Page 22 of Dead Love
That’s when Kora finally looked at me, right as her father, Sheriff Mike, slapped me on the back and Catie disappeared.
“Didn’t expect to see you here,” the sheriff boomed. “You came to join us for once?”
“We worked with Nerissa directly,” I explained. “We have a good relationship with your wife’s shop.”
“Ah. It’s another tragic Echo death, isn’t it?” He shook his head. The man didn’t know restraint when it came to the volume of his voice. “It goes to show you why the town needs a strong sheriff to represent them and make sure that this crisis is put to rest.”
He said those words louder, to make sure everyone heard his political soundbite.
“Every gathering is a campaign opportunity,” I said.
“Of course it is.”
I didn’t care one way or another whether Mike was reelected. But I had my suspicions.
“It’s quite timely that these deaths occurred so close to the election,” I said, tapping my chin.
“Don’t I know it,” Mike said, lowering his voice for once, grabbing my shoulder. He rambled on about his campaign platform, and my eyes glossed over to Kora. Her mother was no longer in sight, but Andrew was close to Kora, the back of his hand knocking into hers. Too close for my liking.
“What do you think of Andrew?” I asked, cutting Mike off.
“Andrew?” he grinned. “He’s like a son to me. My wife used to babysit him, you know,” he winked. “He wants to be sheriff one day.” Sheriff Andrew? I scoffed. “Shea wants him to marry our daughter. I can’t imagine a better match.” Mike laughed. “Wouldn’t you say?”
Another addition to their impeccable family.
“I don’t trust him,” I said.
He smacked me on the back. “You don’t seem like the type to trust anyone.”
It’s not that I didn’t trust anyone; it’s that I didn’t careforanyone. There was a difference, or rather, a lack of interest. But Andrew struck me as off. Kora backed away from him as he leaned into her. If he did that one more time, I was going to have to remove him myself. This was my funeral home.
“He’s not good enough for her,” I said.
“No one will ever be,” Sheriff Mike said, beaming at his daughter. “But you know it’s not up to me. Shea runs the show when it comes to Kora. Always has. Always will.” He chuckled. “The only way Andrew might get to Kora is by kidnapping her himself!”
He laughed hard, but I didn’t find it amusing at all. Not when I knew what I had planned.
“She can’t expect your daughter to live, grow, and die in your family’s house,” I said.
“Shea has her own plans. Says we take care of the children, then the children take care of us.” Mike shrugged. “But she’ll never let anything hurt her.”
She had no idea what was coming, then.
“How is the Echo investigation coming along?” I asked, changing the subject. “I heard your team is getting close to an arrest.”
“I’ll tell you what.” He put a hand up to his mouth, guarding his words for once. “There’s a suspected Echo ring we’re busting tonight. I’m taking the force with me.”
I patted his back. “That’s exactly what we need right now,” I said, knowing the words he wanted to hear.
“Can I count on your vote?”
“Always,” I lied. We shook hands, and he found another person to chat with, his voice shaking the room. I turned toward the hallway that led to the garden.
“Vincent,” Catie appeared at my side. I turned to her. Kora’s eyes burned into my back.
“What?”
“There’s a home pickup,” she said. “South of—”
