That Reckless Night

Mary glanced around and then surreptitiously shut the door. Her need for privacy made Jeremiah sit a little straighter. Was he paranoid for worrying that Mary was suspicious of his involvement with Miranda? He kept his expression impassive and waited for her to continue. “Forgive me if I’m talking out of turn, but I just feel compelled to put in a word for Miranda.”

Jeremiah did a double take. “Come again?”

Mary twisted her fingers and fidgeted, plainly feeling as if she was treading on dangerous ground, but she continued anyway. “She is my friend and I know her pretty well. She’s got the best heart, and whatever she said or did to create the tension between you, please know that she’s probably kicking herself right now because she’s better at hindsight than being in the moment.”

It took Jeremiah a full minute to realize that Mary thought Miranda had done or said something reckless to him as her superior and Mary was worried for Miranda’s job. If it weren’t such a chaotic situation, Jeremiah might’ve laughed at the irony. He smiled at Mary to put her at ease, but in truth he was simply relieved that Mary was clueless as to the true reason for the tension. “Everything is fine between me and Miranda. She’s a valuable member of this team and I’m sorry if you got the impression that there was tension between us.”

“She called you some names under her breath,” Mary admitted, appearing guilty for sharing. “But she’s always had a hot temper and sometimes she just can’t seem to control what comes out of her mouth. But she’s a very good person. The best. And that family has been through so much it just doesn’t seem right to come down so hard on her for something she can’t truly control.”

“I admire your faith in your friend and coworker but you’re worried for no reason. I’m curious, though.... What did you mean about Miranda’s family?”

Mary looked as if she’d shared something she shouldn’t have but then said, “Well, it’s not as if it’s a secret. A big murder case is hardly commonplace around here, and it was on all the national news outlets, so you’re bound to hear about it sooner or later. Although you should probably hear it from Miranda....” Mary paused, perplexed, but when the prospect of sharing the juiciest gossip she knew was on the table, she simply couldn’t pass it up. “Eight years ago, Miranda’s younger sister, Simone—prettiest girl you ever seen, I’ll tell you that—she went missing only to turn up dead two days later. She was battered and bloody but she didn’t actually die from her wounds. No, the bastard who took her left the poor girl in the mountains and she died of exposure. But that’s not the worst part—” Mary paused for a breath. “Trace—that’s Miranda’s brother—and Miranda tried to find her but didn’t in time. By the time they found Simone, she’d been dead for at least two hours. And no one was ever able to solve the case. Whoever killed Simone Sinclair is still walking around, free as you please.”

Jeremiah stared, shocked. “How awful.”

“Yes,” Mary nodded sadly. “Not the kind of thing that our little township wants to be remembered for, but God must’ve needed his angel back because they couldn’t save her in time. And Miranda, bless her soul, has never really gotten over it. Well, come to think of it, none of the Sinclairs have really come back from that one event. Such a tragic mess. So now you know why I’m concerned. We’re all a little protective of Miranda, even though she’d hate to hear us say something like that. She’s a stubborn thing.”

Jeremiah mulled the information. This certainly put recent events in a different light and he felt like a shit for weirding out on her because of his own tragedy. The least he could do was explain. “Thank you for sharing, Mary. I appreciate the insight.”

Mary smiled and said, “Please keep this between us. Miranda is a very proud woman and it would kill her to know I’ve spoken so freely about her personal business.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” he assured her, and Mary let herself out.

Jeremiah leaned back in his chair and reflected on everything that had happened in the past week. The poachers had disappeared; whatever tracks they’d left behind had been erased by the storm and they had no choice but to wait and see if they left another carcass behind. The necropsy had confirmed that the gallbladder had been removed, which supported the theory that they were poaching for the Asian black market, but Jeremiah wasn’t sure how to catch them in the act in order to make the charges stick. He understood Miranda’s frustration and, in a way, thanks to Mary, he understood her passion. She needed to make a difference, to catch the bad guys because her sister’s murder was still hanging over her family’s head. God, he couldn’t imagine the heartache. Tyler was gone but at least Jeremiah had answers. How did the Sinclair family mourn when all they had were questions? He needed to apologize and explain himself. It’d be a miracle if she’d listen.