Page 94 of One Vote for Murder
He looked embarrassed. “I really am sorry. I’d kind of forgotten about the recall election. Here I am going on and on about the Raidens as if that would be a good reason to join our club.”
“It’s a good reason not to,” I said softly.
“I’d hate for you to dismiss us simply because the Raidens are members.” He sighed. “We really do so much good.” He glanced around and lowered his voice. “And between you and me, Sheriff Callum definitely has my vote.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Hopefully, he wasn’t lying just so I’d join his silly club.
“This whole recall business is ridiculous. It’s a waste of money.”
“I agree.”
“Royce has been a wonderful sheriff. We’re lucky to have a man of his caliber.”
“Yes.” He was certainlysayingall the right things. It made me feel more charitable toward him. I still had no desire to join the Rotary Club though. No matter how charming Lincoln was, I couldn’t imagine coming to these mixers on a regular basis.
Glancing across the room, I caught a glimpse of Angela Raiden whispering something to Liam James. Michael was on the other side of Angela, now talking to a glowing Penelope. She seemed to be eating up Michael Raiden’s attention.
Traitor.
I didn’t know what to make of Penelope these days. According to Royce, she said she had his back. She’d said as much to me too the day of the political mixer. However, at the moment, she seemed very cozy with Michael. They were having what appeared to be a very intense conversation. Were they scheming on how to oust Royce? The thought of that made my blood boil.
Was Penelope truly so naive she thought Michael wouldn’t come gunning for her job one day? It was only a matter of time, if you asked me. If he could get his buddy Liam in as sheriff and he became mayor, he could badger the city council into doing whatever he wanted to Rainy Dale. Things would change drastically under his rule. A man like Michael was allabout padding his bank account. He didn’t cherish the country charm of this little town.
I scowled when Angela suddenly gave a peel of laughter, and Liam joined in. Michael shot them an annoyed glance and then went back to his conversation with Penelope. I found myself obsessively watching their little group. Penelope was basically a social-climbing barnacle, clinging to the others in the hope they’d make her more popular. The other three were different, a fascinating study in pompousness. They simply reeked of superiority. It was obvious in the way they looked down their noses at anyone who approached, gauging if they were worthy of a smile or nod.
The point of the Rotary Club was to do good in the community, yet I couldn’t imagine for one second that Angela Raiden gave a shit about the people of Rainy Dale. She wasn’t at the meeting to help others. She was here to be worshiped. Dressed in a skintight black dress, diamond necklace and earrings, and a big black hat, Angela looked like she was holding court.
“We meet every Friday for our Rotary Club meetings.” Lincoln’s amiable voice cut into my resentful thoughts.
I pulled my gaze away from the Raidens and focused on him again. “Do you?”
He smiled. “Yes. Will you come to the next one?”
Grimacing, I admitted, “Probably not.”
Lincoln’s face fell. “No?”
I shifted uneasily. “You’re very welcoming, but I really don’t think this is my kind of thing. I’m sorry.”
“That’s too bad.” He got a mischievous look. “Maybe I can convince Royce to bring you.”
“Don’t get your hopes up.”
“I’ll keep trying. Eventually, I’ll wear you down. That’s just how I am. I’m like a cheetah. I wear out my prey and then pounce.”
“Oh, dear,” I muttered.
He pointed at me, smiling. “You just wait. One of these days, you’ll join up. We’ll have a toast, and I’ll remind you of this day. We’ll have a good laugh.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
“Yes, we will.” He grinned. “I’ll get you sooner or later.”
I laughed nervously because he was so intense.
I was almost relieved when a man with unruly red hair and thick glasses joined us. Without even saying hello, he said, “Lincoln, Amy says she’s showing her slides of her trip to Belize at the special meeting, but you assured me we would watch mine from Africa first.”
Lincoln gave a long-suffering sigh as if he’d dealt with this issue before. “Calm down, Reggie. You’re going first. I’m sure Amy just got the dates mixed up.”
