“According to Alice, the Dispatch is the third most popular paper behind only the Wall Street Journal and the Seattle Times.”
“Well… there’s no accounting for taste?” Amanda offered.
A wan smile creased Spenser’s lips. “I appreciate the effort.”
“So, what do you want me to do? Should I drag this Kyra Foster into an empty parking lot and beat the snot out of her?”
“Well, I wouldn’t suggest doing it in a full parking lot.”
Amanda chuckled as Spenser picked the paper back up and looked through the article again, really paying attention to it this time. Her information was specific. It was all incorrect and her conclusions were spurious, but it was specific. It led her to one conclusion.
“What is it?” Amanda asked.
“She’s getting her information from Alex Ricci. He was her source.”
“Why do you say that?”
“This article has a clear bias and a clear agenda. Its purpose is to put me in a bad light over his brother’s trial,” Spenser said. “That could have only come from him.”
“I thought he was trying to kill you. Why would he stop doing that and then expose himself by giving an interview?”
“It’s a good question. Waging a PR war doesn’t seem like his style.”
“Maybe this isn’t coming from him?”
“I’m positive it is,” Spenser said, her tone grim. “I don’t know what purpose it serves or what he’s up to now.”
The phone on the corner of her desk buzzed. Knowing it was Alice, Spenser picked it up before it stopped ringing.
“What is it, Alice?” Spenser asked.
“Sheriff, Mayor Dent is on her way to your office,” Alice replied quietly. “And a word of warning, she doesn’t look happy.”
“Great. Thank you for the heads up.”
She had no sooner hung up the phone than Maggie Dent, mayor of Sweetwater Falls, stepped into her office. About four inches shorter than Spenser, Maggie was a stout, solidly built woman. Her dusty brown hair was cut short and flecked with gray, her light blue eyes glittered, and she had an incredulous expression on her round, pale face. In blue jeans and a red plaid shirt, she looked like somebody who was comfortable working on a farm—which was what she actually did for a living. Being mayor was Maggie’s side hustle.
At the moment, the mayor looked equal parts flustered and annoyed. Like she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to slap Spenser around or give her a hug, she was pretty sure she already knew what had brought Maggie down to the office today.
“Undersheriff Young, may I have a word in private with Sheriff Song?”
“Of course,” Amanda said.
She cut a quick worried glance at Spenser before backing out of the office and closing the door behind her. Maggie dropped into the chair in front of her desk, laid her palms flat on her thighs, and stared at her in silence for a moment. Her office was so quiet, Spenser could hear the clock on her wall, each tick sounding like another nail being pounded into the coffin of her career. The silence was quickly growing unbearable.
“So, are we going to talk or stare at each other?” Spenser finally asked.
“You’ve seen this morning’s Dispatch?”
“I have.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“What do you have to say to that story?”
Spenser picked up the paper, looked at the story again before dropping it again like it was a piece of trash. She looked at Maggie and shrugged.
“At least it was below the fold?” she said.
“Spenser, this isn’t a joking matter. I’ve already gotten calls from four of our five city council members who are asking questions,” Maggie said, her tone stern. “This is serious.”
“Are they really taking a tabloid story seriously, Maggie?”
“Seriously enough to be asking questions about its validity.”
Spenser ran a hand over her face. “This is ridiculous.”
“Walk me through this, Spenser. Tell me what this is all about.”
Her chair squeaked sharply as she leaned back and blew out a long breath, her frustration levels rising. This was starting to go well beyond ridiculous.
“Maggie, this story, if that’s what we’re calling it, is a plant by Alex Ricci—”
“Alex Ricci? You mean, your old partner’s brother?”
“One and the same,” Spenser replied. “For reasons I haven’t figured out yet, Alex Ricci is waging a PR campaign against me instead of killing me—”
