Then Vance said, “We got trouble.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Social Call
Stella
I fol owed Mace and Vance into the reception area. I nearly ran into Mace’s back because he stopped dead the minute he hit the room. I stepped around him and stared.
Preston Mason was sitting, legs crossed, calm as you please, on the couch.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Jerky George, the DA, was standing just inside the door next to a somewhat unattractive older woman with a pinched face and bags around the ankles of her hose.
Vance had spirited me into the offices for my lunch with Mace. Shirleen hadn’t been around when I arrived but now she was there. She wasn’t seated behind the reception desk. She was standing and she was looking pissed off.
“You’re jokin’,” Shirleen snapped in the direction of the older woman.
“What the f**k are you doin’ here?” Mace asked and with a quick glance I saw he was talking to his father.
“Mace,” Vance said low.
Preston Mason was staring at me.
“I thought we had an arrangement,” Preston asked me.
“Erm…” I mumbled.
Effing hel !
Caught!
“I asked you what you’re doin’ here,” Mace repeated.
Preston’s eyes moved from me to his son, his hands came from where they were resting in his lap and he flicked them out to his sides, cool and calm.
“I came to talk to you. But I’ve been delighted to have the opportunity to watch this drama unfold.” Preston motioned between Shirleen, George and pinch-faced lady.
That’s when, belatedly, I felt a chil crawl up my spine.
“Shirleen, you okay?” I asked hesitantly.
“No… I… am… not,” Shirleen answered.
Oh dear.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Perhaps, Miz Jackson, we can go somewhere private,” the pinch-faced lady suggested.
“Ain’t nothin’ you can’t say in front of my boys.” Shirleen gestured to Mace and Vance.
“You have more people in your audience,” George told Shirleen and Shirleen’s narrowed gaze swung to him.
“Stel a’s my girl. And that one’s a jackass so he don’t count,” Shirleen replied, giving a nod toward Preston Mason.
I nearly laughed but I didn’t.
“Shirleen, take it to Lee’s office. We’l wait until Jules gets here,” Vance put in.