Page 31 of A Little Bit Whiskey
“No.” She sat at the island and palmed the cup. “The State’s CSI team has taken over the removal of the remains.”
“So, it’s definitely a human body.”
“I shouldn’t be talking to you about this.” She kept her gaze firmly planted on her beverage. “I’m sorry. But unless you have information to give me, or I have something to inform you about—officially—discussing an ongoing investigation that involves your family would be inappropriate.” She tilted her head. “Even if we don’t believe anyone had anything to do with it. I’d lose my job.”
“It’s not the first time you haven’t been able to share with me parts of your job.” He joined her at the island, sitting close, but in the six weeks they’d been sharing a bed, he’d never felt further apart.
“That’s true, but this is different and honestly, I don’t like it.”
He laughed, but it wasn’t a funny one. “I can’t say I do either.”
“The worst part is Fred is already trying to pull me from having any part of the investigation.” When she caught Noir’s gaze, tears filled her beautiful eyes. “He was pissed at how I handled the initial call, not understanding Carter put me in that position. Not even when Carter came to my defense. If those remains come back to be my mother’s, Fred will make sure my hands don’t touch this case.”
“I’m pretty sure it has more to do with your relationship with me and my family.” He looped his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. “He’s only doing it because he cares about you and I’m sure he’d consider pulling you off even if you weren’t dating me.”
“That’s what he said.” She rested her head against Noir’s shoulder. “I can’t believe this is happening and I want to wring your father’s neck. I totally get he thought he was doing me a favor, but in turn, he didn’t help himself—or your mom—any.”
“They haven’t done anything wrong.”
She jumped off the chair. “I can’t believe I’m going to do this.” She went to the closet and pulled out her duffel. “We’re going to ignore the fact that I’m a cop right now. I’m talking to you as your girlfriend.”
“All right.” He arched a brow.
“I found this in the bathroom the morning after you moved in here.” With a shaky hand, she held out a small box.
“What is it?”
“Look inside.”
He lifted the top, gasped, and dropped the box as if it were on fire. “Holy shit. Is that your mother’s? Because it looks exactly like what you’ve described. What the hell was it doing in my bathroom?” He glanced to the floor, then back to her. “I thought we weren’t going to talk about this?”
“If our relationship is going to work, if I’m going to continue spending most of my nights here, we need to be honest where we can,” she said. “I’m not giving it to Fred, the sheriff’s office, or the State’s team. I know I should. I know all the legalities of not doing it and I’ve probably lost my motherfucking mind. But my prints are all over it, so it’s already been compromised. Not to mention, I don’t want to give it up.”
“I don’t mean to be accusatory, but Anna used the bathroom the night I moved in.” The moment the statement left his lips, he realized what a dick move it was, but he stated a fact. Something Tamsyn—as a cop—should appreciate and needed to know.
She narrowed her stare. “What are you suggesting? Anna’s a lot of things, but why on earth would she do that? Why would she keep something so precious to me for all these years and then randomly shove it in your medicine cabinet? Especially when all she’s ever wanted was to be closer to me. To feel a connection to me. That would be one way to accomplish that.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to imply she was trying to harm my family. I’m tired. I’m frustrated. I don’t like what’s happening to my parents. I’m grasping at straws and Anna hates my mother.” He held up his hand. “I mean no disrespect, but if Anna did have that necklace and she had given it to you, it would have driven a bigger wedge. Especially if she had waited any length of time to give it to you.”
Tamsyn opened her mouth, but quickly snapped it shut. She shifted her gaze to her coffee. “We’re speculating, but I’ll agree that could be true,” she said. “But let’s look at what we do know. Anna and your mom are cruel to each other. They say mean things. Torment one another. Pull stupid stunts over a stupid showcase and other status things in this town. It’s been going on for years. Everyone sees it and it’s not one-sided. Your mom has done some shitty things to Anna. I could name a few if you want.”
“I’m going to be a dick, but Anna showed—”
“Yeah. The note. It was underhanded. Desperate. But I talked to Anna about that. She’s sorry and knows it was a bitch move and she shouldn’t have done it.”
“It doesn’t help how my family looks in all this. It goes beyond being cruel. And Anna did it with the sole purpose of putting ideas in everyone’s head about your mom’s disappearance and my mother’s possible role in it. It’s defamation, at the very least.”
“I understand why you’re angry. But if it wasn’t that, Anna might have tossed some other transgression in Weezer’s face, and they are plentiful.” Tamsyn eased into his arms. “That letter could be about anyone. It’s actually not relevant in this case,” she said.
“Relevant or not, people are talking. You should know better than anyone how the rumor mill works in this town. You’ve been at the center of it. So has my mom and my entire family. And we’ve faced it longer and with more scandals than you. I don’t know if we can survive another one.”
“I’ve never seen your dad so shaken before. Fred took that as him looking guilty, but the only thing I see Carter as guilty of is being stupid.”
“My father is anything but.”
“Perhaps, but he should have at least come to me the second he found that box. And he should have called the police and then called us to come to that shallow grave.” She glanced up. “Do you think your parents could be keeping other things from me? About this investigation? My mother? Your father’s all hot to do DNA stuff with a few potential men who could be my biological father, but that scares me.”
“Let him do it,” Noir said. “As for the rest of it.” He shrugged. “I put nothing past my family. If they truly believe they are protecting you, they will hold it close to the cuff.”
