“Injured?” She frowned. “How? What happened?”
“I’m afraid I don’t have that information, Mayor. Should I see if I can get his home number for you?”
“No, it’s alright, I already have it.” She pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Thank you anyway, Audrey.”
“Mayor,” she acknowledged as the line clicked dead.
Tammy sat down at her desk and picked up the phone, dialing the number she had memorized. It rang and rang. She was just wondering if she should hang up when a deep, smooth voice answered.
“McCallister.”
“Layton?” She spoke softly. “It’s Tammy.”
“Tammy?” he repeated in surprise, and she could almost hear the smile in his voice.
“I was told you’d been injured.” She cleared her throat softly.
“Nothing too serious, just a bullet to the shoulder. Damn thing got infected,” he replied, the low, gravelly sound of his voice curling in her belly. “Can’t even trust the criminals to clean their own guns these days.”
“You shouldn’t joke about that.” She frowned. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, Tammy.” His voice softened. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re calling?”
She sighed. “I’ve got trouble, Layton, we’ve a murderer on the loose.”
“I thought Thomas Walcott was chief?” he mused. “He’s a good man, a good cop. I’m sure he’ll catch the killer.”
“He’s part of the problem,” she muttered. “It’s looking like a repeat of the murders from twenty years ago. He had a personal relationship with one of the original victims, and now he’s on some sort of personal vendetta. He’s fixated on someone who doesn’t appear to have anything to do with the killings. I was wondering, if I sent you the case files, would you look them over?”
“I can do better than that. I can be with you in about five and a half hours.”
“Layton.” Tammy frowned, feeling guilty. “You’re supposed to be recovering.”
“I’m fine,” he insisted. “I’m on leave until the end of the month, so I have plenty of time to help you straighten this mess out.”
“Alright,” she relented. “As long as you’re sure. I could use all the help I can get right now.”
“It’s no problem, Tammy, you know that.” She could hear the amusement in his voice. “Besides, it’ll give me something to do other than watching daytime TV until my brain rots. The question is, should I book a motel, or are you going to put me up?”
She laughed warmly. “I’ll have Audrey book you into the motel.”
“You’re a hard woman, Mayor Burnett.” He sighed in mock resignation.
“I’ll see you later today then?”
“Yes, you will.”
Hanging up the phone, she felt a weight lift. With a small smile tugging at her lips, she turned over the boring report and began to read once again, but for some reason, she couldn’t concentrate.
***
Chief Walcott stalked out of the main entrance and stormed down the steps to the sidewalk. Ignoring the rain, he headed back toward Main St.
The nerve of that woman! How dare she tell him how to do his job! He could do it a helluva lot better if she would stop interfering. Well, to hell with her. If she wanted proof, he’d get her god damn proof and then she’d be forced to admit he’d been right all along. Olivia West and her father were both murderers.
He rounded the corner and stopped abruptly. Ducking back around the corner, he watched Olivia standing on the sidewalk in front of the Old Mercy Mutual Savings and Trust. Close enough for their voices to carry on the cool fall air.
“Are you ready?” Theo asked.
