Her phone rang and picked it up immediately.
“How did the meeting go?” Reese asked in greeting. Lauren chose not to tell Reese about the break-in because she didn’t want her friend to worry, but she did give her a brief rundownof the meeting and ended up telling her about the low-key threat her mother made to Santi as well as some of the information she’d learned about Lahn coming into their lives.
“That’s why I don’t play with Ms. Mable. To be honest, I always thought something was fishy about that accident your father had when we were in fifth grade. I always thought she put a hit on him or got some of the guys from the old neighborhood to beat him up. I know it’s wrong, but I swear that’s what I thought.”
“Ma is going to be Ma,” she said as she zipped her bag.
“When push came to shove, she always had your back Ren. Mine too,” Reese said with a trace of an old sadness. “I’m glad bitch-ass Derrick ratted you out though; I’m glad you two have this time together.”
“Me too sis, me too.”
“Alright, I’ll let you go and good job tonight. Give me a call and let me know when it would be a good time for me to come visit the hicks. Love you.”
“Love you too,” Lauren smiled and disconnected the call, then headed downstairs.
“Alright Deborah, I’m gonna leave you to your own devices but I’ll leave a slice of cake on your altar for all your help. I’m sure Santi won’t miss it knowing it went for you,” she said, careful as she navigated the broken stairwell.
When she was safely downstairs, she turned toward the direction of the kitchen only to find a man pointing a gun at her.
CHAPTER 22
Santiago was stillat the sheriff’s department fifteen minutes after Lauren left instead of ten.
What Anderson, Dave Flemming, and Bailey Joe had done was irrefutable with all the evidence Lauren had provided. The mayor initially tried to deny the truth but in the end, he’d agreed to write a statement detailing his involvement with the revitalization project. Mostly out of fear that Dave Flemming would make a deal and throw him under the bus first.
No honor among thieves and all of that. And the two menwerethieves, but he didn’t believe they were his killers. In his gut, that possibility didn’t feel right.
“Alright, I’m clocking out,” he said. “If answers are gonna be found, they’ll be found in the morning when our brains have had time to rest.” He ordered everyone off duty to go home.
He rubbed his eyes. They felt like they been blasted with fine grains of sand. He’d barely gotten any sleep last night, the one night he hadn’t slept with Lauren, who’d stayed with her mother and prepared all this evidence. He didn’t like that she probably hadn’t slept as well.
His body felt restored at the thought of her. Gathering his things, he looked up at Sonny who elbowed Roan out of his way. Roan shoved him back, but Sonny barely moved.
“Hey League, can I catch a ride up to the lake with you?”
“I’m not accepting guests tonight, Te Awa.”
“Not unless your name is Lauren,” Roan added.
And it was not.
“I’m renting out the ADU on St. James’s property.”
“Of course you are, two American psychos doing psycho shit,” Roan muttered.
Santiago locked up his files.
“Be at the cruiser in two.”
“Copy that,” Sonny said, stiff-arming Roan out of the way.
“There’s no way you two aren’t long lost siblings,” Santiago muttered, shrugging into his department-issued jacket.
“Thank God I’m an only child. I would’ve smothered him in the cradle.”
“You tried to drown him when he joined the team, remember that?”
She smiled. “Good times!”
