Free Remote Consequences by Kerri Nelson Page B

Ty was outside the building, speaking with an older, white-haired man in uniform. They both gave me a glance and then wrapped up their conversation.
    Ty headed my way and took no shame in studying both me and the car as I cut the engine and stepped onto the asphalt, shoving sunglasses atop my head.
    "You've kept it in great shape." His words seemed to reference the condition of my classic muscle car, but his eyes roamed my bare arms and low-cut tank top as he spoke.
    I pursed my lips. I wasn't in the mood to chat about cars with him. Although I did wonder what he was driving these days. A passion for hot cars had always been something we'd had in common. But I didn't have time, nor was I in the mood for idle chitchat today.
    "I've got to get to the hospital before they are ready to discharge Paget. What exactly do you need from me, Ty?"
    "Uh, that's Detective Dempsey." His quick retort took me a bit off guard. It shouldn't have surprised me. He was the master at turning off personal feelings at the drop of a hat. Of course, I wasn't here for personal reasons. And he didn't know that I'd just been remembering his hot rod and his hot… rod.
    I felt a rise in my blood pressure, accompanied by a whooshing sound gathering behind my eardrums. "Fine. Detective Dempsey. Ask your questions, and let me be on my way. I have things to do."
    He pulled out a small spiral notebook and a pencil from his back pocket. His forearms flexed as he turned his arm over to check the time on his watch. I waited. Impatiently.
    "Is everything such a big production with you? Am I supposed to be impressed that you're a detective with the police department now?"
    The condescension in my voice must have stung, as he looked up, green eyes penetrating mine. His face deadly serious. He knew how we'd left things that night after the graduation party. It had been the last time we'd spoken, and it had been the night I'd lost my battle to keep him. My life had changed into a big dream on the horizon as I'd left for pre-med at the University of Alabama. And his dream had died just a few months later when he'd blown his knee out at spring training—a career-ending ACL tear. It had been surgically repaired, but his scholarship had been lost.
    "I have a job to do, Mandy. Do you want to cooperate inside my air-conditioned office or do you want to keep smart talking me, and we'll just stand out here in the parking lot while I question you?"
    Neither. I wanted to get back in my car and go home. Forget everything I'd seen and done the last two days. I wanted to pack my bags and drive back to Birmingham, where I'd been forced to sublet my adorable apartment to a geeky lab tech. I sighed. None of those things were going to happen. Not today. Not any time in the near future. It looked like we both had something new in common these days. Both of our dreams had been lost and we were both back home once again.
    "Okay. In your office."
    Ty led the way to the front door and then opened it for me, adding a sweeping arm-motion gesture for me to enter.
     
    *  *  *
     
    "Tell me exactly what you found and when you found it."
    It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Obviously he was done playing Mr. Nice Guy or "Tall Winking Stranger."
    "I was on an emergency service call at the residence of Mayor Mills yesterday morning. I was supposed to have the morning off. I've been working the one-to-ten shift and had been out late the night before. Somehow, I've been switched to the day shift now—go figure."
    He tapped the end of the pencil on the pad as if boredom should be accompanied by an annoying drumbeat. "Let's get to the part where you allegedly found a dead body."
    I swallowed. The word allegedly had come out with the same terse undertones he'd used yesterday. He still didn't believe me? Could one lie in high school follow you this far into the future? Why hadn't he just gone to the house and checked it out? Why was that so difficult?
    "I was in the attic looking for a bad