Semi-Psychic Life (Glimmer Lake #2) - Elizabeth Hunter Page 0,57
the Central Division warehouse in Fresno for the past two days.” Sully slid one arm into his coat. “I realize you’d like to… conclude this process as quickly as possible, but we’re going to have to wait for the full accident-investigation team to finish their report before I release anything or anyone from suspicion.” Sully straightened his jacket and stuffed his hands in the pockets, nodding at Val over Anderson’s shoulder. “Now, if there isn’t anything else, I have work to do.”
Anderson turned and spotted her. “You.”
Val leaned against her truck, keeping her hands in her pocket. “Hey, cheapskate.”
“I know you were at my house.” Anderson’s face twisted in rage as he stalked toward her. “And you talked to Steve Garcia. I know you talked to my wife. I know who your ex-husband is, and I ought to—”
“What?” Val leaned forward and got in his face. “Sorry, what are you going to do to me?” She pointed her finger an inch from his nose and wiggled it around, delighting in his curled lip. “I’m not your poor wife, asshole. You don’t intimidate me. I’ve dealt with toddlers more intimidating than you are.”
His smile was twisted. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
Val laughed. “City boy, I drink your type’s tears with my coffee in the morning.” She looked over Anderson’s shoulder. “You ready to go, Sully?”
A wicked light glowed in Anderson’s eyes. “You know where he is.”
“I’ve cooperated with the police,” Val said. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You know.” Anderson smiled wider. “Good.”
Val shrugged. “No idea what you’re talking about.” She waved her fingers. “Don’t you have someplace to be? Maybe you need to iron your underwear, because I think your panties got a little twisted.”
“Val, don’t tease the nice man.” Sully sidled over to Val and stretched his arm along the bed of her truck. “Anderson, I’ve told you I have work to do. You can leave now. And don’t even think about harassing Josh Mason’s ex-wife or children. If my deputies see you anywhere near town today, I’m gonna give them permission to escort you out of town.”
He raised his chin. “I own a business here.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you have partners, because they’re gonna have to take care of things for a while.” Sully nodded toward his car. “Go on. Get out of here. I have people of my own I can call.”
Anderson curled his lip and backed away from Val. “You’re making the wrong enemies, Sheriff.”
“Probably. I’m kind of crap at sucking up to rich people though.” Sully heaved a sigh. “Good thing I’m independently wealthy.”
“Sure you are.” Anderson walked to his car, pulling out his phone and putting it to his ear as he unlocked his BMW and slid inside.
Val looked up at Sully as Anderson drove away. “Are you?”
“What? Bad at sucking up to rich people? Yeah. I’m really lucky no one ever runs against me for sheriff, because I’m shit at campaigning. Of course, this is literally the lowest-paying sheriff’s position in the entire state, so I don’t think anyone other than me really wants the job.”
“No, are you independently wealthy?”
He shrugged. “I mean, it depends on what you call wealthy.”
Val waited, completely unsatisfied with that answer.
“I retired from LAPD with full benefits and I have a second job here.” He shrugged. “I have some money to mess with and I’m good at picking stocks.”
“No kidding?”
He reached for her backpack. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Can you teach me about picking stocks?” Not that she had any extra money to play with. Val was planning on working until she died. She’d probably be yelling at customers from a wheelchair when she was ninety.
“I could.” The corner of his mouth turned up as they walked to his truck. “Or you could go out on a date with me and we could casually trade stock tips over drinks.”
“That sounds so sexy and cosmopolitan.” She hopped in the passenger side of his pickup.
He threw her backpack onto the back bench of the truck, adjusted something on the shotgun rack in the rear window, and slammed the door closed. “That’s me, Valerie. Cosmopolitan as fuck.”
Chapter 19
The road to Keane twisted and wound through the forest, climbing mountains and dipping through valleys blanketed by snow. The temperature dropped ten degrees as they drove higher and deeper into the Sierras.
Glimmer Lake, as high and mountainous as it was, sat on the very edge of a massive mountain range that was mostly inaccessible. It was easy