Remote Consequences by Kerri Nelson

patch of coaxial cable line, and I hurt my knee."
    The pencil stopped tapping and his eyes stabbed me with a steely glare. "You hurt your knee? Is this going to get to the dead-body part of the story sometime today, or should I call for backup while you dictate your autobiography?"
    I crossed my arms over my chest and balled my hands into fists. I wanted to punch him. Right here. Right now. In his windowed office that overlooked the parking lot. I wanted to give him a one-two punch sequence he wouldn't soon forget.
    "As I said…I'd hurt my knee and sat down to tend to it. That was when I took notice of my surroundings and became intrigued by the sight of a deep freezer. I thought this was suspicious."
    He cleared his throat and interrupted me for the third time. "So, you decided to unlawfully snoop through the mayor's frozen green beans and preserves in search of what…an icepack for your knee?"
    "Do you want to hear my account of the event or not?" I'd had enough of his attitude. One minute he was charming my sister into a schoolgirl blushfest, and four hours later he was about to get assaulted by a woman half his size. He really knew how to push my buttons, and I didn't doubt that he took joy in it. He scratched his chin with two fingers and then resumed the pencil's drumbeat.
    I reached forward and snatched the pencil out of his hand, flinging it across the room. We both watched as it pinged a filing cabinet, poked the bulletin board, and landed in an empty vase atop the corner credenza.
    He straightened what seemed like a foot taller. "Are you out of your mind? What'd you do that for?"
    I took a deep breath and then leaned back in my chair, propping my boot-clad feet on the edge of his desk. "You obviously take great joy in annoying potential witnesses. So I'll make your job easier. I'll wait here while you fetch the captain. With such a high-profile case at stake, I'm sure he'll make the time to hear my boring story about a dead body that may belong to the Brooks family. Will that work better for you?"
    He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
    Ha! I'd sure put him in his place. Take that, Tall Winking Stranger.
    But then his words found their mark, and my heart began to race once again. The brief bravado faded in an instant.
    "Did you say Brooks family? How would you know that?"
    Uh-oh.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
     
    Sense doesn't come before age. –Irish Proverb
     
    "Mandy?"
    "Look, I met someone who has a theory, and that's all. I don't know anything other than the fact that I opened the freezer and saw a man, curled on his left side in the fetal position. He was dead and frozen solid. I know what I saw, and that's the extent of my report, sir ."
    He raised his eyebrows at my sarcastic "sir" but remained silent for a few moments. We both had our hackles raised from this interaction.
    "Who is this person who thinks the body is related to the Brooks family?"
    Studying my fingernails, I offered no response.
    "Mandy?"
    "I'd rather not say."
    "You'd rather not—"
    I continued to study my nails. I dared not make eye contact with him at the moment, as I knew the look on his face without actually seeing it. I knew that his eyebrows were drawn together. I knew his forehead was doing that scrunchy thing. I knew his ears were slightly reddened and I knew that his tongue…his tongue…his tongue was pressing against his teeth.
    His tongue. What am I doing focusing on that?
    "I have a meeting with the mayor, the chief, and the captain in less than an hour, and you want to play games?"
    "Not games, per se…"
    He slammed the palm of his hand down on his desk.
    My head shot up, and we had a stare-down.
    "Ty, don't get huffy with me. I came here yesterday. I tried to report this. Your desk sergeant ogled me and all but laughed me off. Then you sent me on my way with scary news about Paget in the most indelicate way ever. Don't try to bully me now."
    I wasn't sure where the words came from, but they felt darned good. I was