Emma was working the night shift again, she had yet to employ a deputy, she suspected David wanted the job but she wasn't sure how she felt about having her father work under her. She had considered asking Robin, figuring he would bring useful skills to the role and would need a job, the merry men couldn't live in the woods forever and he had a child and now a wife to support but now she hesitated, trying not to judge but her opinion of him had changed some what, she wasn't entirely sure if he was the honourable man everyone thought him to be.
It was late and a little chilly, the wind was getting up but the night had been quiet, she had sped her way through the paperwork, hoping to take drive around the town, she wanted to drive around the town centre a few times, mainly to reassure herself she was only doing her job but really what she was doing but wouldn't admit to herself was checking up on the mayor's house. Henry had stayed over at Regina's for the weekend returning to hers after school, he mentioned he thought he heard someone in the garden late at night but when he had looked no one was there. Emma felt her stomach drop when Henry told her this, she had her suspicions.
Flipping off the car headlights she ghosted down the street, coming to a near silent stop close Regina's giant white house, pushing back the guilt in her stomach, she was well aware she was encroaching on Regina's privacy and given when she had seen at the party, it was entirely possible that Regina knew about the late night visitor and had invited him into her home, because it had to be him right? had to be Robin.
She hesitated perhaps she should just drive off and leave them to it and if he wasn't welcome Regina could certainly handle it, she wasn't a broken woman like her mother seemed to think and she was definitely eating, Emma had watched her munched her way through a bag of m&ms while queuing for her groceries, Regina had studiously ignored her of course, and Henry said they'd had pizza for dinner, besides the woman had a resilient heart for godsake, she'd be fine, however she was here now a quick look wouldn't hurt.
Pocketing the car keys and her torch light, she made her way to the back of the house where Henry's bedroom was located. Everything was quiet but as she started to walk to the front of the house, Regina opened the front door, black bin bag in hand, for some reason it shocked her to think about Regina putting her rubbish out in her pyjamas and she almost forget to duck.
Crouching behind the hedge, Emma felt extremely foolish, what the hell am I doing? she asked herself again. She waited until she heard the door click close, then made her way back to her car, cursing herself for her stupidity but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't quiet that small voice inside that insisted something was wrong.
Something was wrong, while she had been sneaking around Regina's street last night, some one had been breaking into Regina's office and Regina was furious, she was also lying.
"Regina, I know you are lying, remember? What has been taken?" There was no way they were going back to this again, Regina lying to her face and Emma playing catch up, they had gone to far for Emma to accept her behaviour, broken heart or not, Emma was calling her on it, quite willing to take part in the silent staring contest they were currently locked in. Finally Regina broke eye contact "Fine Sheriff Swan, a set of keys is missing" she hissed.
"Your keys?" Emma asked.
"Well of course they are my keys Miss Swan, who else's would they be?" Regina bit out.
"That's not what I meant" Emma replied and you damn well know it she thought, she was willing to bet she knew exactly which keys were missing, picturing the large silver ring from which hung a multitude of keys with the some what macabre detailing of skulls.
Seeing she was getting no way fast, Emma decided to cut straight to the chase, "the skeleton keys, that open pretty much any building in StoryBrooke?" If Regina was surprised by her knowledge of the keys, Emma couldn't tell, Regina's mask was well and truly in place this morning.
"Well then Sheriff Swan, as you seem to know so much, I will expect them returned to me later this morning" she snapped at Emma, turning on her heel and storming towards the door, she turned just short of the station exit and turned, Emma waited for the inevitable parting shot and here it came, "perhaps if you spent more time doing your job and less time hiding behind my hedge, then I wouldn't be missing my keys in the first place" she snarled, shutting the door firmly behind her.
Groaning Emma placed her head on her desk great she thought just great.