lips, those strong arms, God, I wanted to feel them both again. To bask in his strength, revel in the rush from touching his skin.
Oh, perhaps my cynical view of the world was changing!
“Renee? You still there?”
Puffing out my chest with a lungful of air, I let it out in controlled bursts. “Yes, Cliff, I am. You said you’re working permanent nights, right? Shift ends at seven a.m.?”
Cliff chuckled. “Yep.”
“Then how about one or so? Will that give you enough time to catch some sleep before I put you to work? And how would you like to be paid? Cash is out of the question since I'm broke. Maybe a nice dinner and sweet desert?”
“That sounds perfect. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, Renee. Enjoy the rest of your dinner.”
Disconnecting the call, a wide grin formed.
The phone call was the first time since I was sixteen I’d ever flirted with anyone, and judging by the seductive, sexy tone in Cliff’s voice, I’d succeeded at it.
Yay me!
Turning my phone to silent, I put it back in my purse and rejoined Eleanor.
“Sorry about that. So, after I get my house back in order tomorrow, I’d like to reciprocate and cook you a lovely dinner. Of course, it won’t be near as tasty as this, but I’ll try.”
Eleanor’s green eyes glinted with mischief. “What a nice idea. Will Cliff be joining us as well?”
Chuckling, I shook my head. “No, Eleanor. Just me and you. Tomorrow’s going to take a lot out of us both for different reasons, so it’ll be our version of Ladies’ Night In. Okay?”
Rather than responding, Eleanor smiled and set about the business of cleaning up dinner.
We were making progress, and that was a good thing.
A good thing, indeed.
“Come on, let’s go wash those grays away. You want to look your best for your new suitor, right?”
With a half-hearted groan, I rose from the chair and helped with the dishes, wondering what kind of probing questions Eleanor would ask while coloring my hair.
MONDAY CAME AND went in a whirlwind, my second full day at work a blur of paper and more instructions. Traci was patient and helpful while showing me how to scan and save documents to the main server, navigate through the various computer programs, and get into swing with the ways of the office. Since I’d never worked in one before, the only real skill I had was answering the multi-line phone system. It was the same kind I’d used at the call center, so at least I wasn’t a total dud.
By the time four-thirty rolled around, I wanted to scream. My back throbbed in agony. Unaccustomed to being on my feet so much, even wearing flats didn’t help. Of course, all the hours Cliff and I spent cleaning my house on Saturday didn’t help, either. When Traci shut down the computers for the night, I was raring to leave and soak in a hot bath.
“Have a great evening, Renee. And stop worrying—you’re catching on just fine, just like Mayor Cayhill said you would. Of course, I knew you would the minute I heard you were coming on board. You were smart as a whip in high school.”
Thankful the other two office workers had already left, I decided it was safe to pick Traci’s brain. “Thank you. Nice to hear a compliment now and again. My last supervisor certainly didn’t understand the concept. Your memories of days long since passed certainly don’t match up to mine. I seem to remember you had to help me with Algebra.”
Traci laughed. “God, I forgot all about that! Ugh, what was our teacher’s name? Mrs. Parnell?”
“Yep. Poopy Parnell is what I believe you used to call her.”
“That’s right! The woman had the worst breath ever! Hence my choice of the nickname.”
Shifting gears, I steered the conversation back to the mayor. “I hope Mayor Cayhill agrees with your assessment when he comes back to work. He’s going through so much right now I don’t want to add any more stress thinking he hired a useless employee.”
We stepped outside and Traci locked the doors. The rush of cold air sent pangs of pain down my lower back. I wondered how long I’d last before having to admit I did need surgery. Maybe I could keep the job long enough with the city to qualify for insurance benefits and get my discs fixed before the Mayor decided to let me go.
Somehow, I sensed the job wouldn’t be permanent.
“Well, don’t you worry, you won’t. Gosh, we’ve all been so concerned about him. I mean, the man about lost his mind when Martha disappeared. He never gave up searching for her. Told me he spent thousands of dollars on some big shot private investigator out of Little Rock, and look what it got him: squat. Poor man honestly believed she’d simply gone off her medication and wandered away. After all this time, she turns up—dead—at the lake, not even ten miles from their house. Tragic.”
“Very. I can’t imagine how hard this is on him. I guess he’ll come back to work when he has a chance to digest it all. I mean, it’s one thing to come to grips with her passing, but a whole new bag of pain got thrown into the mix when murder was added in.”
Traci stopped at her car and grimaced. “Lord, I just can’t figure it out! Who in the world would want to harm Martha? The woman was practically a saint.”
“Well, hopefully the cops will figure out who did it soon. With all the new things technology and forensic science can do, it shouldn’t take too long.”
“I hope not. Jeez, I move back here thinking I’d spend the remainder of my days in a safe place, away from all the craziness and crime of a big city. Silly me.”
“Cruelty and ugliness isn’t limited to a big area. Anywhere people live, no matter how small the town, bad things happen. It’s called human nature.”
Traci looked at me, sadness beaming from her big, blue eyes. “I know, it’s just…well, you’d think in such a close-knit community, people would watch out for each other. That’s how I recalled my youth after I moved to Russellville. When I divorced my husband, that’s why I didn’t even flinch about moving back. Now, after what’s happened, I’m beginning to wonder if I should reconsider and move to Little Rock. At least I’d be closer to my kids.”
“Don’t worry, Traci. Like I said, the cops will nail whoever did this, and we’ll all be able to put this nightmare behind us. Get back to living our quiet, normal lives.”
Traci nodded then grimaced, pointing at my car. “Uh-oh. Looks like you got a parking ticket.”
Turning, I followed her gaze. A small, white piece of paper was stuck under the windshield wiper of my car. Great. A ticket. Seriously? Hadn’t the rumor mill informed everyone I now worked for the city?
Forcing my legs to move, I stepped over and yanked it off.
“Don’t worry, Renee. We’ll get Mayor Cayhill to fix it for you. He’s good about things like that.”
Wow, she had no idea how true those words really were. Peyton Cayhill was the King of Fix Things the Way I Want Them.
The envelope didn’t contain a ticket. It was a handwritten note from Cliff. Heat flushed my face despite the cold.
Traci unlocked her car and opened the door. “Say, Renee? How about we go have dinner and catch up? Rehashing thirty years of memories might take a big batch of chips and a few margaritas.”
Stuffing the note into my purse, back still on fire, I stared at Traci’s eager face. If she drank enough tequila to loosen her tongue, I might be able to pry out more information. Though we were the same age, the years had been more than kind to the woman. She didn’t look a day over thirty-five, so of course, that miffed me.
Oh, God—my mother just left the grave and jumped right into my head.
Despite the fact my back disagreed, I pushe
d the pain away. The last time I’d spent an evening out with a girlfriend was with Gretchen, and that was over eight years prior.
New life; new man; new trajectory. Why the hell not?
“Sure, that sounds great. How about La Hacienda? They’ve got the best food. And tequila. Lots and lots of tequila. I’ll follow you.”
“Oh, fun! Girl time! Just what I needed. Actually, what I think we both do. My treat.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
Traci squealed and jumped into her car. In seconds, she disappeared from the parking lot. I started up my car, and while waiting for the heater to blow out warm air rather than frigid, decided to see what Cliff’s note said.
“Hello, gorgeous. Hope your first Monday was a good one. Saturday was one of the best days I’ve had in a long time. Did I mention how much I loved the new hair? If not, I do. Sexy, sexy, sexy! Even cleaning is a joy when around you. Thank you for letting me help—I know letting others into your world is hard. Working tonight, but I’m off tomorrow. I’d love to make you dinner. Hamburgers with pickles, no onion, and mustard and ketchup on top, right? Call me if you want a gourmet meal prepared by thankful hands.”
How in the world did Cliff remember the way I liked my hamburgers? The man had the memory of an elephant.
My stomach did a little flip-flop when I let my thoughts wander about what other body parts resembled others in the animal kingdom.
Pulling out my phone, I sent him a quick text:
“I enjoyed watching your muscles ripple under the thin t-shirt you wore. Assume that was done on purpose? Trying to bait me with your brawn? Ha! And yes, I do believe you commented on my new look. Thanks. Since I know you’re watching my every move, I’m heading to dinner with Traci at La Hacienda. Hoping to score some good intel. You coming by tonight? It’s gonna be cold, so I’ll have the coffee hot and ready.”
Setting my phone in the passenger seat, I left the parking lot. I barely made it to the highway when my phone beeped with a response. A tingle of warmth spread through my groin and I had to force myself to wait to see what Cliff sent until I pulled into the parking lot of La Hacienda.
“Just thinking about seeing you again heats me up. I hope coffee is code for something else.”
Oh, it was.
For sure, though certainly no more than a kiss, at least until I moved out of Eleanor’s. The thought of her catching us in a compromising position made me cringe. Plus, I hadn’t had sex in so long, I wasn’t sure my vagina would cooperate. The space between my legs was probably drier than the Sahara.
Wow, I’d certainly given up on life way too soon.
Exiting the car, I made a quick phone call to Eleanor, letting her know I’d be late coming home.
Because it seemed I had a life now—what a foreign concept!
TWO HOURS AND three margaritas later, my back wasn’t as tight and my mind pleasantly buzzed. I let Traci take the lead of the topics discussed, figuring it would seem rather obvious if I immediately started our visit by asking probing questions about the Mayor.
Most of our conversation was about the demise of her marriage, her twin daughters in their second year of college at UALR, and Edward, Traci’s ex-husband. The wound to Traci’s heart was still fresh after discovering Edward in bed with one of his students—Traci’s bed, mind you!—so I let her vent.
And vent she did, tongue freed to speak her mind after downing five margaritas.
When Traci broached the subject of what my life had been like after she moved away to college, I glossed over the highlights. For the most part, Traci sat across from me, eyes wide with shock and sadness. I didn’t delve too deeply because I didn’t want to talk about my life.
I came to dinner to dig for some information, and it was time to do so before I drank too much and forgot my questions.
Traci raised the margarita glass in toast. “Here’s to being rid of the pieces of shit in our lives. May they both contract the worst diseases alive and dick’s fall off!”
“Shhh, Traci!” I whispered and laughed at the same time. “God, I’d forgotten how funny you are—and loud!”
“Like I give a rat’s ass what people around here think,” Traci muttered.
She took a long drink and motioned to the waiter for another.
“I really don’t either, I just didn’t want to call attention to our conversation.”
“Why? Afraid some stupid redneck might hear us talk about our collective disgust at those with dicks?”
Traci was thoroughly trashed. I made a mental note to follow her home. Setting down my drink, I leaned forward and whispered, “Because this town has ears everywhere, listening, and I wanted to talk about our boss in private.”
Traci’s curiosity was piqued. She raised an inquisitive brow. “Oh, local gossip. Goody!”
“No, nothing like that. I don’t know anything other than what’s been reported on the news. I’m just…worried about my job. With all the stress in his life, and the fact he hasn’t been at work the last two days, what if the Mayor has a heart attack—or worse—and I find myself looking for work again?”
“Pft! That’s a silly worry, girl! Even when he leaves, the new mayor will leave the current staff in place. That’s what he told me when I asked.”
“Leave? Mayor Cayhill is leaving?” I gasped.
“Ooops. I’m not supposed to tell anyone. Damn! I’m the one full of gossip, not you! Must admit it sort of feels good to finally let it out. I’ve been keeping the secret for weeks now. Guess it’s okay to tell you since you work with us now. Promise me you’ll keep it to yourself until he announces it next week?”
“Of course. What’s spoken at the table, stays at the table.”
Traci let out a huff of air. “Thank you! Shit, I guess Edward was right—I’m a lousy drunk. Talk too much.”
“Screw Edward and what he thinks or thought about you! As employees, we have a right to know if our jobs are in jeopardy, right?”
“You’re right! Listen, don’t worry. The positions will change soon once the final signatures are completed and filed. There’s big things happening in our little town. Big changes, and I for one can’t wait, though I will miss working for Mayor Cayhill. It’ll be strange to call him Judge Cayhill. I hope Mayor Greenwood will be as easy to work for.”
I choked on a chip and nearly coughed myself to death. After recovering, I blurted out, “Judge Cayhill? I didn’t know he was a lawyer?”
“He’s not, but that’s what they call the County Judge around here, remember?”
“Cayill’s taking over as County Judge? Why? When did the current one decide to leave?”
“He’s got prostate cancer. Stepping down next week. Poor man.”
Mind spinning at all the crazy news, I took another drink of water to clear my throat. The other juicy tidbit she tossed needed clarification. “Greenwood? As in current Detective Greenwood? He’s going to be our new Mayor?”
“Yep. You know him? I just met him the other day, and he seems okay. Sort of quiet and reserved, but okay.”
I took a few more sips of water, unwilling to drink any more alcohol. My head was spinning from the shocking news and didn’t need to add to it. “I’ve met him once or twice. Small town, you know.”
“One still full of old-school back rubbing.”
Pausing to collect my thoughts and let the waiter step away after bringing Traci another round, I let the news soak in. My plan to extract some information had taken a really dark turn. I didn’t like any of the revelations.
Not at all.
“So the mayor will move over to Whitten County as the new judge, and Richard Greenwood will step up as mayor. Are you sure? How’s that even possible without holding an election or something?”
Traci laughed. “Girl, you’ve lived in this town your whole life. You know how the political game is played. Scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”
“That is true, but still doesn’t explain how they’ll get around letting people vote.”
“Election season ain’t until next November. They’re using some archaic law put on the books back when Noah was a baby. When I was cleaning out a jam in the copier last week, I found a piece of paper stuck inside. It was a copy of Order 16, dated back from the 1930s. Said something about what happens when a sitting County Judge becomes ill or unable to perform his duties, he can appoint anyone of his choosing to replace him until the next election.”
“Okay, that explains one thing, but not about appointing a new mayor.”
“Wrong. The Order applies to all county and city employees. Back when it was written, the two entities weren’t separated.”
“So, they’re announcing all this next week?”
“Yes. They need to hurry and transfer power before the current judge passes away. He’s in Stage 4. Plus, if the documents aren’t signed by next Friday, the land deal’s off.”
“Land deal? What land deal?”
Traci grinned, clearly enjoying the chance to release all the secrets she’d kept bottled up. She motioned for me to move closer after glancing around to ensure no one was listening. “Bradford Lake. Some out-of-state investors want to buy it, drain it, and convert it into an automotive parts manufacturing plant. It’ll bring a ton of revenue into the county. That’s why Mayor Cayhill ain’t been at work. He’s been in meetings with a slew of lawyers hammering out the details. When his wife’s body turned up there, it almost shut the negotiations down.”
I damn near fainted.
Not just because of the shocking turn of events, or how hearing them tied everything together. Stunned into silence, old childhood memories and pain swarmed inside my mind.
Dad.
Cyndi.
The bike.
Oh, shit. The family secret I’d kept inside me for so long—if it were actually true—would be revealed.
Suicide Lake Page 7
