Josie raised her eyebrows. She was an only child, mid-thirties, never married, no kids.
“You’re old enough. I figured I’d show up and find out you were married, with a kid on the way. You and the accountant. What’s his name? Drake?”
“His name was Dillon. And he no longer lives here. He moved back to St. Louis about a year ago. And no. I have no plans for marriage or kids in the near future.”
The intercom buzzed on Josie’s desk phone. Josie took a deep breath and walked over to her desk and pressed the button, telling Lou, “I’ll be with you in a minute.”
As she sat back down at the table, trying to avoid the feeling that her mom was baiting her, she heard the steady clomp of cowboy boots, the precursor to a visit from Mayor Moss. She briefly closed her eyes and wondered if her day could get much worse.
Thirty seconds later the mayor walked into the office, glanced from Josie to her mom, and stopped as if he’d suddenly forgotten why he was here. He played like he’d just walked into the middle of a pleasant surprise.
“Afternoon, Mayor. What can I do for you?” Josie asked.
He looked from Josie to her mom and back again. “Sisters? I definitely see a resemblance here.”
“Mayor Moss, this is my mom. Beverly Gray.”
He gave Beverly a big skeptical grin as if he couldn’t believe it. “Mother? No way. You have to be sisters.”
Beverly stood and walked around the table, stretching her hand out to shake his. Josie was relieved she didn’t go straight for the hug, or, worse yet, the kiss on both cheeks.
“I am so glad to finally meet you!” Her voice was a flirty singsong. “You happen to be the first mayor I have ever actually talked to in person. It is a real honor.”
Moss lit up like a Christmas tree.
“Josie told me all about you. I know she feels very lucky to work with you.”
Josie stared at her mom like she had lost her mind, and then felt the mayor’s eyes on her. She turned to the back of the room. “Anyone want coffee?”
“No, I’m fine, honey,” her mother called.
Honey? And why on earth had her mom told the mayor that Josie had talked about him? Her mom had no idea who she talked to or about, or the fact that Josie and the mayor had a contentious working relationship.
After another five minutes of interminable flirting between the two, Josie repeated, “What can I do for you, Mayor?”
He glanced back at Josie and cleared his throat. “I have intelligence that we need to discuss.”
Josie gritted her teeth. Her tolerance had evaporated.
“I got an anonymous phone call. There’s some bad customers taking up in town.”
Josie turned to her mom and said, “I’ll have to connect with you later.”
Beverly seemed shocked, like she couldn’t believe she was being dismissed. “So, I should just take my bags to your house? Is that what we decided?”
Josie glanced at the mayor and said, “I’ll be right back. Let me walk her out.”
The mayor extended his hand again and said what a pleasure it had been to meet such an outstanding woman. He turned to Josie. “You make sure and show your mama a good time while she’s here in Artemis. Bring her by my office one afternoon, and I’ll give her the big tour around town. You hear?”
“I sure will,” Josie said.
*
Moments later, standing in front of the police station, Josie pointed down the block. “You remember Manny’s Motel? Just remind him that you’re my mom. I’m sure he’ll give you a good rate. Do you need directions to my house for dinner?”
“Nope. I got you in my GPS.”
“Okay. I’ll see you at six, then.” Josie reached out and they hugged awkwardly. “It’s good to see you again.”
*
Back in the office, Moss had regained the stoic expression he usually wore when talking with her, one of a stern, disapproving superior. Josie wondered if he’d been so friendly with her mother just to irritate her, and she realized if that had been his intention it had worked.
Moss sat at the conference table texting on his cell phone. When Josie sat down he laid the phone on the table.
“I got an anonymous tip that something’s going down in Artemis.”
“What kind of tip? A phone call?”
“Somebody left it on the office voicemail. Helen heard it this morning when she got to work.”
“What exactly did it say?”
“There’s the problem. Helen isn’t too techno-literate. She erased the message. But she says a male, not too old, not too young, said there’s some bad business taking place in town and the police had better get a grip before it gets out of hand.”
“That’s all she remembers?”
“You want more?”
Josie laughed, incredulous. “More would be helpful. An anonymous man leaves a vague message about trouble in town. That’s not much to go on.”
“It’s not like we get anonymous tips left on the office answering machine on a daily basis. Obviously something’s up. Be vigilant. Inform the officers that there’s possible trouble. Do I need to do your job for you?”