CHAPTER 55
Grace
“That’s your mother’s secretary?” I murmur as we approach the desk and the raven-haired beauty behind it.
“Her name’s Ashley Sheridan. And fair warning, she likes to flirt with me, but she’s harmless.”
“Everyone seems to like flirting with you, don’t they?”
He flashes his boyish grin, awareness in those blue eyes. Like he knows that watching other women fawn over him slides under my skin in a teeth-gritting way. “Be nice,” he scolds teasingly before we’re within earshot.
“Give me a sec, darlin’,” Ashley Sheridan croons in a heavy Mississippi lilt, lifting a finger to signal for us to wait while she finishes up a phone call.
“Sure thing, ma’am.” He shows her that thousand-watt smile, and I have to turn away to hide my eye roll.
The moment she hangs up the phone, Miss Ashley Sheridan is on her feet, stretching her arms—toned from hours of lifting weights—around his neck. “Noah! So glad to see you!” she exclaims, the corners of her eyes crinkling with her smile. Though, behind that exterior façade, I see the same sympathy for him that I’ve seen in every familiar face Noah passed on the way here. “I was just fixin’ to grab a bite down the street.” Her purse dangles from her shoulder, emphasizing the fact that she was literally about to leave.
“I’m sorry for taking so long, ma’am—”
“Now what did I tell you about callin’ me ‘ma’am’! I know it’s the Southern way, but gosh, I never did like it. Makes me feel so old.” She slides her hands up and down Noah’s arms in what some might call innocent affection. But the way they slow over his muscular biceps, her clawed fingertips clinging just a touch, harmless isn’t a word I’d use to describe this woman.
I bite my tongue before I remind her that she’s old enough to be Noah’s mother.
“No, ma’am. I mean, Miss Sheridan. I’m sorry; we’ve been busy.”
“Yes, we’ve all heard.” She tsks. “This business with Dwayne Mantis! Can you believe it? It’s been a mad house here with reporters and the like.”
Noah gestures to me. “This is Gracie Richards, by the way.”
“Wilkes.” I hold my hand out.
She takes it, her hazel eyes flashing with a fresh wave of sympathy. “Well now, you poor thing. My condolences. I hope you and your mama can finally find some peace.”
“So do I.” Not only does everyone know about my father’s case; thanks to the media, they also know about the aftereffects. I called Desert Oaks and warned them that reporters might come fishing for information. So far, though, the super-sleuths haven’t tracked her down there.
Ashley turns back to Noah. “I’ve got Jackie’s things ready to go, right here.” She hauls out a document box from beneath her desk with a huff, her arms straining under the weight as she drops it onto the desk. “It’s mainly the contents of her drawers, along with a few things she kept in her office safe that we deemed personal.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Uh-huh. You know I’ll help you whenever I can, Noah. I respected your mother so much. It’s such a shame.”
“Have they announced your new boss yet?”
“Not yet, but I’m hearing it’ll be Jim Towle, which would be fantastic. He should have been the automatic pick to begin with if you ask me, but then Canning had to start meddlin’. To think, we almost had a murderer for a chief!”
Noah frowns. “What do you mean?”
“Canning was pushin’ for Mantis to be chief! And when you got George Canning’s backing, you’re basically a shoo-in, right?” She starts hunting through her purse.
“You’re kidding.”
“I’m not. Praise God that didn’t come to pass.” She leans forward, as if to share a secret. “Your mama’d be rolling in her grave if that man replaced her.”
Noah pauses, and in his eyes I see that curious glimmer I’ve come to recognize. “How do you know? Did she say something to you about Mantis?”
“Oh, you sweet boy,” she chuckles. “I managed her calendar, her emails. Heck, I made her doctor’s appointments for womanly things. I know a lot. Except of course what she was thinkin’ of doin’ to herself.” A flash of pain skitters across her eyes. “She couldn’t stand that man. Used to call him a Neanderthal behind his back. Not long before she passed, she came right out and called him a lyin’ criminal bastard to his face, then kicked him straight outta her office.”
“Do you have any idea why?”
Ashley shakes her head. “Probably something to do with Canning wanting her to appoint Mantis assistant chief, and her telling Canning it’d be a cold day in hell before she did that.”
“How did Canning take that?”
“As well as to be expected, which is not well at all. But your mama wasn’t one to bite her tongue too hard. And she also couldn’t stand Canning, so it only made things worse.”
Noah looks like Ashley slapped him across the face. “She and Canning weren’t friends?”
“They were friendly at the very start, sure. But not after Canning started trying to intervene in everything, tellin’ her what she could and couldn’t do. He acted like he had puppet strings attached to her. I swear that man will be tryin’ to run this department from six feet underground!” She pulls out a lipstick from her purse. “Those two were like oil and water. Jackie stopped takin’ his calls and that made him so dang mad. You know, he was in here, arguin’ with her on the very day she died?”
Noah’s face has gone from baffled to wary. “Do you know what about?”
“I don’t know. Something about a girl. Jackie said she had big regrets and she was going to do right by that girl for once.”
Noah’s face pales. “Did she say the name Betsy?”
“I didn’t catch names, I’m sorry. Anyway, I don’t want to rush you out, but I’ve got plans and I need to go powder my nose.”
“Wait! Could you find someone for us?” I blurt out, nudging Noah in the thigh.
“Yeah, actually, there’s one other really quick favor I have to ask of you, if you would be so kind.” Noah winces an apology and, dammit, he looks even more attractive. “I’m looking to track down an Officer Heath Dunn.”
“What division?”
“He would have been working in street patrol fourteen years ago. He was Abraham’s partner.”
“Fourteen years ago, huh?” She gives Noah a look—one that says she’s doing him a huge favor and he’d better remember it—before picking up the receiver, her perfect, long nails clacking against the buttons as she calls someone. Two minutes later, Ashley “don’t call me ma’am because it makes me feel old in front of your strapping young self” Sheridan has our answer.
“Heath Dunn retired ten years ago. Best place to find him is Dunn’s, down on—”
“Red River, yeah. I know it. Great barbecue.”
“Isn’t it, though? I’ve been down there a few times. Go figure—I didn’t realize one of ours owns it. Anyway, that’s the best place for y’all to find him.”
“You’re a lifesaver, Miss Sheridan.”
With a gentle pat against her desk, Noah steers me toward the exit, his free hand settling against the small of my back while his other arm hugs the hefty box.
“What are you thinking?” I murmur, noting the way Noah’s lips press into a firm line.
“Well, for one thing, George Canning was on a plane to Italy the night my mother died. Seems weird that he’d come to her office and have a fight with her the day he’s flying across the world, but to each their own.” He glances over his shoulder. “But, when I had dinner at my uncle’s that night, Canning made it sound like my mom and him were good friends right up until the end.”
“We already know he’s a lying bastard.”
“Right. Well, I think they might have been fighting about Betsy.” Noah speeds up two steps to grab the door handle, holding it open for me. “Which means Canning knew about her.”
“Your mom said she was going to do right by her. What does that mean?”
The worry on Noah’s face tells me he’s wondering the same thing.