Page 62 of Text Appeal

“Did Brian happen to mention that he grabbed my friend,Riley?” asks Ava with a smile as sweet as pie. “That’s assault too, isn’t it?”

The Chief’s smirk changes into a sneer. “I hope you’re not making things up, Ava. It won’t help your boyfriend.”

“I am happy to give you a statement,” I say calmly. “Katja was standing next to me at the time and saw it all.”

She nods.

I pull my cell out of my clutch. “Not to escalate things, but should I call my lawyer? It’s starting to feel like we might need her advice.”

“I don’t know,” says Ava, tapping a finger against her lips. “What do you think, Chief?”

He narrows his gaze on the both of us. There’s every chance this man loathes me and I do not care. Not one iota.

“What’s going on here?” Denise marches into the station with her purse held tight under one arm. Her uptight anger from this morning at the café has nothing on this avenging mother out for blood. “Get me my boy.”

“Dee—”

“Now, Larry!”

“I can’t do that,” says the chief in a softer tone. “He hit Brian.”

“Brian hit him first. Twice. Ava told me everything. And there are fifty-something people who witnessed it all and will be happy to give a statement. Though I doubt you want to do all that paperwork, do you?”

Chief Larry’s nostrils flare. He is not happy to be thwarted. “Those boys of yours are dangerous.”

“You’ve always had an axe to grind when it comes to my children. But it is not their fault Cynthia cheated on you. Ifyou hadn’t dumped me to date a cheerleader, things might have turned out differently for both of us.”

Bright red spots appear on Chief Larry’s face. “There’s no need to bring all that up. It was a long time ago, Dee.”

“You broke my heart. Is it any wonder I didn’t make good choices?” she continues. “I wouldn’t change a thing, however, because then I wouldn’t have my boys. And they are wonderful, hardworking, kindhearted people who I am immensely proud of.”

“But their father—”

“Has been gone for years and has nothing to do with them. Stuart and Connor have grown into honest, upstanding citizens. I wish I could say the same for your son. But the scriptures tell us not to lie.”

“Burn,” I whisper in awe.

Ava gives me a smile.

“What will it be, Larry?” asks Denise.

Chief Larry crosses his arms across his chest. “I’ll need to think about it.”

“Funny thing,” she says in a deceptively pleasant voice. “I got here fast because I was picking up Martha from Bingo. Noor and Joyce are in the car too.”

He jerks his chin. “They’re all here? All three of them?”

“Mm.” Denise’s smile is all sharp teeth. “It wouldn’t surprise me if they had something to say about all this. I told them I was just dropping something off. That I wouldn’t be more than a minute. But we’re taking longer than a minute now, aren’t we? One of them will probably come looking for me soon and then they’ll find out what’s going on.”

“Perhaps I can talk my son into accepting an apology,” says the chief.

Denise raises a brow. “Did I happen to mention tonight was bingo and brews? Those women are hyped up and hammered from sampling local craft beers. Just imagine all three of them in here giving you a piece of their mind. I sure am glad I am not in your shoes.”

Chief Larry grumbles something under his breath. Then he turns to his officer and says, “Go and get him.”

“Ava will go with you to make sure he’s okay. You don’t mind, do you, Larry?” asks Denise.

“Take the girlfriend with you.” Chief Larry stomps off to the back of the building.

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