Mandy reached over, smacking the top of his head lightly. “That’s not what I was referring to. I was talking about the corruption scandal.”
“Oh.”
“What do you think will happen?” Finn questioned.
Mandy shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ve worked for the county long enough to know that someone will lose their job over this.”
“The sheriff?” James asked, his tone hopeful. He didn’t have a lot of respect for the department.
“Doubtful,” Mandy said. “He’ll blame someone else. We may never know who actually stole the money – or where it went.” Mandy raised her hand to her stomach, her face twisting uncomfortably. “Crap. Not again.”
The Hardy brothers watched her go, cringing in unison when they heard the office-bathroom door slam shut.
“Did the doctor give you any idea when she would be better again?” Finn asked. “I actually feel a little sorry for her.”
James sighed, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “Hopefully tomorrow. I’m supposed to make sure she eats bland food for a week.”
“That sounds fun,” Grady said. “Maybe you should make her some soup? You could put a little apron on, and serve it to her in bed like a good boyfriend.”
James pushed his chair away from his desk and got to his feet, ignoring the pointed jab. “My blonde calls. Do you guys need anything before I cart her upstairs for the night?”
Finn shook his head. “Just take care of her. I actually miss the nonstop sarcasm and teasing.”
James smiled, the expression rueful. “Me, too.”
Five
Sophie was ready for war. Sure, it wasn’t actual war – but she was going to be slugging it out in the trenches with some of Macomb County’s best, brightest, and most powerful over the next few hours, and the thought made her giddy.
That’s as close to war as she ever hoped to get.
She settled into a chair in the back row of the county-commission chamber, notebook in hand, and surveyed the room. County commission meetings were often full – but this room would be overflowing within the next fifteen minutes. The corruption scandal had caught the attention – and ire – of the entire county.
The financial crash that hit the nation as a whole years before was still causing problems in Michigan. The automotive industry was struggling to recover. Since Southeastern Michigan’s economy was based on the automotive industry to a large degree, even decades after the auto boom that solidified the state’s reputation was almost forgotten, that meant a lot of people were still struggling financially. That meant they were angry. And, when people were angry, they wanted someone to blame. The government was an easy mark.
Sophie listened to a few people as they talked around her. Most were expressing outrage. Others had some wild conspiracy theories, most of which couldn’t possibly be true. Some, though, were silent and fixated on the chairs in front of the room. Waiting. They didn’t have to wait long. The county commissioners filed in and sat down in their designated spots within a few minutes.
Sophie recognized the county sheriff, Aaron Morgan, standing against the far wall. He was scanning the room and, when his gaze fell on her, he let it settle for an uncomfortable minute. Sophie met his accusing glare evenly. She wasn’t about to back down now.
The commission chairman banged the meeting into order. Sheriff Morgan broke eye contact first, focusing his attention on the front of the room. After a few seconds, Sophie shifted her gaze there as well.
The meeting went pretty much how she expected it would. Public comments were on the agenda at the beginning, which meant a steady stream of angry residents and public accusations kicked everything off. By the time everyone said their due, the entire room felt like a cesspool of rage.
When it was finally time for the county commissioners to discuss the situation themselves, Sophie wasn’t surprised by what happened.
“I think we need to form an investigative panel,” said Peter Hamblin, a Republican from Harrison Township. “We can’t afford this kind of graft on the county level. We need to find out where that money went, who took it, and then take the appropriate steps to get it back.”
The crowd murmured their approval.
“I agree,” said Tara Black, a Democrat from Roseville. “I think we should have at least six people on the panel. How about three from each party? That assures both sides have representation and will be able to follow whatever paths they see fit. We need to work together on this.”
Sophie knew there was no way anyone would argue. Picking a political affiliation over a united front at this point would just further enrage people.