Page 24 of Bad Mother

He set the pizza on the counter near where he was standing. “Plates? And would you have it any other way?”

Sienna opened a cabinet and pulled two paper plates from a stack, then grabbed the roll of paper towels near the sink. “Being thrown straight into the thick of things?” She shrugged, her lips tilting as she handed him the plates. “I guess not. I’m good at it,” she said. “Unraveling clues.”

“I know you are,” he said, putting a large slice of pizza on a plate before handing it back. “You’re right where you’re supposed to be.” He looked at her meaningfully, but she chose not to address that because frankly, though she did love being in the thick of things workwise, in every other way she still felt only half on solid ground. If she were right where she were meant to be, then surely she wouldn’t feel so unsettled. She lifted the pizza and took a big bite, closing her eyes as she chewed. “Oh, thank you, Jesus, for pizza,” she said, and he chuckled.

“I don’t have a lot in the way of drinks,” she said, setting the plate down and then opening the refrigerator. Inside were several bottles of water, a carton of OJ, a box of baking soda, and nothing else. She’d bought the baking soda when she’d picked up the drinks, in an effort to freshen the rental fridge. She’d planned on a full shopping triplater, but later hadn’t yet arrived. “Water or orange juice?”

“A water would be great,” he answered, and she handed him a bottle and took one for herself.

Sienna gestured back toward the front room. “There are a couple of boxes in there. It’s the best seat I can offer.” She walked past him, and he followed again, lifting a box from the stack by the window before setting it near the one she’d already sat down on, the plate of pizza in her lap. “Aren’t you going to eat?” she asked him.

He shook his head. “I already ate. I just used that to get my foot in the door.” He shot her the same smile he’d always used when Mirabelle had caught him with his hand in the cookie jar, and she resisted an eye roll, instead taking another bite of pizza. His bribe had worked, and she was grateful for the food, and so she let it go.

“So have you made any headway on the case?” he asked. “Was there anything in the latest note that moved things forward?”

“Not yet. We’re not sure what to make of it. I might have some questions for you tomorrow, if you’re available, but not tonight. I need some sleep and to look at everything again with fresh eyes.”

He gave a tip of his chin. “That’s understandable.” He looked around. “Where’s all your furniture, by the way?”

“I sold it or gave it away before I left New York,” she said. “I didn’t have a lot. The entirety of my apartment wasn’t much bigger than the size of this room.” She didn’t mention that she wasn’t planning on buying much furniture here—just enough to live comfortably. Shehadmade time to go out and buy a mattress and a temporary metal bed frame the day she’d arrived. And she’d picked up a cheap coffee maker at the grocery/home store, but that was all she’d done as far as setting up house. Because she was only planning on being in Reno a year or so, long enough for the situation in New York to blow over, and so that it wouldn’t appear she’d jumped from one department to another. But then she’d move back east with Brandon, and they’d buy a little house in the suburbs. She’d find a job with a smaller police force, and they’d start planning a family.

At least that was the plan she’d laid out for Brandon when he’d tried to convince her to skip straight to the part where they moved to the suburbs and started planning a family. But Sienna loved her career. She wasgoodat it, dammit, and she hadn’t been ready to toss it away when she’d been presented another option.

Especially given the circumstances.

They were quiet for a minute as she chewed, and he tipped his water back, taking a long drink. “How does the man you left in New York feel about you living across the country?”

She eyed him, and he stared back at her, his expression casual, though she noticed his body had stilled. He was waiting for her to speak. “He knows it was the best choice for my career.” That felt like a lie, but what was she supposed to say?He doesn’t care about my career, but he knows I do, so he’s going along with it. I didn’t really give him any other choice.

“Yeah? Why was that?” he asked.

She popped the last piece of crust into her mouth, taking the few moments to chew before answering. “There was a situation in New York,” she said, and half of her was surprised she’d said it, and half of her wasn’t at all. There was something natural about this—sitting in an unfurnished room, eating take-out food from a box, and chatting easily with Gavin. Never mind that they hadn’t done anything like it in eleven years. Time was an odd thing, stretching like a rubber band and then effortlessly snapping you right back where you’d been. And though part of you felt dizzy at the sudden journey, another part rejoiced at the feeling of coming home.

Is that what Gavin is? Home?

No, no, of course not. It’s just an expression.

“What sort of situation?” he asked.

Sienna reached for the water bottle on the floor next to her and took a drink before slowly replacing the cap. “In a nutshell? A woman came to me to report that her son was being molested. I looked into it and believed I had plenty of evidence for an arrest. As it turned out, however, the man she pointed a finger at was working on the mayoral campaign.”

“Uh-oh,” Gavin said, giving a small grimace. “Let me guess. You were asked to ignore it.”

She nodded. “Word leaked out that I was investigating this guy. I had found other victims with similar stories who might have pressed charges, too, had they not been threatened. From what I ascertained, the mayor was worried that if it was made public with an arrest, his reelection campaign would take a hit. He’d be publicly associated with this creep, and it would hurt his image. So the chief called me into his office and ordered me to drop the investigation.”

A mixture of emotions rolled over Gavin’s face—anger, exasperation... sadness. “Goddamn corruption,” he said.

Sienna sighed, recalling that moment in the chief’s office. She’d known police work could be political, known officers anddetectives—but especially the upper brass—were sometimes used as pawns and sacrificial lambs by politicians looking to run cover. And worse, that many of them were willing to go along with blatant corruption. But she hadn’t realized the pure evil that could be behind it until then. She’d been ordered to look away as a pedophile continued to ruin lives and victimize innocent children. So that a man’s chance at taking office wouldn’t be threatened. So thatpoll numberswouldn’t dip. It felt like a bad joke.

And really, who wanted “leaders” capable of such blatant disregard for wickedness?

Sienna had decided she couldn’t look herself in the mirror after following such an order. If she did, she’d be complicit, and she could not live with that.

“What did you do?” Gavin asked.

“I arrested him.”

She didn’t want to admit how much the look of pride that filled his expression meant to her, but it did. Oh, it did. Because truth be told, she hadn’t received that look from anyone else. Not one person. Even her coworkers, some of whom had expressed support in private, had all but disappeared when push came to shove, unwilling to publicly align themselves with her. She’d told herself she understood. But in reality? It had stung. Badly. Even Brandon had looked shocked and doubtful when she’d told him what she planned to do, asking if she was sure it was worth jeopardizing her career. But Gavin was looking at her with such clear, unblinking respect in his eyes, and a sudden lump halted her breath. She hadn’t realized how much she’d needed that. The fact that it came fromhimhad conflicting emotions wreaking havoc in her system. “Of course you did,” he said quietly, as though since she’d begun telling her story, he hadn’t had any doubt it would end that way.

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