Here we go. Neil sensed Tony stirring beside him and shot him a warning glance. “What relationships would you be referring to, Mrs. Bains?”

A pair of glasses lay on the table in front of Andrea. She put them on and peered at him as if he were a specimen under a microscope. “To start with, it has come to our attention that you and Sergeant Pinato are personal friends. It may be advantageous if we had someone more … well, shall we say, more impartial, to lead the investigations. We have no choice but to request alternate and additional resources from the OPP.”

Neil and Tony glanced at each other and smiled.

“And,” she continued, “I dislike mentioning this, Chief Redfern, but we also have to consider your relationship with Bliss Cornwall …”

Tony interrupted. “Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall.”

Andrea drew back and stared across the table as though the chair had spoken out of turn. “She has been interfering with these investigations, and you, Chief Redfern, have allowed it to continue. She even accused my husband of murder.”

Bains nodded approval at this wife’s summation. “As a courtesy, we want to officially inform you of our decision to contact the OPP and request a replacement for Sergeant Pinato.”

There was that word courtesy again. Neil had had enough of this crap. Before he could fire off a response, Glory beat him to it.

“Just a minute, Mr. Mayor. You told me you were calling this meeting so the board could ask the chief and Sergeant Pinato to update us about the deaths. There has been no prior discussion about the other matters Mrs. Bains has raised tonight. I believe you are both out of order.”

“What’s going on?” Bert asked, shaking his empty bag. “Did I miss a vote?”

Neil stood up. “I agree with Ms. Yates. Let’s all calm down and discuss these murders.”

He stared down at Bains. “You mentioned two murders? We have three. Don’t forget Faith Davidson. The discovery of her remains is connected with the two more recent murders. Bliss Cornwall was present at the grad party and was one of the last people to see Faith before she disappeared. As were you, Mayor Bains. Ms. Cornwall knows all the suspects, as do you. If you believe I have been sharing confidential information with her, then by all means report me to the relevant authorities. Don’t forget to explain that, since you are one of the suspects, I felt it prudent not to share all aspects of this ongoing investigation with you.”

Bains clenched his fists on top of the folder, and his mottled complexion left no doubt how he viewed Neil’s comment. Andrea patted her husband’s arm, but he jerked away from her touch.

Neil put his hands on the table and leaned forward. “Just to make myself clear — you, Mr. Mayor, are a suspect in three homicides, and that status trumps any updates you feel you are privy to as head of the Police Services Board.”

He walked over to stand beside the door, arms folded.

Tony got to his feet. He slid a card across the table to the mayor. “Here’s my boss’s contact information. Feel free to call him if you want to lodge a complaint about me, or ask for a replacement. Good luck with that.”

He turned his attention to Andrea Bains. “Madam, Chief Redfern and I have worked several investigations together. During that time, we have developed a bond. If you can prove this murder investigation has been negatively affected by our relationship, then you, too, are welcome to call my boss.”

In the doorway, he turned. His glance swept over the mayor and his wife. “As far as I’m concerned, my part in this witch hunt is over.”

Glory pulled her eyes away from Tony and pushed her chair back. “I propose we adjourn this meeting. There won’t be a vote taken here tonight.” She hurried out of the room, closely followed by Neil and Tony.

Neil closed the door without looking back.

CHAPTER

thirty-eight

“You know Rae is here, right? She’s not leaving,” I called out to Redfern who had just dumped a sports bag on my bedroom floor and unceremoniously shoved my clothes aside in the tiny closet to hang up a garment bag of uniforms. He beetled into the bathroom without even stopping to kiss me.

The shower stopped. “What?”

“Rae. She stays.”

“I’m not asking her to leave.” He came out rubbing his wet hair with a towel. The rest of him was moist and pink from the hot water. I envied him — all men, in fact. No matter what they have to offer, they’re proud of it, and show it off at every opportunity. In Redfern’s case, his pride was justified. Flat stomach, rippling muscles, but not overdone. He belonged to a men’s soccer league and they played all year round, our small town boasting an indoor field, and he had the thighs and calves to prove it.

“Like what you see?” He threw his towel into the bathroom and slid into bed. “I’ll have to ask you to keep your hands off me tonight. I haven’t slept in days.”

“Get over yourself. Except for a few minutes during the changing of the guard this afternoon, I haven’t slept for days, either. And I’m traumatized from the attempt on my life. If you lay a finger on me tonight, you’ll lose it.”

“You never were easy, Cornwall. It took me nearly four months to get you into bed.”

“You should have tried a little harder. You’d have gotten laid a lot sooner.”

“You’re a cruel woman, telling me that now. Wait, I forgot. Shows how tired I am.” He got out of bed and went to the closet, scrabbling around on the floor. He came back with his gun and placed it on the bedside table, barrel facing away from his head. Always the safety nut.

“Don’t touch it. We need to get a safe in this house to stow my gun in when I’m here.”

“Yeah, that’s what I need. A gun safe. I’m sure you wouldn’t even tell me the code.”

“You got it.” He turned off the lamp and rolled away, facing his gun.

I poked him.

“Cut it out. I told you, I’m too tired.”

“Tell me what happened at the board meeting and I’ll leave you alone. What did the Weasel say?”

He groaned and turned onto his back. “Nothing much. He threatened to have me and Tony replaced as investigators. Tony told him to bring it on. I mentioned I couldn’t share details of the investigations since he was on the suspect list. That didn’t go down well, so short meeting. Glory was supportive and ended the meeting before there was bloodshed. But she looked like she had a headache or wasn’t feeling well.”

“A hangover, trust me. She spent the afternoon at Dougal’s house, drinking white wine and explaining why it was his fault she used to be an emotional ice queen. I’m surprised she was useful at all. Did they threaten to fire you?”

“They did, in a roundabout way. Will you move back to Toronto with me?”

“Probably not. Did they mention me?”

“They mentioned you at great length, with fire heating up their cold blue eyes.”

“Aw, what a poetic turn of phrase. Have you noticed their eyes are the same colour? Spooky.” Dead silence was the only response. I digested what he had told me. I poked him again.

“What!”

“What did they say about me? Specifically.”

“Specifically, the charming Andrea is incensed because you accused her husband of murder. Whose murder she didn’t really say. Maybe Faith’s, maybe all three. And word is out about your playing detective.”

“Well, shit.” I mused on that for a bit. “Kelly wasn’t dead when … I last conversed with the Weasels. She exaggerates.” Whew. My visit to the law office of Bains and Mrs. Bains on Friday morning hadn’t been mentioned at the meeting. Guess I caught a break there.

Redfern didn’t snore, a big plus in a bedmate. He just went into a coma when he slept, but could wake up in an instant. I prodded him in the back.