Page 72 of Counter Attack

A few minutes later the bomb squad commander returned empty-handed. “Sorry. No note.”

Alex had almost forgotten he’d gone to look for a note. She wished Nathan had hung around a little longer to give his take on there not being a message. She’d call him.

“Thanks for checking, and thank you for your help,” she said. “And when you get back to Chattanooga, would you check the Phillip Denton and mall bomb records and see if anything in this package matches what Denton used?”

“Will do.”

“Thanks again, and if you don’t need me, I have a meeting with my deputies to get ready for.”

He gave her a thumbs-up and started to walk off, then turned around. “You look good,” he said, giving her a rare smile. “Being sheriff seems to agree with you.”

“You need glasses.”

He grinned. “We miss you in Chattanooga, although I can understand why you’d want to stay in Pearl Springs.”

“I’m committed here for the next six months. Who knows what will happen after that.”

“Just keep something in mind,” he said. “Pearl Springs is a nice place to live.”

“Right now it’s pretty chaotic.”

Alex walked to her office and spoke to Marge, then closed the door and sat behind her desk. Alex debated with herself whether to meet with them together or separately and settled on together. She punched the intercom she’d yet to use. “Marge, when Harvey and Mark get here, send them both in.”

“They’re here.”

“Good.” They were early. She took a calming breath as the door opened and the two men entered. Harvey was swelled up like a bullfrog, as her grandfather would say. Mark’s stance was relaxed, in command, but with a defiant lift of his chin. Alexis motioned to the two chairs she’d placed directly in front of her desk. “Have a seat.”

She picked up a notepad and studied the list of topics she wanted to address. Harvey’s chair creaked as he shifted.

“Look, Alex, I have work—”

“From here on out, Harvey, it will be Chief Deputy Stone.”

“Wha—”

“‘Alex’ doesn’t seem to be working. In fact, nothing about our relationship seems to be working.” She kept her voice neutral but firm and then leaned forward. “Until my grandfather returns to this office, I’m in charge. Neither of you have shownme the respect the office demands, and I will not tolerate that. So, you have a choice. Either get on board or resign.”

A stunned silence fell on the room.

“But—”

“No buts, Harvey. Even though you’re chief of staff, if you remain in that position, you will no longer publicly question my decisions. If you have a problem with something I do, talk to me privately.”

She turned to the K-9 officer. “Mark, I know you wanted to be chief deputy if Harvey ever retired, but Sheriff Stone gave that position to me. And while I may be his granddaughter, he believed I am more than qualified to handle the job or he never would have asked me to fill this position. If you want this job, take it up with him when he comes back, but until then, I’m running the show, not you. Or better still, run for sheriff in the next election.”

For the first time, Mark spoke up. “Are you going to run for the office next year?”

“That has nothing to do with what we’re discussing today.” She wasn’t about to tell these two her plans.

Alex stood and leveled a hard stare at each man. “If you need time to decide, that means you need to go, and don’t let the door hit you on your way out.” She let a moment of silence fill the room. “So what will it be, gentlemen?”

39

Nathan sat in his pickup for a minute. He’d passed by Harvey Morgan and Mark Lassiter leaving the jail. Both looked pretty smug. Would they be as smug once Alexis had her talk with them?

A thought popped into his head, one he didn’t like and tried to dismiss as he started the motor, but it wouldn’t go away. Could Harvey or Mark have planted the fake bomb? Maybe to scare Alexis back to Chattanooga?

Nathan pulled away from the jail, driving on autopilot as thoughts bombarded him. Crazy thoughts—he’d known both of these men all his life. They’d never been anything but upstanding men and pretty good officers.

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