I struggled to hold onto my anger. I had the cuff on—this was my own very righteous fury. “Really? He won’t be happy until he tears my house to the ground to look for evidence that doesn’t fucking exist! I want him off my property. Now!”
“Detective Gillian, dial it down,” he said through gritted teeth.
I took a ragged breath. “Certainly, sir. But as a citizen, I respectfully state that this man is not welcome on my property.
Fussell sneered. “I’m an elected official. I’m on official business.”
The deputy cleared his throat. “Nope. Yer out of yer jurisdiction, and yer not law enforcement. Under title fourteen section sixty-three, if she forbids you to stay on her property, and you don’t leave, then I’m obliged to carry out my duty as an officer of the law.” He spat, then added. “Y’ain’t my boss, Mister Mayor.”
Fussell stared at the deputy, then spun and marched back to the chief’s car, got in, and slammed the door.
The chief gave me a dark glare. “Gillian, the only reason you didn’t just