Page 21

Talk of the Town

T his morning was a flurry of activity. A house full of animals, people, and food smells filled my senses from when I woke to when I walked out the door. Wolfie and Presley got up and made waffles with an embarrassing amount of fixings. Saoirse flitted about the kitchen like a Disney fairy. We all had to be at important events, so the fashion show before we left killed me.

My first parents’ night at WHFS is tonight, and I’ve been working on my syllabus and displays all week. Presley has a presentation at the lower school; being the town doctor, he’s in charge of vaccination drives and physicals for sports. Wolfie is even more nervous than me. The sheikh arrived, and he’s meeting with Jamie and my baby vet about the training and care plan for Mehdi. I tried to talk him through some of the cultural aspects, but he’s been on pins and needles. Seer chuckled at him and gave me a big wink before she took off on whatever adventure she’s got scheduled.

I haven’t had this many people around in a long time, much less occupying my home as if they’ve moved in. It’s both cozy and weird at the same time. In Richmond, I was almost a hermit. I learned to keep myself busy with training and studying; here, I’m spending an equal amount of time working and socializing with the crew filling my house.

“ Mow !”

Turning my head, I look over at Jekyll with a grin. The animals are the biggest change, and the one I’m having the least trouble accepting. Hyde adds her own yowl to her companions before sticking her head out the window again. I know Eury is flying above us, following with her sharp eyes, watching the landscape for threats. I’m not sure that I agree with the guys’ OR my animals’ overprotective stances, but rather than hurt any feelings, I’ve allowed them to fuss over me a little.

See? Even I can bend when I choose—I’m not a complete brat.

The facade of the municipal building comes into view, and I whip into a parking space near the front, humming under my breath. The purpose of this trip is to register Eurayle as a companion animal, but I have a hidden aim as well. My plan is to wander down to the public records section and take a peep at the history of the town. I want to figure out what that ‘hostile takeover’ nonsense Hazel spouted was. I have a feeling that it’s tied to whatever the hell my parents were into. Nothing in this town happens without the Town Council hearing about it, so I figure it’s got to be in the records somewhere.

I stride towards the front of the building, nodding at Eurayle when she finds a suitable perch on a bench outside. They can license her—or whatever—without cramming an enormous bird into an office building, I think. Jekyll and Hyde continue following me, and I chuckle under my breath. Neither of them let me out of their sight unless the guys are in my room, and even then it’s reluctantly. Wolfie has the best luck with getting them to trot off without a lot of glares. I don’t know why, but Prez always gives them a wide berth.

It’s weird, but what the hell about this town, the past week, or my current life isn’t?

The first set of steps is flat, but the second is older. The building is antebellum architecture—brick with a tall, domed clock tower. They’ve added onto it, but someone took great pains to match as much of the original structure as possible. The ornate wooden doors at the entrance look beautiful, but I can’t help thinking that Whistler’s Hollow always feels like it’s frozen in time.

Even in smaller cities across America, they have retrofitted city buildings to include emergency doors that lock and surveillance systems. The fear of mass shooters is real in our country—from the farm to the big metropolis—but our town looks much like I’d imagine it did sixty years ago. If it weren’t for the ‘hip’ new business names, I’d wonder if we lived in a Norman Rockwell painting.

Cold air rushes out as I push the heavy oak open, and I stride into the building with the air of someone that knows what she’s doing. I don’t, but fuck if I’m going to give the gossips here a chance to call me weak. Jekyll and Hyde tippity-tap across the marble floors as we step up to the huge maple desk. Aldous Basil Longworth sits on what has to be a special order desk chair that would make a Wall Street coke fiend weep with jealousy. His smug smile as he looks me over from head to toe makes the servals tense beside me and I try to send some sort of quiet... vibe… that lets them know to behave around this vulture.

“Aldous. It’s lovely to see you again,” I say as I widen my eyes and broaden my smile into the affect of a polite socialite. “How are Ophelia and her children?”

The little shit leans back in his enormous chair, folding his hands over his stomach in a mockery of a power pose. “Why, Jolene Whitley, I’m pleased as punch to see our newest citizen. Ophelia and the heirs are superb—in fact, I daresay they will be on top of their classes yet again this year. What brings you to my neck of the woods?”

I roll my eyes inwardly. School hasn’t started, so his rant about their academic prowess is wasted. Also, I went to school with both Ophelia and Jackson—neither of them were candidates for a Mensa membership. However, I smile again, nodding as if I agree. “Excellent news, Aldous. I look forward to meeting them. As for why I’m here, I need to register a third companion. My harpy eagle, Eurayle, showed up at the end of last week, and I’ve been remiss in getting the paperwork done. I apologize for my tardiness while I prepared for students.”

His eyes narrow, and he taps his fingers in annoyance. Aldous didn’t know that a third companion chose me, and hell if I know why that’s vexing him, but he’s got sand fleas up his ass about it. Sitting up in his chair, he reaches for a folder, pulling out a piece of paper and sliding it over the polished surface. “This is your application. Since the Mayor rushed your last one as a personal favor, you won’t be familiar with it. You will need young Dr. Fletcher to sign off on the health of your companion. He’s in demand, so it might take you a bit to get an appointment.”

“I don’t think I’ll have a problem,” I murmur as my lips curve into a smug smile. His gaze narrows as if he is studying me, and I switch back to the Southern ingenue expression to divert suspicion.

“Rumor has it the uncatchable Judge Boone has been following you around, Miss Whitley. I’m sure he wouldn’t appreciate hearing unseemly gossip about you and the town vet. Perhaps you should be more cautious about how you react to suggestions,” he snarks, a cruel smile gracing his features. His eyes are full of promises about just how that rumor would get started.

This little hobgoblin has no idea who he’s messing with. I’ve tried to play their game while I began my investigations, but I refuse to let the snotty elites rule my personal life. Who I spend time with—in or out of the bedroom—is no one’s business but my own.

I bat my lashes, tilting my head as if considering. “Well, he seemed a bit put out that he had to take the middle, but he didn’t get along poorly with them. Thank you for the advice, Aldous! I should take a survey of my men and ensure they feel they’re getting equal attention.” His eyes widen until I think they might pop out of his head, and he swallows. It looks like he’s going to reply, but nothing comes out as his mouth works.

Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I stare back at him as I wait. Jekyll and Hyde sense my impatience, and they jump up, putting paws on the desk as they snarl. When Aldous still doesn’t speak, I hold back a sigh of irritation and ask him the questions I need answered before I go. “I’m so glad we caught up! If you could point me to the town archives, I have a few things to check about property lines, and I’ll be on my way.”

A shaky hand points towards the stairs on the east end of the building, and I nod. Whistling as I walk away, I listen for the telltale tapping of my cats’ claws as they follow me. I can’t have them staying to menace Aldous, even if it would amuse me. I painted a giant target on my back to spite an odious boil, and I’m going to have enough to worry about without adding a second person claiming my cats attacked them, especially since I sort of want to let them.

Being a functional adult is bullshit, and I hate it.

Our trio takes the stairs to the creepy-looking basement, and I cross my fingers, hoping I can find some of the information I need in old dusty records and stacks. If not, I don’t know where to look next. My contacts online seemed to think that one of the best places to start is to sift through minutes from Town Council meetings. I’m not sure why they think reading through people complaining about non-themed holiday decorations or dog poop issues will reveal anything, but I’m willing to give it a go. I can’t imagine a ‘big secret’ being discussed in public forums.

Who the hell am I to judge? I’m hiding valuable clues in linens in the bathroom; I’m not the international super spy type.

I find the room marked ‘Records’ and open it, letting Jekyll and Hyde precede me. They bolt into the rows of shelves as if looking for hidden stalkers, and I chuckle. My crew needs to calm down. It’s unlikely that an assassin is hiding amongst the files and papers in this musty municipal building. However, just to be safe, I leave the door cracked before I drop into a chair at an oak table. Pulling my laptop out of my bag, I set up a space to take notes and file snippets away until I can print and assemble it on the board I’m keeping in the basement.

Yeah, I have a crazy, tin foil hat board with strings and post-it in my gun room. I’ve become a closet conspiracy theorist. Luckily, the guys don’t go down there and Seer doesn’t bother, either. I can escape to my basement of secrets whenever they’re all off on whatever adventures they have without me.

Once I’m set, I get up and walk to the rows, noting they’re organized by year and month, going back at least a hundred years. This must be the bulk of the town records—I can only assume the older stuff is stored somewhere less accessible. Documents prior to the 1900s would be valuable and delicate, and I suppose you’d have to request to view them. I hum under my breath, deciding that I should start about fifty years ago because it would be around the time my parents were born. I know that my father’s family tree begins in the Hollow and my mother met him in college at State.

I should be able to trace the changes in the town makeup by reading through the documents month by month until I hit the jackpot.

“ Mow !”

“Yeah, Hyde. We’re in for a looooong afternoon, lady. Settle in. We have research to do.”