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She led the way to the front of the store, and Vince looked around at the space. Some warm yellow paint, old wooden display shelves filled with products imported from Italy, an espresso bar in the corner… As fantasies went, he thought, it was a good one.
42
A
Wendy’s father had come to pick her up. Janet Crane had come for Tommy. A
“Chicken,” Fra
“You’re just lucky I haven’t taken up a martial art,” she scolded. “You shouldn’t sneak up on women when there’s been a homicidal lunatic on the loose.”
“He probably doesn’t work at Oak Knoll Elementary,” Fra
She rolled her eyes. “Janet Crane. I have never seen anyone more vicious or, frankly, out of her mind as she was in the office this morning. Shrieking about everyone she’s going to sue-including me, by the way.”
“You? What did you do?” Fra
“I happened to be standing in the room.”
“She should kiss the ground you walk on!” He cupped a hand around his mouth and pretended to shout after the cars driving away. “C U Next Tuesday, Janet Bitch Queen!”
A
“Oh for God’s sake,” Fra
“Oh my God. You are horrible!” A
“Will you love me drunk?” he asked.
“Did you have a long day?”
“Honey, I teach kindergarten. Every day is a long day,” he joked. “Today I had one eat a crayon, one barf on the art table, and one poop in the sandbox and cover it up like a cat. Arnie the janitor had to put on his hazmat suit to clean it up, and then I had to explain to Garnett why we need all-new sand by Monday. How was your day?”
“Besides being threatened and verbally abused, I spent the day trying to explain to seventeen ten-year-olds why their classmate would have a severed human finger in his possession, and why people kill each other, and try to reassure them that they don’t have to worry,” she said, feeling the weight of every minute press down on her. “I spent the day wondering about De
“There’s nothing you can do about De
“But I seem to be the only one who cares,” she said. “And that breaks my heart. Garnett and the school board are only worried about liability. The sheriff’s office only deals with punishment. His parents created who he is. And social services probably won’t do anything because there’s no proof of abuse.”
“You called social services?” Fra
“I felt like I had to do something,” A
“You called social services on a sheriff’s deputy?” Fra
“I’m not afraid of Frank Farman.”
“Well, you probably should be. He’ll bankrupt you with speeding tickets at the very least. Does Garnett know you did this?”
“No.”
“You need hard liquor,” Fra
A
“Margaritas at Cantina Maria?”
“I might have to catch up with you,” A
Fra
A
“Very dapper,” Fra
“Old enough to be my father.”
“No, he isn’t. Your father is a fossil. Besides, you don’t even like guys your own age,” he reminded her. “May-December-no, really, May-mid-September. It’s romantic! You should totally sleep with him.”
“I met him yesterday!”
“Come on. Be a skank-o-potamus for once. Have some fun before Frank Farman gets you thrown in the slammer. That’s all’s I’m sayin’. You don’t have to keep him, honey, but for God’s sake, kick the tires and take a ride around the block!”
A
She had to admit, as she walked toward him, the man was attractive. He needed to put on a few pounds. The gray suit was a little loose, but it draped expensively over his lanky frame, and the color complemented the steel gray in his hair and mustache.
He was also an FBI agent using her to spy on a family via a ten-year-old boy, she reminded herself.
“Agent-Detective-”
“Vince,” he said, stopping just a little too close to her, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement.
“I’m surprised to see you here,” A
“I’m glad for you. How was your day?”
“I’m pla
“And legal,” he added. “Provided you don’t try to operate heavy machinery. Do you need help with that? I can drive a Volkswagen as well as anybody.”
“Hello! Francis Goodsell. A
A
Vince gri
“How have I missed seeing you around town?” Fra
“I travel a lot,” Vince said.
“Domestically or abroad?”
“Fra
Vince seemed happy to play along. “Both.”
“An international man of mystery,” Fra
“Fra
“Absolutely.”
Fra
A
Fra
“Likewise.”
He looked entirely too amused when A
“Take a walk with me,” he said as he put his hand on the small of her back and started down the sidewalk away from the building. “I want you to show me where the kids found the body.”
“Can’t Detective Mendez do that?”
“He’s otherwise engaged and not nearly as pretty.”
“What’s going on?” A
The weight of his hand felt good against her back, but shouldn’t have. She wasn’t in the habit of letting people touch her, but she made no effort to stop him.
“No,” he said. “Not yet.”
“But someone’s been arrested, right?” she asked looking up at him. “I saw that on the news this morning.”
“Yes,” he answered, his face carefully blank.