answer, she turned slowly in her chair and looked back at Natches.
He was no more than four feet away from her, staring at her from behind those dark
glasses.
“Your presence really isn’t required at this time,” she told him quietly. “Your turn will
come.”
She refused to let him intimidate her. If he managed to throw her off balance now, then
she was lost. She would never be able to complete her assignment as needed.
He didn’t smile; he didn’t speak. He just stared at her until she turned her back on him
again and shuffled through the papers in her files for the information she had tagged
regarding the sheriff.
“You’ve been sheriff for how long now?”
“Almost six years.” Mayes was definitely amused now. “They voted me back in for some
reason. Personally, I think folks around here consider me a bit of an easy mark, don’t you
think?”
That was definitely a jibe at the man behind her. Chaya was well aware of the fact that
the sheriff and the Mackays had gone head-to-head several times last year over Dawg
Mackay’s activities.
“I wouldn’t know the reasons why.” She smiled tightly. “Johnny Grace was a popular
citizen in town though. You had known him for a while?”
Mayes nodded slowly. “I’d known him all his life, Agent Dane. I only spent eight years
away from home, not a lifetime. Johnny and his parents are well-known to most people in
Somerset and the surrounding towns.”
“Yet you had no suspicion he could have been involved in the hijacking of the missiles?”
“Those missiles were taken in another county, close to an Army base.” His voice was
clipped now. “I had my eyes open for them, but there were those who neglected to inform
me that they could be in my county.” And that was a jibe at Chaya and DHS.
He was professional enough that his animosity didn’t show, but she could feel it.
“Sheriff, I’m not your enemy, nor was I the head agent in that investigation. You’re
snapping at the wrong agent here,” she assured him. “I want to complete this and head
home as quickly as you want me out of your county.”
Mayes tilted his head to the side. “Now, what would make you think I want you out of
my county? Unlike most people, Agent Dane, I enjoy a good comedy every now and
then. And this situation appears to at least have an element of amusement within it.”
The bell tinkled at the door again. When Chaya lifted her head to glance at the mirror
placed next to the register behind Sheriff Mayes, she felt like cursing.
The Mackays were amassing. The tall, broad forms of Dawg and Rowdy Mackay were
reflected in the glass as they moved across the room. They all but swaggered. Dressed in
jeans and light T-shirts, Dawg wore a denim jacket, Rowdy wore a leather jacket. Both
were suspicious and more than a little intimidating as they joined Natches at his table.
When her eyes met Sheriff Mayes’s again, the amusement in them had thickened.
“What about known associates of Grace’s?” she asked him then, lowering her voice
further. “Did you have any reason to suspect them after the operation completed last
year?”
This was the wrong damned place for these questions. She knew it, and she could see the
knowledge of it in Mayes’s eyes. She had tried to warn Timothy, several times, this man
was no one’s fool. Timothy had arranged this meeting here specifically to allow Mackay
involvement.
The sheriff leaned closer. Bracing his arms on the table, he stared back at her warningly.
“Are you sure you want to finish this here, Agent Dane?” he asked her, his voice official,
cool.
“This is as good a place as any, Sheriff. If you could answer the question please.”
“I’d have reason to suspect half the county then,” he told her. “If you want to discuss
specific suspects though, we’re going to do it elsewhere.”
That was good enough. That was the best answer she would get right here and now—that
Mayes did suspect
He was no more than four feet away from her, staring at her from behind those dark
glasses.
“Your presence really isn’t required at this time,” she told him quietly. “Your turn will
come.”
She refused to let him intimidate her. If he managed to throw her off balance now, then
she was lost. She would never be able to complete her assignment as needed.
He didn’t smile; he didn’t speak. He just stared at her until she turned her back on him
again and shuffled through the papers in her files for the information she had tagged
regarding the sheriff.
“You’ve been sheriff for how long now?”
“Almost six years.” Mayes was definitely amused now. “They voted me back in for some
reason. Personally, I think folks around here consider me a bit of an easy mark, don’t you
think?”
That was definitely a jibe at the man behind her. Chaya was well aware of the fact that
the sheriff and the Mackays had gone head-to-head several times last year over Dawg
Mackay’s activities.
“I wouldn’t know the reasons why.” She smiled tightly. “Johnny Grace was a popular
citizen in town though. You had known him for a while?”
Mayes nodded slowly. “I’d known him all his life, Agent Dane. I only spent eight years
away from home, not a lifetime. Johnny and his parents are well-known to most people in
Somerset and the surrounding towns.”
“Yet you had no suspicion he could have been involved in the hijacking of the missiles?”
“Those missiles were taken in another county, close to an Army base.” His voice was
clipped now. “I had my eyes open for them, but there were those who neglected to inform
me that they could be in my county.” And that was a jibe at Chaya and DHS.
He was professional enough that his animosity didn’t show, but she could feel it.
“Sheriff, I’m not your enemy, nor was I the head agent in that investigation. You’re
snapping at the wrong agent here,” she assured him. “I want to complete this and head
home as quickly as you want me out of your county.”
Mayes tilted his head to the side. “Now, what would make you think I want you out of
my county? Unlike most people, Agent Dane, I enjoy a good comedy every now and
then. And this situation appears to at least have an element of amusement within it.”
The bell tinkled at the door again. When Chaya lifted her head to glance at the mirror
placed next to the register behind Sheriff Mayes, she felt like cursing.
The Mackays were amassing. The tall, broad forms of Dawg and Rowdy Mackay were
reflected in the glass as they moved across the room. They all but swaggered. Dressed in
jeans and light T-shirts, Dawg wore a denim jacket, Rowdy wore a leather jacket. Both
were suspicious and more than a little intimidating as they joined Natches at his table.
When her eyes met Sheriff Mayes’s again, the amusement in them had thickened.
“What about known associates of Grace’s?” she asked him then, lowering her voice
further. “Did you have any reason to suspect them after the operation completed last
year?”
This was the wrong damned place for these questions. She knew it, and she could see the
knowledge of it in Mayes’s eyes. She had tried to warn Timothy, several times, this man
was no one’s fool. Timothy had arranged this meeting here specifically to allow Mackay
involvement.
The sheriff leaned closer. Bracing his arms on the table, he stared back at her warningly.
“Are you sure you want to finish this here, Agent Dane?” he asked her, his voice official,
cool.
“This is as good a place as any, Sheriff. If you could answer the question please.”
“I’d have reason to suspect half the county then,” he told her. “If you want to discuss
specific suspects though, we’re going to do it elsewhere.”
That was good enough. That was the best answer she would get right here and now—that
Mayes did suspect
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