Page 5 of Condemned By Secrets

When Sandy grabbed her hand, Anna gave in and let the older woman usher her down the hall. They passed the dining room, which had been converted into a conference area, a small, updated bathroom, and another office before she found herself staring at a closed door with a plaque that read, ‘Anna Hendricks, Director’. Tears welled in her eyes at the sight. She was as honored as she was anxious staring at that title. She’d never been a director of anything, and the weight of it was already heavy on her shoulders.

“Here we are!” Sandy announced with a huge smile. When her eyes met Anna’s, the older woman patted her hand gently. “There, now. You’ve had a day. I can tell. Why don’t I give you a few minutes to get settled, and then you just find us when you’re ready?”

“Thank you.” Anna nodded and took her tote back from Sandy, who retreated down the hall.

Grateful for the time to herself, Anna grasped the antique brass knob and turned. Her breath caught at the beauty of her new office.

It’s like a museum!

Gorgeous antique furniture surrounded her. She moved to sit behind the writing desk hewn from tiger maple and ran her hands over the smooth polished wood. As she caressed the desk, a smile bloomed on her face. She felt like a kid at Christmas.

Hopping up, she walked to the opposite side of the room and admired the ornate floor-to-ceiling bookcases covering the wall. They were a darker maple than the desk and sported carved pilasters that Anna instantly fell in love with. The faux columns gave the bookcases such a regal air.

They were filled with books on different types of architecture and conservation technologies. She ran her fingers along the spines and noted she owned most of them from her studies. But there were a few she didn’t have and would love to delve into. The more resources she had, the better because, the more knowledge at her disposal, the less likely she was to mess anything up.

Saving historic structures could be tricky, but Anna was a champion researcher. It was her favorite pastime, and she had gotten very good at it in college. It didn’t matter that her classmates had teased her for being all work and no play. To her, finding a hidden piece of history was more fun than getting drunk and puking your guts out.

Shaking off the melancholy those thoughts brought on, Anna grabbed a book on the history of Rolling Brook and carried it to her desk. She reached for her bag and pulled out her laptop. When she opened it, she noticed how dim the office was. There was an overhead lamp, but she preferred natural light.

She stepped to the window to open the ornate damask curtains. They were a deep shade of burgundy and matched well with the flowery wallpaper, but they were so heavy they acted as room-darkening drapes. Struggling to push them aside, Anna finally succeeded and grinned at the historic six over six window in front of her. It had the original wooden sash and wavy glass panes. It glinted as the sun shone in and brightened Anna’s mood along with the room. The preservation society had done well in rehabilitating this place. It excited her to see what else they’d been able to do.

Anna grabbed her portfolio and fountain pen out of her bag in a much calmer frame of mind than when she'd first arrived. Smiling, after one last glance around her office, she backed into the hall and ran smack into a wall. “Oof!” She couldn’t help the exclamation before she spun around.

“Sorry!” A man’s voice said at the same time.

Anna’s gaze tracked up the Hugo-boss-covered wall. His suit was sharp, but his face was friendly. He had a charming smile and pleasant brown eyes, which matched his wavy dark hair.

“You’re Anna.” The wall stretched out his hand. “I’m Richard. I consult for the society on outreach programs.”

Anna clasped his hand, then frowned down at it when he squeezed hers a little too tight. Shaking her fingers loose, she said, “Yes, nice to meet you. I was just coming to ask everyone to join me in the conference room.”

“I saw you at the town hall meeting.” His smile stayed welcoming, but Anna thought his eyes narrowed at her for a second.

Noting their amiable look now, she dismissed the thought. “Oh? What did you think of it?”

He chuckled. “I think you got a dose of what the rest of us have been dealing with.”

“Ah. Well, I guess I’m glad it’s not just me. At least we’re in this battle together.” She smiled and thought she saw that flash of anger again in his gaze.

“That we are. Shall we?” He gestured for her to go first. “After you.”

Anna hesitated. Something about the way he’d said it made her scalp prickle with unease. She stared at Richard, but his expression was the same genial one he’d been wearing before. Brushing it off, she turned and started down the hallway. It was time to meet the rest of her team and get to work.

???

Luther was whistling as he walked into the police station. Running into Anna had significantly improved his mood. He’d gone from being frustrated at having to respond to another pointless dispute between neighbors to being excited about his job again. Not only that, but he was plenty interested in the new girl in town.

Ignoring his fellow officers' stares and raised eyebrows, Luther breezed through the bullpen to his desk. When he reached it, he smirked down at the mountain of loose Skittles covering it. The desks were arranged in groups of four, and he figured either Peterson or Haines, who sat closest to him, had thought he deserved some ribbing.

“Thanks for the snack,” Luther called out to whoever had left them. He sat down and brushed the candies off his keyboard before grabbing a handful and popping them into his mouth. As he chewed, the fruity flavors exploded on his taste buds, and his thoughts returned to Anna.

She’d smelled like Skittles. Would she taste like them too? He was dying to find out if her strawberry lips were sweet or tart. Either was appealing, as was the caramel of her eyes. He'd been struck by their color, even hidden behind those cute glasses. Not quite brown, they teetered on gold, and against her pale skin, the contrast made quite the picture. A picture he was looking forward to seeing again. Thankfully, he had a reason too. Maybe she’d even—

“Hey!” Luther flinched when a folder hit him in the head.

He turned to find Sergeant Jameson hovering over him. His superior’s arms were crossed, and his blue eyes squinted down at Luther. A lock of red hair had fallen over the sergeant’s forehead, but it did nothing to detract from the toughness his stature promised.

“I called your name five times, Monroe.”

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