Close To The Edge (Westen #2) Read Online Free Page A

killer meatloaf and ignored the multitude of curious stares.
    “Well, frankly Ruby should’ve retired years ago. And now, with her falling on her way to work this morning, we’re just wondering if she’ll try to sue the town for not providing adequate transportation.” The mayor sat back and adjusted his suit, waiting for his reply. The three councilmen nodded like bobblehead dolls.
    The sheriff’s office had employed one secretary-dispatcher for the past fifty years, Ruby Martin. Working for the department was what kept her young, that and the fact she walked to work daily. Unfortunately, today she broke her hip on the way into work which had left him shorthanded. And here Tobias was trying to score political points at her expense.
    Gage cut another chunk of the meatloaf with his fork, scooped it through thick brown gravy and ate, chewing slowly and letting the quartet wait on his answer. He hated politicians, he hated attention seekers, he hated people who used other’s problems to make themselves look important, but today he really hated anyone getting between him and Lorna’s meatloaf special.
    “Gentleman,” he said as he finished, setting his fork on the rim of the plate. “Rest assured that Ruby has no intention of suing the town.”
    “Are you promising us there will be no repercussions?” Richard Davis, the newspaperman asked, taking out his pad and pencil.
    “No, Dick, I can’t. But off the record ,” Gage said loud enough for everyone to hear him, “I’d say Ruby won’t want to bother. Everyone knows she kept working because she liked the stimulation. She walked to work because she liked the exercise. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
    He managed to leave the café with only a dozen people stopping him to inquire after Ruby’s health.
    ***
    Bobby looked at her watch again.
    Breathe. Exhale. Breathe again. It wasn’t that bad.
    She’d managed to survive her first hour locked in a jail cell. Albeit a very small cell.
    Cut it out. The cell was probably a standard size .
    From her sister’s conversations over the last few years she knew the overbearing sheriff couldn’t hold her for more than twenty-four hours without formally charging her with something. So technically she had twenty-three hours left to go. She could do this.
    Her stomach growled.
    Great. This morning she’d been so excited to get started she’d inhaled a sausage sandwich and coffee on her way out of Cincinnati and nothing since.  Weren’t they required to feed prisoners?
    She leaned into the cell’s door. “Officer?”
    No response. Up front the deputy’s shoes shuffled across the wood floor and his low muttering filled the silence as he talked to himself.
    “Deputy?” She called a little louder. “Excuse me, Deputy?”
    A moment later he filled the doorway. “Yes, ma’am?”
    “Could I have something to eat and drink? Please?” Her mother always said a man loved a sweet voice more than a sour face.
    “Ma’am, Gage didn’t give me permission to leave.”
    “Please call me Bobby, Deputy. You don’t have any water or snacks up there in the office? Or maybe you could give me my purse. I have a bottle of water and a granola bar in it.”
    He looked like he was going to refuse, but her stomach picked the most opportune time to growl very loudly. The deputy grinned at her and turned away. A moment later he returned carrying her bag. She reached for it, but he held it out of her way.
    “Now, the rules say you’re not supposed to have access to your belongings while in jail, but Miz Ruby told me never to rummage through a lady’s purse without her permission. So, I’ll just get those things out while you’re watching. Okay?”
    What was she supposed to do, refuse? Besides, he was being nice enough to give her the water and snack bar. That was more than she could say for the pigheaded sheriff.
    “That’ll be fine, Cleetus.” She smiled when he blushed just like one of her middle school students.