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Mercy was awakened early the next morning by Deputy LeBlanc unlocking her cell door.
“What are you doing?”
“Kyle was afraid to come in here. He’s not up to date on his shots.”
Mercy swung her legs off the bed and stifled a yawn. “Very funny. Is this where you tell me to run for the door because if I don’t you’ll shoot me? And if I run you’ll hunt me down like prey, so either way I end up dead?”
“I see your imagination is as wild as your hair. You have a visitor.”
“Seriously? At this hour? Even hospitals have visiting hours for the sake of the patients, officer. Am I not entitled to the same courtesy?”
“Apparently not. Now are you going to see what he wants, or should I lock this door and send him packing?” Carter didn’t appear to be in a joking mood and Mercy eyed him curiously.
“You want me out there?” She nodded to the main office in surprise.
“It’s not exercise time in the yard,” he replied. “I’ll take your reluctance as a no.” Mercy jumped off her bunk and tripped when her foot caught on the blanket. Her knee cracked on the concrete, and she bit her lips to keep from crying out in pain. But mostly to prevent the hot words from spilling out, unrestrained and ugly. It took her a moment to gain control, then she got to her feet with a brittle smile before limping to the main office.
Deputy Breaux gave her a hopeful smile that faded when he saw her expression. Carter motioned her to his office, and she stopped when she saw the fed waiting in the room.
“Where’s my lawyer?” she demanded.
The agent heard her question and rose from his seat. “Agent Flannery. I’m not here to question you.”
Carter steered her to a chair by her elbow, and she said adamantly, “I’m not saying anything without my lawyer.”
“That’s fine. Just listen, Miss Hazeldine. I’m here to make you an offer.”
That piqued her interest, so she took a seat with a deep breath, wondering what kind of deal he was holding out. But before he started, there was a light tap on the door, and Deputy Breaux stepped in with a tray of coffee. Mercy nearly proposed to the overwhelmed young man when he offered her a cup. Instead, she gave him an adoring smile and nearly took off his arm when she shamelessly grabbed the first cup from him. A half cup later she sighed, feeling mellow and optimistic.
“You were saying?” she prompted Flannery, who seemed to enjoy his coffee as much as she did.
“Oh, yes. I’m here with an offer. You can walk out of this jail with the charges against you dropped- on one condition. You remain in Sinful Parish. If you leave, the terms of this agreement are null and void, and the original charges will be reinstated.” He tapped a small stack of papers sitting on the desk, which she assumed to be the official agreement.
Mercy set her empty cup on the desk, her brow furrowed. She was done being the patsy in a game where everyone knew the rules except her. “What’s really behind this offer?”
The agent regarded her with a stony face, and she shook her head. “Why isn’t my attorney here?” she asked, her suspicion meter spinning like a windmill in a storm.
Deputy LeBlanc sat expressionless until now, but Mercy saw something sweep his features before he wiped it off. She assumed the deputy didn’t trust Agent Flannery any more than she did. Her attention swung back to the fed, who hadn’t stirred since making the offer. He looked hard and determined. Not unlike Joy Merrymaker once she set her mind on something.
“The clock’s ticking, Miss Hazeldine. This deal expires when I walk out of here.”
As if on cue, they were interrupted again. This time Deputy Breaux had a tray of fresh cinnamon rolls and the terse agent relented when he saw the thick icing dripping down the sides of the warm treat. Mercy didn’t hesitate. Once the aroma wafted to her nose, she became a slave to her senses. The deputy blushed with pleasure when she mouthed, “I love you,” before rudely snagging the biggest roll from his tray. She dove in while the men showed more restraint in taking a plate when it was offered.
Mercy looked up from the treat, hoping she hadn’t purred out loud. Deciding it was probably just her stomach, she nearly smothered herself in another bite of the delectable goodie. The agent cleared his throat, and she eyed him over the rim of her roll. Did the man have no respect for heaven on a plate? She checked the saucer he put down after one bite.
“Are you going to finish that? Because I can eat around that bite you took—There’s no need to be rude! I’m just asking.”
“Can we get on with this?” Flannery asked. Then the office door hit the wall when it was forcefully thrown open and he growled, “What now?”
Gertie entered, carrying her huge purse like a battering ram with Ida Belle on her heels. Carter rose, and Ida Belle took his seat while Gertie stood over Flannery with her best ‘I saw you pass that note, now hand it over’ teacher face.
Kyle appeared in the doorway, late for his cue, and uttered, “I’m sorry, sir. The women forced their way past me.” Gertie’s lips moved silently in unison, and she nodded her approval when the young deputy looked at her. Carter wiped his mouth, and Agent Flannery glared. Then Gertie turned on him.
“Young man, where are your manners?” she demanded. “If you were in my class, I’d stand you in the corner for being disrespectful.”
Mercy tried not to giggle at the fifty something bearlike agent being dressed down by a sweet-looking senior woman half his size.
“Ma’am?” Flannery lost his aplomb when Gertie took his ear and forced him to rise.
“You should be ashamed,” Gertie scolded. “Making me stand with my weak ankle.” Her nose was at his chest, but somehow she managed to convey the feeling that she was much taller. She released his ear and pointed to Mercy, who flicked her eyes side-to-side, hoping she wasn’t next. But Gertie was all about sending Flannery back to wearing little boy shorts.
“What did you do to this poor woman?” Gertie asked, incensed. “Have you provided medical attention for her injuries?”
“Uh—” Flannery grew flustered. “I didn’t know she was injured.”
Gertie drew herself into a tower of outrage. “Are you blind? Look at her face! Did you work her over?”
“What? No!” The agent was aghast at Gertie’s insinuation.
“You’re responsible for her incarceration and well being, aren’t you? Why hasn’t she seen a doctor? Are you denying her the right to medical care? She might have a concussion. What if she has a blood clot? Or an aneurysm? Are you prepared to take responsibility for her long term care if she has a stroke? Well?”
Flannery stood speechless. Then he nodded, paused, and shook his head.
“I thought so,” Gertie hissed. “Mercy, have your attorney look into this matter and file charges immediately. This shameful negligence is right out of the dark ages. Why I—” She raged on while Flannery stared in surprise at her attack.
Soon Ida Belle pounded Carter’s desk with her palm. “That’s enough, Gertie.” She waved one finger at the agent and flapped the agreement with her other hand. “Are you trying to bully this young woman?”
Gertie slapped a hand to her chest and let out a cry of protest. “I’m distraught!” Her twinkling blue eyes said she was really enjoying the scene she and Ida Belle created.
Flannery finally found his voice and his backbone. “Why are you women here?” He snatched the papers from Ida Belle. “This is none of your business.”
The two senior women exchanged a look, shrugged, then rose to leave. At the door Ida Belle turned.
“Mercy, it’s a good deal, but confining you to Sinful Parish is unreasonable. Make him revise it to include supervised travel outside the area.”
Gertie popped her head over Ida Belle’s shoulder. “And keep a pain diary. It will come in handy when you sue the bureau for violating your civil rights.”
Carter narrowed his eyes at the older women and closed the door as Gertie shouted, “We won’t be far, so call if you need help!”
Flannery looked flummoxed before giving Mercy his attention. He held out the paperwork, and she just smiled. He blew out a breath of exasperation, changed the wording of the agreement, and handed Mercy the papers.
“What prompted this?” she asked.
The agent looked unhappy, but he answered Mercy’s question. “Your cousin reached out to us. In return we agreed to drop the charges against you.”
“Why do I have to stay in Sinful?”
“He’s here, we’re here, and keeping you close ensures his continued cooperation. If we turn you loose, we lose our leverage. Plain and simple.”
“You don’t have him in custody?” Mercy asked.
Flannery shook his head. “I wouldn’t be here with an offer if we did.”
“I’d like to read this before signing,” Mercy said. After landing in her current mess by being too trusting, she was determined to avoid that mistake again.
“Of course,” Flannery agreed, passing them to her.
Five minutes later she tossed them back. “How many attorneys did it take to come up with this legal mumbo-jumbo? I bet the same black-hearted legal terrorists are writing credit card terms, tax laws, insurance addendums, and mortgage loans. Stupid double meaning, polysyllabic legal terms that no normal person understands, let alone ever uses.”
“Is that a no?” Carter asked.
“Shut up and hand me a pen,” she demanded. Scowling at the agent, she said, “I want you to sign them, and Deputy LeBlanc to witness it. Also, I expect a copy in my hands when I leave this room. And I want a copy for my lawyer.”
The agent shrugged and signed the documents after Mercy, then Carter signed as a witness.
“Anything else?” Carter asked Mercy after the agent instructed him to make copies of the agreement. “Would you like them notarized?”
She made a face and sat on her hands. The federal agent tucked the papers into his pocket and left the room, and Mercy turned to Carter.
“Do you have the number for the Red Cross? I’m not kidding.”
He hit a button on his keyboard, then handed her his own paperwork. “You’re officially on your own. I took the initiative of preparing this in advance and I just filed it.”
“You knew they were releasing me?” Mercy asked.
“Let’s just say I’m not surprised,” he responded, and her hackles rose.
“And what aren’t you saying?” she asked suspiciously. “Because this seems very sudden and convenient.”
“I’m not at liberty to comment on the methods used by other government agencies to ensure the cooperation of interested parties,” he said.
Mercy snorted. “Did you write that agreement? Because you’re pretty good with the official double speak.”
Ignoring her insult, he continued, “The investigation into the theft of your car has been officially closed.”
Her hands fluttered. “What does that mean?”
Carter narrowed his eyes. “You’ll have to ask someone else for the details because I didn’t move it to the closed files. As far as I’m concerned a case stays open until the guilty party is found or it hits a dead end.”
“Well, don’t look at me! I didn’t have anything to do with it,” she protested.
He shrugged her denial off. “Maybe. But I don’t trust you, Miss Hazeldine, and I won’t allow you to tear up my town, use the residents to suit yourself, and leave a trail of destruction in your path. Am I clear?”
Mercy didn’t blame him for being angry. Her careless actions nearly caused serious consequences for innocent people. But she also understood he was looking out for his friend Spencer, and she respected that because Carter couldn’t know she wasn’t a heartbreaker. Fair enough.
He pointed. “There’s the door.”
Before leaving she asked, “Do I get my things back?”
“Everything except your gun.”
“Why not?”
“You’ve been charged with a felony, and it’s illegal for you to possess a firearm.”
“And you’re joking, right? They dropped the charges, remember?”
“The process has started but it won’t be official until the main office submits the electronic file for acceptance at the end of the day.”
Mercy flapped her hand. “Yeah, never mind because after that you’ll have the excuse of my missing license.”
His direct green gaze quieted her protest. “You should look into all your recent legal issues- so you understand them thoroughly.”
Carter’s tone of voice along with his look gave Mercy pause, but she knew he wouldn’t say more. His body language indicated he was finished with the conversation, so she thanked him and went to the front office, where Deputy Breaux offered her a shy smile.
“Thank you.” Mercy’s heartfelt appreciation and dimples nearly caused him to close his hand in the file cabinet drawer.
“I’m glad I could help, Miss Hazeldine. When Carter sent me to fetch Ida Belle and—”
“Deputy Breaux, don’t you have work to do? Miss Hazeldine’s business here is finished.” Carter’s tone of finality left no doubt that he didn’t want the situation discussed.
Deputy Breaux left the file cabinet and returned to his desk to work on the computer and Mercy left the office.