by Raven Snow
Dedra and Marve both fixed Rowen with an incredulous look, like she’d just made a horribly misguided effort to be hip with the kids or something. “Look, I called around,” said Dedra, like the information she was about to offer was a compromise. “I’ll call around again and see if anyone knows where she’s at. She’s fine, though. Seriously. Mom and Dad worry about this stuff way too much.”
Rowen glanced at her husband. That was probably all they were going to get out of these two. Eric seemed to be thinking the same. He closed his notepad. “Well, you’ve got our number. Give us a call if you find anything out or remember something—anything at all,” he said.
“Sure,” said Dedra, not bothering to get off the sofa in order to see them out.
“Well, that was fun,” Rowen said as they headed down the stairs and back to the parking lot.
“Hopefully they’re right not to be worried.” Eric said with a sigh. “Shame we had to come all the way out here just to hear about how not worried they were.”
“Maybe they know where she is and just don’t want to rat her out to her parents.”
“If that was the case, you think they’d be able to convince her to at least touch base or something. I mean, the police are involved now. It’s kind of serious.”
“Maybe that has her even more reluctant to come forward.”
“Maybe.” Rowen got into the car. “Let’s do something before we head home. I don’t want coming all this way to be a complete waste of time.”
“What do you want to do?” Eric got into the car. “I think I saw a Thai place not far from here. Are you hungry?”
“That might be nice.” Rowen checked the time on the dash as the car started up. She groaned. “Never mind. I didn’t realize it was as late as it is already. I’ve gotta get back. I promised Rose I would help her with an interview.”
“She can’t handle it by herself?”
“She’s nervous about this one. I promised I would be there for her.”
***
“Thank God,” Rose said when Rowen came through the front door to the Lainswich Inquirer. Rose was dressed in a pant suit and heels. Her long black hair was pulled up in a neat bun. She’d even taken the time to put on a full face of makeup. Rowen wasn’t sure she had ever seen her cousin looking this professional. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to make it.”
“I don’t know why,” said Rowen. “You were texting me every five minutes for updates. I told you I was almost here.”
“Well, let’s hurry.” Rose headed for the door Rowen had just come through. She grabbed her by the wrist as she went, leading her right back outside. “We need to hurry.”
“The interview isn’t here?”
“Of course not! We’re going to him. What? Did you think he was going out of his way to meet us here?”
“Kind of.” Rowen followed Rose to her car. “What time are we supposed to meet him?”
“Five.”
“Aren’t we, like, an hour early?”
“Not early enough, if you ask me! I don’t want to miss this, Rowen!” Rose got in on the driver’s side, even though Rowen wasn’t wholly convinced that was the best idea. Rose wasn’t her level-headed self at the moment.
“If we show up on time and still miss the interview, that’s not our fault,” Rowen pointed out. Rose didn’t seem to care. She just started the engine and pulled out onto the road. A car honked as she unintentionally cut them off.
“Careful,” Rowen warned.
Rose took a deep breath. “Right, sorry. I just… I’m nervous.”
“You don’t have any reason to be.” They were on their way to speak with the mayor of Lainswich. It wasn’t like he was anyone particularly special. He was a boring, fifty-something guy who kept getting reelected because no one else qualified wanted the job. They were interviewing him for Valentine’s Day. This year marked his thirtieth year married to his wife. It was a puff piece, but Rose was treating it like the news story of the century. Rowen supposed it did mark something of a turning point for the Greensmith family. None of them had been asked to sit down with the mayor before. The fact that he had called them personally and offered the story was unusual indeed.
“You know, Margo or Peony or… Well, not Willow, but either of the other two could have probably helped you just fine with this. Not that I mind.” Rowen did mind, but she wasn’t going to tell Rose that. It wasn’t like Rose asked things of her often.
Rose shook her head. “Too risky. I want this to go well. I want to be invited to interviews in the future. This is big for us.”
“If you say so.”
“I wish you had dressed up a little more,” Rose murmured, casting a few uncertain looks over at Rowen’s jeans and t-shirt. She was wearing a business jacket over the shirt, but apparently that still wasn’t professional enough for Rose.
“You’re starting to sound like Margo,” Rowen grumbled back. “If you wanted someone who looked the part, you really should have asked her.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry… About sounding like her, not bringing her! I definitely prefer having you along for this.”
***
The drive wasn’t a long one. City Hall was located in the middle of Lainswich. It was a large building with a gold, dome roof. There was a visitor’s parking lot that was mostly empty. There weren’t really a whole lot of reasons to go there. Most of the people who worked with the public were in the surrounding office buildings. Rowen wasn’t sure she had even been in City Hall before. She vaguely remembered going on a field trip to the place in elementary school. It could have easily been some other government building, though.
“We need to hurry,” said Rose, checking her reflection in the rearview mirror.
They were still, at least, forty-five minutes early. “Calm down,” said Rowen, checking her own reflection. Her auburn hair looked frizzy. She ran her fingers through it to try and calm it down, but it was like the effort just made it angrier. “We’re still early. Just take a deep breath, why don’t you?”
Rose took a deep breath and then another. It sounded more like hyperventilating than trying to relax, but at least she was making an effort. “Come on,” she said, setting off across the parking lot.
Rowen followed. She just hoped her phone had enough charge to play games while they waited. They were almost certainly going to be sitting around in a waiting room for a while.
“You’re early,” said the receptionist, to no one’s surprise. “He’s still in a meeting.” She frowned at her computer screen, her thick, black, horn-rimmed glasses sliding down her nose when she looked back up. “You’ll have to wait for a while… Or you can come back later.”
“We’ll wait,” Rose said before Rowen could suggest maybe grabbing a bite to eat like any sane person would, “It’s no problem.”
Rowen sank into an uncomfortable chair in a row of other uncomfortable-looking chairs. They were all metal, upholstered in the same material of the ugly blue office carpet. She checked her phone. There was a text from Eric. No new news about the girl. He’d swung by her school and asked the staff if they knew anything about where the kids were partying these days. He hadn’t had much luck.
Rowen wasn’t surprised. She wasn’t sure what to do about this particular case. What could they do? She made a mental note to ask some of her cousins about where they went partying when they were younger. She really wasn’t supposed to bring this up with them, but she figured she could get them to swear to secrecy. Besides, she’d already told her mother a great deal and she trusted her mother a heck of a lot less than she did her cousins. We’re doing all we can, Rowen typed back. Go home, Babe. We’ll try something new tomorrow. She wasn’t sure what something “new” was, but she was sure they’d try it.
OK. I’ll grab Chinese for dinner, came the reply less than a minute later.
Sounds good. Love you. Rowen really did love that man. Everything about him suited her. It was like they had been made for each other, as clich
é as that sort of thing always sounded. They were good together, better versions of themselves together. That was all you could really ask for in a partner, wasn’t it?
A blond, severe-looking woman with straight, shoulder length hair strode through the waiting area. She was tall and slim, wearing a navy pencil skirt and jacket. She was walking like she was in a rush, a look on her face like she didn’t particularly want to be there, like she was annoyed or bored or both. She walked into the mayor’s office without pausing at the receptionist. The receptionist barely even bothered glancing up.
“That’s the mayor’s wife,” Rose whispered, leaning in close to Rowen.
All at once, Rowen wondered if the mayor and his wife were the right couple to interview for Valentine’s Day. It didn’t take witchy prowess to see that the woman didn’t want to be here. Rowen held her tongue, though. She looked back at her phone and pulled up a game to occupy her time until they were called in.
***
Rowen’s back was starting to ache from sitting in that horrible chair before she and Rose were finally allowed in. The receptionist picked up the phone on her desk. “All right, Sir. I’ll send them in.” She put it back down and raised her voice. “You two can go in now.”
Finally! “You’re fine,” she told Rose as her cousin took a deep, shuddering breath. “Just chill out.”
Rose nodded. With one final, deep breath, she headed for the big wooden doors that led into the office. The office itself was quite nice. It was all done in glossy varnished wood. There was a big desk, behind which sat the mayor. He was fairly handsome, with salt and pepper hair and kind, blue eyes. He stood when they entered. “Ah, The Lainswich Inquirer, right? I don’t believe I’ve ever done an interview with your publication. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Likewise,” said Rose, going to the desk and shaking the hand he had extended. Rowen shook his hand next. He had a handshake that was a bit too firm, like he was overcompensating.
“And this, of course, is my wife.” The mayor motioned to the woman half seated on the corner of his desk. She smiled when introduced, not at all like the annoyed woman who had marched through the waiting area earlier.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Roth,” said Rose, giving her hand a shake as well.
“Please,” said the woman. “Call me Emily. We’re getting personal with this article, aren’t we? No need for formalities.”
Mr. Roth nodded, “Quite right. Call me Vernon. We’re all friends here. Please, take a seat.”
“Well, as we discussed over the phone, I’m Rose and this is my cousin, Rowen. We’re both from the Lainswich Inquirer… Which you already know.” Rose gripped the arm of the chair she had just sat in a little tighter.
“It’s the Valentine’s Day issue,” said Rowen, picking the conversation up for her cousin. “I didn’t actually speak on the phone with you, but I imagine Rose here told you as much. I hear you’ve been together thirty years now! Congratulations.”
Vernon and Emily smiled at one another. “Thank you,” said Vernon. “It’s been a fantastic thirty years. If I had it all to do over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Nor would I,” said Emily.
Rowen sensed some exaggeration there. Not that she was surprised. This was the mayor after all. When you were in politics, it seemed like you were sort of required to have an outwardly perfect love life. It wasn’t like they were here to expose the truth either. This was just a cute story that served the dual purpose of cementing the Lainswich Inquirer’s position as a publication that was there to stay.
“Does anyone care if I set up a recorder?” asked Rowen, already pulling it from her purse.
“Of course not,” said Vernon.
Rowen was careful to make sure she wasn’t recording over anything. She valued solving a crime over recording this interview. “All set up,” she said, shooting a smile at Rose, indicating she could get started with her interview whenever.
“So,” Rose began, slipping into the routine of an interview easily enough. She was good at her job. Despite her nerves, Rowen hadn’t doubted she would be able to pull this off. “How did the two of you first meet?”
Vernon nodded like this was a question he had expected and prepared for. He smiled at his wife. “We first met when we were both teenagers, actually.”
Emily returned the smile. “You could almost call us high school sweethearts.”
“You didn’t go to the same high school?” asked Rowen. As far as she knew, there had only ever been the one high school in Lainswich.
“Ah, well, she was home schooled, and I was sent off to a boarding school, Woodward Academy. It’s on the coast. Fantastic education there,” Vernon explained. “I came back every year for the holidays.”
Emily nodded. “We both had parents that traveled in the same social circles, you see. They were also in politics.”
“It’s a family tradition for the both of us,” Vernon continued. “But, anyway, we both met each other around Christmas. She was sixteen. I was seventeen. I’m sure we had met each other before then, but that was the first time I really noticed her. She was breathtaking.”
Emily swatted her husband’s arm. “Oh, stop.”
“It’s true,” Vernon insisted. “And she’s only grown lovelier over the years.”
“We started dating after that,” said Emily. “He asked me out. We went on a few dates. A few years later he proposed. He was just getting his political career off the ground, you see. He wanted me with him for that.”
“I couldn’t imagine doing it without her. We’ve been partners in crime ever since.”
Emily rested a hand on her husband’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “You know what they say. Behind every great man is a woman doing all the work.”
Rose laughed. Rowen did the same, because it seemed to be expected of her. She really didn’t buy these two and their love story. They were very obviously weaving a tale that would paint them in the best light. She didn’t doubt that there was a lot of truth to it, but it still felt insincere.
“Have you ever had any major disagreements over all these years?” asked Rowen.
Rose looked at Rowen, her eyes widening imperceptibly. She didn’t like that question. She had a short list of questions, and that one clearly hadn’t been on it. Rowen gave a small shrug. This was why she was along, to help with the interview, right? It felt strange to pretend these two had a picture-perfect relationship every moment of every day. Even Rowen and Eric had their differences. She was sure Rose and Ben had their differences too. Heck, she had seen them!
Vernon and Emily exchanged a look, like they were trying to silently formulate a good answer to that question. “I’m sure we have,” said Vernon, like he couldn’t readily recall any disagreements. “We get along great, though. Always have.”
“But of course we have our differences every now and again,” Emily added quickly, no doubt picking up on how unrealistic Vernon’s response sounded. “I think that’s an important part of any relationship. It really comes down to how you deal with your differences. You have to be able to be honest with each other and work through things. You have to make compromises.”
“Well put,” said Rose, the smile coming back to her face. “Do the two of you have any plans for Valentine’s Day?”
“We’ll probably do what we do every year.” Emily still had a smile on her face as she spoke, like this was no bad thing. “There’s the yearly bake sale we oversee. We’ll be at that, of course.”
“All the funds go to the public works department,” said Vernon, like he wanted to make sure this part in particular was making it into the paper. “This year we’re aiming to make a new playground for the kids.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” said Rowen. “The old one was a death trap back when we were kids. One of my earliest memories is breaking my arm after a rung on the monkey bars broke off.”
“Oh.” Vernon stared at Rowen like he wasn’t quite sure how to
spin that in a positive light. “How terrible.”
“The new playground should be an improvement.” Emily stepped in when her husband fell silent. “We’re very confident we’ll raise more than enough this year. Be sure to include that in the paper!”
“Of course,” said Rose, making a point to jot that down and underline it on the pad of paper she was holding.
“After the bake sale, we go home. Every year, Vernon here cooks something absolutely scrumptious and we have a romantic, candlelit dinner.”
“How nice.” Rose’s gaze shifted to Vernon. “You must be a good cook.”
“I do what I can.”
Emily squeezed her husband’s shoulder again. “He’s being modest. He’s a fantastic chef. You’ll have to come by our booth at the bake sale and find out for yourself!”
“I’ll be sure to do that.” Rose looked up from her notepad. “Do you have any romantic advice for the residents of Lainswich?”
“Listen to your heart,” said Vernon. That seemed generic and safe enough. Still, Rose made a point to jot it down. “The person you choose should be a friend and confidant as well as—” He stopped speaking when Rose’s phone rang.
A soft pink colored Rose’s cheeks. “Sorry,” she said quickly, snatching her phone from her purse. “I thought I silenced that before I came in here.” She looked down at the screen of the phone, fingers moving to end the call. She hesitated instead, frowning. To Rowen’s surprise, she answered instead. “Hello?” All eyes were on Rose, waiting for her to finish her call.
Something was wrong. The pink drained from Rose’s face. All color seemed to drain from her face. Her eyes had gone wide as her mouth worked around the beginning of a dozen or so unasked questions she couldn’t find the words for. She stood.
“What’s wrong?” asked Rowen, feeling anxiety swell in her own chest. Something big must have happened to make Rose this unsettled in front of two of the most important people they had ever interviewed.