“Ms. Marshall, I wish it could be under better circumstances.”
“Why break our record now?” she says and there’s something in her face when she looks at him that I can’t place.
“True enough,” Dern says and there’s some type of unspoken conversation being played out in front of me that I’m not privy to. I frown. I think I need to quiz Dern a little harder when it comes to Luna.
“Anyway, I called ahead and told Loretta you were going to be talking with her. She should be waiting for us.”
“If you had her number, why wasn’t that in the report?”
“Because she doesn’t give it out to anyone. She gave it to me in confidence, and it’s a confidence I will keep,” she says.
“It’s official police business. I’d say a murder of a young girl is a reason to break confidence, Luna.”
“She gave a statement and she’s not moving off this mountain, Gavin. Sheriff Kingston and I both agreed the only information needed for the report was included.”
I’ve pissed her off. There’s no missing the emphasis she put on my name. This is different. Luna is almost combative and she’s not backing down at all. Evidence that she’s no longer the girl I knew but has changed into a much different woman. I should find comfort in that, but I don’t. The mention of the sheriff just serves to piss me off.
“I’m sure the sheriff did,” I mutter, pushing against the side of my car that I’d been leaning on, and walking toward Loretta Fletcher’s house.
“What does that mean?” she asks.
“Just that I’m sure your lover would agree to anything you asked.”
“My… Who in the hell do you think you are, Gavin Lodge?”
“Kids, maybe we should—”
I stop so that she catches up to me and when she’s standing right in front of me, I decide to just tell her exactly what pisses me off—at least one part of it.
“I’m just calling it like I see it. I never would have pegged you for the kind of girl who’d screw someone you sign the paychecks for.”
Luna doesn’t waste time mincing her words. Thwack. She slaps me across the face so hard that my jaw feels like it’s on fire. I don’t flinch. I keep my gaze trained on her. I know I deserved that hit, but that’s not the reason I’m watching her so close. It’s because the woman in front of me is different. She’s not my Luna. She’s wearing a dress which is all business. It’s blue and straight cut at the top, revealing only a little skin. It falls to just above the knee and she’s wearing sheer hose underneath with high heels. She’s classy, chic, and her long hair has been replaced by choppy layers that fall to her shoulders and has been curled and styled perfectly.
This woman is night and day from the girl I was once in love with—still am, if I really wanted to take time to think about it. This woman is so different that I shouldn’t even be attracted to her. But fuck, I am. The urge to grab her and kiss her is strong. I’m dying to see if she tastes different, kisses better, gives in the same or tries to take control. It’s all there inside of me, taking me to the edge. Instead of reaching out and grabbing her though, I curl my hand up in a fist and wait.
“I’m the Mayor of Stone Lake. I got that position by earning the trust of the citizens, Agent Lodge. I will always put them first. I also don’t pay Sheriff Kingston. The citizens of Stone Lake do when they elected him into office. You’ve been gone so long perhaps you’ve forgotten how the town operates.”
“I—”
“You will not show me disrespect. You might think you know me, but you know nothing about me. Absolutely nothing. I’m not the naïve, stupid girl who believed in fairytales anymore, and I won’t stand for you to disrespect me or anyone in this town. If you try it, I’ll call your superiors so quickly that your head will spin. I’ll have you yanked off this case. Do you understand me?”
“If you think one woman has that kind of power—”
“One mayor, who also has ties in political offices everywhere. I have that kind of power, Agent Lodge, and I won’t hesitate to use it,” she counters.
“Kids, maybe we could call a truce and speak to the nice lady who is standing at her door wondering if she’s going to see you two start wrestling in the mud,” Dern says, breaking our standoff.
Luna is the first to look away. I don’t. I watch as her face softens, a gentleness seeps into her eyes and she walks up the steps to the older woman standing by the door.
“Loretta, I’m sorry about that.”