to roll up any time now, drum up publicity for your movie? That’s what I’m guessing this is all about.”
Griffin said easily, “I suggest you contact the sheriff again, Fayreen. I’m expecting a squad of FBI agents in about”—he looked down at his watch—“twenty minutes. Believe me, you don’t want to face them alone.”
Did he see any doubt in her eyes? He didn’t think so. She said, “Now, that sounds like another whopper to me. I mean, where are your wing tips? And your black FBI suit and white shirt and buzz-cut hair?”
“Do you wear your uniform on vacation?”
“Don’t get smart with me. And you stop trying to scare me with talk of the FBI coming. It won’t work. I’m not about to bother Booker with your tall tales. He’s eating barbecue with the family tonight, the whole family. Rafer’s daddy and mama will be there, that’s Mr. Quint and Mrs. Cyndia, trying to figure out what this is all about, after, of course, they go to the hospital to visit their poor boy.”
Griffin shrugged. “Up to you, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“I’m going to take you to the interrogation room. It’s not comfortable like Booker’s office. You walk in front of me and don’t try anything funny.”
Griffin raised an eyebrow. “Interrogation room? You have so many criminals running around in Gaffer’s Ridge you need a designated interrogation room?”
Fayreen shook her head, curled her lip at him—an amazing feat, really—and directed them down a short hallway that gave onto the station’s central room. She pointed right, to a room labeled INTERROGATION, and opened the door, waved them in. “Sit down and don’t even think about trying to run. I’ll bring in your visitors.”
Griffin and Carson walked into the room with Jewel and Brewster on their heels. The room was at least larger than the cell Griffin and Carson were sharing.
Fayreen said from the doorway, “Here they are, all worried about you.”
“I don’t believe this,” Jenny said, and ran over to Griffin to hug him.
Brewster stepped in front of her. “Step back, Ms. Wiley. No touching the prisoners. All of you, sit down, keep your hands on the table where I can see them.”
Jenny looked Brewster up and down. “These hands make your tacos. Be nice to these hands.”
22
* * *
Griffin nearly burst out with a laugh, but not Aimée Rose, she was nearly sputtering. “Come on, Brew, you think we’re here to bust them out of jail? And what is this ‘Ms. Wiley’? You’ve eaten more meals Jenny’s cooked for you than your wife has. Carollee told me so herself.” Aimée Rose shut her mouth then, better not to rub salt in the wound. Word was Brewster was a bully, mean as a snake, and he sometimes knocked his wife around after a bender, but who knew what would set him off?
Brewster said from between seamed lips, “Don’t you call me Brew, like I’m a damned beer. I’m Deputy Sheriff Brewster.”
“Why not?” Jenny asked. “Everyone else does, like they call Jewel FJ—Family Jewels.”
Jewel’s face turned crimson.
Jenny said, “It’s all right, it’s all in good fun.”
Griffin grinned. “What about the sheriff? Does he have a nickname?”
Brewster wanted to flatten the pretty boy. He couldn’t right then, but he was going to talk to Carollee for sure, ask her what she’d been saying about him. He’d probably have to rearrange her thinking a bit. He felt Jewel’s hand on his sleeve, shook it off. He looked down at his watch. “You’re only running out of visiting time, shooting off your mouths.”
Griffin nodded. “You gentlemen can leave now.” But they didn’t, probably on Sheriff Bodine’s orders. They stood by the door, their backs to the wall. Griffin ignored them, said to Aimée Rose, “Come on, babe, time to calm down. Last thing I need is for you guys to be tossed into our cell with us. It really isn’t big enough for four of us, and there’s only one john.”
Jenny looked ready to burst. “Don’t you dare joke about this, Griffin Hammersmith. It isn’t funny, it’s fricking outrageous. You know your boss called Aimée Rose, told her about your call to him? He asked her all sorts of questions about the sheriff. Why didn’t you call us?”
Griffin glanced over at Jewel and Brewster. “I’d hoped Savich could deal with the sheriff without any fuss. Plus, the sheriff took my cell.”
Carson sat forward, raised her voice. “Griffin said the Richmond Field Office should be here soon to bust us out.”