by Gerri Hill
“You talking about the new sheriff?” Sloan asked.
“Chief Daniels, not sheriff.”
“Yeah, Carlton came in this morning bitching about her. Said she’d cut his hours back.”
“I thought he was only part-time anyway,” Morgan said.
“He logged about thirty hours,” Googan said. “She’s got him down to fifteen. Eloise said she might lay him off during the winter and not bring him back until May.”
“Well, you have to admit, there’s not a whole lot that goes on during the winter, Googan,” Morgan said. “Even in the summer, is it necessary to have three?”
“Just because the Forest Service cuts you back to only two positions during the winter doesn’t mean law enforcement should follow suit.”
Sloan nodded. “Yep. Could have a rash of burglaries or murders. Need to be prepared.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying.”
Morgan and Sloan exchanged amused glances as Googan downed his tea and got up.
“And now I need to get back on the road before she jumps my ass for having lunch.” He nodded at them. “See you later.”
“Old Ned had been here so long, I don’t think he even knew he had a budget,” Sloan said. “Maybe it’s good to bring in new blood.”
“Yeah, well it’s certainly put a bee up Googan’s ass.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Go talk to her.”
“I will not,” Morgan said. “I invited you out so we could visit.”
“Just go introduce yourself,” Tina said. “She doesn’t talk to anyone in town. Even Eloise is scared of her. Go see if you can feel her out.”
Morgan grinned. “Feel her out?”
Tina laughed. “Out, not up.”
But Morgan shook her head. “Look, by all accounts, she’s a real bitch. I don’t care if she’s gay or not, I don’t think we’d hit it off.”
“Another round, ladies?” Tracy asked as she swung by their table.
“Sure.” Tina grabbed Tracy’s wrist and pulled her closer.
“How much longer will the sheriff be here?”
“Chief Daniels? Oh, her order will be up in a few minutes. Why?”
“I’m trying to get Morgan to go talk to her.”
“Yeah. Good luck. Morgan doesn’t think she’ll like the chief.”
Morgan nodded. “See?”
“Aren’t you at all curious about her? I mean, why does she keep to herself so much?”
“She’s nice enough when she orders,” Tracy said. “Always leaves a tip. Just doesn’t talk much.”
Tina turned to Morgan. “See? Not necessarily a bitch. Just maybe quiet.”
“All right, fine,” Morgan said. “I’ll go. But you’re buying dinner.”
Morgan shoved her chair away and walked across the bar to where Chief Daniels sat quietly, flipping a soggy paper coaster in her fingers. Before Morgan could speak, she looked up.
“Your straight friends finally talk you into coming over?”
Morgan laughed. “Yeah. How did you know?”
She shrugged. “You’re Morgan, right? Forest Service?”
“Right.”
“Reese Daniels,” she said, offering her hand.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Good. Now we’ve met. Maybe your friends will leave you alone.”
Morgan smiled, unsure of her statement. Was Reese Daniels just being abrupt? Or did she just get dismissed?
“Excuse me, but my dinner is here.”
Okay. Dismissed it is.
“Well, have a good evening then.”
Reese Daniels only nodded as she reached for her bag from Jeff, leaving Morgan to sulk back to her table where Tina waited with anxious eyes.
“Well? Well?”
“Well what? I met her.”
“And?”
“And I met her. Her dinner came and that’s that.”
Tina followed her gaze as Chief Daniels left the bar. “But was she nice?”
Morgan raised one eyebrow. “I wouldn’t really say nice.”
“Oh? So she was a bitch?”
Morgan shook her head. “Not really. She was just…aloof. Or what Ellen Patterson called her, indifferent.”
“I see. So I guess I won’t invite her to have Thanksgiving dinner with us then.”
Morgan rolled her eyes. “Please. Please say you’re not going to try to set us up. Please?”
“Why?”
“She’s not my type, for one thing.”
“Honey, you’re thirty-five years old and you live in Hinsdale County. You can’t afford the luxury of having a type,” she said with a laugh.
§
Reese got into her truck and closed the door, placing her dinner on the seat beside her. She glanced back at the bar once before pulling away. So that was Morgan, the cute ranger she’d seen around town. She hadn’t wanted to be nosy and inquire who she was. Small towns being what they were, she knew it would get back to the woman. So she’d waited. Eventually, her name came up. Ellen Patterson up at the lodge had asked if she’d met Morgan yet, had said they’d have a lot in common.
Reese smiled. Meaning Morgan was a lesbian in case she hadn’t picked up on that yet. And if she had to guess, living out here, she was probably single. Cute and single. But none of that made any difference to her. She was in exile, serving out her sentence. She didn’t want to meet new people, she didn’t want to make new friends, and she didn’t want to become involved in anyone’s life. When her year was up, she was gone. She didn’t want there to be any hesitation about that.
And most likely it wouldn’t be back to Winter Park for her.
But there were other towns and other ski resorts. She had a good record and an impeccable reputation. Except for the little incident with the mayor’s wife, that is. But she liked ski towns.
She put in her time in the city, some ten years worth. She had no desire to go back. Small tourist towns provided all the excitement she needed. Crime consisted of drunken encounters and the occasional fender bender. So yeah, she could find another job in another tourist town. She had the credentials. And she could only imagine how ready she’d be to get out of tiny Lake City after a year.
But later, as she ate her dinner alone and stared at the fire that burned hotly, she wondered if she could indeed take a year in exile, a year alone. Not that she wasn’t used to being alone.
She was. But in between being alone, she was used to being with people, walking the streets, interacting with tourists, giving directions. And meeting the occasional willing woman and taking her home. In Winter Park, she didn’t leave behind any friends.
And in her department, no doubt they breathed a sigh of relief that she was gone. Dragon Lady. But it had been home for the last two years, and it was filled with familiar faces. She didn’t feel like she was totally alone.
Here? Eloise was scared of her and walked on eggshells around her. Googan was pissed yet terrified of her. Carlton was about to get fired and he knew it. She was on speaking terms with Jeff at the bar, and the girl behind the counter, Tracy. That’s it.
She knew who Sloan was, the owner of the bar, but she hadn’t really spoken to him. She’d heard Charlie’s name a few times and knew that he’d been in town some fifteen years working for the Forest Service. And Ellen had let it be known that Morgan had worked there for seven years.
She’s just the sweetest girl. I hope you get to know her.
Sweet or not, Reese had no intention of getting to know her.
She was in exile.
CHAPTER NINE
Morgan walked gingerly to her truck, balancing her cup of hot coffee—Irish cream again—with the breakfast taco Sloan had made her try. It was going to be new on the menu so he was giving out some as samples. It smelled good enough, Morgan noted, but doubted many of the old-timers would enjoy it. She carefully opened the door, trying to keep her footing in the ice and snow and not spill her coffee. She sat inside her truck for a minute, putting the heater o
n high as she unwrapped the taco, a flour tortilla filled with potatoes, eggs and bacon, and smothered in spicy cheese. “Mmm,” she groaned. “That’s good. That’s real good.” Okay. So, maybe the old-timers would enjoy it. She nodded, making a mental note to let Sloan know how good it was.
She headed down the street, flipping her wipers on as the snow started coming down harder. She’d just picked up her coffee cup when she saw a blur out of the corner of her eye.
She had no time to react as she was thrown forward, hot coffee splashing her as her air bags deployed. She leaned back, dazed, then punched at the air bag, trying to get it out of her face. She looked up at the knocking on the passenger side door, seeing Googan’s worried face staring back at her. He jerked the door open, his hands visibly shaking.
“Are you okay, Morgan? God, I don’t know what happened. I was just pulling out and there you were.”
“I’m okay,” she said. “What the hell happened? Who hit me?”
His face turned red. “I did.”
She looked out her driver’s side window, seeing the sheriff’s truck plowed into the side of her Forest Service truck. Great.
“You hit me?”
“And Chief Daniels is going to kill me.”
Morgan glared at him. “Not if I kill you first.”
“Please, Morgan. No harm, no foul.”
“What the hell are you talking about? No harm? My truck is smashed in.”
“She’ll probably fire me, send me packing. Then what? This is all I have. I can’t lose my job, Morgan.”
Morgan unhooked her seatbelt, thankful for that habit, at least. She looked at her uneaten taco lying on the floor in a pool of coffee. She was about to tell him to start packing his bags when she swore she saw the hint of tears in his eyes. Oh, good grief. She sighed. “What is it you want me to do?”
“Tell her it was your fault.”
“You’ve lost your mind. First of all, any idiot can see that you hit me. Secondly, don’t you think someone in town saw?”
She looked behind him, seeing the breakfast crowd at Sloan’s standing on the sidewalk watching. “There’ll be witnesses.”
“Please, Morgan. I’m begging you.” He lowered his voice.
“I’m scared of her.”
Morgan scooted across the seat to the passenger side, letting him help her out. “I swear, Googan, you will so owe me for this.”
“I promise—”
“What the hell happened here?”
They both turned to see the flashing eyes of Chief Daniels as she pinned Googan with a stare. “Googan?”
Morgan stepped forward. “Actually, it was my fault,” she said.
“I was…I was speeding. Just blasting down the road here. Poor Googan couldn’t get stopped in time.”
Chief Daniels turned those dark eyes on her and Morgan took an involuntary step back.
“Googan had a stop sign.”
“And…and I stopped,” Googan said. “Yes, ma’am, really, I did.”
“But I was going so fast, once he started through the intersection, he just couldn’t stop again in time,” Morgan finished for him. God, he will so pay for this.
Chief Daniels didn’t say anything as she watched them. Then she walked around Morgan’s truck, surveying the scene. She put her hands on her hips as she stared at Googan’s truck, which was still attached to Morgan’s. She looked across the bed of the truck to where Morgan and Googan still stood. Morgan swallowed nervously as she watched the snow cling to Chief Daniels’s hair.
“So you were racing down the street in the ice and snow, and poor Googan here had the bad luck to hit you. Is that what you’re saying?”
Morgan nodded. “And really, it was more like I hit him. I mean, he was already out here on the road and I just came barreling down the street there.”
“Uh-huh. I see.” Chief Daniels walked back around the truck and Morgan was surprised to see a hint of amusement in her eyes. “Googan? You got the camera?”
“What camera?”
“The camera we use to record the scene here.”
He shook his head. “I don’t have a camera. Do you?”
“So what do you normally do to preserve evidence?”
He scratched his head. “Well, we just write it up on the accident report. And then draw a picture. You know, there’s that little box on the form.”
Morgan nearly laughed at the look on Chief Daniels’s face.
“Excuse me, but I have a camera.”
Chief Daniels turned and raised her eyebrows.
“In my truck. I carry a camera with me in my backpack,” Morgan said. “You can use it if you want.”
But she shook her head. “I don’t think we should allow the perpetrator of the crime to supply the camera. Just doesn’t seem right.”
“Crime?”
Daniels ignored her as she turned again to Googan. “We got a wrecker service in town or anything like that?”
“Sammy Morris has a small tow truck. He’s got the garage down at the end of town,” he said.
“Why don’t you go over to the office and give him a call? After we get all the insurance sorted out, we’ll have two trucks that’ll need some body work. Morgan’s appears to still be drivable. Yours, on the other hand, looks like it blew the radiator.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll get right on it.” Googan took off at a dead run, apparently thankful to leave the scene unscathed. Morgan waited until those dark eyes turned her way.
“So, Morgan, you often drive like a maniac during a snowstorm?”
“Not normally, no.”
“Thought today was a good day for it, did you?” She pointed to the two trucks. “Evidence indicates that Googan hit you. No skid marks for either of you.”
“It just happened so fast, we didn’t have time to stop.”
Chief Daniels smiled quickly. “And that’s your story? This accident is your fault?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, then. Let’s write up an accident report.” She pointed to her truck, which was parked behind Morgan’s. “We can get out of the snow,” she said as she ran a hand through her hair, shaking the snow from it.
Morgan nodded, then waved at Sloan, motioning him and the others to go back inside. She went around to the passenger side and got inside Chief Daniels’s truck, rubbing her hands together to keep them warm. She waited while the chief searched her console, finally pulling out a small clipboard and what she assumed was the accident form.
“Okay, let’s start with the easy part. Let me see your driver’s license.”
Morgan gave a quick, embarrassed smile. “I don’t actually have it with me.”
“You don’t carry your driver’s license with you?” She shook her head. “Your traffic fines are just piling up, aren’t they?”
“I don’t see the point. Everybody knows me here.”
“Do you at least know your number?”
Morgan bit her lip. “No.”
Chief Daniels sighed, then tapped the form. “Okay. Name. Morgan what?”
“Morgan’s actually my last name. Everyone just calls me Morgan.”
“I see. Then what’s your first name?”
Morgan bit her lip again. “I’d rather not give you that information.”
“Excuse me?”
“I just don’t see that it’s necessary. I mean—”
“You do understand that I have to file an accident report, right?”
“Look, why do we have to have all this formality? I mean, we had a little accident. Nobody got hurt.”
Chief Daniels tapped the form with her pen again. “See this? Accident report. Makes this little accident official. It’s not a matter of whether you want to complete it or not. It’s kinda required by law.”
Morgan took a deep breath. “Okay, off the record?”
“No, not off the record. This is an accident report. It’ll have to be filed with the insurance claim.” She narrowed her eyes.
“Now what’s your n
ame?”
Morgan lifted her chin up defiantly. “M period. Z period.
Morgan.”
“You have initials for names? Come on.”
“It’s a possibility.”
“Shame you don’t have your driver’s license to prove it. But you’re trying my patience, Morgan. M stands for what?”
Morgan leaned closer, her face only inches from Chief Daniels. “If you so much as breathe a word of this,” she threatened.
“I’ll…I’ll…” She didn’t blink, but Morgan could swear she saw a ghost of a smile cross her face.
“Name?” she repeated.
“Marietta.”
Chief Daniels laughed. “All of that for Marietta? I thought it was going to be something hideous.” She tapped the form again.
“Middle?”
Morgan pursed her lips. “Z.” Good God, why haven’t I had my name legally changed?
“Are we going to have to go through all of this again?”
“Why do you need a name?”
“Because the form asks for a name. It doesn’t ask for an initial. It asks for a name.” She held the clipboard up. “See?”
“God, I swear,” Morgan muttered. She pointed her finger at Chief Daniels. “You think I’m kidding, but I’m not. If anyone in this town ever calls me by these names, I will hunt you down.”
“Are you threatening a peace officer?”
“Call it what you want.” This time Chief Daniels did laugh and Morgan relaxed a little.
“Okay, Miss Morgan, please tell me your middle name. I promise I won’t tell a soul.”
“Oh, dear God, I can’t believe I’m about to do this.”
“Can it be that bad?”
“My father’s mother died three weeks before I was born. Her name was Marietta. Then my mother’s mother died two days before I was born. I’m sure it’s what sent her into labor. They scrapped the names they’d picked. Normal names. I could have been Jennifer. I like Jennifer. And they had Melanie picked out. I could live with Melanie. But no, they felt the need to name me after them.” She took a deep breath. “Her name was…Zula,” Morgan finished in a whisper. Again, the twitch of a smile from the sheriff.
