counties over. For all I know, you stole it yourself,” Smitty continued.
My gaze snapped back to him, and I scowled. Of all the things to say! I’d never stolen anything in my life. Well, except for taking my family’s jewelry back from Jenna, which she didn’t have a right to in the first place. Besides, I’d sent her money anonymously to pay for it only a couple days after I burgled her, so could it really be considered stealing? Technically, kind of. But morally, I didn’t think so.
“Now as to the other part of your story,” Smitty said, leaning forward. “Lucy, Sue, Mindy, and Jenna all say they were at a prayer meetin’ when you claim they were kidnapping you. Reverend Fuller says he saw them at the church.”
“Maybe they were at church before they came to the bakery or maybe they went there after. It’s only a five-minute drive.”
“Well, I’ve got the word of a reverend and four solid citizens against your cock-and-bull story, so here’s what I think of your statement,” he said, tearing the statement in half and then in half again. “You want to get Zach’s attention, you better call him up. ’Cause if you ever waste our time again with false claims, we’re throwing you in a cell. I got the sheriff’s permission and he says the magistrate will back us up.”
I glared at him. “I didn’t make this stuff up. I’ve got better things to do with my time than to lie about getting kidnapped. And for your information, I don’t have to make up stories to get Zach’s attention. He calls me all the time. Now then,” I said, grabbing the scraps of paper from the round trash bin. I slid the tape dispenser toward me and taped the pieces together. I signed across the bottom. “This here is my statement, and I want it filed.”
“Not a chance,” he said, yanking it from me and ripping it into about sixty-four pieces.
“Isn’t that against the law? If a citizen wants to make a report, you’ve got to take it down and file it.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Why don’t you get your new boyfriend to sue me?”
I thumped my fist on his desk, but held back the string of curses that threatened to spill out. “As a general rule, I’m not vindictive, but I do believe I’m gonna make it a priority to see that you lose your badge.” With that, I got up and stalked out of the police station with plenty of dignity, but not an ounce of law enforcement support.
I was so tired when I got to Zach’s house, I fell facedown into Zach’s bed fully clothed with unflossed teeth. I was dead asleep in seconds, so I wasn’t very happy when Mercutio used his claws to pull my hair and wake me up.
“What time is it?” I mumbled, trying to focus my eyes on the clock. “Merc, it’s four a.m. I count that as still night. Remember how I sleep at night?”
Then I heard a noise just beyond the bedroom door. I rolled quietly off the bed and reached under it to where I’d set the gun. I clicked off the safety and crept to the door. I’d left the living room light on for Merc, so there was a stretched triangle of light on the bedroom floor. I moved until I was standing just behind it.
I peeked around the door and saw two women dressed from head to toe in burglar-black outfits, including ski masks, rifling through Zach’s drawers.
“Jenna—”
“Don’t use my name,” Jenna whispered fiercely.
I frowned and flicked the safety back on, then tucked the gun into the back of my jeans. I tiptoed to the bedroom closet and got Zach’s spare handcuffs. Then I stepped out of the room, flicking on the hall light.
“Hey, y’all,” I said.
They both jumped and then yanked out crosses and held them out toward me.
“Get back,” Lucy snapped, and they both started quoting scripture.
Merc and I rushed them, him nipping and distracting them, while I handcuffed them to each other through a cupboard handle.
“Okay,” I said, catching my breath. “Now, I’ll just call the police and we’ll see
My gaze snapped back to him, and I scowled. Of all the things to say! I’d never stolen anything in my life. Well, except for taking my family’s jewelry back from Jenna, which she didn’t have a right to in the first place. Besides, I’d sent her money anonymously to pay for it only a couple days after I burgled her, so could it really be considered stealing? Technically, kind of. But morally, I didn’t think so.
“Now as to the other part of your story,” Smitty said, leaning forward. “Lucy, Sue, Mindy, and Jenna all say they were at a prayer meetin’ when you claim they were kidnapping you. Reverend Fuller says he saw them at the church.”
“Maybe they were at church before they came to the bakery or maybe they went there after. It’s only a five-minute drive.”
“Well, I’ve got the word of a reverend and four solid citizens against your cock-and-bull story, so here’s what I think of your statement,” he said, tearing the statement in half and then in half again. “You want to get Zach’s attention, you better call him up. ’Cause if you ever waste our time again with false claims, we’re throwing you in a cell. I got the sheriff’s permission and he says the magistrate will back us up.”
I glared at him. “I didn’t make this stuff up. I’ve got better things to do with my time than to lie about getting kidnapped. And for your information, I don’t have to make up stories to get Zach’s attention. He calls me all the time. Now then,” I said, grabbing the scraps of paper from the round trash bin. I slid the tape dispenser toward me and taped the pieces together. I signed across the bottom. “This here is my statement, and I want it filed.”
“Not a chance,” he said, yanking it from me and ripping it into about sixty-four pieces.
“Isn’t that against the law? If a citizen wants to make a report, you’ve got to take it down and file it.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Why don’t you get your new boyfriend to sue me?”
I thumped my fist on his desk, but held back the string of curses that threatened to spill out. “As a general rule, I’m not vindictive, but I do believe I’m gonna make it a priority to see that you lose your badge.” With that, I got up and stalked out of the police station with plenty of dignity, but not an ounce of law enforcement support.
I was so tired when I got to Zach’s house, I fell facedown into Zach’s bed fully clothed with unflossed teeth. I was dead asleep in seconds, so I wasn’t very happy when Mercutio used his claws to pull my hair and wake me up.
“What time is it?” I mumbled, trying to focus my eyes on the clock. “Merc, it’s four a.m. I count that as still night. Remember how I sleep at night?”
Then I heard a noise just beyond the bedroom door. I rolled quietly off the bed and reached under it to where I’d set the gun. I clicked off the safety and crept to the door. I’d left the living room light on for Merc, so there was a stretched triangle of light on the bedroom floor. I moved until I was standing just behind it.
I peeked around the door and saw two women dressed from head to toe in burglar-black outfits, including ski masks, rifling through Zach’s drawers.
“Jenna—”
“Don’t use my name,” Jenna whispered fiercely.
I frowned and flicked the safety back on, then tucked the gun into the back of my jeans. I tiptoed to the bedroom closet and got Zach’s spare handcuffs. Then I stepped out of the room, flicking on the hall light.
“Hey, y’all,” I said.
They both jumped and then yanked out crosses and held them out toward me.
“Get back,” Lucy snapped, and they both started quoting scripture.
Merc and I rushed them, him nipping and distracting them, while I handcuffed them to each other through a cupboard handle.
“Okay,” I said, catching my breath. “Now, I’ll just call the police and we’ll see
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