Strange Medicine (Dr. Maxwell Thornton Murder Mysteries #1)(14)

One of my deputies, Sam, came wandering up, and he slid in beside me onto a stool. “What a day I’ve had,” he grumbled, pulling his hat off and setting it on the counter. “Harvey Quinton drove his car into the lake again, and Julie down at the library says someone broke in a few weeks ago and stole a bunch of books on famous outlaws of Texas.”

I squinted at him. “What?”

“You heard me.” He sighed. “The crazies are out in full swing today.”

“Harvey really drove into the lake again? What is that, three times now?”

He laughed. “Harvey was drunk, as usual. But Julie was just freaked-out.”

“You should have called me.”

He frowned. “It’s your day off. I can handle Harvey and a book thief.”

I nodded at Polly when she set my food in front of me. I squirted some ketchup on my plate. “Wait, if someone stole books a few weeks ago, why is Julie only now mentioning it?”

“She said she didn’t really want to make a fuss about the theft since the books were so old and not ever checked out. But when they showed back up again on the doorstep, that got her a little rattled.”

“Someone stole them and then returned them?”

“That’s what freaked her out.” He laughed and placed his order with Polly.

I scowled and concentrated on my lunch, wondering what possible reason anyone would have for stealing and then returning something.

“Oh, man, and then half the town is pissed off at the new GP.” Sam chuffed.

My ears perked. “Really?” I feigned ignorance in hopes of getting some information.

“Yeah. He’s changed everybody’s prescriptions, and they’re all throwing a fit.” He snorted. “Apparently Mayor Granger is a royal bitch right now because he cut her off cold turkey with her hormones. She had two members of the city council ready to quit yesterday.”

“Oh, God. Why would he change her prescription?” I pitied poor Mr. Granger. Penelope was a handful when she had her hormones.

“He wants her to try a more natural approach because the synthetic hormones can cause cancer or something.” He widened his eyes. “Personally I think he should have eased himself into this town a little more slowly.”

“He doesn’t strike me as the easing-in type.” I chewed on a fry.

“Maybe you could have a talk with him.” There was something a little too casual about Sam’s tone.

I glanced over at him. “Why me?”

“Well, you are the sheriff.”

“So?”

“Let’s just say there are some people who think you might be able to influence him.”

“Me?” I scrunched my face in confusion. “Why would they think that?”

He smirked. “Word is you spent the night at his place a few days ago.”

My face warmed. “Oh, for God’s sake.”

“You didn’t spend the night?”

I kept my voice calm. “He had an intruder. I went over because he called 911. It wasn’t a social call.”

“You didn’t leave until dawn.”

The fact that anyone knew that was annoying. Did they have a tracking device on me or something? “He was nervous. He’s new in town, and he was understandably rattled that someone was slinking around his home at night.”

“Okay.”

I shook my head. “Jesus. I took pity on the poor guy and hung out for a while. I didn’t fuck him.”

Sam winced. “Okay. Sorry I brought it up.”

“You should be.”

“Don’t get mad at me, boss.” Sam poked at the condensation on his water glass. “You know how this town is.”

“Yeah. I do.” I sighed. “People should give the guy a break. He’s not so bad once you actually talk to him.”

Sam shot me a curious glance. “Come again?”

I laughed gruffly. “He’s okay once he relaxes.”

“Which is never.”

I frowned. “He’s different from a lot of people, but that doesn’t make him a bad person.”

“He yelled at Girdy right in front of the patients yesterday. No one yells at Girdy. She’s the sweetest girl on the planet,” he grumbled.

“She must have done something wrong.”

“Yeah, she served the people in the waiting room coffee and cookies. I mean, how horrible is that?”

“He probably has to pay for that stuff.”

“So?” He shrugged. “He seemed to think she was making the place more of a social hall than a doctor’s office.”

“Well, if she was serving refreshments, I kind of have to agree with him on that.”

“Really? You’re on his side?” He gave me a concerned look. “Keep doing things like that and everyone will think their hunches about you and the new doc are right.”

“That’s bullshit.” I looked around and lowered my voice. “I went to his house one time.” I held up a finger. “One. Time.”

“You know how people are.”

“I’m not fooling around with the guy. He hasn’t even been in town a full week. You know me well enough to know I don’t move that fast.”