“Anyone mad enough to kill over it?” Gabe asked. “Who was the strongest proponent for the casino and who hated it the most?”
I gave his question a lot of thought. Tempers ran high when it was a county issue, but became downright fevered when it went statewide. Regardless of our individual feelings about the casino, we collectively hated that the entire state of Ohio got to decide if the casino was built practically in our back yards.
“The strongest supporter was the landowner of the property the casino investors wanted to buy. I heard rumors that they offered him ten million dollars, so I guess you could say he had ten million reasons to be angry when it didn’t happen,” I told Gabe.
“And who hated the casino the most?” he asked.
“That would be your boss and Sheriff Tucker. They said that crime would go through the roof and destroy our safe community,” I replied, earning a snort from Gabe. I could tell he was thinking about the rising body count in the past year.
He got quiet for a few minutes, and I knew he was processing and analyzing what I’d said. I didn’t mind when Gabe checked out to think because he always came back to me. Like always, his eyes focused on me when he finished, and his smile was a beautiful reminder that I was his universe.
THERE WERE TIMES THATJosh projected such confidence that I could temporarily forget how mightily he’d been damaged by careless cowards who weren’t brave enough to love all that he had to offer. Then scenes like the previous night happened and I was reminded how close I came to being one of those fucking morons. Had I not discounted him outright when I first saw him because he didn’t fit my typical ideal mold of a man? People say that you don’t know what you’re missing if you’ve never had it, but I think at least a part of me always knew I was missing him.
Josh getting tipsy before he could fuck me was an eye opener. I teased him to lighten the mood as he would do for me, but truthfully there was nothing funny about the situation. Okay, his attempt at smoldering looks and lecherous winks were, but not the reason behind them. Josh was naturally sexy and didn’t need enhancements of any kind to make me want him. I promised myself that I would make him realize that one day. In the meantime, I did all that I could to ease his concerns by being truthful. He had rocked my world in many ways the moment I met him.
Sex—making love—had never felt so good or right as when I was with him and feeling Josh inside me was incredible. I’d had good sex, and even great sex, but being joined with Josh was… magical. I held onto that feeling and those moments whenever my day wasn’t going so great or when I really wanted to grab a douche by the collar and shake him, like when I visited Jack Wallace with Detective Dorchester the next morning. The receptionist gave me the stink eye the minute I walked in and went to Jack’s office to let him know I was there without being told.
“Wow, your reputation precedes you,” Dorchester said. “It doesn’t seem like she cares for your bad cop routine.”
“We’ve gone a few rounds before,” I told him. “Wait until you see the reception I get from the commissioner.”
“I can’t wait,” he said gleefully while rubbing his hands together. We weren’t kept waiting for long, and Dorchester let out a low whistle when he saw the deep scowl on Wallace’s face when his eyes landed on me once we entered his office. “You weren’t kidding.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“Hello again, Commissioner Wallace,” I said in an attempt at being somewhat friendly.
“State your business and get the hell out,” Wallace replied.
I looked over at Dorchester, expecting to see a huge grin on his face. Instead, he stood ramrod straight and narrowed his eyes at Jack Wallace as if he was public enemy number one. “It’d be wise if you showed the respect due to us, sir.”
Wallace snorted and rolled his eyes. “Respect is earned,” he told Dorchester. “Who the hell are you, anyway?”
“I’m Detective John Dorchester with the CCSD. Detective Wyatt and I are investigating the homicide of Nate Turner from January twenty-second of this year,” Dorchester said in his no-nonsense voice. He was always so jovial in my presence that I was surprised to witness that side of him.
“The investigation has brought you tomydoor?” Wallace asked in surprise. He looked at me and said, “I suppose you blame me for global warming and the reason we can’t have world peace, Detective Wyatt.”
“Nah,” I said dismissively. “We’re not here to question you in an official capacity, Commissioner Wallace. We’d like to know from you if there’s been any renewed interest in building a casino in our county.”
“The casino?” he asked in surprise.
“I was told that you initially supported the project, and I have to ask you if you’ve been approached by anyone from the casino consortium,” I answered.
“No.” He looked and sounded genuinely surprised.
“Do you know who in town the consortium would approach first if they were looking to propose the casino again?” I followed up.
“Well, Rocky and I were the two biggest allies in town, but besides us, I would say the landowner, Lawrence Robertson,” Wallace answered. “He had the most to gain and lose from the entire ordeal. His land was the one McCarren Consortium Inc. had a boner for.”
“Do you know if McCarren Consortium built a casino elsewhere after the initiative failed?” Dorchester asked.
“Aren’t you the investigators?” Wallace fired back.
His condescending attitude went all through me. I had let Dorchester take the lead with the bad cop shit, but it was time for me to take it back. I leaned forward and placed both hands on the commissioner’s desk. “Why don’t you focus on being a good and honest person and not lecture me on how to do my job.”
He glanced back and forth between Dorchester and me, wondering if I had told him about Wallace’s secret life. It wasn’t long ago that Adrian and I had learned about Jack’s affair with the mayor. Jack told us he wanted the truth to be told and live openly with Rocky, but Rocky didn’t return his feelings. Jack cheating on his wife pissed me off, but it wasn’t my place to out the man.
“Okay, then,” Dorchester said, clearly confused about the undertones of anger passing between the commissioner and me. “Let us know if you hear anything, Commissioner.” He laid his business card on Wallace’s desk before he left.
“That guy really pisses me off,” I groused.
