you."
Sarah felt sure he would do exactly that. "Thank you, Deputy Brighton." She poked her arms back into her coat and pulled it on. "I'll look forward to meeting with Chief Willard." Giving the appearance that she intended to let it go at that, Sarah grabbed her bag and pushed to her feet.
"You're welcome, Ms. Newton. We want to cooperate all we can."
Ms. Newton, not Sarah. Lines had been drawn. Before following Conner out the door of the office, Sarah hesitated.
She turned back to the deputy who immediately got that trapped-in-the-headlights look on her face. "Just one more thing."
Conner did an about-face and towered in the open doorway.
When the deputy didn't raise a protest Sarah said, "Your investigation doesn't appear to be focused on any specific suspects. People have been interviewed, but—"
"Sarah."
That he called her by her first name startled her, he'd already drawn his line as well. That he shifted that boundary now warned that he wanted her full attention. Sarah ignored him. "There seems to be this overriding assumption that the killer isn't anyone from your community."
All the uncertainty and apprehension vanished. Deputy Brighton leveled a stare on Sarah that could only be called categorically cold and unyielding. "That's because the perpetrator responsible for this
is not
one of us. There isn't an officer of the law in this department who doesn't know every single citizen in this village and most of those in the nearby communities. When this case is solved, and it will be, you'll see that we were right to stand by that conclusion."
"So you're sticking with the curse theory."
Brighton's expression turned to stone as she pushed back from her desk and stood. "I believe you'll need to address the rest of your questions to the chief."
"I'll do that." Sarah draped the strap of her bag over her shoulder. She started to turn away but she hesitated one last time. "You know," she said to the deputy, "considering the first girl went missing a week ago and you basically have nothing, it looks very much like we won't ever know the truth. I guess history's going to repeat itself."
Deputy Brighton didn't say good-bye or come again or even kiss my ass. Conner couldn't get Sarah out of the building fast enough.
He didn't say a word to her until they were in his Jeep.
He was pissed.
So much for the easygoing guy.
"Was that necessary?" He twisted the key in the ignition and jerked into reverse. After a jarring three-point turn he rolled onto the street. "You couldn't have been more diplomatic?"
"There's a time for diplomacy, Conner. And this isn't it." Sarah snapped her seat belt into place.
He moved his head side to side as if he couldn't decide what to say next and maybe if he were lucky that maneuver could shake something loose.
No point in dragging out his misery. "I don't like being lied to." Why not put her cards on the table and get it over with? He would hate her soon enough, just like everyone else in this too-happy little town would before she was finished.
"There's something called protocol, Newton," he roared. "Karen can't tell you something she isn't authorized to tell. Bullying her, or anyone else for that matter, isn't going to get you what you want."
"In my experience," Sarah countered, her tone calm and even enough to piss him off all the more, "it does exactly that. When you put someone on the defensive they speak before they think. That's how you learn secrets."
He fumed. Silently, but he couldn't have proclaimed his fury any more loudly.
Any second she actually expected to see steam rolling from his ears. "If you plan to follow me around, Conner, you should know that I don't play nice. It's not my style."
"Maybe it should be."
"Been there, tried that. It doesn't get the job done."
He whipped into the parking lot of the municipal offices and shoved the gearshift into park. When he'd drawn in a deep breath and let it go real slow he looked at her. "I'll follow you to the inn and see
Sarah felt sure he would do exactly that. "Thank you, Deputy Brighton." She poked her arms back into her coat and pulled it on. "I'll look forward to meeting with Chief Willard." Giving the appearance that she intended to let it go at that, Sarah grabbed her bag and pushed to her feet.
"You're welcome, Ms. Newton. We want to cooperate all we can."
Ms. Newton, not Sarah. Lines had been drawn. Before following Conner out the door of the office, Sarah hesitated.
She turned back to the deputy who immediately got that trapped-in-the-headlights look on her face. "Just one more thing."
Conner did an about-face and towered in the open doorway.
When the deputy didn't raise a protest Sarah said, "Your investigation doesn't appear to be focused on any specific suspects. People have been interviewed, but—"
"Sarah."
That he called her by her first name startled her, he'd already drawn his line as well. That he shifted that boundary now warned that he wanted her full attention. Sarah ignored him. "There seems to be this overriding assumption that the killer isn't anyone from your community."
All the uncertainty and apprehension vanished. Deputy Brighton leveled a stare on Sarah that could only be called categorically cold and unyielding. "That's because the perpetrator responsible for this
is not
one of us. There isn't an officer of the law in this department who doesn't know every single citizen in this village and most of those in the nearby communities. When this case is solved, and it will be, you'll see that we were right to stand by that conclusion."
"So you're sticking with the curse theory."
Brighton's expression turned to stone as she pushed back from her desk and stood. "I believe you'll need to address the rest of your questions to the chief."
"I'll do that." Sarah draped the strap of her bag over her shoulder. She started to turn away but she hesitated one last time. "You know," she said to the deputy, "considering the first girl went missing a week ago and you basically have nothing, it looks very much like we won't ever know the truth. I guess history's going to repeat itself."
Deputy Brighton didn't say good-bye or come again or even kiss my ass. Conner couldn't get Sarah out of the building fast enough.
He didn't say a word to her until they were in his Jeep.
He was pissed.
So much for the easygoing guy.
"Was that necessary?" He twisted the key in the ignition and jerked into reverse. After a jarring three-point turn he rolled onto the street. "You couldn't have been more diplomatic?"
"There's a time for diplomacy, Conner. And this isn't it." Sarah snapped her seat belt into place.
He moved his head side to side as if he couldn't decide what to say next and maybe if he were lucky that maneuver could shake something loose.
No point in dragging out his misery. "I don't like being lied to." Why not put her cards on the table and get it over with? He would hate her soon enough, just like everyone else in this too-happy little town would before she was finished.
"There's something called protocol, Newton," he roared. "Karen can't tell you something she isn't authorized to tell. Bullying her, or anyone else for that matter, isn't going to get you what you want."
"In my experience," Sarah countered, her tone calm and even enough to piss him off all the more, "it does exactly that. When you put someone on the defensive they speak before they think. That's how you learn secrets."
He fumed. Silently, but he couldn't have proclaimed his fury any more loudly.
Any second she actually expected to see steam rolling from his ears. "If you plan to follow me around, Conner, you should know that I don't play nice. It's not my style."
"Maybe it should be."
"Been there, tried that. It doesn't get the job done."
He whipped into the parking lot of the municipal offices and shoved the gearshift into park. When he'd drawn in a deep breath and let it go real slow he looked at her. "I'll follow you to the inn and see
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