The Vampire's Mail Order Bride(34)
She was relieved that the truth was out. Hugh had handled it far better than she’d expected. Of course, he still needed her or he’d lose his inheritance. She was okay with that. She was using him. He might as well get something out of the deal.
His decision to call the sheriff on her behalf was unexpected. And caring. It made her feel even worse for lying to him in the first place. Maybe she’d find out from Stanhill what kind of sweets he liked and whip him up a batch of something. It was the least she could do.
“Delaney?” he called upstairs. “Sheriff Merrow’s here. We’re in the library.”
She left Cappy on the bed and ran down the hall. “Coming.”
When she got downstairs, Stanhill was serving coffee to a beast of a man barely contained in a cop uniform. Sheriff Merrow’s resting face looked permanently unimpressed. His thick dark hair was on the long side of short. Probably as long as he could get away with, being a sheriff. She guessed if he smiled, he’d be pretty handsome. She also guessed smiling wasn’t big on his list of things to do.
Hugh introduced her. “Delaney, this is Sheriff Hank Merrow. Sheriff, this is Delaney James.”
Sheriff Merrow nodded and put his coffee on the side table as they all sat. “Mr. Ellingham tells me you witnessed a murder?”
“And recorded it.” She explained everything she’d seen, heard and captured in as much detail as she remembered, including her less than satisfactory call to the Brooklyn PD. “That’s really all there is to it. Anthony Rastinelli, my boss—”
“Ex-boss,” Hugh corrected. “You’re not going back to work for him.”
She nodded. “That’s for sure.” She looked at the sheriff. “He’s never done anything to frighten me before, but seeing that side of him scared me to death.”
Sheriff Merrow nodded. “I’ll find out everything I can about the man. Has he tried to contact you?”
“No—actually, yes. He texted me. Offered me a promotion.”
Merrow snorted. “Anyone else tried to contact you since you’ve been here?”
“One of the girls I worked with at the restaurant, Samantha. She said if I didn’t show up, Rastinelli was going to call the cops. And my ex-boyfriend.”
“Your ex texted you?” Hugh’s eyes narrowed.
“Yes. But I haven’t responded to any of the texts.”
“Good,” Sheriff Merrow said. “I’d like the contact information and full names for those people as well. I’ll need a copy of the video, too. Wouldn’t mind looking at the texts, either. If this Rastinelli is involved in some kind of crime syndicate, you have no idea who’s on his payroll.”
The idea sent a new shockwave of fear through Delaney. “Wow. I never even thought about that.” She stood. “I’ll run upstairs and get my phone, then I can give you all that info.”
Hugh and Sheriff Merrow both got to their feet as she left. She flew up the stairs and grabbed her phone, then hustled back down. It was nice to have powerful men like Hugh and the sheriff get all proactive about helping her out. It was a new feeling, and one she liked very much.
As she rejoined them in the library, another voice sounded from the front of the house. “What’s going on? Why is the sheriff’s car out front?”
Stanhill came in with Elenora in tow, his face a mask of consternation. “Your grandmother is here. In case you hadn’t heard.”
Sheriff Merrow stood.
Hugh got to his feet as well, sighing softly. “Good evening, Grandmamma. What brings you by?”
Without Hugh’s asking, Stanhill slipped a tumbler of amber liquid into his hand. Whiskey of some kind.
Elenora lifted her chin in a very grandmother-knows-best sort of way. “I saw the patrol car. I was concerned.”
Hugh’s eyes narrowed. “How did you see the patrol car? You live miles away from here.”
She pursed her lips in frustration. “Alice has a police scanner.”
Sheriff Merrow rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Civilians.”
Elenora put her hands on her hips. “She’s the head of the coven. She needs to keep abreast of what’s happening in the community.”
The coven? As in witches? Did no one else think that was odd? Delaney glanced around. Nope.
Sheriff Merrow snorted. “You mean you need to keep abreast of what’s happening in the community.”
“Sheriff.” Elenora’s smile belied the warning in her voice. “Let’s not start the second vampire—”
“Grandmother,” Hugh barked. “Enough.”
“—werewolf war right here in my grandson’s home.” She frowned at Hugh. “What is the matter with you? Yelling at your grandmother that way. You’re going to make Annabelle think horrible things about you.” She returned her attention to Sheriff Merrow. “Now why are you here again?”