a natural at the smile, he replaced it with an expression of gruff courtesy. “Police Chief Bo Fargo. Nice to meet you. If you have any questions or trouble, don’t hesitate to ring my office. Mr. Grayson has charged me with keeping the peace around our nice town, and so far, everything’s been working out just right.”
“It’s a great town,” she murmured in agreement, anxious to get away from the man. The way his stare roamed her body—not in a lecherous but, rather, clinical way—gave her the willies. “Nice to meet you, Chief Fargo. Everyone has been very kind and welcoming. Thank you,” she said, moving toward the door.
“Have you met Mr. Grayson yet?” he asked, knowing courtesy would prevent her from just turning and leaving as she wanted. “He takes a special interest in newcomers, particularly ones as pretty as you.”
“Is that so?” she asked, playing along to see where he was going to take the conversation.
Encouraged, he nodded with a slow smirk as if she were playing right into his game. “Mr. Grayson would most definitely like to welcome you to Cold Plains. I could arrange a meeting. Would you like that?”
Darcy made a show of being flattered and even giggled a little for good measure. “Maybe another time? I want to look my best when I meet him.”
“Of course,” Chief Fargo said, his grin widening as if in triumph. “I’ll be seeing you then.”
“Yes, I’m sure you will.”
She gave him her best flirty smile and slipped from the building, eager to get away from the chunky cop and his leering stare, but most important, desperate to get away before someone else tried to put her in bed with her father.
Chapter 9
B o entered the dressing room off the auditorium stage and found Samuel in his usual state of dress after a meeting, which was to mean, undress. Bo wasn’t a man who enjoyed the sight of another naked man, but Samuel seemed to relish putting people in his sphere of influence off-kilter, so he made no move to grab the robe that was within reaching distance. Instead, he let all his parts hang where they would and dared Bo to say something.
Sometimes Bo tired of Samuel’s little head trips and wished he could call him on them, but he wisely shelved his grievances and got to the point. He’d instructed Brenda to wait for him at her place and he was eager to join her.
“I think tonight’s meeting was very productive,” Samuel said, eschewing the tonic water he foisted on everyone else to sip at a glass of white wine from an expensive Italian label. “What did you think?”
I think you talk too much and you’re weird. “Good,” he agreed, getting straight to the point. “There’s a newcomer that might interest you. She seems to fit the criteria of what you’re looking for.”
At that Samuel perked up, keen interest in his eyes. “Please, share.”
“She’s young, in her twenties, pretty.”
“And?”
“And she seems eager to meet you. Impressed by your speech tonight, I think,” he added, embellishing a little before sharing the information he’d gleaned. “Her name’s Darcy Craven.”
“Darcy Craven,” Samuel said, rolling the name on his tongue, as if testing it, before smiling. “I like it. Tell me more.”
“I don’t know much, just that she’s got a nice figure and a pretty face. Were you looking for much else?”
Samuel sighed as if the world offered so little that he’d take what he could get, when in fact, Samuel lived like a sultan, complete with the harem of beautiful women. “No, I suppose that’ll do well enough. Yes, please arrange a meeting between myself and the lovely Ms. Craven. Of course it’s my honored duty to welcome all newcomers to Cold Plains.”
Particularly the women, Bo added silently but nodded his understanding. “I’ll see to it.”
Samuel’s smile was just this side of lecherous as he no doubt reveled in the heady excitement of something new to play with, a new body to discover.
The
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