Mal was not in a great mood when he got back into the station house, but he was determinedly ignoring why that was, and concentrating on just being mad at the Nevada State Police. Three days and they hadn't bothered to send a head's up before this. Whoever killed Terence McDonald (whatever, he thought, then stifled the thought fast) would've been in a straight line to go east through to Tonopah, then on to who knew where outside his jurisdiction. If they'd gone a little farther west, they'd be at Serenity, and a lot farther within it. There were times being a Nye County Mountie was no fun at all, 'cause he didn't just have Serenity to worry about, he had the whole damn surrounding area to give him headaches. Somewhere out there in the desert, the person (thing) that killed Terence was hiding, just waiting its time to kill again. And he didn't have damn near enough manpower to deal with it.
Well, at least he wasn't likely to pass the killer on the street at high noon. Half a glass was better than none, right?
"Sheriff? Uh, you got a visitor waiting in your office, sir." Civilian Aide Cheryl Butler's eyes were big and nervous, and she looked like she'd been chewing her nails again. Nineteen, smart as a whip and twice as pretty, but nervy as a canary in a coal mine. It was kind of like having an early warning system for when things were going bad, having her around; the worse things got, the more she shredded her manicure. You could walk in the door and immediately know how many drunks were in the tank by how flaked her nail polish was.
"Do I wanna know who? 'Cause if I don't wanna know, I'm turning around and going fishin'. It's already been one heckuva day, Cheryl."
"Ummm..."
"It's just me, Mal."
He winced as the cool voice floated out from his office, then smiled painfully at Cheryl, who ducked her head. "Didn't I tell you never to let her in again?"
"But she's the Mayor, sir! She pays my salary!"
"Now that is blatantly untrue, Cheryl. The good people of the town of Serenity pay your salary. Madam the Mayor," he said, raising his voice tauntingly, "just signs the checks. It is not the same thing at all."
Inara Serra came to the door of his office, looking as perfect and composed as a magazine glossy pictorial and just as untouchable. Say whatever else you wanted about the woman - that she was a corporation-loving gold-digger with no respect for the way things were done in Serenity, for instance, like he often did - she knew how to dress. He was already feelin' the heat at ten in the morning, and standing there in violet silk and gold, she looked like she was on her way to a cocktail party about to be served chilled champagne. It was annoying, and frankly, she was making him wish for a drink right now. She often did, for many different reasons.
"I heard the news on the radio dispatch. Terence McDonald was murdered last night?" the Mayor asked, her face only showing concern.
"Yeah. Paperboy out of Tonopah found his body, and his dad called it in. Afraid he won't be making it to the next town council meeting, so you'll have less backing for your resort idea when it comes up," Mal responded, picking up a bunch of mail off Cheryl's desk and rifling through it, just to get on Madam Mayor's nerves.
"That wasn't what I was worried about. Is there-- do you know who did this? Do you have any suspects?" she asked, her fingers twisting together.
Her face never gave her away, and her voice was always just as smooth and creamy, but when she was real upset, her hands gave Inara away-- a tell Mal wasn't about to reveal he knew about, in case he needed it someday. Today, it just made him mad that she was upset, then mad at himself that he was concerned about Mrs. Serra being upset, then madder that he didn't have any good answers for her or anyone else who'd be asking him real soon. And wasn't likely to, either.
"We just picked up the body, Mrs. Serra, and I am not gonna speculate about the identity of the killer until the Doc's had a chance to do an autopsy, and the fingerprints come back from Terence's place, and I've had a chance to sit down and think for a spell. So no, I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know who do this, I don't have any suspects, and I would appreciate you not lookin' over my shoulder every five minutes while I'm tryin' to do my job!"
"I didn't mean to imply any criticism of you, Sheriff," she said icily. "I was concerned for the general public's safety and what I'm going to tell the press. You can't believe I thought you'd solved it barely an hour after the call came in."
"I don't know what you believe in, Mrs. Serra. Seems to me, you're likely to believe that a murder's not good publicity and you'll want me to solve this as quick as possible just to keep Serenity looking like the perfect place for the next Lake Tahoe."
"Just because I want this town to prosper does not make me a heartless witch, Malcolm Reynolds. I care about the people here just as much as you do. Maybe I didn't grow up here, and maybe I'm not carrying a gun, but that doesn't mean I don't have their best interests at heart--"
He was just about to shoot back with a nasty retort about 'best interests' when Jayne and Zoe walked into the bullpen, Zoe's husband trailing along behind and collapsing into one of the visitor's chairs in front of Cheryl's desk. Giving the little face-off with the Mayor a wide-eyed look of mock concern, Wash leaned toward the teen to stage-whisper a question. "They pull out the big guns yet, Cheryl? Because I could swear I hear High Plains Drifter echoing on the wind."
Zoe's mouth twitched as she sat on the edge of Cheryl's desk, Jayne grinned sardonically, and Cheryl giggled as the tension in the room eased off a bit, Inara looking embarrassed and Mal feeling kind of stupid. It was stupid to let her get to him, stupid to pick fights with her when he was mad about something else, and especially stupid when she'd hadn't done anything to really piss him off again. Lately.
"Sorry if I was casting you as the Wicked Witch of the West, Mrs. Serra. This thing has got me on edge. But we don't know anything yet, and it's going to take a while. We got too much area to canvass to find any suspects, so if you don't mind..." Mal hinted, rocking back on his heels and nodding toward the door.
She nodded, then smiled slightly, her voice cajoling. "You do realize, that if there was more money coming into Serenity, we could afford to hire more deputies--"
"Just can't let it go, can you?" See, and this was what made him crazy about her. No, this was the thing about Inara Serra that made him crazy, not the other way around. "If we had more money and more people coming in, we'd have more headaches, more transients, more drug traffic, Niska'd be pushing even more than he is, and frankly, I do not need those kinda complications! Things are nice and smooth now - well, except for Terence - and I aim to keep 'em that way!"
"But more officers with real law enforcement experience could only make this easier--"
"'Real law enforcement experience?'"
Zoe winced. "Oh, Inara," she muttered under her breath.
Mal's voice was very pleasant as he replied, but he could see Inara's spine stiffening as he spoke. "You see if you can seduce anyone with 'real law enforcement experience' into coming out to this place when you build it up into a tourist trap - but if you don't mind, I have work to do. I am in charge here, this is the Sheriff's office, and I am the Sheriff. Shoot, I didn't even vote for you. Nobody in this office voted for you. Zoe, did you vote for this woman?"
"I can't say sir, since all votes are confidential--" Zoe tried to answer diplomatically.
"She didn't vote for you, she just don't want to hurt your feelings. Jayne, did you vote for Madam Mayor?"
Jayne looked up from where he'd been picking his nails with a knife, startled. "I voted?"
Mal grinned in triumph. "There ya go--"
"I voted for you," Wash piped up. Cheryl smothered another laugh as Zoe patted her husband on the head.
Mal glared at him, as Inara hid a smile. "You hush. You're Emergency Services, not County Police, and she can go visit the ESO office any day she likes." He turned back to his nemesis, crossing his arms. "The point is, I got voted in, and you got voted in, so we are equals, and I am at least in charge of this jail, so I am telling you to git. So, Madam Mayor Ma'am. Git!"
"I can see you're in no mood for a sensible discussion. And I know you have difficult duties to perform. So I'll consider this topic tabled until the next County Public Meeting." She smiled gently at Zoe and Wash, slightly more kindly at Cheryl. "Always nice to see you, Zoe. Wash. Officer Jayne. Cheryl, you're doing a very good job. Don't let your boss tell you otherwise." She sailed out the door without a backward glance, leaving Mal to fume silently at her parting shot.
"I never said you were doing a bad job, Cheryl."
Cheryl yanked a thumbnail out of her mouth. "No sir, you never did."
"I ain't mad you let her in. She's intimidating, I do get that. Just next time? Call me so's I can avoid her."
"Yes, sir. I'll do that sir."
"Good girl." He sighed, then glared pointedly at Wash. "'I voted for you?'"
"Well, I did. Clement Ryce was senile."
"You still didn't have to vote for her!"
"If it helps, I voted for you too," Wash offered.
"Not right now it doesn't. Right now I'd give this job to the next village idiot who applies." He rubbed a hand across his face, then grimaced. "I'm goin' over to the morgue, I wanna see if the Doc's learned anything. Zoe, call me if the Nevada State Police come up with anything new for us, all right? Jayne, I want you out on the highway, patrolling. We gotta show a presence. Understood?"
"Not really." Jayne looked like he was trying to think, never a pretty sight. "You thinkin' I should be looking for serial killer types, or just scaring the tourists?"
"Just patrol, Jayne. No scaring anybody, but keep your eyes open for..." Hell. If he was right, there was no point, but he had to have Jayne do something. Or they'd both go crazy. "It's necessary." Mal stalked out the door, calling over his shoulder, "Zoe, you're in charge. Make your husband bring you tacos, 'cause you won't be goin' out to lunch."
"Yes sir," she said resignedly as he stepped back out into the heat.
