I put on my costume of war—black pants, black button-up shirt, stilettos that could kill a man with a jab to the chest, and a high ponytail—and hit the lobby of the hotel. I printed out a fresh copy of the dates a particularly loud guest of ours had visited the hotel. Then I printed out a document with the dates of all the new businesses that had gone into Auburn Hill the last few years. And then the coup de grâce.
A picture of the used condom from the last time that woman had come to visit and tore apart the hotel room.
I grimaced just looking at it. What kind of animal doesn’t dispose of their used condom appropriately? Putting that picture at the back of the stack, I stuck it all in a manila folder and headed out the door.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can, Crystal. Hold down the fort.”
Crystal stood tall behind the front desk and saluted me. Far as I know, neither one of us had been in the military. My tone must have held some of my rage.
Keeping with the military theme, I marched right over to City Hall and blew right past the mayor’s secretary. She was a nice lady and I couldn’t let my burning inferno of rage singe her too. This was between me and the mayor.
“…have to do it as soon as possible—”
The heavy wood door banged against the opposite wall as I entered with a self-righteous flourish, startling Mayor Bennett. He whispered goodbye into the phone and put it down, jumping to his feet, eyes wide.
“Miss Waldo. To what do I owe the pl—”
I slammed the door closed behind me, cutting off his bullshit. “I’m not here for pleasantries, Mr. Bennett.”
Striding forward with bold confidence surging through my veins, I slapped the folder down on his desk. Up this close, I could see his dark eyebrows were starting to sport some gray hairs. The fine lines around his eyes didn’t detract from his handsome face. He may be the devil with a penchant for farm animal sex, but the man was damn good looking, more’s the pity. Interestingly, Rip, his son, had gotten all the good looks, but none of the devilry. Rip was as pure as sunshine like his mama, which was probably why the mayor had no use for him. Mr. Bennett only understood corruption. I was sure of it. So sure I was betting my entire revenge plan on him and his questionable activities.
“What’s all this nonsense, young lady?” The mayor’s eyebrows drew together in a scowl that might have made me waver on any given day. But not today, Satan.
I smiled and his frown faltered on the edges. “I think you’ll have some interest in what I have here in my folder.”
I flipped it open and drilled the first page with my index finger, feeling like a badass Nancy Drew. “Dates that one M. Smith checked into Hill Hotel.” I let his gaze scan the page before flipping it dramatically to the next. “Dates new business projects of yours have been greenlit by the city council. Note the one- to two-month delay after each and every visit by one M. Smith.”
Next page flipped. The condom in all its blown-up, eight-by-ten full-color glory.
The mayor sucked in a breath and I knew deep down in my bones like I knew flats were for sissies, I had the man’s attention now.
“M. Smith keeps a man’s company on each of her visits.” In all honesty, I was speculating here. It could have been a different man each time. But I was the betting sort and I placed all my chips on the mayor being her one and only paramour. “Thankfully, they left evidence. Evidence that I turned over to Lucille Sutter, a purveyor of sperm, if you will.”
Now this part was the flat-out lie, not that my ace poker face would ever give it away. I’d sealed that used condom up in a Ziplock and stashed it under my bed like a total weirdo. But if I had given it to Lucy for examination, she could have done all kinds of tests on the sperm, coming back with DNA evidence that any jury would have a hard time disputing.
The tick-tock of the antique clock on his desk kept time while Mayor Bennett swallowed repeatedly, gaze trained on the photo.
“DNA evidence should be coming through any time now.” I put both fists on the desk and leaned in, a rush of adrenaline making me feel high as a kite. I hadn’t watched CSI all these years for nothing. I knew how to intimidate a suspect. “Question is, what shall I do with this evidence? Turn it in to my father? Or…?”
The mayor’s gaze swung up to mine, anger, embarrassment, and desperation mixing together, each warring for center stage. His nostrils flared. My own rage recognized his. Oh yes, I knew what it was like to be angry and desperate. Two could play that game.
“What do you want?” he spat.
I stood straight and then sat down in one of the chairs opposite his desk, reclining like I had all the time in the world. “It’s not really about what I want, Mayor. It’s about what we can achieve together.” I laced my fingers and set them in my lap, cool, calm, and collected.
The dirty look he gave me would wither a lesser woman, but as it was in my rage, I was untouchable. He sat down in his chair, the leather creaking as he shifted, unable to find a comfortable spot. Hard to get comfortable when a “young lady” has your nuts in a vise you can’t escape.
He made a rolling motion with his hand, so I continued. “You agree to never allow the town of Auburn Hill to do business with Daire Beneventi. In exchange,
