Minerva got me out of there so fast I didn’t register my surroundings until we reached her office on the top floor. It had a lovely view of the river and the town with the mountains rising behind all of it like a background put into a picture. She pointed to a chair and handed me a mug of fresh black tea.
She picked up the phone and dialed. “Bring up the scones.” Then she set down the receiver, folded her arms, and scowled at me.
“Um, thanks?” I didn’t know what else to say in the face of her brutal hospitality.
“What were you thinking, talking to him?” She gestured toward the floor, which I determined must mean the sheriff. “Don’t you have crime shows where you come from? Always, always ask for a lawyer. It will buy you time, if nothing else.”
“I have nothing to hide, and I thought I
