Paint the Town Red (Fox & Oakby Murder Mysteries Book II)

Blessings and Thorns

Author's Note:

This is the second half of today's double update. Make sure you don't miss the previous chapter.

Love xx

Katya

***

Imogen googled the address of the car wash, and the Mayor started the car.

"So, how's Petra?" he asked.

"She's well. Apart from the broken leg, that is," Imogen answered. "She thinks she's been attacked because of some treasure possibly hidden somewhere on the Oakby land, and not because of the murder investigation."

The Mayor hummed noncommittally. Imogen squinted and studied the man's face.

"Does this not make you curious?"

"Petra not having been attacked by the Serbs?" the Mayor deadpanned. "It makes me relieved. It means you and I aren't dealing with particularly impulsive murderers."

"No! Aren't you at all curious if there's a treasure hidden on your land?" Imogen flailed her hands in the air.

"I'm sure there's plenty. Most of my ancestors were as mad as they were wealthy," he said with a shrug. "My great great great grandfather had the habit of burying emerald necklaces, rings, and earrings in the gardens to present his wife with a map. She loved treasure hunts."

Imogen's eyes boggled.

"And apparently sometimes she'd get distracted and the presents remained undiscovered," he added nonchalantly. "The streak of insanity thinned out after the 1930s. My grandfather was the first sane Oakby."

"Petra doesn't like him," Imogen muttered.

"He passed away when I was 8," the Mayor said in a flat tone. "I hardly remember him. My Father never spoke of him either."

"Did he speak to you much at all?" Imogen asked quietly, and a joyless smile grazed the Mayor's lips.

"Touché."

"I doubt your grandfather was pleasant, even if he was sane," Imogen made a careful assumption. "Your Father couldn't have possibly been a happy child."

"I don't think he'd ever been a child," the Mayor grumbled.

"But he was! And then somehow he grew up into the cold, emotionally unavailable, unappreciative man that he is now, and whose fault could it be? His Father's, of course!" Imogen was starting to heat up. "We're doomed to repeat our parents mistakes if we aren't somehow miraculously healed of the toxic patterns!"

The Mayor threw her a quick side glance and focused on the road again. Imogen pressed back into her seat, internally cursing her loose tongue. Surely, the man didn't need to know about her abandonment issues.

"So, using your logic, am I doomed to be cold, emotionally unavailable, and– what was the last one? Ah, unappreciative." The Mayor's voice was expressionless.

"No! No! Of course not! You're–" Imogen froze with her mouth half open.

The Mayor didn't encourage her to continue, seemingly only interested in the traffic light ahead of them.

"You're– You're wonderful!" Imogen blurted out, and the mayoral foot hit the accelerator unnecessarily hard. The car jumped ahead, and Imogen grabbed a handle nearby.

The Mayor evened out the vehicle and looked at her sideways.

"Of course you are!" Imogen answered his silent inquiry. "You're kind, considerate, and helpful - towards anybody you encounter. You don't treat people differently, no matter if they're rich or poor, old or young, useful to you or a nuisance. My children adore you! Cats and dogs love you!"