Page 44

She was so damn smiley all the time.

Maybe that was why I liked her so much. She never seemed to be in a bad mood.

“Was there any issues that we need to be aware of?” Gentry asked.

“No, why?” Her smile slipped.

Gentry shrugged. “Just making sure. We like to keep the place safe.”

“Everything’s fine,” Brianna said before going back to her phone call.

Gentry sauntered over to us. “What’s going on?”

“My guess,” I grumbled, “is that those two didn’t want me here, so they called to say there was a disturbance. There was not.”

Gentry looked toward the two women.

Both of them smiled and waved.

Dempsey stepped away to go talk to them.

“Maybe you should go, too,” Zee suggested. “That new deputy doesn’t seem to be very rational where Jessamy comes in.”

Gentry looked me over. “Did you walk here? I just saw your car at the sheriff’s department.”

“I did,” I said. “I wanted it. Black has my keys, though. And why is it there? I left it at city hall.”

Gentry shrugged. “I don’t know. But Black is out at Camp Grizzly. So you probably won’t get those keys or your car anytime soon.”

Zee stiffened.

Understanding her worry, I asked, “Why’d they need the sheriff out there?”

“Someone decided to butcher some animals and leave them on Milo’s doorstep.”

Zee shifted uncomfortably.

“Are they thinking it was one of the campers?” I questioned.

Gentry shrugged. “It happened after a party. There were several campers camping out in his living room. And he doesn’t record his private spaces.”

Meaning, he’d have no clue who did it because there’d been too many people who had access to his personal house.

“Shit,” I said.

“Shit,” he agreed.

Dempsey came back over, her face lined in stone.

“I think it’s time for you to leave,” she suggested as she came to a standstill next to me, close but not touching. Clearly an attempt at intimidating me.

“I’m not going anywhere,” my back stiffened. “I’m here drinking coffee. I haven’t caused any problems. The owner hasn’t kicked me out. Other than those two not wanting me here, I have zero reason to leave. So I’m staying.”

“I could make you leave,” she started.

“Dempsey,” Gentry said. “Not this one.”

Dempsey stiffened. “Why not?”