Promises Promises

Chapter 7

It was an interesting conundrum, to behold something you wanted so badly, but your moral compass demanded you to stay away. Even though it was hot and delicious and you needed it more than anything else in that moment.

Life could be so unfair.

So unfair.

"Oh, for the love of God," Leann mumbled. "Just drink the fucking coffee, Davina."

That's right, the lovely hotness was a cup of coffee. But not just any coffee. It was coffee from Sully's Diner in Fairhaven, which made it a cup of joe I never indulged in.

"No." I kept my voice firm and shot her a look. "I will not."

Leann rolled her eyes. "Look, I know it's not Blissful Brews, but it tastes good and it's free."

"It's not about the flavor or the price, Lea. It's the principle of the thing."

"Of course, I forgot," she laughed, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she fired up her computer. "You don't patronize tyranny."

The joking tone irked at me, but I stood strong. "It's a hill I will die on."

I didn't care how dramatic it sounded or probably was. I didn't support ruffian behavior, and that's all the esteemed owner of Sully's would ever be in my world.

Years ago, he set his sights on a prime piece of real estate in the center of Fairhaven. Only problem? It was occupied. But hey, problems like that don't apply to Patrick Sullivan, and he bullied the owner right out of the contract, turning her dance studio into a diner and sacrificing a chunk of his goodness in the process.

Ruffian behavior. I couldn't get behind it.

I studied the paper cup Leann had set at my workspace, filled up from one of several boxes of freshly brewed coffee that had been dropped off at the station that morning, along with a variety of pastries to share.

None of it was as good as the food from Blissful Brews. That's where they should have ordered from, whoever it was.

"Who's it from anyway?" I asked Leann.

Busy with her screen, she muttered a quick, "Mayor Sullivan."

"Well, yeah..." I couldn't help smiling at her distraction mode. "I know that's where it technically came from, Mayor Sullivan owning the diner and all." Along with almost every other large business in Fairhaven.

It didn't seem to bother anyone else that our town's biggest investor also held the highest political office. But then, he was a bully. Maybe it wasn't so hard to figure out where the votes came from.

I nudged Leann to reclaim her attention. "I meant, like, who had it brought in?"

"I just told you. Mayor Sullivan." She turned to me this time, enunciating slowly like I was hard to understand. "Doris said he spent the morning with Chief Barlow, then he left for a little while and came back with the coffee and–" she paused, frowning when she saw the look on my face, which I'm certain held a load of confusion as my stomach dropped. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said, turning back to my own screen. My mind was a carousel of thoughts, and I wasn't fine at all.

Mayor Sullivan spent the morning with Barlow and then brought in a shitload of goodies from his diner? That was an interesting development. Considering the arrest of his son only a few days ago, I hadn't expected such generosity.

It put me immediately on edge. I knew Spencer to be precise and accurate on all his paperwork, but there was no saying how a report could be spun once it was out of an officer's hands and the people in high places started discussing deals.