Chapter 29
A dull shuffle of dishes and silverware accompanied by the soft swell of voices, and light tingling classical music drifted between the conversations that filled the restaurant. Ambiance. The place screamed of ambiance while still holding a degree of the small city charm. The warm and welcoming atmosphere and absolutely romantic. That heightened her discomfort, ever so slightly. Romance wasn't in the cards tonight, at least not where she was involved.
Okay, so maybe Dean was right, the sheriff might have had more of an interest in her than she had believed. She wasn't sure how he'd pinpointed that so clearly. She cursed Dean for even suggesting the notion that she reciprocated. The sheriff caught her attention and she pasted a pseudo smile she hoped didn't look to fake as she adjusted the strap of her purse. Normally, she didn't carry one but without pockets, she needed something more than a knife strapped to her thigh, so the simple black purse carried money, a lighter, holy water, and a gun. Lady stuff, she quipped in her head.
The man was out of uniform and in the simple button-down shirt and slacks, he seemed less imposing, less bulky in civilian clothes. But then the men she associated with could be considered anything but unimposing. She had a hard time being genuinely intimidated by most men given the way she raised, considering who she had grown up with, and her own set of skills.
Mae caught herself as he walked towards her. She realized that line of thought was part of the problem. This wasn't a man who was trying to intimidate her. Judging from this place, he was a normal man probably trying to impress a woman he thought was normal too.
He was handsome in that blue eyed, blond haired Midwestern way. Square jaw, sharp eyes, Greek nose, slightly messy crew cut. He was in shape too. And she wondered if she Dean was just a bit right and her interest in the sheriff might have had little to do with a physical reaction. Maybe she would have canceled or stood him up if he was less attractive or older.
Maybe that was a small part of it. However, during their first exchange she felt a connection to him and she didn't know if it had to do with a shared past link or something else. His father and her father-in-law having worked together was something real, something tangible. And she wanted to know what Tony knew about her husband. Had they known each other?
If he did, maybe this wasn't a date. Maybe it was just a nice dinner with a friend's spouse. Normal people did that, right? Mae realized she was a bit out of her depth on that interpersonal level. How was she supposed to interact with him if he was meeting her as a friend of her husband? She could have done this under her reporter guise or simply as someone out of a date but too this situation mixed too many truths and lies. It would have been far easier if she had just kidnapped him and worked the information out of him, at least in the short time. The soft sell seemed particularly difficult now.
Somehow, she managed to push through the pleasantries and gauche oddities of meaningless conversation. Still, it was difficult to pay attention to Tony. The dull ache at her center was a constant reminder her of something she wanted to forget. That wasn't his fault. The man was nothing but pleasant and charming, in an almost goofy way.
She wanted to push the conversation away from the past, at least away from her past. But what else did she have to discuss? Pushing for details on the dead witch, the spell, Grant Tanner, and of it, needed to be handled with more delicacy and now wasn't the time to bring it up. Mae tried to put herself outside of the case, pretending like she was willingly on a date with someone she wanted to be with.
Dean had gotten to her, he was in her head. He kept her from embracing the role, this version of herself she was supposed to be. This, she thought, was why she needed to keep her emotions as free as possible and Dean didn't help with that. He occupied far too large a part of her mind and worse her heart. Maybe this was all some influence from the spell. She wanted to believe that because when they weren't distracted, she and Dean made a good team. It wasn't Dean's fault, not entirely. He was the catalyst to unpacking a great deal of history and pain. Now wasn't the time to think about that.
Sam had gotten to her too which is why when Tony excused himself, she slipped her flask of holy water out of her purse and stealthy added some to his drinking glass. When he returned, she waited for him to drink. When he did, she relaxed, considering he had no reaction. It seemed safe enough for now.
She smiled and refocused on the present. She found herself sitting with a man who obviously liked her, was kind and funny, and she found herself thinking about two things; her husband and Dean. Neither was an easy subject, neither really made sense to her and yet, here both men were, monopolizing far too much of her time. Focus up, Singer, she told herself.
"Are you all right?"
Her eyes went wide with the realization that he caught her lost in her own thoughts while he had been chatting with her. "I—it's been a really weird day, you know? I think I'm a bit distracted. Sorry."
Rather than be offended, he laughed. "You're tellin' me. You have no idea how our call center lit up when that storm hit."
"Yeah, I've never seen anything like that."
"You're not the only one. I thought it was just some sick joke when we started getting calls about it raining blood."
"I was out it in. Crazy, yes, but obviously it wasn't blood. I've heard about weird phenomenon like this caused by algae or rust particles."
Tony offered a weary smile as he pulled a far more exhausted hand through his short-cropped hair. "Try telling hysterical people that. Maybe you can make sure our little city gets some good press."
They both grinned at the joke but for different reasons. "Well, I'll try but it seems crazier than usually. Unless this is normal."
"Who's to say what's normal, Mae?"
"Good point but the peculiarly high crime rate aside; this can't be business as usually."
Tony leaned in towards her. "Guess someone's been doing her research. You're not using this as an excuse to indulge your story, are you?"
"Me?" With flutter of her lashes and a hand pressed delicately against her chest, she feigned innocence with enough of a twist of her painted mouth to indicate that he was only part right, "It's just odd, that's all. I'm not even trying to talk shop… not really."
"Well, this is out of the ordinary, I'll give you that."
"Since you mentioned it, what the hell is going on here?"
"You know I can't tell you that."
"Off the record."
He sat back, assessing her. She saw the hesitation in his eyes, saw just a little crack in his demeanor. Whether it was because he wanted to talk about it or because he didn't want to slow the momentum of the date by getting into some sort of argument with her, he seemed to be a bit more willing than she assumed. Mae would take the opportunity.
"I'm just...curious, you know? I didn't come here because of all this, I came because of the history of this place and the outrageous crime statistics. Believe me on this, if I were going to lambaste you or your department over anything, it would be over the past 5 years not the past few months." Leaning in closer to share a conspiring smile, she licked her lips. "I'd be run out of town if I reported half the things, I've heard around town about what's going on."
"What have you heard?"
"Nothing you haven't I'm sure; Satanism, the occult, witchcraft, aliens… pretty much everything in between."
"And you don't buy it?"
"Tony, there's a lot I'm willing to believe but some of that is just too out there. I mean, aliens? Gimme a break."
"At least there's that."
"Here's the thing, everything I've found out so far makes it sound like a bunch of weird...supernatural stuff is happening. But there's got to be a logical explanation. So, tell me, you've seen a lot of stuff, what do you believe been happening?"
"A girl was murdered, nothin' more. I don't care how she was dressed up or what people decided she was. At the end of the day that young woman was killed, and I don't doubt for a minute that whoever did it was evil, but not the devil."
Well, Mae thought, the sheriff was right about the evil part and she did have to give him credit for not giving into the hysteria, even if some of it was founded.
"As for the rest, I couldn't tell you. Domestic violence has been up over the past two months, the weather is crazy, and people are starting to notice. It could get out of hand if people start jumping to conclusions. Whatever you write, try and be objective."
She liked him. He was clever, levelheaded, and charming. "Don't worry, you'll never see anything about this in print. When you say DV is up, like how much?"
"Across the board. People you wouldn't suspect."
"Anything serious bodily injuries?"
"Not really, superficial bruises some unwanted… contact."
Her stomach rolled, discomfort filled her. That was it. There were other women or men or couples who'd perhaps had a similar encounter to what she and Dean had, but on less friendly terms. It could have easily gone that way between them. "Contact?"
The smile he gave was filled with an explicit sort of sadness and it told her she already knew exactly what he meant but didn't want to say in polite company. Of course, Mae knew exactly what it meant and what had happened for those couples. She just didn't know why at that point.
"And hell, the fights between people who've been cheated on… it's been worse than I've ever seen." He rubbed a weary hand over his face. "It's been a rough couple of months."
"You sure you should be out with me with everything going to hell around us?" Her voice had a lilting tease to it, but she wasn't really kidding at all.
"Well for the first time I'm grateful the fire department has to investigate the fire at the Morell place. While they're busy, I have a few free hours."
"Fire?" She nearly choked on the sip of water, no doubt giving away more shock than necessary. What the hell had happened after she and Dean left? Anything could have she thought. They certainly hadn't left the place in the best of conditions, but they hadn't burned the place down. Although, it wasn't something they wouldn't do if necessary. Her cheeks felt hot and she hoped she wasn't blushing in an incriminating manner.
"Hell of a thing. Right after the storm so… with any luck, it was caused by lightning."
She and Dean hadn't been that careless. They would have noticed a fire at the house before they left. Maybe it was lightning, but she wouldn't bank on it. "Yeah. Still, frightened people could do a lot of damage when inclined."
He nodded and sincerely wished he could get her off the topic of work. She was certain there was a pattern and once they put the spirit demons down, the town would go back to normal. It wasn't really news, but it seemed to prove her theory.
"So, how's Cal?"
"Cal… yeah, he's... he's good."
"He's popped into my mind more than a few times lately, excluding your visit out here. So, it was kind of serendipitous to get that call from my dad, you know?"
Mae nodded, but she was unsure where he was going with it. Her guard was up again. "Well, sure."
"I remember growing up, he was always so level headed and then he started in on that demon stuff."
She hadn't been aware that he had told others. It made her cover seem stranger now. "Well...you know...we all cope in our own ways. And sometimes... well we have to tell ourselves things to make it all make sense."
"I get what you mean but it didn't sound like he was talking figuratively. He got fired over it."
Mae leaned away from the handsome man. "He did, yeah. Are you worried you're about to jump on the crazy bus and blame this all on… witches or demons? If so, I know a little ranch where ex-law enforcement who people think have gone loony can roam free."
Tony snorted. "C'mon, even you have to think it's a little...out there."
"I've heard a lot of out there things."
The thin redhead had explicitly clear body language and she had been far more comfortable with the talk about domestic violence and strange phenomenon than she was about herself or Cal. "You know, I think I've heard it all. There are some pretty strange things around here. Just east o' here is this mystery cemetery pretty much in the middle of nowhere."
That was intriguing. She knew if she were going to start casing spells, that's where she would head. "Mystery cemetery? Is that anything like one of those tourist traps?"
"Not exactly, that's the way it's marked on the maps, but no one know why or if anyone was ever buried there."
Mae smirked. "Really? I would think it would be pretty easy to figure out the difference between body and no body."
She once again noticed how handsome the sheriff looked out of his uniform and smiling, oblivious to the notion that she was using him, with just a hint of regret for bringing up a tense subject with the woman.
"Places like this, there are always legends Mae." He decided to try one more time, "Now you don't really want to talk about work all night, do you?"
"I, uh, think we covered 'how's the weather' and 'what's up with your crime rate'.'
"If those are your small talk go tos, you're kind of a weird lady."
"I'm a super weird lady." She grinned.
"Well uh part of why I asked you to have dinner with me is because you said your husband had passed. And, you know, Dan and I went to school together."
"Really? That's a crazy coincidence, I mean that we'd end up meeting later."
"He never mentioned me."
"I... I'm sure he did but I..."
"That's alright. It was a long time ago. And we didn't really keep in touch after high school."
"That's too bad. I'm uh... well I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to day."
"I couldn't tell you. Do you mind if I ask a slightly indelicate question?"
She knew that was coming. She had given him just a bit of information, again unsure of what the man might already know. After her husband died, she hadn't kept touch with any of their friends and Dan hadn't had much family outside of his father, Cal. Cal knew the truth. Mae didn't know how much anyone had heard about his death, but they clearly thought his father was nuts.
"Yeah, sure."
"How did...how did Dan die?"
"Intruder. Broke into the house, got the jump on him. I uh...I had been on a trip and got home late, walked in on the whole thing. Uh, about three years ago."
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize. I guess when you said he passed, I assumed it was an accident or something."
Mae shook her head. "No. I'm not sure if that would be better or worse, you know?"
"Was it an attempted robbery?"
"No. I mean, maybe. It's hard to know but I don't think so. He, the man who attacked us was there when I got home and... well, the man-he died from his injuries-"
"His injuries?"
"Well, we put a fight before...anyway, authorities were never able to identify who the guy was or why, because he was dead. I uh...I'm not sure what would make it make sense. So... sorry for going a little morbid on you."
Mae had told him a little more than she intended. Although it he looked up the police report, he'd find the same details. He'd find the crime scene pictures and it wouldn't seem like a convenient lie or cover. She knew he probably wasn't assuming that. He didn't have any reason to doubt her, aside from the fact that it was an odd crime. But he, like most others, wouldn't believe the truth of what happened.
"That's...I asked the question. I just hadn't anticipated the answer."
"Be weird if you did. It's alright. I'm sorry, if you two were friends that we didn't let you know or invite you to the services. I was..."
"A grieving widow."
"Yeah, so, you know...I think if you saw what had been done to me and Dan... well you might start sounding like Cal."
He wasn't sure about that but knew he touched the wrong nerve and the exact nature of what she has been through was not something she was willing to reveal, nor was he entitled to it. But he did wonder what could have happened to bring all that down on a presumably nice young married couple.
She licked her lips. In all honesty, she didn't know what else to talk about. Feeling a bit exposed after sharing something she had only told a handful of people, people who were far closer to her than this man. He was a stranger really who had, years ago known her late husband.
She wasn't particularly skilled when it came to anything in the realm of real dating. The last thing that she had gone on even resembling a date had been years ago. This wasn't a date, she reminded herself. It was business. No matter how handsome the man seemed, no matter how much their shared affection for a dead man made it seem like they had a connection, he was a means to an end. It wasn't fair but if she hadn't been on this case with Dean and Sam, she wouldn't have thought twice about it. She would have used the sheriff, maybe for more than just information without question.
An oddity, Mae thought, as she found herself wanting to feel something more for him. The man seemed genuinely warm and her first impression was that he was a decent guy. She wasn't in the market for a relationship or even sex but looking at him, she thought she should want something like that with him.
The part that did make some level of sense to her was that she knew she would have been more comfortable out with Dean. They wouldn't have come to a place like this, probably. But something casual, something that wasn't just for work or sustenance would have been nice. Where did that feeling come from, she wondered? Romantic dinners and Dean didn't pair naturally in her mind. But Dean, well he understood her and… hell, there had only been two men on her mind that night and only one of them was still alive.
