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The mayor’s office was in the city government building, an aging establishment that reminded me of a federal building with limited windows and cheap tile floors. Except for his office. Mayor Brak Thompson had brought his California decorating style to the small town, his lavish office only possible because he’d claimed one next door, breaking through the wall to make it double the size, views of the ocean possible only in his corner location.
I’d been inside it twice, once for an accommodation and once when I was hired. This was entirely different, as if he’d become the one to warn me of impending doom.
I couldn’t get the thought out of my mind as I waited for the elevator to reach its destination on the top floor. I nodded to a few people I knew as I headed down the stark hallway, determined to follow through with what I had planned on saying to the aging man. He was well into his sixties, fit and trim from days of hunting and water sports. Or so he liked to brag.
As I headed toward the receptionist who watched the man like a hawk, keeping the riffraff from getting to him, I felt even sicker than before. But I was also determined that no one was going to stop me from finding the truth. She never smiled, never chatted about the weather or time of day.
This time was no different, giving me a hard onceover before nodding toward the man’s door. “The mayor doesn’t have much time for you, Sheriff. He has an important dinner function to go to.”
“Don’t worry, Ms. Jones. I have two murders to solve.” Why not allow her to chew on that.
As soon as I opened the door, I knew the conversation wasn’t going to be one that I’d remember fondly.
He sat behind his desk looking like a king, studying me harshly as soon as I walked in.
“Take a seat, Sheriff,” he said.
“I think I’ll stand. I understand you have somewhere else to be so hopefully we can make this quick.”
He seemed agitated I was trying to control the meeting. As he eased back against his seat, he placed his elbows on his massive mahogany desk, steepling his fingers. “Do you know how happy the entire city has been with your work, Sabrina?”
I hadn’t been prepared for the question. “I’m doing my job, Mayor Thompson.”
“Yes, and you’re extremely diligent at what you do. An excellent addition and a decision both Judge Callum and I are constantly proud of. Did you know you were hand selected, recommended by Judge Callum himself, the first pick of fifty candidates vying for this job? Given you’d only been a cop for a little over four years, as you might imagine, it was a stretch to bring you here.”
“Now, you have me curious. How was I selected and why?”
“Why, because of your gritty, dark background. Everything you had to deal with while living in squalor on the streets of South LA for one thing. You were forced to deal with drug dealers and murders, cartels and syndicates. We knew anyone with that kind of background and resolve would certainly bring much to Alaska.”
It was interesting that Alaska hadn’t been my first choice. An email arriving in my inbox the day I’d found out my ex had fallen for my best friend. I’d deemed it fate intervening. Maybe more so than I originally had thought.
“I’m curious why you selected Alaska.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Well, you took early retirement from your previous position, settling here soon after. It’s certainly different than the life you led in California.”
He smiled but I gathered a hint of surprise that I’d researched his past. “As you well know, LA and the surrounding cities are full of criminals and violence. My wife and wanted a quiet place. Plus, Alaska is the gateway to other parts of the world. Canada. Eastern Europe. It seemed like the perfect place to bring my level of expertise. Which is also what you’ve done, including bringing a sense of peace to the community.”
If he expected me to buy the load of bullshit he was dishing out, he certainly didn’t know me very well.
I couldn’t help but laugh, trying to sound nonchalant. “Mayor. I know you didn’t ask me down here to discuss my accolades. Or yours.”
“You’re also extremely astute, keenly aware of your surroundings as well. Perhaps too much so. I certainly don’t want to see you get hurt in any way.”
“That almost sounds like a threat, Mayor. I can’t imagine someone of your… stature doing so. As you might imagine, I’m concerned that the recent murders won’t be the last. Or that the drug overdoses will become more prevalent in our beautiful, close-knit community. Your constituents are certainly looking for your strong leadership to keep them from being just another statistic.”
Everything about his laugh should be chilling but it irritated me instead.
“This town has been through several crimes and strife before. But look how it’s prospering. Often it takes weeding out the unwanted ones in order to make a community stronger, more viable. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Sometimes, yes.”
“That’s good to hear, Sheriff. I’m glad you’re on the same page as myself and Judge Callum as well as the majority of the city council, who I am lucky enough to have guided into their leadership positions. Together, the seven of us have truly brought this town from the ashes.”
The ashes? Was he kidding me?
“We’ve done that by hiring the right people for the right positions, encouraging tourism and boosting the economy. As you well know, through our esteemed work ethic, we’d been able to decrease unemployment, lower taxes, and reduce crime. All we’ve asked in return is for our people to be loyal.”
