Page 35 of The Keeper

Seth’s supporters cheered robustly also, and someone started a standing ovation when Seth appeared from the left side of the stage. Rueben bit back a smile as he stood up and clapped. Seth looked a little embarrassed as he greeted the crowd with a humble wave and took the blue seat opposite Amos.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” Rita said to quiet the crowd. Once they returned her greeting, the mayor laid out the rules of the debate. “I’m going to adhere strictly to the time limits to ensure both of you get a fair opportunity to address the questions.”

Seth didn’t remotely resemble the loose-limbed man who’d snuggled with him in a sun-kissed bed mere hours ago. The lines of his body projected tension to Rueben, but the casual observer probably viewed his posture as alert.

“The questions asked tonight were submitted online and vetted by the county election board to ensure they came from actual voters and to avoid any mischief tonight. The constituents who submitted the questions will get to pose them to the candidates. We’re going to start with Missy Markum. Missy, will you stand up? Someone from the election board will bring a microphone to you.”

The lady who’d been making out with her boyfriend rose to her feet and straightened her skirt. She didn’t wear a Martindale campaign shirt, but the people she arrived with did. Rueben wasn’t the least bit surprised when she announced that her question was for Sheriff Burke.

“How could you have let an organization like Salvation Anew take root in our community, and what will you do differently to prevent another cult from infiltrating us?”

And they were off.

Seth thanked her for the question and gave an eloquent answer, explaining the difference between suspicion and actionable offenses. “Our department investigated every allegation made against Salvation Anew and took action where we could, but we also had to walk a fine line between harassing people and enforcing the law. You can’t arrest people because you don’t like them or suspect they’re up to no good.”

“Poppycock,” Amos said when it was his turn. “The sheriff’s primary job is to keep the citizens safe. You should’ve increased patrol and set up stings to catch these rascals in the process of robbing people.”

“Rebuttal, Sheriff?” Rita asked.

“Yes, thank you. Keeping the people safe is a sheriff’s primary responsibility, but he has to do that within the budget he’s provided. I’m not given a blank check every month, nor do I have a discretionary fund to dip into whenever I need a little something extra. We’re talking about a series of nonviolent, petty thefts spread out over a seventy-mile radius. My department doesn’t just serve Last Chance Creek. We serve all the people in the county. We investigate every crime reported and do so without prejudice. Our department moved on Salvation Anew as soon as we had tangible and actionable proof against them.”

Seth exuded calm confidence when he answered his questions, where Amos seemed to exist on sound bites and petty insults that didn’t offer a solution or valid counterpoint to Seth’s remarks. Martindale’s supporters got quieter as the event unfolded, though there were a few loud ones in the bunch. Rueben had to fight the urge to punch Dirty Dishwater Eyes in the back of the head occasionally. The town hall meeting ran smoothly enough that there was time to take open questions from the attendees.

A familiar ginger rose from the front row and held up a hand. “May I go first, Mayor?” Seth’s expression was unreadable, but the tension returned to his shoulders once more.

“You’re the reporter from the Denver Post, correct?” Rita asked. She gestured for the election board member to approach Oliver with a microphone.

“Yes, ma’am,” Oliver replied before announcing his question was for Amos Martindale.

Rueben kept his gaze on Seth and noticed a subtle softening in his posture. He only partially paid attention to what Oliver said to Martindale as he tried to figure out what was going on with Seth. Why had he called? Oliver mentioned something about the college Martindale attended and the groups he’d joined there. Rueben was ready to dismiss the line of questioning until his brain registered the group’s name at the same time some of the audience members gasped. The White Pride Brotherhood? Damn, those assholes didn’t even bother to hide their bigotry. They spelled it out in their name.

“These are bullshit rumors,” Martindale sneered. “I told you that when you ambushed me.”

“I tracked you down and politely gave you the opportunity to address the cold, hard facts before my story goes live tomorrow,” Oliver countered. He then rattled off the many ways he corroborated Martindale’s involvement in a neo-Nazi group while the accused man tried to shout over him.

The quiet murmurs in the crowd turned into an angry buzz, threatening to turn the civilized meeting into a brawl. Seth stood up and seized control of the room with an authoritative voice that made Rueben shiver. Keegan discreetly elbowed him in the ribs, and Rueben pulled himself together.

“Mr. Hawkins,” Seth said, addressing Oliver. “Did you have an actual question?”

Rueben bit back a snort because Oliver had made hellacious accusations but hadn’t actually posed a question.

“Yes, thank you, Sheriff Burke.” Oliver turned to Martindale once more. “Will you stand here tonight and denounce everything the White Pride Brotherhood stands for?”

Martindale’s mouth curved into a sneer as he brought the microphone to his mouth. “Fuck you.”

“There we have it, folks,” Oliver said.

The crowd collectively rose to their feet. At least half the gathering left while the remaining half lobbed accusations at the candidates and their supporters. There were a few deputies in the crowd to help keep the peace. Rueben wasn’t sure if they were there in an official capacity or had shown up to support their sheriff. Keegan reached over and gripped his arm hard enough to leave an imprint of his hand. Rueben followed his wide-eyed gaze and saw a brawny man with light hair peeking out from under a dark ball cap. The man matched the description Keegan had given him previously.

“Is that the guy you saw after yoga?”

Keegan nodded vigorously.

“Is that Brother Cain?”

His best friend swallowed hard and stared unblinkingly at the man who drew closer to the exit. “I’m not sure.”

A quick glance revealed the guy was moving quickly toward an exit. Rueben pried his arm free and gently guided Keegan over to Tyler and Owen. “I’m going to follow him. See if I can get a photo or at least see what he’s driving. We can give that information to Seth.”

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