Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83331 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83331 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
She slammed down the phone, leaving Sam and me staring at her with our jaws practically dropped to the floor.
“You just…” I stumbled over the words. “That was a death threat and you just…?”
“See if he calls back,” Bess said, squinting to find her place on the document she was inputting. “I’m not listening to that deadbeat’s nonsense.”
I met Sam’s gaze across the room. He just shook his head.
“I’m going to have my wife bring in my gun,” he said.
That I hadn’t seen coming. I wasn’t about to let anyone turn the newsroom into a Wild West shoot-out.
“Absolutely not,” I said. “I’ll call Grady and let him know what’s going on.”
I held my cell phone, staring at the screen as I wondered if I should call his personal cell phone about something official. Would he even answer? I was afraid to risk his rejection, especially when death threats were being called into the newsroom.
I dialed the nonemergency number for the Sven’s Beard Police Department, which was posted on a paper beside my office landline phone.
“SBPD,” Barb said in answer.
“Hi Barb, it’s Avon. Is Grady available?”
“Hold on, I’ll check.”
About thirty seconds later, I was taken off hold and a deep voice spoke into the phone.
“Hey, Avon,” Grady said.
“Hi. Um…how’s it going?”
He laughed bitterly. “Absolute shit show. You?”
“I know how busy you must be, and I’m sorry to bother you, but we got a couple of threatening calls at the newsroom. A man telling us to watch our backs.”
There was a pause, and then he said, “Stay where you are. I’ll be right there.”
The line went dead and I hung up. Less than two minutes later, Grady walked into the newsroom, his expression grim, like he was ready for a fight.
“Hey,” he said, walking up to my desk.
“Are you mad at me?” I blurted, not caring that Bess and Sam could hear.
“No. Are you okay?”
Was that the truth? Or did he just not want to admit in front of others that he was mad?
“I’m okay,” I said. “Sam and Bess have been the ones who took the calls.”
Grady looked over at Sam. “What did the caller say?”
“That we better watch our backs; that we’re dead. I think I need to have my gun here.”
Grady frowned and looked at Bess. “What’d they say to you?”
She huffed a sigh. “It’s Matt Meecham, Grady. I know his voice. He said he’s going to blow up the building.”
“Are you okay with me putting a tap on your phone lines?” Grady asked me.
“Of course. I mean, it’s probably nothing, but”
“No, we’re taking this seriously. I’d have you come stay at my place, but I’ve been sleeping in my office.”
Just the thought of sleeping in Grady’s arms tonight made me want to cry. Not because I was scared, but because I needed to know he and I were okay.
“I’ll be fine,” I said. “I’ll keep everything locked up.”
“I’ll post an officer here for security,” he said.
Our eyes met and I searched his for a sign of something. Anything. He didn’t seem to be mad, but he also didn’t seem like the Grady I knew. He was far away, his mind occupied with everything that had been going on.
“I appreciate it,” I said. “And if you don’t mind me asking…how are things?”
He groaned as he typed into his phone. “A mess.”
“I got a text from Mrs. Jenkins’s granddaughter,” I said. “Mrs. Jenkins is okay, right?”
“Yeah. She’s at home; some of the public works guys are packing up her office for her.”
“Packing up her office? Why?”
He gave me a half smile. “She has to resign. The council has lawyers and auditors coming in and…it’s either resign or be fired.”
A guilty weight settled in my stomach.
“Guess that’s my fault,” I said.
“Nonsense,” Bess snapped from her desk. “It’s Betty’s fault. Dale Meecham’s fault. And everyone over at City Hall who was supposed to be paying attention.”
A uniformed SBPD officer walked through the front door, his gaze on Grady.
“Hey Chief, what do you need from me?” he asked.
“Guys, this is Officer Glen Denton. He’s going to be here for security until another officer takes over later tonight.” He looked at the officer. “Denton, they had some threats called in here. The owner has an apartment upstairs. You need to be on her until relief arrives at ten tonight. Call me if you have any questions or see anything suspicious.”
Officer Denton nodded. “You got it, Chief.”
He was young, his blond hair cropped short and his blue eyes shining eagerly. He reminded me of a puppy.
“I have to go,” Grady said, looking at his phone. “I’ll talk to you later.”
He left, and my shoulders sank with disappointment. I hadn’t expected a kiss or anything, but he was being more formal with me than ever before.
If Leo Bardot escaped arrest, I didn’t think Grady would ever forgive me. The thought was like a heavy weight strapped to my back.