Page 38 of The Secrets We Hide
“Well I don’t know what to tell you,” Bernadette said. “I don’t know how long I’ll be.”
Emmy recognized the tone of a woman who was arguing with her husband. There was no amount of money or power that could insulate you from that. Emmy looked away, pretending like she couldn’t hear every word of the call. Reggie offered no such favor. He stared openly, clearly enjoying Bernadette’s discomfort. The City of Clayville had a long history of mayors who’d been elected to clean up the police department.
Reggie had outlasted them all.
“Oh, for the love of—” Bernadette looked at her phone. Clearly, her husband had hung up on her.
She dropped the phone back into her purse. Her expensive-looking heels stabbed at the floor tiles as she walked through the squad room. The mayoral gig was a side hustle. Bernadette’s real life was spent as a named partner at a law firm that represented most of the agricultural businesses in south-west Georgia.Emmy bet the big, leather bag hanging from her arm could pay her electric bill for the next fifty years.
Reggie stepped in front of the mayor, slowing down her pace, leaning heavily into his cane as he walked toward Emmy. Bernadette muttered a curse. They looked like siblings in a competition to see who could annoy the other one the most.
Emmy went back into her office. Sat down in her chair.
Over the years, she had watched her father navigate countless, pointless meetings with politicians and city law enforcement. Gerald had been a master at shutting people down. Cliftons tended to come in three varieties: talked too much, didn’t talk enough, or talked to themselves. Gerald had fallen squarely in the middle of the scale. No one questioned him because they knew he wasn’t going to give answers until he was damn good and ready.
“See you’ve redecorated.” Reggie’s stout body filled the doorway. He paused dramatically before heading toward the chair farthest from the door. He sat down with an audible grunt.
“Sorry I’m late.” Bernadette took the other chair. “I wanted to swing by the hospital to check on Mandy. Poor thing didn’t even know I was there. Father Nate was praying for her when I left. Speaking of which, I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it to your mother’s funeral.”
Emmy felt sucker punched. She managed a nod.
“All right, ladies. Let’s go.” Reggie pounded his cane into the tiles. “Emmy, I know you talked to Bill at the ballpark. What were you thinking letting him walk away like that?”
“I was thinking that people have constitutional rights.”
“You know as well as me there’s ways to get around that.”
“For godsakes,” Bernadette muttered. “Reggie, must you telegraph your crimes?”
Reggie smirked.
“Emmy.” Bernadette leaned forward in her seat. “I’m here—we’re here—to offer our help. Whatever you need, whether it be manpower or logistical support, the City of Clayville will do everything we can to help bring this monster to justice.”
Emmy summoned one of her father’s pithy responses. “No, thank you.”
“What?” Bernadette’s voice had gone up in surprise. She’d clearly thought this was a formality. “Our budget is twice yours. We’ve got more resources. More officers. No offense, but you don’t even have full-time forensics. You’d rather lean on the GBI than your neighbors?”
“Correct,” she said. “Thank you.”
Reggie snorted. “Stop bullshitting around, all right? Everybody knows the Garrisons have a lot of power in North Falls. If you’re too afraid to arrest Bill this close to the election, I’ll do it myself.”
Emmy forced herself to not take the bait. “On what evidence?”
“Whatever evidence I damn well find.” Reggie jabbed his finger in her direction. “You’d know how to build a case if you’d spent more than a minute outside your daddy’s shadow.”
“Reggie, shut up,” Bernadette snapped. “Emmy, why don’t you tell us where you are in the investigation.”
She gave them her prepared, Gerald-like response. “I’ve got suspects. I’ve got leads. There’s nothing definitive. I’m not ready to arrest anybody. Thank you for coming.”
Reggie laughed. “You ain’t your daddy. You can’t get away with that shit like he could.”
Bernadette said, “Emmy, I hate to agree with him, but one of our officers was murdered in her own home. I expected more than four short sentences and a thank you.”
Emmy said, “The city of Clayville has no jurisdiction in North Falls.”
Bernadette frowned. “Honey, I know Gerald did things his own way, rest his soul, and he was a good man, but we’re in the twenty-first century now. Government officials should be transparent in their actions.”
“You’re right.” Emmy took a moment to appreciate her father’s stealthy approach, because it had walked them all up to the line she needed to cross. “Tell me about Allison’s lawsuit against the city.”
