Page 38 of Lord of Vengeance
“Sheriff Rose, is it true that a horrific murder occurred days ago that you’re attempting to cover up, the heinous act connected to the recent overdoses within our beloved city?” The woman’s hair color was bottled, her tits the present from a well-known plastic surgeon she’d fucked for that reason alone, and her teeth were whitened electronically. She was everything I loathed in women and the fascination with being perfect. I’d tried that once. Where had it gotten me with my ex?
I glanced at her cameraman, who was already grinning having learned my responses were not necessarily things that should be recorded or an indication of my competence. While I initially fisted my hand, I managed to save my bad girl behavior for more viable candidates for my wrath. Namely, one delicious-looking Spaniard with a thick cock and a merciless tongue.
And what the hell was I thinking?
I even managed to plaster a smile on my face. “Why, Ms. Martin, you should know better than to attempt to goad me into providing information on an active case. Now, we wouldn’t want a suspect to go free because of your incompetence, causing a malfeasance suit against your beloved television station. Would we?”
Now the cameraman was practically falling all over himself while attempting to get the best angle and light. If I had to guess, I’d say he was betting there would be a delicious, sordid catfight between the two of us. That wasn’t going to happen. I had other fish to fry than her ridiculous attempt at getting me to talk. Although I could try reverse psychology.
She repeated the word ‘malfeasance’ silently, as if needing to mull over the accusation. The woman wasn’t dumb by any means, attending Duke on a scholarship. She simply wasn’t used to my calculating manner of handling her in-my-face approach to broadcasting.
“However,” I continued, placing my index finger across my mouth. “If you’d like to share with me who supplied you with information, I’ll be happy to provide you with an exclusive that your viewers will find juicy.” I allowed my gaze to shift directly into the lens. Take that, channel four.
She sputtered then turned around to face her associate. “Cut. I’ll just add the usual spiel about law enforcement hindering our first amendment rights.”
Touché.
I could almost start to like this girl. Nah. Not a chance. I wasn’t into frothy women or those who used men to get to the top. When the cameraman lowered the massive projector, I winked and he smirked at me. At least a little more camaraderie than I usually achieved.
When Brandy spun back around, she was ready to drag out her claws. “Listen… Sheriff. You’re hiding something. That’s obvious. The public has a right to know what level of danger they’re in. They also deserve a commentary about how they can protect themselves against such a heinous monster.”
“Look, blondie. While I’m completely aware you’re attempting to do your job, the fact someone from my organization provided you with false information doesn’t sit well with me.”
She bit her lower lip, the icy stare one I was used to from dozens of folks in town who didn’t care for my take-no-shit attitude. I wasn’t here to win a popularity contest. That had been proven time and time again.
“But there was a murder.”
“Now, did I say that?”
“You didn’t need to. I have this.” She was stupid enough to jerk a vivid color photo of the crime scene from her duffle bag. I snatched it from her hand so fast she almost stumbled backwards.
“Where the fuck did you get this? Where?” I shifted my hate-filled glare toward her cameraman, whose sneaky actions indicated he was planning on attempting to film our encounter. The warning look I gave him was quite possibly sufficient to burn him into the ground. At least he paid attention, lifting his arms in acquiescence.
Jesus Christ. While it was impossible to figure out who’d taken the photograph, it appeared it was done from outside the house, likely with a telephoto lens.
“Talk to me, Brandy. This isn’t a situation you want to fuck around with. What you see here is a clear indication of that.”
“Are you threatening me?” she countered.
“Brandy. Come on. Just tell her,” the cameraman encouraged.
She shook her head. “It was emailed anonymously. I have no clue who provided it but it corroborated information I also received from a proven source I use.”
“Name.”
“Nope. I have my rights. It was a tip and nothing more, although I appreciate you confirming I’m right. I’ll try to keep your good side showing later tonight.”
My reaction was immediate. I grabbed her arm, digging my fingers into her bony wrist.
“Ouch! You’re hurting me. I’m going to file a complaint. Then I’m going to start my own investigation. As I said, the good people of this town deserve to know what’s going on.”
“You need to listen to me carefully, Brandy. The people responsible for this crime are nothing more than savages. If I’m right on their type, they won’t like your interference. You could easily place your life in danger.” For a split second I thought she’d heed my advice until she jerked her arm free, backing away until my reach wouldn’t be long enough.
“Not a chance, Sheriff. While I know you’re trying to do your job, it’s my right to know the truth as it is with everyone in town. Come on, Mike. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
I stood right where I was as the two of them climbed into the work van, heading out of the parking lot. As soon as it passed, going further into the most rural section of town, I noticed a slow-moving vehicle coming the other way, the dark sedan complete with darkened windows. While it was nowhere close to the Mercedes SUV I’d ridden in, that didn’t mean one of Diego’s companions hadn’t rented something less expensive.
They didn’t stop or slow any more, but I still had a tickling sensation the driver had paid too much attention. I took a deep breath, holding it, not moving. When the car came back the other way, I waited until it was just out of sight before racing toward the road with my binoculars in hand.